Big changes start locally

Heart of the Community Fund

Help causes at the heart of your community

Here at the Virgin Money Foundation, we’re on a mission to support community regeneration by backing the people who can make big changes happen locally.

We love helping local communities thrive, so every two months we're working with the Virgin Money Lounges in Glasgow, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Norwich, Manchester, Cardiff and London to give three local charities the chance to receive £1,000 – with awards of £500 and £250 for two runners-up.

The awards will go to the charities with the most votes from Virgin Money customers and Virgin Money Lounge members. There is a voting unit in each of the Lounges and visitors can pick up a small red heart when they visit, to put into the tube named with the charity they'd most like to support.

Just our bag

Through the Heart of the Community Fund we support projects:

  • Run by smaller local registered charities. That means annual running costs of less than £500,000.
  • Working in the parts of the city that need money the most.
  • With strong local roots.
  • Benefiting the wider community.

Funds can be used to buy materials and equipment, make improvements to a community building or sports facility, clean up an area of wasteland or support an event. The money could also pay for staff to run an activity.

In London we will only accept applications from charities working in Inner London. In Manchester we will accept applications from charities working in Greater Manchester South (Manchester City, Salford, Trafford, Stockport and Tameside).

Spending the Money

Funds can be used to buy materials and equipment, make improvements to a community building or sports facility, clean up an area of wasteland or support an event. The money could also pay for staff to run an activity.

What isn’t eligible?

There are some causes we can’t support, like:

  • General appeals. So we won’t be able to award £1,000 towards a very big appeal.
  • Sponsorship or marketing – like our name on a football shirt, or advertising in a magazine.
  • Projects looking to raise money that’s already been spent.
  • Appeals that only benefit one person.
  • Animal welfare. We’re big animal fans, but the Foundation’s all about people.
  • The day-to-day costs of schools and other educational facilities.
  • Medical treatment or research, hospices and medical centres.
  • Promotion of religious, political or advocacy-based groups.

Ready to apply?

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