Access and Sustainability Advisory Service

The Access and Sustainability Advisory Service (ASAS), funded by the City Bridge Trust, is a service for voluntary and community groups in London. It gives advice on how you can make your premises more accessible and sustainable.

As a London-based voluntary or community group, you are eligible to apply for funding for access improvements and access audits from the City Bridge Trust's Accessible Buildings programme.

The advisory service is staffed by the Access and Sustainability Adviser and provides advice on all aspects of access to buildings. This includes, for example, how to find and appoint access consultants, architects and building surveyors, Building Regulations, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005 (DDA), sustainability audits and so on. It is primarily aimed at organisations that are considering applying for funding from the Accessible Buildings programme, but is open to London's voluntary sector as a whole.

The Adviser provides signposting and handholding support and help organisations get in touch with appropriate professionals and will help guide you through the process of improving access from access audit to completed work.

Accessible Buildings

The City Bridge Trust has launched their new Accessible Buildings grant. Funding is available for work which improves access to buildings in the third sector. Applicants must show that an independent access audit has been undertaken. Funding for access audits, disability equalities training and related consultancy is also available up to a maximum of £5,000. Further information is available from the City Bridge Trust website and the ASAS Adviser can help and support your application and access works project.

To use the service contact Wai Chan, Access and Sustainability Adviser, tel 020 7840 5816, email asas@cae.org.uk

Opening Doors Across London

The City Bridge Trust commissioned Barry Knight at CENTRIS to produce a free publication, Opening Doors Across London, evaluating the impact of the Access to Buildings programme over the last 10 years. Case studies of previous grant applicants illustrate the issues faced by voluntary and community groups undertaking building projects are included.

To download the publication, visit the City Bridge Trust website http://www.citybridgetrust.org.uk