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The BIBAs Foundation – Individuals

Funding for young people aged 16-24 to flourish, learn and develop skills or knowledge.

Grant Size: Up to £2,000 Location: Lancashire

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Funds We Manage

At the Community Foundation for Lancashire we manage a variety of funds. We work closely with families, individuals, businesses, and trusts to ensure their funds meet their full potential and support those who will benefit most from them.

Click the logos to read more about the funds we manage!

RWE Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Community Fund (blue) for application form

1892 Foundation

Accountancy and advisory firm MHA launched its own North West regional charitable foundation in 2023. The 1892 Foundation funds projects which promote financial literacy and nurture career and life skills for young people.

We’re committed to improving access to financial education to equip the next generation with essential economic skills, something that is not always covered as part of the curriculum in schools. We’ve supported several projects and organisations through the Community Foundation so partnering with them to establish the 1892 Foundation was the natural next step in building on our partnership with this fantastic cause.

Graham Gordon, Regional Chair, MHA Moore and Smalley

BIBAs Foundation

The BIBAs Foundation was created to develop an enterprising culture in the youth of Lancashire. The Foundation is supported by BAE Systems. It supports projects which enable young people to flourish, learn and develop business skills or knowledge, continue or expand their enterprising work, and build their capacity for the future

The BIBAs Foundation was established in 2014 by the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, with the aim of offering small grants to support young individuals aged between 16 and 24 in pursuing their ambitions and career paths. These grants provide financial assistance to inspire the youth of Lancashire to achieve their goals, whether it be starting their own business, furthering their education, or building their confidence.

Babs Murphy, Chief Executive, North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce

Christal Foundation

Focused specifically on Burnley, the fund aims to help local community groups with delivery of a wide range of projects. The fund is particularly interested in supporting test and learn initiatives – where the funding can help trial projects to build evidence for future scaling up.

The Christal Foundation was set up as an Endowment Fund following my wife’s death. We were both born in Burnley and I wanted to leave a long-term legacy to the town. I hope future funding will make a difference to many local people’s lives.

Fort Vale Foundation

The Fort Vale Foundation was established by Edward S. Fort OBE LLD (Hon), Founder and Chairman of Fort Vale Engineering Ltd. The main theme of the Foundation is to support local people and grassroots organisations in the local area of N. E. Lancashire.

FPC Foundation

Established for over 40 years, Financial Planning Corporation (FPC) is an independent financial planning and wealth management firm.

The FPC Foundation supports a range of projects which primarily focus on financial inclusion and supporting people with managing personal finances. Funding also includes projects which reduce social isolation, encourage more interaction, and provide advice and guidance to people who have become unemployed.

We set up the FPC Foundation so we might extend support, using our resources, expertise, and network, to the communities around us – increasing financial literacy to help enable financial confidence for all, along with other related assistance.

Moira O’shaughnessy, Managing Partner, Financial Planning Corporation

John Laing Charitable Trust Fund

Sir John Laing CBE was a British entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Christian. He inherited his father’s building business (started in 1848) and turned it into one of the UK’s largest construction firms.

The Trust works hard to make a positive and lasting difference to as many lives as possible through well-researched support and investment at the heart of communities.

The John Laing Charitable Trust was set up in 1963 to support current and former employees of the John Laing Group and communities at large. It now supports people in need across the world, focusing on the strategic priorities of community, skills and education, young people and homelessness.

Know Your Neighbourhood

The Know Your Neighbourhood Fund is a £14 million programme, which supports nine local authority areas in England. The fund is for activities enabling volunteering and tackling loneliness, with the primary aim of developing and understanding of what works to improve well-being and pride in place in these communities.

Funding is provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and delivered locally by the Community Foundation to support charitable organisations working in Blackpool.

Lancashire Women’s Fund

In 2018 the Lancashire Women’s Fund was established by the Community Foundation for Lancashire after our national membership body, UK Community Foundations (UKCF), secured a record £3.4m award from the DCMS Tampon Tax Scheme. We received £70,000 from the allocation to enable us to launch the new Fund, which allowed us to respond to those issues effecting girls and women in Lancashire.

