Good morning, my first webinar with you but enjoy the emails and share them. Thank you for organising this. I have no mic or camera on this ancient contraption so I will remain invisible and silent, but with you in every other sense!

Hi Vicky!

Having issues hearing. Is it just me?

I can hear fine

OK I'll leave and rejoin.

thanks. that's better

Mine cuts out every now and then, think it might just be my internet connection though!

My question relates to the exceptional pressure front line Covid support grassroots projects are experiencing with no clear end in sight. I am still shielding so am trying to support online - especially foodbanks. Aside from having no paid staff, they are so overwhelmed that they cannot find time to sit down and fill in applications. At the same time they need small cash donations as they are feeding hundreds weekly.

Good morning everyone, greetings from Manchester. I'm Angela, I work with many community and charity groups that are BAME, mainly African/Caribbean. In all aspects of community and creative projects and all age ranges to support as many people as possible.

Welcome Angela its Diane from the Louise Da-Cocodia Education Trust

Hi Diane, good to hear how charities can work on strategies to support themselves!

Angela I successfully registered the Trust last Monday

me too

Well done to Diane, for registering the Louise Da-Cocodia Education Trust!

That webinar is very informative -Diane , Louise DaCocodia Education Trust

It's a super application process and conversations as your application progresses. I received funding in last round for PEGS from The Fore.

My question is - I have applied 3 times to the fore and gotten to final stage twice but not been funded. My charity does upstream, early intervention support for vulnerable young people and we were only set up a few years ago so we have minimal staff and limited capacity - it feels like we have what the fore is interested in (as we get to final stage) but we fail at the last hurdle, so what would be the advice?

that's good to hear Emma - would be interested to hear more about this

A question on The Fore’s application process, please: How many charity spaces are available each funding round? And how long is the duration of the application process from start to finish if you’re successful? (We also registered for a place for this round last Monday and are excited to apply!)

We recently received charity status, having been in operation for just under two years. However we do not yet have a full set of accounts - will that hold us back in any funding application?

Hi Sian, I've sometimes found funders will accept profit / loss accounts. Balance and bank statements instead if full accounts not available. Definitely worth asking them the question before you start on an application.

Really interesting what's being said about being honest and confident with funders. There's a tendency for charities to want to present themselves as all singin' all dancin' - but funders actually want to fund organisations that are aware of their weaknesses and want to working on making themselves better organistions!

we applied for a number of Covid emergency grants for £500 value, helped us with loan laptops and IT for members to join us on ZOOM

We are a mental health organisation and funders responded well to the mental health crisis caused by crisis. We got a big grant from Garfield Weston Foundation, who provided core cost grants and mental health is one of their themes

Blume helped us with that application!

Yes worry that covid funding only short term

Amanda I agree, we have struggled to get any funding since

The honesty about your organisation to funders really helps, I recently worked on a large grant for a small org that has been in operation for less than one year and they understood we didn’t have many documents or an audited tax submission. They allowed us to submit bank statements and profit and loss accounts. It shows it is possible and don’t be put off. Large NGOs started small after all!

Us too - a strange bumper year last year - hard going since mid Jan

Unfortunately our main funder is the NHS and they're very inflexible!

sadly we have struggled to secure funds and it has been really hard. I think it also depends on the cause your charity supports off course. we are a charity supporting Female Paralympians

We have grown massively as an organisation during the past year and capitalised on volunteers through furlough but very aware that the next step is core funding to continue our work and take advantage of the opportunities to reach many more beneficiaries. This has been Avery helpful webinar. Thank you , Amanda EoS Network

Alexandar and Mary, one of the best 45 mins I have spent in my busy day for a long time

Great session. Huge thanks Mary Rose & Alexander!

Great information and life experiences

We had very good covid response funding, however, that all ended in March. We are now in the position that we are waiting to hear from funders on applications we have submitted to enable us to progress with our projects.

Thank you for a great presentation!

Thank you so much, so useful

Really interesting, thank you

Thank you

thank you

Thank you, that was really interesting

This was really great, thank you Mary Rose and Alexander - keep going everyone!

thank you

Brilliant

Thank you Mary and alexander for your time and all the information you have shared.

very informative. Thank you

Thanks so much Mary Rose, everything you've said is so true having been on both sides of the fence - funder and grantee

Thank you - this was great advice

Brilliant! Thank you Mary and Alexander.

Thank you very much, great to hear this advice!

Thank you

Thank you Mary, great talk

Thank you Mary Rose and Alexander