Suffolk ACRE

Local Network Fund

The Local Network Fund is government funding from the Department for Education and Skills to support Voluntary and Community Groups who work with children and young people aged 0 – 19.

The fund has been running in Suffolk since 2002, and in those 6 years has made 525 grants, totalling nearly £2.5million. The types of groups supported with funding include the setting up of new youth clubs in rural areas, supporting sports clubs to train new coaches and buy new equipment, to help preschools offer toddlers better educational opportunities and to help groups of young mothers to create self help groups.

2007 – 2008 is the last year of the Local Network Fund as it exists in its current format. Therefore it has been decided to commit all the money to groups before 31st August 2007, in order for them to be able to spend the grant in full before the fund comes to an end in 2008. Therefore the grant programme is currently closed for new applications, until further notice.

Suffolk ACRE commissioned an independent study into the impact that the fund has had over the last 6 years. We are pleased to report that the fund has been hugely successful in supporting the voluntary youth sector in Suffolk to successfully deliver projects to 0 – 19 year olds. To view a copy of the report please click here.

If you would like to see a breakdown of how the grants were allocated over previous years then please click on the link below.

• 2003 - 2004 LNF Report
• 2004 - 2005 LNF Report
• 2005 - 2006 LNF Report

For further information on the Local Network Fund in Suffolk please call James Elby on 01473 242509 or email james.elby@suffolkacre.org.uk