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The Tampon Tax Community Fund supports grassroots organisations, working with women or girls facing multiple challenges, user-led organisations and sustainable projects providing long-term solutions. Grants of up to £10,000 are available. This fund has its own criteria and application form.
Background
The Government’s Tampon Tax Fund allocates funds generated from the VAT on sanitary products to projects to improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. UK Community Foundations applied to Department of Culture, Media and Sport for a large grant to set up the Tampon Tax Community Fund, working with its network of Community Foundations to support projects and services run by local groups specifically benefiting women and girls. To date, a total of £6.9 million has been awarded.
In 2018/19, the community foundation network distributed more than £98 million worth of grants and supported more than 5,641 people and 15,526 organisations.
Collectively as a network, UK Community Foundations is one of the UK’s largest grant-makers and was asked by government to distribute the largest share of the funding raised through the levy on sanitary products through its network of community foundations. A total of £6.9 million has been awarded nationally to grassroots groups in the two rounds of funding.
Groups in Sussex have received over £125,000 in grants from the Tampon Tax Community Fund. They include:
| Name | Project | Amount |
| Pregnancy Options Centre | This funding was to enable them to continue providing counselling support for unplanned pregnancy and pregnancy loss. | 4014 |
| Crowborough for Young People Limited/Clued-up Information Shop | This funding was to offer an opportunity for young women to meet together in a supported environment coordinated by trained women workers to discuss issues important to them. | 5385 |
| Plot 22 | This funding was to run the ‘Thyme & Space’ project for a further year, providing year round therapeutic gardening sessions for more vulnerable and hard to reach women. | 6490 |
| Brighton Women’s Centre | This funding was to re-develop the Brighton Women’s Centre’s Counselling Service. | 6994 |
| As You Are Centre | This funding was to run six therapeutic groups for women experiencing mental ill health. | 7010 |
| Safety Net | This funding was to provide a focused project called ‘Girls Talk’ which would specifically address the needs of girls and young women aged 10 – 14, particularly in areas of disadvantage. | 8454 |
| Safe in Sussex | This funding was to develop a bespoke Emotional Resilience and Recovery Programme specifically designed for women in refuge accommodation to help them cope with the long term effects of domestic violence and abuse so they can live an independent life. | 8700 |
| Counselling Plus Community | This funding was to offer a facilitated group where two counsellors will facilitate psycho-educational development over six two-hour sessions for 28 women who have suffered domestic and/or sexual abuse. | 9000 |
| Women’s Voice | This funding was for a number of different workshops and activities designed to bring women together, encourage empowerment, well being, confidence and skills development, resulting in the establishment of a women’s peer network across Hastings and St Leonards. | 9500 |
| Yada | This funding was to enable Yada to deliver and expand their outreach support service for women who have been or are in danger of sexual expolitation, called ‘The Esther Project’. | 9679 |
| My Sisters’ House CIC | This funding was to launch a ‘buddy/peer system’ to women and girls who have suffered violence and abuse and are deeply traumatised. . | 9957 |
| Wayfinder Woman Trust | This funding was to deliver a flexible programme of professionally facilitated, free confidence boosting workshops. | 9994 |
| Sussex Prisoners Families | This funding was to build on the success of the ‘Hidden Voices’ pilot to offer new opportunities for women, to challenge the inequalities these women face and provide a platform for their voice through a series of arts based workshops. | 10000 |
| Tarner Community Project | This funding was to deliver a basic all year round female only group with an exciting range of activities led by specialists as well as holiday activities, trips and outings. | 10000 |
| Brighton City Table Tennis Club | This funding was to deliver free, women only table tennis sessions at the club. | 10000 |
| 125177 |