Background

On 5th November 2008, the Big Lottery Fund ( BIG) announced details of the Building Change Trust - a new organisation that will help develop and shape the future of Northern Ireland's voluntary and community sector.

The Trust has been awarded £10 million by BIG.

This will be both invested and spent in full by the 31 December 2018

The Trust anticipates a total Trust fund of £12.1 million with depending on investment returns approximately £10.5 million available to support the community and voluntary sector.

A group of organisations developed the business plan which was accepted by BIG for development and operation of the Trust

• The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland
• Community Evaluation Northern Ireland
• Rural Community Network
• Volunteer Development Agency
• Business in the Community ( NI)

 

Objects

The mission of the Trust is embraced in the proposed strap line:

"Tomorrow's Sector, Today"

The strategic objectives are:

• To identify community assets and needs
• To design and target interventions
• To build / strengthen / utilise capacity and assets
• To capture positive change and replicate success

The objects of the Trust are to make awards for charitable purposes for:

The development, for the public benefit , of the capacity and skills of the members of socially and economically disadvantaged communities in Northern Ireland in such a way that they are better able to identify , and help meet, their needs and to participate more fully in society.

The promotion , for the public benefit of the Voluntary Sector, the efficiency and effectiveness of Charities and the effective use of charitable resources in Northern Ireland.

The advancement , for the public benefit , of citizenship and community development in Northern Ireland and thereby increase opportunities for volunteering , enhance the identification and support of best practice and good governance in the Voluntary Sector and the development of skills of persons working in the Voluntary Sector andenable organisations in the Voluntary Sector to work effectively together for the benefit of the community.

Anticipated delivery mechanisms

The Trust anticipates meeting its aims by expending the Trust funds in 3 main ways:

1. Direct support

The Trust will carry out some pieces of work itself, commission other pieces of work and/or support pilot initiatives

2. Transformative grants

• A transformative grants scheme
• A small number of significant Building Change Awards
• To delivery organisations across Northern Ireland
• Capable of addressing major transformation issues

The 5 original bid partners are in receipt of the first transformative grants and lessons from their projects will inform future activity.

3. A Loan Fund

• Permanent loan fund established with £2 million one off grant–
• Managed by Charity Bank–
• Legacy impact after life of Trust–
• Supported by Regional Investment Readiness Programme
• 190 groups capable of submitting a successful loan application
• 100 + groups supported to deliver their business plan

Timescales

Three broad phases of activity:

Phase 1:	(Year 1-2) Establishment, profiling community assets and needs
Phase 2:	(Year 2-9) Targeted capacity / asset building and transformation with RPA
Phase 3:	(Year 9-10) Consolidating the learning and closure.

Administration

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland is contracted for the day to day administration of the Building Change Trust