A share of £165,000 is up for grabs by community groups who are helping to make Knowsley a cleaner and greener place.
Community and voluntary groups, schools and not-for-profit organisations who are involved in activities aimed at reducing household waste, encouraging recycling and preventing carbon emissions can apply for a share of the fund.
The money is coming from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24.
How much funding can my scheme get?
Successful applicants can be awarded up to £30,000 for schemes which operate across a minimum of three local authority areas across Merseyside and Halton, and between £1,000 and £8,000 for projects which work solely in one council area.
Bids must tackle one or more of the four priority household waste materials which have been identified by MRWA as key, namely WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment), food, textiles and furniture. An analysis* of waste in the region highlighted that a greater amount of these materials could be re-used or recycled. Projects can also include other household waste materials, for example paper, plastic or metals.
What has the money been used for in the past?
Previous Community Fund projects have included local recycling guidebooks, cookery clubs to support healthy eating and reduce food waste, fruit and veg gleaning, restoring old furniture to sell for charity and refurbishing unwanted rugs for resale.
Groups in Knowsley which have benefited from the fund include Kirkby-based Centre 63 – Remake Yourself Hub, which has held swap days, litter picks, community walks, youth sessions as well as food waste and reduce/reuse/repairs sessions. Knowsley Foodbank’s Chloe Cooks scheme has also offered 40 food/cookery training sessions to five groups over eight weeks.
How do I apply?
Interested groups can download the application form from the MRWA website MRWA & Veolia Community Fund 2023-2024 – Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (merseysidewda.gov.uk) The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Sunday 26 March 2023. If groups aren’t sure whether their project is appropriate for consideration then they can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via email to MRWA before 5 March.
Successful projects should receive the funding by mid May 2023 and will have to deliver their schemes by March 2024.
Organisations interested in this year’s Community Fund can:
- Apply online at MRWA & Veolia Community Fund 2023-2024 – Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (merseysidewda.gov.uk)
- Contact the Authority: Community.fund@merseysidewda.gov.uk