This space will be used to provide details of useful links and contacts.

• Funding Links
• Quality and Governance Links

Funding Links

Big Lottery Fund
Every year BIG gives out millions of pounds from the National Lottery to good causes. Their money goes to community groups and to projects that improve health, education and the environment.
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/ 

Heart of England Community Foundation
The Heart of England Community Foundation is Coventry and Warwickshire's largest independent, local grant maker. Providing professional advice and support to its funders, we connect local people with local causes.
http://www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk/

WREN
WREN awards grants to community, conservation and heritage projects across the UK in partnership with its donor- Waste Recycling Group. If your project falls within a 10-mile radius of a WRG landfill site they could help.
http://www.wren.org.uk

LLoyds TSB Foundation
The Foundation funds local, regional and national charities working to tackle disadvantage across England and Wales. Seventy percent of their funding is for core costs, and their focus is on supporting underfunded charities that can make a significant difference to the lives of disadvantaged people by helping them to play a fuller role in the community. Their strong local presence enables us to respond directly and promptly to local needs.
Click here for more information

Quality and Governance Links

Coventry and Warwickshire Infrastructure Consortium (CWIC) The Quality and Governance project was commissioned by CWIC. For more information about CWIC click here http://www.cwicnet.org.uk/.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales
This is the body established by law as the regulator and registrar of charities in England and Wales. There are various online publications and guidance to help charities to be efficient and effective http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/

Charities Evaluation Services (CES)
This organisation supports groups to strengthen the quality of their work and achieve better outcomes for services users. CES also publish the PQASSO Quality Assurance System.
http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/

Charity Trustee Network (CTN)
This is a network for trustees to share knowledge, experience and signpost to relevant resources for trustees. There is also a trustee brokerage facility.
http://www.trusteenet.org.uk/

Community Matters
This is a national federation for community organisations. They also publish the VISIBLE Quality Assurance System. http://www.communitymatters.org.uk/

Companies House 
The main functions are to incorporate and dissolve companies and store and publish information delivered under the Companies Act http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
This is the largest umbrella organisation for the VCS in England. There is a range of services available including support for Governance and Leadership plus a trustee brokerage facility.
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/

Sandy Adirondack legal update
This update provides information of a general nature for management committees/trustees and staff of voluntary organisations. It will provide details of recent legal changes affecting the sector and forthcoming changes.
www.sandy-a.co.uk/legal.htm

LawWorks
An independent charity that aims to increase the delivery of free legal advice to individuals and communities in need. LawWorks can help with business law issues such as: company law, employment, intellectual property, property law, charity, tax, contract and many more.  They cannot deal with criminal, family or immigration matters. http://www.trusteenet.org.uk/www.lawworks.org.uk

The Cranfield Trust
Offers free consultancy projects to charities involved in addressing issues of poverty, disability or social exclusion.  They work with small to medium sized charities which otherwise would not be able to afford external support, and help them with problems in a wide range of management areas. Cranfield Trust volunteers have a postgraduate management or technical qualification as well as experience of the commercial world.
http://www.cranfieldtrust.org

Business in the Community (BitC); Pro Help in the West Midlands
ProHelp is a national network of over 1000 professional firms who make a difference in the community by offering free advice and support to local community groups and voluntary organisations. In the West Midlands there is a network of 17 professional firms. http://www.bitc.org.uk/community/employee_volunteering/prohelp/

Media Trust
Matches people from the sector with marketing experts in order to improve the way organisations communicate.  The Media Trust also run a Community ‘Newswire' a free news service to help charities and voluntary organisations gain valuable media coverage. http://www.mediatrust.org/