The Manuka Club has made over 70 small grants to date. Here, you can see some of the highlights, presented as case studies through the interactive map.
A little money can go a long way community-based campaigns, whose biggest assets – the time, passion and commitment of their members – are volunteered free of charge. Research undertaken for the Manuka Club shows that local groups’ funding priorities are for small amounts of ‘fast cash’ that enable them to respond to rapidly evolving situations, rather than large sums that take longer to deliver.
The Manuka Club disburses Small Grants in the range of £500 to £2,000 to support groups opposing developments in four categories – i) airport expansion, ii) road-building, iii) incineration and other unsustainable forms of waste management, and iv) large-scale green-field housebuilding. The Club supports a diverse range of activities, including the production of publicity materials and events, the commissioning of research, and the calling of expert witnesses in public inquiries. Such projects can alter the course of the planning process by increasing public engagement and challenging assumptions made in development plans.
"Thanks entirely to a grant from the Manuka Club, we were able to prepare a travelling display explaining the Government's house and road building plans for Bedfordshire and encouraging people to get involved. We took the display to more than 25 venues, and were delighted with the public response." Ann Collett-White, branch development officer, CPRE Bedfordshire
THE CLUB DOES NOT ACCEPT UNSOLICITED APPLICATIONS but relies instead on suggestions froman informal network of experienced advisers.
