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Help and advice

Find suitable funding

There are many organisations who offer grants to community groups, or projects with a public benefit. So many in fact, it can be hard to know where to start.

We publish a newsletter, Inside Track, with the latest information on national, regional and local funding from a range of organisations.

Read previous issues of Inside Track and subscribe

Write a strong application

Read our guide to making a successful application for advice on:

  • how to write an application
  • what evidence to submit
  • how to project costs.

Infrastructure Support Fund

Our Infrastructure Support Fund gives charities, community groups, and community interest companies (CICs) to access infrastructure support from organisations over the next two years.

Support provided by organisations range from:

  • funding advice
  • organisational planning and strategies
  • mentoring and leadership training.

The following organisations have been awarded grants to deliver support to the voluntary sector. Find out more about what they will deliver and how to access this support.

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
  • 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 VCSEs.
  • 'FIKA' (a relaxed professional environment) providing opportunities to meet with likeminded people and organisations to discuss issues of concern and hopefully solve problems together. Fika is best to be carried out in small groups facing similar issues. CVS NWK will coordinate and facilitate this activity.

For more details contact:

Funding for All have been awarded a grant to help cascade funding and fundraising skills to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs) across Kent, to allow them to be financially sustainable and build in resilience through diversifying income sources.

Events and support to be delivered thanks to the Infrastructure Support Fund are available on the Funding for All website, where you can also find out more about:

  • training
  • funding
  • conferences
  • webinars
  • funding surgeries
  • fundraising mentoring.

For more information email:

Funding 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 following districts:

  • Ashford
  • Folkestone and Hythe
  • Maidstone
  • Sevenoaks
  • Tonbridge and Malling.

They provide support via:

  • bi-monthly networking sessions
  • a newsletter summarising discussion points and outcomes of networking sessions
  • direct support to individual voluntary organisations
  • training sessions.

For more information:

CAP Enterprise Kent were awarded funding for their Kent Social Enterprise Club which supports community groups, local charities and social enterprises.

Thanks to funding, they are launching a new online social enterprise start-up programme for people and organisations based in Kent. Whether you are an aspiring social entrepreneur or a community organisation wanting to start trading, this programme is ideal for you.

Delivered online by CAP's social enterprise specialist, trainees will take part in 12 weekly training sessions which will include:

  • organisation types and registration
  • start-up finance and funding
  • strategic and business planning
  • income planning and diversification
  • theory of change and social impact
  • marketing and client engagement
  • digital working
  • partnership working and collaborations
  • monitoring and evaluation.

​​To sign up or find out more:

Social Enterprise Kent received their funding for their initiative to give support and mentoring to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs) CEOs, Senior Management Team and boards.

At the heart of the programme is high-quality and impactful one-to-one coaching on a number of topics suited to your needs including:

  • financial and sustainability planning
  • properly and legal matters
  • 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 information:

The funding received from the Infrastructure Support Fund will allow Stronger Kent Communities to develop a Kent-wide leadership and partnership development project, partly replicating and building on models developed in Medway.

SKC is recruiting a dedicated lead for this work.

For further information:

West Kent Mind were awarded funding 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.

West Kent Mind are recruiting a lead to deliver this project when it is set to start early Autumn 2023.

For further information contact Sarah Ingram, Head of Finance and Operations by:

Charity Mentors Kent has been allocated funding to offer strategic mentoring support to charity leaders across the county.

For further information: