Northern Childcare Partnership

By Neil Irwin - last updated on 20 February 2012
The Northern Childcare Partnership has announced the continuation of its small grant scheme. Closes 29th February 2012.

This year, the Partnership is keen to encourage opportunities that will promote international cultural awareness and diversity within childcare settings.

The Northern Childcare Partnership is therefore making available individual small grants of between £500 and £2000 ‘one off’ monies to fund innovative schemes which will enable children (aged up to 14 years) to celebrate other cultures and customs to increase cultural awareness and understanding of diversity.

Childcare settings are required to select a theme or country on which they intend to focus their activities / project on. Themes could include food, music, language, geography and / or national costumes.

Applications will be assessed according to the following criteria (not ranked in any particular order):

  • an innovative activity / project
  • identification of a theme or country on which the activity / project will be based
  • how an international culture will be promoted and explored 
  • how cultural awareness and diversity is supported and understood
  • how the activity / project will be documented (through a leaflet, drawings, photographs etc.)

Examples of how the funding can be used include exploring the food, national costumes and music of a particular country OR learn about foods of the world in countries such as France, Spain and Poland.

This funding cannot be used to:

  • fund a salary of core staff 
  • continue an existing program / scheme
  • provide a core service of the group
  • fund work that has already taken place
  • fund capital costs
  • fund a group’s ongoing project or running costs
  • provide a service which will duplicate an existing service

The Northern Childcare Partnership has funded over 240 projects in the Northern Board area through its small grant scheme, which has ran for the previous 7 years. The scheme is open to all voluntary and community group day care facilities in the Health and Social Care Board, Northern area.

Preference will be given to groups who have not previously been funded under the Northern Childcare Partnership small grant scheme.

Completed application forms are available from Elaine.Wilmot@hscni.net and must be signed and returned to Elaine Wilmot, Northern Childcare Partnership, County Hall, 182 Galgorm Road, Ballymena BT42 1QB.

The closing date is: Wednesday 29th February 2012 at 4.00pm