A14 Community Fund

Highways England has been given approval for the construction of the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme.
 
As part of a commitment to the local community, Highways England is looking to support activities with a focus on bringing communities closer together. The A14 scheme will have a lasting impact on the communities along its length and the A14 Community Fund is therefore looking to support projects which consider and respond to these changes
 
Applications to the A14 Community Fund are invited by constituted not for profit groups (not individuals) delivering charitable projects with public benefit.  Groups may be registered charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations, Community Interest Companies, Schools, Social Enterprises, Parish Councils or small voluntary and community organisations.
 
Groups need to be "grant ready" which means having appropriate policies and procedures in place to ensure their good governance and accountability.  In addition to the list of requirements set out on this website (click here for grant ready definition), groups applying to the A14 Community Fund are required to submit their Health and Safety Policy.  
 
The A14 Community Fund is seeking to support projects working within a range of themes as set out below:
- Environmental improvement projects (e.g. community gardens, streetscape furniture, wildlife conservation, habitat creation, flood prevention)
- Projects to reduce vehicle use/promote cycling, walking and other non-motorised users
- Arts, culture & heritage projects (e.g. local art competitions, writers in residence, music and dance events)
- Community involvement projects
- Community safety projects
- Community health and wellbeing projects
- Leisure and tourism
- Projects to develop skills, education & employment support
 
As well as working within one of the themes for the Fund, projects must be able to define the link they have to the development work on the A14.  The link can be a close geographical link but greater priority will be given to projects that can describe the way the project is a response to the development. 
For example,
•        art projects that reflect the changes to landscapes/communities brought about by the development
•        projects that build relationships in communities because of new links that the development allow
•        projects that enhance the natural environment around the development
•        training projects to enable people to gain employment on the development  
 
Grants of up to £10,000, covering revenue and/or capital costs,  are on offer in  funding rounds in 2016/17 and 2017/18.
 
Projects will need to show they have given appropriate consideration, and taken necessary steps, to secure funding from other sources to contribute as a match to the project.  Although projects will be looked at on a case by case basis, as a rule of thumb it is expected that 10-20% of the funding required for the project has been secured from other sources
 
Funding will not be given to support activity  that is considered to be a statutory responsibly (even if there are no statutory funds available) nor will awards be made to cover costs already incurred or committed.