MHDC

This new £150,000 People Make Places Fund is being launched and is apart of the overall £500K Connected Communities Fund Package that has been established to support the implementation of a new Connected Communties Strategy. This fund will run for three years, over six rounds. This fund is available alongside the Ticket to Ride Fund, Destination Zero Community Fund, Platinum Jubilee Community Fund, and Ward Member Budgets.

Malvern Hills District Council will provide the funding to organisations with project ideas that will help benefit the district and bring our communities together. If you are interested in your community group or organisation taking part in future funding rounds, or would like to learn more about supporting these projects, please contact communityservices@malvernhills.gov.uk. 

Our district is full of people with great ideas who come together to make things happen to support their communities. People Make Place Fund helps to connect those ideas that make a positive difference with supporters and to raise funds to make projects happen.

Malvern Hills District Council will provide the funding to organisations with project ideas that will benefit the district and bring communities together.  The fund is underpinned by the principles of equality and inclusivity and so we request that project creators must demonstrate how they have ensured the project is accessible.  

The projects should aim to : 
•    Improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of your community
•    Enhance lives through events and activities
•    Support young people's ideas and ambitions
•    Help to tackle the barriers and challenges many of us experience, in life, such as poverty, ill health, distance from services, social isolation/loneliness.
•    Cultivate food equity - projects that support building a fair food systems for everyone
•    Invest in and maintain the facilities we rely on for these activities to take place.

SHARE YOUR IDEA

To get started, complete our short form to tell us more about your project ideas. The Spacehive team are on hand to help get your project ready for crowdfunding.

PROJECT PAGE & PITCH

Create your online project page which will match you to the People Make Places Fund. Here the council will ask you some additional questions about your project. You must pitch your project to the fund by the 28th September 2022. 

VERIFICATION

The project costs and necessary permissions will then be verified. Have key documents to hand for speedy verification. 

CROWDFUNDING

Once verified, run your crowdfunding campaign between October and December. Start by getting lots of small pledges from your community to show local support for your project. This will help unlock bigger pledges.

ASSESSMENT & PLEDGE

Six weeks after the deadline, the council will review all project campaigns based on local support demonstrated through number of backers and other assessment criteria. If your pitch is successful, your project will receive a pledge towards its target.

HIT YOUR TARGET AND DELIVER YOUR PROJECT!

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Anyone can help a project towards its target, with a pledge starting at £2, and we encourage everyone across Malvern Hills to get behind the campaigns they want to help make happen in their area. 

If you have any questions about this fund or want more information on how to support the projects, please contact info@spacehive.com. 

Eligibility will principally be determined by the aims of the project.  

The following are able to apply:  
•    Public bodies, such as Parish Councils and schools where they are delivering or hosting community projects - mainstream expenses such as salaries  or replacement street furniture will not be supported, 
•    Registered Charities and expected charities.
•    Charitable Incorporated Organisations and Community Interest Companies, Social Enterprises.
•    Unincorporated community groups, Individuals - for community projects -  not individuals for individual endeavour /benefit. 
•    Under 18s can create projects, but the project will need a project delivery manager -who takes responsibility for its delivery - over 18   

We cannot fund:   
•    Commercial activity - activity delivered for private profit
•    Commercial organisations and exempt charities. Activity that is more properly the responsibility of other statutory organisations (eg social care; bus subsidies).  
•    Party political promotion or activities 
•    Activities related to religious worship.  Faith groups may apply for non-religious view in any way and is inclusive.

All projects taking part must be eligible for Spacehive. Please review Spacehive's eligibility criteria here.

Please note this fund is open twice per year for spring and autumn funding rounds - see the About page for more information on the next deadline.

The scheme provides councillors with £500 per year. It is intended to allow councillors to assist local projects financially, support local initiatives and needs or opportunities which would also allow councillors to become more involved in their communities. 

Councillors can pledge up to £500 each towards your project, up to a maximum of 75% of your crowdfunding target. 

The next funding deadline is 28th September 2022 - by this date you need to create your project on Spacehive and pitch to the Council Budget Fund. See the How It Works section for more information. 

You can access details of all payments made from July 2019 – Feb 2020 under this scheme here.

