The East Midlands Funding Forum is a group of funders, investors, and supporters of the voluntary, third and social sectors in the East Midlands.
They have come together to improve the practice of funding and investment by sharing information, knowledge, and good practice.
Below is a list of current online events which are free to attend.
An online session to look at how Place-Based approaches can start and develop in a community
Session 1
In this session they will look at how Place-Based approaches can start and develop in a community, and highlight the importance of local engagement. You will hear from Kingswood and Hazel Leys Big Local in Corby and how they started and set up across their neighbourhoods, as well as from Local Trust and how they supported the development of the 150 Big Local areas across the country.
They will discuss the difference of long-term funding commitments, the role this plays in bringing people together, and how this is vital for Place-Based approaches.
Who is this for?
The session is for people currently working and interested in place-based approaches and longer-term investments into communities, with a focus upon funders and grantmakers, commissioners, VCS infrastructure, support and anchor organisations, and local statutory bodies.
When, where and how to book
This free online event is taking place on Wednesday 8th July 2026 from 10:00am to 11:30am. To reserve your spot, please follow this link to the Eventbrite website.
Engaging and supporting local people to come together to participate and represent their community
Session 2
Through this session we will look at how Big Local areas engaged and supported local people to come together so that they were able to participate and represent their community.
We will look at and discuss the challenges that Big Local are other place-based approaches have faced in ensuring local representation, and how they have looked to overcome these. As part of this session we will also consider the important role of inclusion, and recognising the challenges that this can present in different communities.
Who is this for?
The session is for people currently working and interested in place-based approaches and longer-term investments into communities, with a focus upon funders and grantmakers, commissioners, VCS infrastructure, support and anchor organisations, and local statutory bodies.
When, where and how to book
This free online event is taking place on Wednesday 22nd July 2026 from 10:00am to 11:30am. To reserve your spot, please follow this link to the Eventbrite website.
