Share of £3m up for grabs for community schemes

SCHOOLS, charities and community groups in the Rochdale borough can now apply for a number of different funding opportunities.

Two national funds, both raised by the People’s Postcode Lottery, offer the chance to get free outdoor learning resources for classrooms or a share of £3 million for a ‘dream project’.

Applications for the Local School Nature Grants are open until November 22 from the charity Learning Through Landscapes, which is distributing £550,000 of funding.

Schools can apply for up to £500 worth of free outdoor learning resources to allow youngsters to get hands-on with nature. School staff will also receive a two-hour training session on how to get the most out of the equipment.

Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Given that children in Britain spend an average of just 16 minutes a day exploring in parks and the countryside, I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are supporting this programme enabling children of all ages to get outside and I’d urge schools to take advantage of this opportunity and get an application in.”

For more information and to apply for funding, please visit Learning through Landscapes’ website: www.ltl.org.uk/ projects/local-schoolnature-grants

The Dream Fund, another scheme from the same group, is looking for charities and community groups to apply for a share of a massive £3 million to bring their dream project to life.

This year’s prize fund is the largest ever, with a top award of £1.5 million which they hope will go to an organisation looking to achieve systemic change by addressing an important social or environmental problem.

Laura added: “The Dream Fund has made a remarkable difference to so many projects over the last nine years, and I have no doubt that we’ll see many more bold and courageous ideas submitted this year.”

Applications for the Dream Fund are open until Tuesday, October 15. Please visit www. postcodedreamtrust.org. uk for details.