Funding

Partnership with local learning providers within or outside the local authority will almost certainly open up better opportunities than the library service working on its own.

There are some elements of the Vital Link's partnership approach that need not require specific funding. It doesn't cost anything to set up a library familiarisation visit, for instance. However, development work in this area is likely to take up designated staff time, as will the creation of reader development activities and resources.

In order to support the development of partnerships across England between library services and adult basic skills providers, the Vital Link programme is keen to help partners access funding streams which will embed any developments in local and regional strategic plans.

The importance of working in partnership with basic skills providers at a local and regional level cannot be overstated. They know how to reach the target audience and may already have access to relevant funding streams. Additionally, potential funders are more likely to respond positively to an application from a well-established partnership. At a regional level, the Councils for Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLACs) also have a crucial role to play in coordinating approaches to work of this kind.

The long-term aim is, of course, for libraries to mainstream services to adult basic skills learners and colleges to mainstream library partnerships but short-term funding from local and regional agencies and organisations may be necessary to kick start this work.

Case study: Essex
Essex County Council Libraries has obtained funding from a range of sources since their early work with Quick Reads in 2000-01:
DCMS Wolfson Public Libraries Challenge Fund 2000-01
Vital Link (2001-02)
LSC (2002-04)
EEMLAC (2004-05) to support Southend and Thurrock to deliver Quick reads
NRDC 2005 for research into reading for pleasure in the curriculum (led by Adult Community Learning).
Contact June Turner june.turner@essexcc.gov.uk

Case study: Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire received a year's funding for an Outreach Worker via the Vital Link pilot project as part of an Eastern Region bid to the DCMS/Wolfson Challenge Fund. When funding finished in 2002, the service spent a year without an Outreach Worker, until the post was again funded for a further year by the local LSC. Unfortunately funding criteria have since changed, and the LSC can no longer fund the post. Bedfordshire is actively seeking funding to reinstate the post for an Outreach Skills for Life worker, and is working closely with Adult and Community Learning, local colleges and the WEA. The launch of the RaW project may present further opportunities for partnership working.
Contact Anthea Slark Anthea.slark@bedscc.gov.uk

A possible source of financial support to set up or continue Vital Link activity will be through local Learning and Skills Councils, although this will vary, according to local funding priorities and policies. The best approach is to contact your local LSC and ask to receive their funding prospectus. The telephone numbers for each local LSC can be found on the LSC website, www.lsc.gov.uk. Click on "Local Information" to see the map of England and access the area that is relevant to you.

It is worth checking on links that may have been established between your regional agency for museums, libraries and archives and the regional and local LSC networks. The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council is supporting regional agencies in their advocacy work with LSCs

Information about funding sources can be complicated to navigate. The most likely sources of external funding to develop these services are regional, Government and EU funding initiatives and charitable trusts.
The UKOnline website www.helpisathand.gov.uk contains a regularly updated section called "Funding Matters" where you can view a wide range of potential sources of funding and can download guidance and grant application forms. You will need to register with the website to access this information; registration is free to all UKOnline centres.

The National Family Learning Network www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/familylearningnetwork/index.asp also publishes a downloadable Family Learning Funding Directory - a guide to mainly charitable funding sources and support agencies which is updated monthly.

Funding might also be sought from the regional arts boards and via other Government initiatives. For this and more general information about funding for literacy projects see the National Literacy Trust's funding pages.