Throughout their 27-year history, Now! Charity Group Limited have worked to build prosperous futures for people and planet, committed to maximising their social, economic and environmental impact. Their Sustainable Communities Fund has been created to redistribute annual profits generated by Furniture Now! retail sites and support local projects in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove that reflect their ethos and aims, specifically promoting community activities which encourage the circular economy, reuse, recycling and repair.
Michael Ryan, CEO of Now! said “We are proud to be able to launch the Sustainable Communities Fund in East Sussex. Introducing a platform which supports local people with a passion for reuse, recycling and repair activities is embedded in the ethos of Now! and reflects the values of our founders who established our organisation in 1995.”
Aims of the Now! Sustainable Communities Fund
Grants from the Sustainable Communities Fund shall be used to support groups/organisations in East Sussex working to: reduce waste and environmental impact through adopting measures that reuse, recycle and repair products and materials.
Examples of eligible activities for grants include:
- Upcycling and recycling projects
- Repair and repurposing of products and/or raw materials
- Projects which promote and support the sharing of goods/materials
- Projects which support the principle of designing out waste
- Projects which deliver social outcomes in recycling, repair and reuse schemes, including those that offer training or support for individuals
Any projects which seek to use repair, reuse, recycling or upcycling activities to improve the quality of living for people in their homes are particularly encouraged.
Large grants programme: funding up to £5,000
Applications should be made via the Sussex Community Foundation general awards application form. Potential applicants must meet eligibility criteria and full guidance notes can be viewed here. Whilst completing the form, please state ‘Now! Charity Sustainable Communities Fund’ in the project details information section.
Deadline for applications:
- Friday 6th May 2022 (Decisions in June/July 2022)
- Friday 5th May 2023 (Decisions in June/July 2023)
Micro grants programme: funding up to £500
Now! Charity are also providing support up to £500 for small project applications, coordinated internally by their Community Support team. Interested applicants should apply via the designated application form on the Now! Charity website. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and aimed to be approved within 4 weeks.