Infrastructure Support

What is the Infrastructure Support Fund?

The Infrastructure Support Fund has been made possible thanks to funding from Kent County Council. 

It exists to support charities, community groups and CICs with existing, dormant or new infrastructure projects. Nine organisations were awarded grants through Kent Community Foundation to enable them to offer services to others within the voluntary sector.

Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services Mike Hill said: “We are used to seeing the extraordinary front-end work of our Kent charities, community groups and CICs, however this fund supports the important but unseen elements without which it would not be possible to sustain those transformational outcomes.

“This support will allow organisations to evolve and adapt, enabling them to develop fundraising skills and strategy and financial resilience. They can also, access training on governance and policy, mentoring schemes, leadership programmes and vital peer support networks. They will be able to tackle recruitment and retention, serving to strengthen the impact of the voluntary sector in the county.” 

Awarded organisations are working as a group to identify and tackle challenges within the sector to best support charitable organisations.

If you have any questions about the support available contact  infrastructure@kentcf.org.uk

Council for Voluntary Service North West Kent (CVS NWK)

Allocated £35,014, CVS NWK supports communities and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs) across Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley. They offer sector support on leadership, representation and advocacy, practical support, capacity building, volunteering, and partnerships and collaboration. CVS NWK aim to strengthen and champion local action, acting as enablers and facilitators so that local communities can thrive.

With the funding, they will provide:

• Access to a telephone help service, online support for practical support including setting up a charity, policies and procedures, roles and responsibilities of trustees, monitoring and evaluation, funding and much more.
• Learning opportunities - specific opportunities will be identified once a training needs analysis has been carried out.
• A two-way street, ensuring the voices of the VCSE sector is heard and that meaningful engagement takes place between the statutory organisations and the VCSE sector.
• FIKA: opportunities to meet with likeminded people and organisations to discuss issues of concern and hopefully solve problems together; this is best to be carried out in small groups facing similar issues. CVS NWK will coordinate and facilitate this activity. 

 For more details contact Sarah Maybourne sarah@cvsnwk.org 07467405364,  Sean Leacock sean.leacock@swalecvs.co.uk 01795 473828 and  Sharon Phillips sharon@hlcdartford.org.uk 01322 311265

Funding for All

Awarded £74,374 to help cascade funding and fundraising skills to VCSEs throughout Kent so that they can be financially sustainable and build in resilience through diversifying income sources.

Events and support to be delivered thanks to the Infrastructure Support Fund will be available on www.fundingforall.org.uk. You can access and book training,  funding conferences, webinars and funding surgeries via www.fundingforall.org.uk/training-events/

All the mentoring can also be found at www.fundingforall.org.uk/mentoring/

For more information email info@fundingforall.org.uk or kerry@fundingforall.org.uk

Imago Community

£73,898 will be dedicated to their West and South Kent VCSE Support and Development Programme. Imago offer support to community groups and charities operating in the Kent Districts of Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and Folkestone & Hythe including:

• Bi-monthly networking sessions.
• Newsletter summarising discussion points and outcomes of networking sessions.
• Direct support to individual voluntary organisations.
• Training sessions.

For more information take a look at www.imago.community/Community-Services or contact charitysupport@imago.community

Safer Communities Alliance CIC 

The Safer Communities Alliance has provided a range of bespoke Infrastructure support for three years. they have experience in collaborative working, guidance, training across areas including fundraising, governance, and mentoring.

They will use their £33,528 grant to deliver the following from their new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) support initiative:

• One-on-One support
  We will be offering personalised support with a strong focus on Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion. We'll help you address specific needs, fine-tune policies and procedures, break down barriers to accessing grants and engagement, and guide you in creating effective and inclusive EDI provisions that make a real impact in our communities.
• Events That Celebrate
  We believe in recognising the champions within our communities. Our events will celebrate these individuals, share inspiring case studies, and discuss the importance of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion.
• Connecting Communities
  To foster stronger and more effective approaches, we'll provide support for grant givers and stakeholders. Together, we'll tackle barriers to accessing funding and build bridges that connect communities. Exploring the impact of the cost of living on Marginalised and Diverse communities with charities, orgs and Communities. Stay tuned for more information on how to access these valuable resources and support.

For more information email info@safercommunitiesalliance.org

Social Enterprise Kent (SEK)

Funding of £74,712 for their initiative to give support and mentoring to VCSE CEOs, SMT and Boards.

At the heart of the programme is high-quality, impactful one-to-one coaching on a number of topics suited to your needs including financial and sustainability planning, properly and legal matters, and overcoming barriers to growth. SEK provide 12 hours of personalised support per client, guiding you through the complexities of your individual situation. Whether you prefer in-person meetings at your premises or off-site venues or the convenience of online sessions, SEK will adapt to your preferences to ensure a seamless experience.

For further detail visit their sekgroup.org.uk/infrastructure-support-fund/ email isf@sekgroup.org.uk or call 01227 469970

West Kent Mind

Awarded £74,937 for their project in collaboration with Mid Kent Mind undertaking a piece of work to explore the issue of staff recruitment and retention within the social care voluntary sector in West and North Kent.

Contact Vicky Giannakis vicky.giannakis@westkentmind.org.uk

Charity Mentors Kent

£27,227 has been allocated to offer strategic mentoring support to charity leaders across the county. See www.charitymentorskent.org to find out more about their work and contact Justin Byrd for more detail on services funded by the Infrastructure Support Fund justin.byrd@charitymentorskent.org