FINE - Celebrating 10 years of supporting you

Members tell us that funding information is one of the main reasons they join VONNE, with over 70% of Membership+ members using the funding bulletin in the last year. As we approach our 1,500 member milestone we thought you’d like to hear more about the story behind your FINE resources. 

VONNE’s funding information is shared through the FINE (Funding Information North East) project – it’s the leading specialist North East funding directory. Originally FINE was a project of the Gateshead Voluntary organisation GVOC. FINE transferred to VONNE early 2015. Since then, FINE has developed and adapted to meet the emerging needs of the VCSE sector, more recently with the impact of the summer riots and the rise in employers National Insurance Contributions in the 2024 Autumn budget. 

To find out more about your resources, we caught up with Mandeep, one of the team behind FINE.

What makes FINE resources particularly relevant to charities in the North East? 

Whilst we do share national funding opportunities, FINE resources - the funding directory, bulletin and funding updates - are curated specifically for the North East region, covering areas such as Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Northumberland, and Tees Valley. 

Through FINE we share regular updates to reflect the latest grants and funding programmes, saving charities time, as they don’t have to sift through national databases to find what’s relevant locally. I use the latest sources and information direct from funders to make sure information is accurate and the opportunities shared give you have a reasonable amount of time to apply.  

For smaller charities with limited resources, the bulletin is a valuable tool for planning funding applications, diversifying income streams, and keeping track of deadlines. 

In short, the FINE resources help charities in the region find the right funding, at the right time, for the right type of project—making it an essential resource for the sustainability and growth of your organisation. 

What information is available in the bulletin? 

Readers will find name of the funder and programme, how much is available, who the funding is for and if there is a deadline. We also share a simplified summary of the funding opportunity and all of the basic details you may need to see if you qualify to apply. 

FINE focuses on opportunities and themes that are particularly related to VCSE organisations including: 

• Community development 

• Health and wellbeing 

• Youth and education projects 

• Environmental and heritage work 

• Women and Girls 

I have also started to add a section called *Future planning* where we share dates of future funding rounds and themes to help our readers plan ahead for bids.  

We also like to spotlight big pots of funding, national or regional in every other bulletin.  

I'm very keen on sharing other organisation’s success stories. It’s no secret that people who work in the VCSE are the best multi-taskers, but if you have a spare five minutes drop me an email and share how amazing your project or story is, we’d love to showcase you!