Implementation of Regional Hubs for Wild Isles Community Fund

Please read the attached supporting documents for a background to the project and the application process.

The purpose of creating regional hubs is to bring together communities participating in the Community Fund to learn from one another and build relationships to create mutual support for their projects and their groups.

WWF and RSPB recognize that while we have audiences for the Community Fund there is significant gaps in terms of who we cater to. We are looking to work with implementation partners that work with these missing communities to understand how we can remove barriers to entry and provide support for them throughout their project.

Specifically, we are looking for partners who work with: • Lower socio-economic groups (LSEG) /communities (IMD 1-3) • Across all x4 UK nations

Implementation support will cover the full project implementation period, from February 2023 until its expected finalisation in June 2024. The hubs will cover the full project implementation period.

Objectives Regional hubs will draw on their networks to identify community groups of interest and promote the fund and its resources to them. Additionally, they will assist in creating and maintaining convening networks for participating communities to meet online and in person to meet, learn and collaborate with one another. Some of the key components include:

Promotion of Fund and Capacity Building Programme 1. Communicating fund opportunities to local community groups who operate in LSEG areas 2. Provide support to community groups from application, through to delivery of the projects 3. Directing groups to support resources provided by fund, including capacity building and training provided by RSPB and WWF 4. Assist in identifying case studies that will be integrated into the wider Wild Isles communications campaign 5. Providing support for unincorporated community groups in one of two ways (depending on agency capabilities): • Act as an umbrella organisation to hold funds for unincorporated groups • Provide convening opportunities to connect unincorporated groups with registered charities to apply to the fund

Regional Convening 1. Identify areas within the UK to act as regional hub centres for Fund participants. There must be at least one hub in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. 2. Assist in the coordination and design of a national (or coinciding regionally-based) convening event in summer of 2023 3. Connecting groups on the local level through a mixture of online and in-person events (Please indicate the number of events you can deliver in your proposal)