Charities are able to apply from this week for £4m in government and National Lottery funding to combat loneliness.

The first round of applications for the Local Connections Fund opened on January 5 and close on 26 January. The fund is backed by £2m each from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF).

The funding is being distributed in the form of ‘microgrants’ of between £300 and £2,500 and is available to small charities, with an annual income of £50,000 or less.

Successful applications must have spent the money and finished their project to tackle loneliness by the end of March 2021. A second round of funding will launch in summer.

APPLY NOW: £4 million in small grants for projects alleviating loneliness

Funding for small charities and community groups tackling isolation and loneliness with @TNLComFund opens today https://t.co/NrgdBFht2z #LetsTalkLoneliness | @dianabarran pic.twitter.com/k2yjsN5mre

— DCMS (@DCMS) January 5, 2021

“Grants from the first round of funding will strengthen and develop small and micro- organisations that connect communities together and reduce loneliness,” said the NLCF.

“The funding will help to bring people together in safe and secure ways – including by covering the costs of technologies and equipment that will help people feel more connected within their communities.

“Funding can also be used to help strengthen organisations and their services through, for example, training and development.”

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