The Tideway 2021/22 Community Grant Fund for Wandsworth is offering small grants to not-for profit organisations, such as charities, social enterprises and community groups, whose work benefits the residents of Wandsworth.

The fund aims to support organisations delivering impact in any of the five Wards where our construction sites are based (Thamesfield, Fairfield, Southfields, Latchmere and Queenstown) or in any of the Borough’s most deprived Wards (Tooting, Roehampton, Graveney and West Putney as measured in the English Indices of Deprivation 2019).

Tideway, the company delivering London’s ‘super sewer’, has been investing in community projects along the project route to support its aim to deliver a legacy for London and achieve its vision of reconnecting Londoners with the River Thames and this fund complements our existing programme of support for local charities, volunteering and in-kind support.

The fund will support a small number of projects, typically costing £5,000 to £10,000 to a max of £10k. The aim is to award small projects by the end of July 2021 for programmes which will start between September and October 2021. The Projects should run for up to six months.

Who can apply

The fund is open to applications from: registered charities; Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs); Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by guarantee; faith groups, where the activity is not promoting religion; registered Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs); and constituted but unincorporated clubs or associations.

We can fund other forms of social enterprise if the organisation’s governing documents show that all the surplus is reinvested in the charitable work of the organisation. This must be reflected in the accounts we review - see ‘Application process’ below. We will only fund organisations operating for at least a year which have an independently verified statement of financial activities.

Please note due to lead times for new payees in our finance systems, payments may take longer than the month of August for companies who are not registered with Charities Aid Foundation and we will endeavour to pay as soon as possible if your project is approved.

We will consider applications from organisations that have a regional or national remit but we will only fund services or activities that benefit Wandsworth residents who are based in the wards of Thamesfield, Fairfield, Southfields, Latchmere, Queenstown, Tooting, Roehampton, Graveney or West Putney, or a combination of these.

In order to complement our existing programme, we will not fund charities who have previously received funding from Tideway.

What we support

Tideway considers community investment against five criteria, so applications need to deliver a community benefit against at least one of these
• Concerned with the river and/or the environment, themes at the core of our project, and our company vision of ‘reconnecting Londoners with the River Thames’. Click here for river partnerships we have supported.

• Bringing communities together, ultimately making them more cohesive and inclusive, in line with our legacy commitments. Click here for an example of a community programme bringing people closer together.

• Involving young people, linking to our legacy commitment to inspire and upskill the next generation. Click here for an example of our work helping young people.

• Concerned with health and wellbeing, linked to our health and safety and Legacy objectives. Click here for an example of a well-being initiative we have supported in the past.

• Relevant to the development and execution of the Tideway project and its role in London’s future development.

You can see Tideway’s full Community Investment and Charitable Giving Policy here and Tideway’s full range of legacy commitments can be seen here.

If you have any questions about these criteria, please email [email protected].

What the grant would cover

The grant would cover project/activity-specific costs, including:
• People – staffing and volunteer costs associated with delivering the work
• Equipment – any equipment you need to deliver this work that is not already in your budget
• Resources – any new software or training needed for your team to do this work
• Additional costs and overheads – direct additional costs including wellbeing and specialist support that ensures the resilience of staff and volunteers, and any (proportionate) contribution to ‘core’ costs

We will not fund
• Direct cash payments to beneficiaries
• Projects that are fundraising in nature
• Projects where funds granted would be used for political purposes

Application process

Applicants will need to complete our application form which will tell us about your organisation and its finances (include independently audited accounts or a link to Charity Commission accounts); the project and its costs; and its intended impacts/legacy, including details of how you will measure them. The guidance document is intended to support you in your application. You should send your completed form to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday 9 July 2021.

Tideway’s Community Investment and Charitable Giving Committee will then review the applications and we expect to make awards no later than end of July. Those awarded grants will be required to begin their programme between September and October 2021 and complete it no later than end of March 2022. Successful applicants will also need to compile an impact report on the project so that we can understand and share its positive benefits to the community in Wandsworth.