Community organisations in England can apply for funding to help people and families struggling with the cost of living.

The Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund, which is being provided by the National Lottery Community Fund, is offering grants of up to £75,000 to support organisations that already run critical

services around at least one of the following:

· food and emergency supplies – like food and baby banks or the provision of hot meals, clothes or toiletries

· emergency shelter – like night shelters or other accommodation for people experiencing homelessness

· safe spaces – like domestic abuse services and youth services

· warmth – like warm rooms and spaces

· financial and housing advice – like giving people advice because of the increased cost of living.

The National Lottery Community Fund is hoping that the funding will help to alleviate some of the pressure on community organisations and ensure that they can continue to provide essential services to those who need them most.

The funding can be used to pay for:

· costs of delivering, expanding or adapting existing critical service(s) until the 31st March 2024.

· retrospective costs of running the existing critical service(s) for between the 24th July 2023 and the date that the applicant is funded.

To be eligible for funding, organisations must already be providing services to low-income households and individuals. They must also demonstrate that they have a clear plan for how the funding will be used to support those affected by the cost of living crisis.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on the 16th October 2023.

For more information and to apply, visit the National Lottery Community Fund website:

https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/community-organisations-cost-of-living-fund