Skip to main content

Local Legends Eligibility

Looking to check if you are eligible to make a nomination or grant application for the Local Legends Fund? Read on...

Who can apply?

  • You must be a UK Virgin employee (full- or part-time).

  • You must be an active volunteer for the organisation you’re nominating. We define an active volunteer as someone who gives up their time, without compensation, on a regular basis for the benefit of others. Everyone has different amounts of time to give so if you volunteer, don’t hesitate to nominate!

  • The organisation must be a registered charity or community interest company (CIC) tackling unacceptable issues within local communities in the UK.

  • The Local Legends Fund can only support organisations that are either:

    • Charities registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales/Office of the Scottish Charity Register/Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or

    • CICs registered with Companies House.

  • Eligible organisations, including charities and CICs, must be furthering at least one of these charitable purposes within the UK:

    • prevention or relief of poverty

    • advancement of education

    • advancement of health or saving of lives

    • advancement of citizenship or community development

    • advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science

    • advancement of amateur sport

    • advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity

    • advancement of environmental protection or improvement

    • the relief of those in need by reason of youth, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage)

  • Organisations must be based in and have a bank account (in the organisation’s name) in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

  • Organisations must have a plan for spending the grant within 12 months of receipt, on something specific, within a particular local community. Note core costs (including admin/staff costs) can be funded with the grant as long as the application specifies the items of spend, and clearly articulates the impact the grant will have on the wider project, and within a particular local community.

  • Colleagues and organisations are welcome to submit nominations/applications in each round, although we will not fund the same organisation more than once in a 12-month period (where the same individual is nominating again)

What we can’t fund

  • Unfortunately, secondees/consultants/contractors are not eligible to make a nomination

    • Organisations/projects which are philanthropic, or which focus on a local community but are not registered charities or CICs

  • Organisations/projects which are profit making and do not use the profits to benefit the community

  • Organisations that are not furthering the charitable purposes listed above

  • Projects which are not in the UK

  • Organisations not based in/which do not have a bank account (in the organisation’s name) in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

  • Organisations with ties to any entity on the sanctions list (The UK Sanctions List - GOV.UK)

  • Organisations that work in Russia will be reviewed and this will be up to Virgin Unite’s discretion

  • Projects that could be construed as having a conflict of interest with Virgin – this includes nominations for any Virgin-branded non-profit organisations/foundations

  • Projects looking to raise money that has already been spent

  • Organisations looking for funding for a general funding pot or to build reserves

  • The following projects/activities:

    • Political campaigns

    • Fraternal organisations

    • Animal welfare

    • Private and public schools

    • Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) which are not also a community hub (i.e. the application must articulate how the grant is impacting the wider community)

    • Scouts groups which are not also a community hub (i.e. the application must articulate how the grant is impacting the wider community)

    • Projects designed to promote religious doctrines (secular community service programmes such as soup kitchens, shelters for the homeless, job banks, etc. are eligible, even when sponsored by religious groups)

    • Sponsorship/marketing e.g. our name on a football shirt or advertising in a magazine

    • General appeals (funding must go to something specific rather than large/general appeals)

    • Appeals that only benefit one person or group which serve no public purpose

    • VAT payments