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The new Kent Community Foundation Learning Journey Fund will support up to ten applications from staff or volunteers from charities based in Kent and Medway to discover new insights and inspiration to improve their organisation’s performance. 

The funding of up to £1,500 will allow the recipients to visit organisations and learn from national and international best practice, to plan their own next steps and to share learning across the county.

Natalie Smith, Director of Grants and Impact, Kent Community Foundation, said, “The Learning Journey is a new fund about ambition, sharing ideas, and having space to think and plan. We want applicants to consider which organisations are already doing a brilliant job of areas you want to improve? Who is leading on this nationally or internationally? What can you learn from them and how can you put your learning into practice? If you have the ambition to be bold to drive your charity or community group forward, we want to hear from you.”

Applications might be to visit a charity that is an exemplar for local engagement, environmental sustainability, or work with refugees. It could ask to learn from a care home that is pioneering client-led services, a museum that is bringing their collection to life, a resident’s group that runs an amazing community garden, or a sports club that is truly inclusive.

Following the initial visit or visits, The Leaning Journey Fund will pay to help the successful applicants to think through their learning, and to bring in a coach, advisor, consultant, or facilitator to help develop their plans and next steps. The leaning will be shared via a blog or presentation posted on the Learning Journey pages of the Kent Community Foundation website so that others can learn and develop too.

Applications should include a description of what you hope to learn and why this will make a difference to your charity, detail of who you would like to visit, why you have chosen them and how you will use the knowledge you gain as well as a timeline and a budget.

About the Learning Journey Fund

The Learning Journey Fund will award grants for up to £1,500 divided into three types of expenditure:

  • Visit: up to £500 to fund your visits (for example travel, accommodation, food)
  • Plan: up to £500 to fund working with an advisor to think through your next steps (this can include fees, venue hire, away day expenses)
  • Support: up to £500 for your time as part of the visit, thinking and project planning as well as sharing your learning.

Applications close on 30 June 2022 and final decisions will be made by 31 July 2022.

Apply here

MASSIVE 'thank you ' to everyone at Kent Community Foundation. Your funding support is HUGELY appreciated and has enabled us to get into the heart of local communities with REAL, affordable, healthy and tasty food that does so much more than feed people.

Community chef Mike Spackman, Sheppey Matters

KCF's enthusiasm for what we are doing and hoping to do, coupled with helpful advice, gave us the confidence to take this daunting step which has paid off.

Liz Turner, Octopus Foundation

It's great having a foundation that empowers organisations and charities in our community to make real positive differences and changes!

Tom, MMK Mind