Powys Community Endowment Fund

The Powys Fund comprises of four grant programmes, offering support to individuals and groups based in Powys for the purposes of education, recreation and leisure.

The Fund makes grants of:

• up to £1500 are available for groups
• between £500 and £1,000 for individuals.

Details of the programmes that are open for applications are below.

Each has its own specific criteria and geographic area of benefit. You DO NOT need to apply for a specific scheme; our grants team will put your application forward to the most relevant fund.

This fund aims to support educational studies in forestry, agriculture and technical and vocational subjects in the arts or sciences.

Grants of between £500 and £1000 for individuals and £1500 for groups are available.

Examples of previous costs supported include:

• course fees (where other support is not available)
• purchasing equipment
• Educational materials
• Travel (where it includes a substantial educational benefit to the individual/group and/or community)
• Running costs of a specific community education project

The Fund supports individuals and community/voluntary organisations based in Powys with precedence given to residents of Brecknockshire or those who have attended a Brecknockshire Secondary School for a minimum of 2 years.

These include:
1.    Constituted Groups/Unincorporated Association
2.    Registered Charities & Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO)
3.    Companies Limited by Guarantee (not for private profit)
4.    Community Interest Companies
5.    Social Enterprises

This fund aims to support the education of residents of the former County of Brecknockshire in Powys.

Examples of previous costs supported include:

• Course fees (where other support is not available)
• Purchasing equipment
• Educational materials
• Musical tuition/instruments
• Travel (where it includes a substantial educational benefit to the individual/group and/or community)
• Running costs of a specific community education project

The Fund supports individuals and community/voluntary organisations based in Brecknockshire.

This fund aims to provide facilities for recreation and leisure for the benefit of the inhabitants of Montgomeryshire with the object of improving the conditions of life for those inhabitants.

Examples of previous costs supported include:

• To purchase equipment or materials
• For minor capital works
• For equipment or building alterations

Examples of previous beneficiaries include:

• Children/youth groups
• Community centres and village halls
• Cultural/arts groups
• Sports clubs
• Recreation/leisure groups

Applications will be considered from community groups, voluntary organisations and local charities based in Montgomeryshire.

This fund aims to provide education support to people who have attended Llandrindod High School who are entering further/higher education or training.

• Bursaries to support higher education costs
• Equipment, materials and tools for entering a profession or trade
• Assistance for students studying music or the arts

• Pupils attending Llandrindod High School
• Pupils who have attended Llandrindod High School for at least two years and who have one or both parents resident in Radnorshire

In 2020 Community Foundation Wales published the findings of a piece of research undertaken with more than 100 community groups across Wales. Our Loud and Clear report highlighted that charities and community groups in Wales want funders to prioritise core funding and longer-term partnerships. We have used the learning in this report to help us to shape our Powys Community Endowment Fund and to show groups that we believe in their core purpose and want to support them to work more effectively in their community’s longer term.
We recognise how important it is for groups to be able to plan for the future and that having secure funding can give you the confidence and reassurance to develop your project over the long-term. Powys Community Endowment Fund now offers groups the opportunity to apply for multi-year funding of up to 3 years but will also continue to offer 1 year project or small capital item funding.

We hope to be able to make at least one three-year grant per year. To be considered for a three year grant please complete the additional section of the application form indicating how you plan to develop your project over the period of funding being applied for. NB. Your application will still be considered for one year funding if you are not successful with a three-year grant.
We also recognise the challenge of finding core funding, especially longer term. Groups can now apply for funding towards core costs for up to 3 years, providing the group can provide accounts for at least the last 12 months and the amount being applied for is less that 50% of your annual turn over. EG. To apply for a grant of £2,000 per year, your annual income should be at least £4,000.