Voluntary Action Rotherham

Charity Number: 1075995

Annual Expenditure: £0.1M
Geographic Focus: Rotherham

Stay updated on changes from Voluntary Action Rotherham and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £50,000 (legacy fund for grants)
  • Success Rate: Not disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not specified
  • Grant Range: Up to £1,000
  • Geographic Focus: Rotherham borough, South Yorkshire

Contact Details

Address: The Spectrum, Coke Hill, Rotherham, S60 2HX

Phone: 01709 829821

Email: admin@varotherham.org.uk

Website: www.varotherham.org.uk

Contact for grants: comms@varotherham.org.uk or admin@varotherham.org.uk

Overview

Voluntary Action Rotherham (VAR) is the lead infrastructure body for supporting, developing, and promoting the voluntary and community sector in the Rotherham borough. Established as a Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), VAR registered as a charity in 1999 (Charity Number 1075995) and operates as a company limited by guarantee (Company Number 02222190). With total income of approximately £1.8 million (2024), primarily from government contracts and grants, VAR's core mission is to build the capacity of third sector organizations through direct support services, policy analysis, networking opportunities, and specialist project management.

In addition to its infrastructure support role, VAR administers the Miss Penlington Community Chest Fund, established from a £50,000 legacy left by Miss Bessie Penlington, a Rotherham resident from Wickersley. This grant programme particularly targets smaller VCSE groups with an annual turnover of £25,000 or less, offering grants of up to £1,000 to help fund equipment, sessions, utilities, training, and expert advice across faith, voluntary, and community groups operating in Rotherham.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Miss Penlington Community Chest Fund

  • Amount: Up to £1,000 per grant
  • Target: Rotherham VCSE groups with turnover of £25,000 or less
  • Application method: Rolling basis (fund is open for applications)
  • Total fund: £50,000 legacy

Priority Areas

The Community Chest Fund supports:

  • Equipment purchases for community activities
  • Running costs including utilities
  • Additional sessions or activities
  • Training for staff and volunteers
  • Expert advice and consultancy
  • Safety equipment for volunteer groups
  • Cultural and heritage activities
  • Arts and music projects
  • Community health and wellbeing initiatives
  • Befriending and social support services

Emphasis on: Groups that don't normally receive support and smaller grassroots organizations serving local Rotherham communities.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly listed, but the fund is limited to:

  • Groups operating within Rotherham borough only
  • Organizations with turnover under £25,000
  • Faith, voluntary, and community groups (statutory organizations excluded)
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for Voluntary Action Rotherham?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive

Shafiq Hussain has served as Chief Executive of Voluntary Action Rotherham for multiple years. He has worked for and alongside the VCSE for over two decades at every level, from supporting neighborhood groups to building community-led initiatives and developing complex multi-sector partnerships.

Quotes from Shafiq Hussain:

On funding challenges: “Voluntary groups and Charities do amazing work in Rotherham and we know that funding is always stretched.”

On community responsibility: “Now is the time to move forward as a community to ensure that we stand together and we are doing the very best for our young people. In Rotherham we must continue to be vigilant, and together, we all have a responsibility to protect our young people from such harm.”

Board of Trustees

The organization is governed by a board of trustees who receive no remuneration. Trustees include:

  • Angham Ahmed (appointed 2019) - Sense Centre Manager
  • Christine Batchford (appointed 2022)
  • Elaine Senior (appointed 2022)
  • Jeanette Mallinder (appointed 2021) - Director

Highest pay band: £60,000-£70,000 (senior staff costs represent 2% of total spending)

Key Staff

  • Kerry McGrath - Volunteering and Group Support Manager
  • Andy Vickery - Neighbourhood Development Worker
  • Ashley Leggott - CYP&F Consortium Strategic Co-ordinator
  • Zoe Lomas - MHCC Service Manager

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications for the Miss Penlington Community Chest Fund are accepted on a rolling basis. While specific application forms and processes are not detailed on the website, interested groups should contact VAR directly:

  • Email: admin@varotherham.org.uk or comms@varotherham.org.uk
  • Phone: 01709 829821
  • In-person: The Spectrum, Coke Hill, Rotherham, S60 2HX

Pre-application support: VAR offers extensive support services to help groups develop applications, including advice on organizational development, financial management through their Community Accountancy service, and membership benefits.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly specified. Contact VAR directly for current processing times.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. The fund was designed to benefit “as many people in Rotherham as possible” and to “fund dozens of community groups across the borough,” suggesting a relatively accessible programme for eligible organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies are not publicly specified. Contact VAR for guidance on reapplication procedures.

Application Success Factors

Recent Funded Projects

Yorkshire Lowland Search and Rescue

  • Received funding for specialized safety helmets
  • Team of 30 volunteers who aid police in searching for vulnerable missing people
  • Do not receive government funding, rely entirely on grants and public donations

Thorpe Hesley Brass Band

  • Funded to replace well-used Christmas sheet music
  • Purchased new Tam Tam gong
  • Bought new case for bass drum to help transport instruments

Todwick Bell Ringers

  • Received funding for architect fees to design bell ringing platform
  • Supporting restoration of bells at St Peter & St Paul's Church in Todwick

Rotherham Hindu Community

  • Funding for large Deepavali (Diwali) celebration
  • Described as “the best one in 4 years”

MCVC (Migrants' Community Voluntary Centre)

  • Mental Health Support Grant for craft activities, complimentary therapies, and barge trips
  • Building Recovery in Communities funding for addiction recovery support

Key Success Factors

  1. Small, grassroots focus: The fund explicitly targets smaller groups (under £25,000 turnover) who may struggle to access other funding streams
  1. Community benefit: Demonstrate clear benefit to Rotherham residents and communities
  1. Practical needs: Successful applications fund tangible items and activities - equipment, training, activities - rather than abstract concepts
  1. Volunteer-led and community groups: The fund prioritizes groups that are volunteer-driven and community-rooted
  1. Diverse purposes: Funded projects span culture, heritage, safety, arts, mental health, and community cohesion - showing openness to various types of community benefit

Strategic Advice

  • Engage with VAR as members: Consider joining VAR's membership scheme to access broader support services and build relationships
  • Highlight stretched resources: Given Shafiq Hussain's acknowledgment that “funding is always stretched” for voluntary groups, emphasize how grant will address resource gaps
  • Use support services: Take advantage of VAR's Community Accountancy service, Group Support team, and advice services when preparing your application
  • Subscribe to newsletter: Sign up for VAR's newsletter which includes funding news and opportunities

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. This is a small grants programme - Maximum £1,000 grants make this suitable for equipment, training, or modest activity costs rather than major programmes or core costs
  1. Target audience is very specific - Must be operating in Rotherham borough with turnover under £25,000; larger organizations should look elsewhere
  1. Relationship building is valuable - VAR's primary role is infrastructure support; engaging with their wider services (volunteering, accountancy, networking) may strengthen applications
  1. Practical, tangible needs work best - Funded projects show clear preference for specific equipment, materials, or defined activities rather than ongoing running costs
  1. Rolling applications mean flexibility - No fixed deadlines allow groups to apply when needs arise, though fund size is limited
  1. Demonstrate community impact - Show how the grant will benefit Rotherham residents and communities, particularly vulnerable or underserved groups
  1. Legacy context matters - The fund honors Miss Bessie Penlington's wish to benefit Rotherham voluntary groups; applications that reflect community spirit and local benefit align with this legacy

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References