“Illuminating.. Impressive.. Excellent Support and Advice..” – The MVA Funding Club returns for 2024!

At the time of writing, membership to The MVA Funding Club is now FREE for Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise and Faith organisations (VCSEF) in Medway and Swale!!

MVA’s Funding Club continues its success in providing funding help and advice, with memorable presentations to start the New Year and one of its biggest turnouts on record.

Hosted on the last Tuesday of the month, MVA’s Funding Club is a friendly and approachable forum where local enterprises, charities, community groups and similar organisations can attend for information and guidance into funding.

Attendees can gain insight and advice on various aspects related to charity funding, from sourcing to application, as well as having the opportunity to share their own individual expertise and experiences.

The January session got off to a flying start, hosting a record number of attendees representing a wide cross-section of delegates from the local Charity Sector.

Highlights included Charity professional Lorraine Schulze from Medway Foodbank delivering encouraging and professional advice on how to have a better chance of success when applying for funding. Lorraine can be reached by email at lorraine@medway.foodbank.org.uk

For more details about Medway Foodbank (no funding queries please) email info@medway.foodbank.org.uk or call 01634 757 057.

Later in the session guest speaker Becky Coleman from easyfundraising.org.uk introduced attendees to this online platform, pointing out its benefits and offered easy guidance on how charities can get involved.

More details or further enquiries about the easyfundraising.org.uk platform can be made to Becky by email at becky@easyfundraising.org.uk.

Guest speakers in the past have included Kerry Donati from Funding for All, Andy Smith from The National Lottery Community Fund, and Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council.

With a growing line-up of topics related to charity funding scheduled later in 2024, as well as after-forum support and updates available, there is something for interested parties to take from this opportunity.

To take part in one of the next Funding Club sessions which are running throughout 2024, you can contact Tracy Doherty, MVA’s Data Officer, or Tricia Reilly, MVA’s Data & Infrastructure Manager. on 01634 812 850, or by email at info@mva.org.uk.

Can't make the funding club? MVA offers more funding support to the sector in Medway and Swale. Choose from:

The MVA Infrastructure Drop in on the last Friday of every month

or MVA's Infrastructure Surgery the last Monday of every month.

Last but not least MVA offers 1:1 signposting support, up to 3 hours per organisation per year. This includes, pointing you in the right direction of where to search , knowing what’s available – resources, templates etc.

This can be delivered in one session, or it can be spread out across a period of time, where you catch up periodically to see where you are at and to ascertain if you need further signposting, or for MVA to be a sounding board.

MVA cannot give you legal advice as part of this support nor complete things for you like applications.

There are additional resources that you may wish to view first on the Advice and Guidance section of the website.

MVA continues its efforts to provide coverage of local and national news and events from the Voluntary and Charity Sector.

If you would like to see coverage of specific news or subject to help your charity, your project, your community group or enterprise, you can get in touch by email at info@mva.org.uk, you can also contact MVA via the website.