Our district is full of people with great ideas who come together to make things happen to support their communities. The Council Ward Budget helps to connect those ideas that make a positive difference with supporters, to raise funds to make projects happen.

Local groups and organisations will have the opportunity to start their own crowdfunding campaign on Spacehive, to reach a wide audience of local supporters for their projects. 

If you have a project which you think would be suitable for support from your local councillor: 

1. Check which ward you are in
2. Find your local councillor contact details
3. Share your idea with Spacehive and the team will be in touch soon to help you get ready
4. Or, if you already have the support of your local councillor and are ready to get started, create your project on Spacehive to begin. 
5. Your project will be matched to the Council Ward Budget and other funds. Pitch your project, and if successful, the councillor will pledge towards your live crowdfunding campaign
6. Hit your crowdfunding target and bring your project to life 

The spring funding deadline is 28th September 2022. By this date, you need to create your project on Spacehive and pitch to the fund via the Spacehive platform. 

Eligible projects must reach their total target to secure the funds raised including the Council Ward Budget pledge. Anyone can help a project towards its target, with a pledge starting at £2, and we encourage everyone across Malvern Hills to get behind the campaigns they want to help make happen in their area.

The Spacehive team are on hand to help you every step of the way. If you have any questions about this fund or want more information on how to support the projects, please contact support@spacehive.com. Learn more about crowdfunding on Spacehive here.

Please note this fund is open twice per year for spring and autumn funding rounds - see the About page for more information on the next deadline.

As part of Crowdfund Worcestershire, the dedicated People Make Places: Ticket to Ride Fund is open for pitches, with up to £50,000 (or max 50% of campaign target) available from Malvern Hills District Council towards your project. If you have a community-based transport project share your idea via this short form to get started.

Working in partnership with crowdfunding platform Spacehive, Crowdfund Worcestershire is a new crowdfunding initiative that provides groups countywide with a platform to pitch their project ideas and raise funds to bring it to life.

This programme will become a springboard for locally-led ideas to attract funding more easily, while enabling everyone who cares about their community to contribute - chipping in as little as £2 can help a project on its way to success. 

To learn more, visit Spacehive's Help Centre. 

For any additional questions, please contact Spacehive on support@spacehive.com.

#CrowdfundWorcs #PeopleMakePlaces

Transport projects pitching to the People Make Places: Ticket to Ride Fund should be sustainable, innovative, citizen-led and community-based. Projects should increase resilience and boost connectivity of communities in Malvern Hills by improving local people's ability to travel to services and opportunities for social interaction. 

In addition to the above fund criteria, projects should showcase community support for the idea, in the form of pledges from local people, prior to project assessment. The Spacehive team is on hand to share lots of advice on how to run a brilliant crowdfunding campaign. See 'How It Works' below for more information.

To check the eligibility of your project, and access additional support from the Spacehive team, share your idea via this short form. 

#CrowdfundWorcs #PeopleMakePlaces

SHARE YOUR IDEA

To get started, complete our short form to tell us more about your project ideas. The Spacehive team are on hand to help get your project ready for crowdfunding.

PROJECT PAGE & PITCH

Create your online project page which will match you to the People Make Places: Ticket to Ride Fund. Here the council will ask you some additional questions about your project. You must pitch your project to the fund by the 28th September 2022. 

VERIFICATION

The project costs and necessary permissions will then be verified - have key documents to hand for speedy verification. 

CROWDFUNDING

Run your crowdfunding campaign between October and December. Start by getting lots of small pledges from your community to show local support for your project. This will help unlock bigger pledges.

ASSESSMENT & PLEDGE

The council will review all project campaigns based on local support demonstrated through number of backers and other assessment criteria 6 weeks after the fund deadline. If your pitch is successful, your project will receive a pledge towards its target.

HIT YOUR TARGET AND DELIVER YOUR PROJECT!

A dedicated funding pot of £100,000 has been made available by Malvern Hills District Council via the Spacehive crowdfunding platform to support community led initiatives that contribute towards the aims of the Council’s Destination Zero plan, specifically to reduce carbon emissions, tackle climate change, and enhance biodiversity and habitats.

We welcome ideas from community groups, charities, local councils and individuals that help to create a greener and more sustainable Malvern Hills district for the wider community.

