About the Active Richmond Fund

The Active Richmond Fund aims to support local groups and organisations to provide an extended range of activities that enriches the Social Prescribing or Cultural offer, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for borough residents.

The fund exists to respond to both current and emerging needs, gaps and opportunities by offering social, cultural and physical activities (including sports, fitness, arts and social groups). We particularly encourage applications from groups and organisations who are working with adults who are less active, 'hard to reach', in care or engaged with Social Prescribing. Projects and activities involving children and young people (e.g. below the age of 18) are not eligible for funding unless they are strongly linked to intergenerational activities. The Fund awards grants for activities which improve people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Grant schemes

The Active Richmond fund offers two grant schemes to apply to:

• Micro Grants – up to £1,000
• Main Grants – up to £5,000

Micro Grants

The Micro Grants provide funding to enable groups and organisations to respond quickly to gaps and needs in the existing provision across Richmond. For example, this could be funding for additional equipment or Social Prescribing places where there is high demand for an activity. The Micro Grants application process is light touch, with a quicker turnaround on grant award decisions.

Main grants

The Main Grants provide more project focused funding, supporting groups and organisations to deliver activities in a more substantial way and/or over a longer period of time (up to 12 months). For example, this could be developing new opportunities or expanding existing activities in other parts of the borough. Requests to this scheme can be wide ranging.

In certain circumstances, where a specific need has been identified, the Active Richmond Fund will consider a request for funding of up to £10,000. Please contact the Grants Team to discuss this further if you feel this level of funding is required for your project.

Active Richmond Fund priorities

To apply to the Active Richmond Fund, you need to meet one or more of the following priorities, which are applicable to both Micro Grants and Main Grants:

• Enhancing the Social Prescribing/Culture Offer by increasing capacity for Social Prescribed places for local people (for example, physical activities including sports, leisure, parks and arts)
• Combating unhealthy lifestyles through physical activities and/or healthy eating
• Enabling and promoting healthy eating choices and good nutrition
• Promoting a healthy weight through sports, fitness and/or healthy eating
• Enhancing the quality of life for people who are considered inactive, 'hard to reach' or in Care by providing social and cultural activities
• Reducing isolation and loneliness
• Expanding the use of green space for exercise and health reasons
• Increasing the number of people who walk and cycle as a means of travel and leisure (for example, at least three days a week)
• Preventing long-term sickness through health and wellbeing initiatives
• Providing activities that delay and reduce the need for care and support in later life
• Safeguarding adults whose circumstances make them vulnerable and protecting them from avoidable harm

Active Richmond Fund healthy eating and nutrition priority

Projects which fall under this specific priority focus on enabling healthy eating choices and improving people's nutrition. A healthy eating and nutrition focused project should cover one or more of the following key outcomes:

1. Providing education and skills building on healthy eating and/ or nutrition
2. Increasing the accessibility or availability of healthier nutritious food
3. Promoting the acceptability of healthy eating and good nutrition
4. Building capacity for healthy food provision

Examples of the types of projects that could apply include:

• Setting up a cook and eat educational programme that teaches people how to cook healthy meals and provides nutritional advice
• Providing healthy food options and advice at community centres, foodbanks and surplus food hubs

The fund’s definition of a healthy nutritious diet is eating a wide range of foods to enable optimal health and wellbeing, ensuring a good intake of nutrients. This is not just following a diet which is low in fat, salt and sugar, rather it is eating a wide range of nourishing foods to enable the body to function well (Richmond Council JNSA, 2021).

In order to help you develop your healthy eating and nutrition project please use the guidance below. The guidance will advise you of the outcomes your project should seek to achieve and the types of planned activities you could develop.

• Healthy eating and nutrition project guidance

Applicants that are applying for funding for projects that improve physical activity levels and mental wellbeing are encouraged to consider incorporating healthy eating and nutrition into their project. For example, this could be offering healthier food options or providing information and advice after a physical activity session.

COVID-19

COVID-19 has had a widespread impact on how we deliver services and support local people. We welcome applications that mitigate the challenges caused by COVID-19 and projects that are rebuilding the support for our communities.

Applications to the Active Richmond Fund will also need to demonstrate how they can be provided within COVID-19 Public Health England guidelines.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply to the Active Richmond Fund you must meet the following criteria:

• Request funding for project expenditure which addresses the identified priorities 
• Be one of the following: registered charity, voluntary group, sports association, social enterprise or constituted group. Applications from individual providers will be considered where they demonstrate wider community benefit and are clearly linked to the fund priorities.
• Providing services or activities that benefit residents of Richmond upon Thames
• Financially solvent
• Individual providers, groups or organisations must not have liabilities that are more than their current assets
• Funds will only be paid into an organisational bank account (Please note organisations should have a bank account with a minimum of two non-related signatories or provide further details as to their banking set-up if not). Individual providers operating as sole traders must have an account in the name of the business and may be required to provide additional documentation regarding grant spend.

We do not fund:

• Individuals where the project is for personal benefit
• Projects that are profit making or for private gain
• Applications that are not directly related to helping residents increase their physical activity levels or help improve their health and wellbeing
• Activities for children and young people (e.g. below the age of 18), however we do accept applications promoting intergenerational activities
• Applications which are fundraising in nature
• Large capital projects (small requests for equipment are allowed)
• Retrospective activities  
• Political activities  
• Funding for lobbying or campaigning  
• Funding for feasibility or research
• Exclusively religious/faith-based activities (although faith groups may receive funding for community activity. In this case the application must show that the project will bring wider community benefit and that the primary purpose of the activity is not religious/faith based)  
• Statutory activities/requirements
• Projects or activities that would be unlawful for the Council to support  
• Projects that could mean the authority may not comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty

Further information

For more information and guidance on applying to the Active Richmond Fund please contact the Grants Team on 020 8487 5259 or email ActiveRichmondFund@richmond.gov.uk.

Apply

Find out how to make your application.