The BEARR Trust Small Grants Scheme 2016
The fields covered by the Scheme in 2016 were:
Section A: Projects designed to help vulnerable older people in Russia
Section B: Projects to support skills training for refugees and displaced people in other countries in BEARR’s region: Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
The BEARR Trust received a huge number of applications for grants this year, showing the urgent need in the areas chosen (see piechart at the bottom of this page). 250 applications were received, from Armenia (15), Belarus (9), Georgia (3), Kazakhstan (10), Kyrgyzstan (3), Moldova (1), Russia (40), Tajikistan (4), Uzbekistan (1), Ukraine (161), UK (3). It is unfortunately not possible to fund more than a small fraction of the bids, though we are looking for other ways to help.
Grants were offered as follows:
Section A: Projects designed to help vulnerable older people in Russia
Solnechniy Den, Chelyabinsk, for a project involving phone consultations and humanitarian assistance to at least 150 pensioners, drawing in 100 volunteers.
Zashita, Perm, to provide exchange of experience between NGOs working with vulnerable elderly people in Perm region, encouraging more active cooperation and disseminating best practice.
Elena Dorunova, Voronezh, who applied for a tiny grant to organise knitting classes for elderly and young people together, posting videos on the website of the NGO Interaction Club
Section B: Projects to support skills training for refugees and displaced people (IDPs) in other countries in BEARR’s region: Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
Free People Employment Centre, Kyiv, Ukraine, to train 200 IDPs over the age of 45 in computer skills and English and to provide career guidance.
Business Perspective, Irpin, Ukraine, to organise business training for 200 IDPs and teach them how to prepare grant applications.
Improve Our Village, Kotayk Region, Armenia. To train 50 wives of refugees in bee-keeping, involving student volunteers and the support of the agricultural university for business training.
Women’s Perspectives Centre, Lviv, Ukraine, for further training of 60 IDPs in three forms of handicraft, with guaranteed work afterwards for 8 of them and the expectation that at least another 8 will set up their own businesses.
SOS Children’s Village, Brovary, Ukraine, to train 20 unemployed IDP women in job-hunting, IT skills, self-presentation and Ukrainian language for work; psycho-social assistance for women and their children; and the creation of peer support groups.
Elyor, Shaartuz district,Tajikistan, to train IDPs from the mountains and other less fertile areas in horticultural techniques with the aim of providing subsistence for poorer families as well as greater possibilities for employment in the agricultural sector.
