HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England, November 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Community based projects have just been awarded over £16,000 in grants from the TDS Charitable Foundation, funding information and education for private tenants and landlords.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141118/717360 )

The projects include funding for a local youth radio station, a tenants' guide to a new landlord licensing scheme, and open door education events for local landlords.  

The TDS Charitable Foundation was launched earlier this year and aims to advance education in housing rights and obligations, particularly in the rapidly growing private rented sector.

The Foundation's Chair, Martin Partington, said:  

"Community based projects which help those affected by issues in the private rented sector often don't get the recognition they deserve. However they are just as important as big nationwide campaigns.

"The projects supported in our latest round of funding are run by people with first-hand experience and expert knowledge of the challenges faced by tenants and landlords in their area. This is a great benefit which campaigns run from the centre simply can't offer, and why we have given special attention to them."

The projects awarded funding by the Foundation are:

Advice4Renters £6,460

Selective licensing of landlords will be introduced in Brent in January 2015, and the grant will be used to fund a leaflet and education for tenants in Willesden Green explaining the selective licensing scheme.

KIC FM £6,000

Awareness campaign by a youth community radio station, creating social media and other online resources on tenants' rights and responsibilities, and 'on the ground' activity in the Wolverhampton area.

Keyhouse £3,650

Funding for open door events in Keighley and Bradford with talks, information, and educational materials for private landlords, to advance knowledge around housing rights and their obligations.

Following an overwhelming number of applications seeking funding for general learning materials, in its third round of funding the TDS Charitable Foundation is now inviting bids specifically to develop a set of learning materials to support general landlord and tenant training events.

Bids are also being invited to fund research into the private rented sector and alternative dispute resolution.  And innovative bids for promoting education into landlord and tenants' rights and responsibilities are still being encouraged.

The next deadline for funding applications to the TDS Charitable Foundation is 15 December 2014 and information is available at http://www.tdsfoundation.org.uk.

Media contact:
Chris Kendall
Chris.kendall@tds.gb.com
+44(0)1442-780-560

SOURCE TDS Charitable Foundation