The vision of the Lancashire Women’s Fund is to break down the barriers that affect girls and women in the region.

Lancaster Community Fund

The fund was set up following the transfer of several dormant charity funds which had been left to Lancaster City Council in bequests and endowments. The fund has three main priorities, including the promotion of economic growth, health and well-being, and clean, green and safer places.

The fund is currently administrated via Lancaster CVS.

Last Choir Singing Community Fund

The fund supports the Last Choir Singing competition. The competition aims to showcase musical talent throughout the region. Lancashire primary schools can enter, and the children have an opportunity to sing at various venues across Lancashire with the final being held at King George’s Hall in Blackburn.

We are very grateful to the Community Foundation for supporting Last Choir Singing. It’s a delight to see the enjoyment the children get from the competition and to see the arts being supported throughout Lancashire.

Jayne Raven, Co-ordinator, Last Choir Singing

The competition is the brainchild of businessman George Critchley, who wanted to give something back to the community.

Mark McQueen Foundation

The Mark McQueen Foundation was established by the family of Mark in loving memory of their son. The fund focuses on supporting mental health, particularly in young men, reducing the incidence of suicide.

The Marsden Building Society Charitable Foundation

Marsden Building Society was founded in 1860 and has grown to become the largest Lancashire-based building society, placing community at the heart of what they do. The Marsden Building Society Foundation’s priorities include supporting and encouraging financial well-being in the community, creating an inclusive and supportive community through reducing isolation and making Lancashire a great place to be by improving the environment.

Contributing to our communities is something we’re passionate about and the Marsden Building Society Charitable Foundation is a great way for us to do that. Through the Foundation, we’ll be delivering financial support to organisations making a difference in our area.

Rob Pheasey, Chief Executive, Marsden Building Society

Pendle Young Musicians Bursary Fund

Founded in 2012, the fund’s purpose is to help young people continue their musical studies. The donor, who sadly passed away in 2022, was a concert pianist in their earlier years and their love for music and legacy lives on, inspiring and nurturing the next generation of local musicians.

Preston New Road Community Benefit Fund

The Preston New Road Community Benefit Fund supports projects which benefit the residents of the Westby with Plumptons parish in Fylde. It priorities projects which help to reduce social isolation, improve community cohesion, or have a positive environmental impact.

Progress Housing Group’s Community Investment Fund

The fund invests in local projects to strengthen communities by creating social connections and a sense of belonging. This can inspire and support people to develop new interests, skills and confidence, as well as bringing communities together and breaking down isolation.

Recent projects supported through this fund include a garden maintenance service, supporting people into volunteering and providing much needed activities for young people.

Red Rose Responding Fund

In 2021, the Lancashire Red Rose Responding Fund was established by the Community Foundation for Lancashire in response to an increasing demand for help to support the mental health and well-being of many people, of all ages and backgrounds, particularly those most vulnerable, throughout Lancashire.

Initially focusing on the impact of Covid-19 and more recently addressing the pressures of the cost-of-living crisis, our vision is to respond to issues affecting our communities that prevent people from living healthy, fulfilling lives, being able achieve their potential or take up opportunities being created here in Lancashire.

Rossendale Community Fund

The Rossendale Community Fund aims to support families and children and young people – helping them to engage in community activities and learning.

The Rossendale Community fund enables our local voluntary, community and faith organisations to provide a variety of positive, diversionary activities for children and young people and add value to their existing services. Many use the funding to match other external funding and grow the services they offer.

Stephanie Thornton, Community Projects & Partnership Team, Rossendale Borough Council.

RWE Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Community Fund

Following the extension of the RWE Wind Farm on Hameldon Hill, a community investment fund was set up to benefit local communities throughout the lifetime of the wind farm (up to 25 years).

RWE is proud to support the communities that neighbour our wind farms through our community funds. It’s great to see the variety of groups and activities that have already benefitted from the fund, which will be available throughout the wind farm’s operational life of up to 25 years.

Kathryn Harries, Community Investment Manager, RWE Renewables

The fund supports voluntary and community groups, working in the Hapton with Park and Gawthorpe wards of Burnley, which focus on community cohesion, young people and families, promoting education and learning, and the environment.