Community Champions - VCS Funding Coordination and Project Management

On 22 October 2020, the Minister for Equalities announced that the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) would provide up to £25m of funding to support those communities who have been shown to suffer disproportionately from COVID 19, through a new scheme called 'Community Champions. Kirklees was one of the identified areas to apply for this funding as an area that has very diverse communities with a range of complex and individual needs.

The Government's expectation is that Local Authorities will work collaboratively both with the Voluntary and Community Sector and with other critical local authority partners in their vicinity. Recognising that local authorities, their partners and local people are best placed to decide the right approach for their communities, it is intended to be designed locally, to respond to the needs of a specific place and should consider passporting funds to VCS groups in their areas.

In order to deliver the outcomes of the Community Champions scheme in Kirklees, a Community Champions grant scheme has been established to ensure funding can be provided to support those areas and communities facing the greatest challenges.

A Contract has been awarded to an organisation to manage:

• the VCS funding coordination and oversight of the micro grants,
• consultancy and support for local community mass testing and engagement (via a small grants programme),
• project management and business support to coordinate activities.