In 2021, £85,000 of funding was distributed across 22 projects, which were assessed against criteria including impact and the urgency of need, sustainability and originality. This total included 11 x £5,000 grants, 6 x £2,500 grants, and 5 x £1,000 grants to the winning rural projects, along with £500 grants to the remaining finalists.
The application process
Calor GB also gave applicants access to a crowdfunding platform for the first time. This offered them a new social network to raise awareness of their initiatives and ultimately raise more money from their local community. Applicants were encouraged to share their projects as much as possible through social media to gain points. For every like or share on social media, a project received one point. If a project received a financial donation, then they received ten points.
The projects with the highest points in each funding category formed the shortlist and this list was then reviewed by an impartial panel of judges.
A record-breaking year
In 2021, 22 projects were supported across the UK and covered a diverse range of initiatives including:
In 2021, there were entries from a record-breaking 600+ projects. These projects came from all over the UK. Collectively, the projects also generated more than 4,000 supporters who generated 10,000 engagements throughout the public supporting stage, as well as generating over £100,000 towards their favourite project initiatives.
Andy Parker, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Calor GB, summarises, “It’s great to see how passionate these communities are – each of their projects will make a significant difference.”
“It’s great to see how passionate these communities are – each of their projects will make a significant difference”
Andy Parker, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Calor GB
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