All projects taking part in Crowdfund Worcestershire are encouraged to demonstate how your project idea can be adapted to align with the Destination Zero plan.

We particularly encourage ideas that can achieve the following:

• Improved energy efficiency of homes through community action

• Increased low carbon travel for community benefit

• Community campaigns that support reduce, reuse, and recycle initiatives

• Natural measures to capture and store carbon (e.g., tree planting, pollinator sites, wetlands, wildflower meadows)

We appreciate our communities are unique and all have different needs and priorities. Please get in touch with your idea, even if you do not think it fits one of the outcomes mentioned above.

Create your project on Spacehive and pitch to the fund by the 28th September 2022, or share it with the Spacehive team for feedback first. 

The council will review all project ideas typically 6 weeks after the deadline so be sure to launch your campaign to showcase local support for your project prior to assessment. If successful, you can expect to receive a pledge of up to £10,000 (max. 50% of the campaign target).

The size of the pledge will depend on the scale of the project, how it delivers against fund criteria and Destination Zero objectives, the impact it will have, and the buy-in from the community.

All projects will receive support from Spacehive run a brilliant crowdfunding campaign.

We expect to run further funding rounds and the timing of these will be announced in due course.

Eligibility will principally be determined by the aims of the project.  

The following are able to apply:  
•    Public bodies, such as Parish Councils and schools where they are delivering or hosting community projects - mainstream expenses such as salaries  or replacement street furniture will not be supported, 
•    Registered Charities and expected charities.
•    Charitable Incorporated Organisations and Community Interest Companies, Social Enterprises.
•    Unincorporated community groups, Individuals - for community projects -  not individuals for individual endeavour /benefit. 
•    Under 18s can create projects, but the project will need a project delivery manager -who takes responsibility for its delivery - over 18   

We cannot fund:   
•    Commercial activity - activity delivered for private profit
•    Commercial organisations and exempt charities. Activity that is more properly the responsibility of other statutory organisations (eg social care; bus subsidies).  
•    Party political promotion or activities 
•    Activities related to religious worship.  Faith groups may apply for non-religious view in any way and is inclusive.

All projects taking part in the must be eligible for Spacehive. Please review Spacehive's eligibility criteria here.

1. Improve the energy efficiency of homes through community action

• Community energy efficiency assessments (e.g. surveys, energy audits, thermal imaging)

• Community (low carbon) energy generation 

• Community energy storage facilities

• Energy efficiency advice (e.g. energy cafes, workshops, leaflets)

Community Energy England provides some advice and guidance on starting energy projects.

See the Hanley Carbon Neutral website for a local case study on offering energy usage surveys to the community.

See the Sedgeberrow Sustainable and Manageable Energy website for another local example of a village wide energy survey. 
 

2. Encourage and support low carbon travel

• EV Car clubs

• Bike and E-bike hire clubs

• Community e-bike and cargo bike rental scheme

• Cycle training and maintenance schemes

See the Transition Malvern Hills website for a local case study on car clubs and e-bike loan schemes. Please get in touch with them if you are interested in a scheme in your area! 

CoMoUK have produced guidance on how to start community based car clubs and bike sharing schemes.

See this example of a free cycle repair scheme for communities around Glasgow through the Urban Fox Cycling Hub.
 

3. Support community campaigns that support reduce, reuse, and recycle initiatives.

• Community repair cafes

• Community fridges/pantries

• Tool libraries

• Swap shop events

• Community composting facility

• Waste reduction/prevention campaigns

See the Malvern Hills Repair Café website for a local case study on repair cafes. Please get in touch with them if you are interested in a repair café in your area. 

The Community Fridge Network has advice on how to set up a local facility
See information on the Upton Community Fridge for a local case study.

See the Transition Stirling website for an example of a community tool library
 

4. Increase natural measures to capture and store carbon

• Habitat restoration or rewilding projects

• Education programmes for volunteers to learn more about gardening for nature

• Community gardens, farms, allotments

See the Royal Horticultural Society website for a range of resources on starting a community garden. 

Lewisham Council have also produced a guide to creating a community garden. 

Take a look at the Tiny Forest scheme that encourages communities to create native woodlands. 

See the example of the Malvern Lost Fritillaries Project, a project that has been successfully funded through Spacehive.