Aims/priorities: The Costing of Living Grant scheme is provided and administered by Asda Foundation, Asda's charity. The Asda superstores each have a Community Champion whose role is to support groups and projects within the community, as well as manage Asda Foundation grant applications.bThis Cost of Living Grant scheme will be managed by the local Community Champions.
The aim of the grant is to help local community groups cope with the increase in their running costs between September 2022 and February 2023. This includes 'warm banks' where groups are planning to keep their facilities open for longer hours to provide local people with a warm, safe place to be rather than heating their homes or living in a cold property.
The funding will support the following running costs:
- Increase in rent/utility bills: support to keep community buildings open to the public or increase opening times to help people stay warm.
- Increase in food costs: support for people most affected by providing meals, support community cafes, food parcels, delivered meals, soup kitchens, etc.
Combination applications are accepted eg, extended opening times of a community cafe. Applicants can apply for funding for both rent/utility bill support and increased food costs within the one application form.
The funds can be spent from September 2022 to February 2023.
Who can apply? Local not-for-profit community groups based in the UK may apply. To be eligible, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:
- They must have a presence in and benefit the local community.
- Their end beneficiaries must be community groups of people.
- There is no minimum timescale for how long the group has been in existence.
Groups can apply for a Cost of Living Grant in addition to one other grant or Green Token Giving offered by Asda Foundation.
If an organisation owns their own space and rents to other groups, Asda expects the applicant organisation to pass savings on to these other groups.
Grant amount: Grants of between £500 and £2,000 are available for activities taking place before 28 February 2023.
Application process: The current guidelines can be found on the Asda Foundation website. Application forms are only available from Asda Community Champions, who are based in local Asda superstores. Application forms may be completed by hand (preferred) or digitally.
Applications should be submitted at least six weeks before activities are due to begin to give enough processing time and should include the following:
- Bank statement/paying in slip to verify the payee name for the cheque by looking at the account name, which should be clearly visible.
- Group documents e.g. constitution, club rules, etc.
- If not a registered charity, provide confirmation that the group is a not for profit organisation.
- Digital signature declaration (if not providing a wet signature).
- Ringfencing confirmation (if group name and payee name are different).
Deadline: Community Champions will accept applications beginning from 19 September 2022. Applications will close when the budget cap is reached (estimated to be 01 February 2023).
Applicants are advised to apply early and check the Asda website for deadline updates.
Contact information: Applicants can use the store locator link on the Foundation website to get in touch with their local store and speak to their Community Champion about their project proposal and for further information.
Website address: www.asdafoundation.org