To mark 60 years of The Queen's reign the Diamond Jubilee will take place in 2012. The celebrations will centre around an extended weekend in 2012 on 2, 3, 4 and 5 June.

The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897.

We will publish useful links and information here for anyone wanting to organise an event or join in the celebrations.

The Directgov website has lots of useful information and links about the celebrations and how to be a part of it here

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_197517

The fourth annual Big Lunch will fall on the same weekend as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (Sunday 3rd June) so you can celebrate the Jubilee with a Big Lunch. Find out how here http://www.thebiglunch.com/

You can find out everything you need to know about organising a street part or celebration here

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Gettinginvolvedinyourcommunity/Communitygroupsandprojects/DG_192701

While the Big Lottery - Awards for All grant scheme may be able to help you if you require funding (£300 - £10,000).

hhttp://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_a4a_eng

Great Ideas Fund

A one off fund established to enable a number of Sandwell's community and voluntary organisations to put a great idea into practice that will benefit local people and make a difference to their community.

£15,000 is availalbe to be allocated in blocks of up to £1,000.

For more information see http://www.scvo.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Great-ideas-120124.doc

Closing Date for Applications - 24th February 2012. Grants must be spent by - 30th September 2012

Starbucks, working in partnership with UK Youth and the Irish Youth Foundation, is offering the Youth Action Grants scheme as a means "to encourage and inspire a generation of young people to take action and create positive local change."

The scheme offers young people (aged 16 to 24 years) who have great ideas of how to improve their communities, £2,000 in seed funding and volunteer time from local Starbucks partners (employees) to bring their projects to life.

Groups working with young people must be based and working in one of the following areas: Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh, Greater London, Leeds, or Manchester.

Up to £5,000 is available for projects that increase participation by both players and volunteers within the game. Applications are welcome from organisations that are ‘not for profit’ and planning to set up two new football teams over the next two years.

To be eligible for funding organisations must have a signed constitution (with a dissolution clause), child protection policy,
equal opportunities policy, bank statement and income/ expenditure records.

The type of activities that can be funded include (but are not limited to):
• Facility hire
• Hire of FA qualified coaches
• Referees fees
• CRB checks
• Affiliation fees
• Promotion and publicity; etc

Are accepting applications for funding for projects which attempt to relieve disadvantage as part of the Comic Relief supported by Sport Releif Community Cash Programme. Priority will be given to projects in the following thematic areas, although any eligible project which aims to relieve disadvantage will be considered:

• Building Skills and improving access to employment
• Healthy Lifestyles
• Promoting Community Cohesion
• Supporting Vulnerable Young People

Grants range from £500 minimum to £1,000 maximum

The programme is open to groups which have never applied for funding before and groups which have previously received a grant.

For more information see http://www.bhamfoundation.co.uk/how-to-receive/sportreliefcommunitycash.html

Western Power Distribution Community Chest

The Western Power Distribution Community Chest grant scheme is provided by Western Power Distribution (WPD) and administered by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE). Funding is available for community groups within WPD’s distribution area to install energy efficiency measures in community buildings.

Approximately £50,000 is available for 2012. The maximum grant is £1,000, though groups may apply for lesser amounts.

The fund will pay for the installation of simple energy saving measures, including:

• Insulating loft spaces.
• Installing energy monitors.
• Draught proofing windows and doors.
• Fitting effective heating controls.
• Installing low energy lighting.
• Minor repairs (for example to door and window frames)

Ice-cream company Ben & Jerry's is searching for young, socially responsible entrepreneurs who are creating new models for sustainable business which will help make a difference in communities. Those aged between 18 and 34 who have a sustainable business model that demonstrate the following are being encouraged to enter the Join Our Core Competition:

Winners will be assessed in London in spring 2012 and then travel to Uganda in the summer to take part in ten days of social business knowledge sharing and local development projects where they will live and work with local farmers.

Winners will also receive six months' mentoring from Ashoka, the company what coined the term 'social entrepreneur'. The mentoring will be delivered through telephone and online meetings and will look at any challenges facing the business and provide advice to help the business grow and develop.

The prize money can be used to help with the start-up costs associated with launching a new socially aware business operation anywhere in the world.

The Awards for All England programme aims to help improve local communities and the lives of people most in need.

If you are planning a project and you need between £300 and £10,000 then Awards for All may be able to help you. Sometimes quite small sums of money can have a big impact.

For more information please see  http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_a4a_eng

The Britannia Building Society Foundation (UK)

Registered Charities and Schools, working within education and who are seeking funding specifically for numeracy and/or - financial literacy projects can apply to the Britannia Building Society Foundation for grants of between £1,000 and £25,000.

In addition voluntary groups, charities and schools can apply for grants of up to £1,000 through the Britannia Community Fund. The Fund also supports individual members wishing to achieve personal development goals that support the fund’s our key priorities with a donation of up to £100. The Community Fund will support any voluntary organisation, school or charity working within Foundations key priorities of numeracy and/or - financial literacy, that operate within a local community where the Building Society has a high density of members.

Applications to the Britannia Building Society Foundation and Community Fund can be submitted at any time

The Prince's Trust has announced that the 'Ben Kinsella Fund' is now accepting applications. The fund is aimed at supporting young people aged 14 to 25 in England (excluding the East of England) and Wales, to start up their own project to help promote anti-gun, knife and gang violence messages to their local community.

Projects should promote anti-knife crime messages in schools, colleges or youth clubs, positive stories about young people, encourage positive engagement between young people and the police and encourage young people to get involved in their local community.

They are also encouraging projects that target the following groups in the community, girls, children of 12 years and younger and parents.

Grants of up to £3,000 are availalbe

Children in Need seeks to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

Grants are open to organisations working with disadvantaged children and young people who are 18 years old and under.

Your organisation and project must be based in the UK and you need to be a registered charity or other not-for-profit organisation.

Within their general grants programme, you can apply for:

• Small Grants of £10,000 or less per year for up to three years
• Main Grants over £10,000 per year for up to three years

For more information please see http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants/general_grants.shtml

There are four general grant deadlines each year: 15 January, 15 April, 15 July, 15 October.

Community Fund grants, between £100 and £2,000 are awarded to community, voluntary, or self-help groups to run projects that carry out positive work in the community. To be eligible for funding a project must;

• address a community issue
• provide a good long-term benefit to the community
• support co-operative values and principles
• ideally be innovative in its approach