Charnwood Community Grants - Applicant Guidance Notes 2024-25

Please note that following a review of all the Charnwood Grants programmes this grant is available for applications from all Charnwood Voluntary and Community Sector organisations including Sports Clubs and Physical Activity groups.

Introduction

Charnwood Borough Council supports a diverse and thriving voluntary and community sector which provides opportunities for regular volunteering and to work in partnership with the Council to deliver projects and services in an effective, local, community-led manner as an addition to direct provision by the Council.

Charnwood Community Grants for 2024/25 enables the Council to provide funding to a wide variety of voluntary and community organisations within Charnwood to further the Council’s strategic corporate aims and actively assist the community to enjoy a better quality of life, particularly where those projects would not go ahead.

Priority will be given to requests from eligible voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver community-based projects and activities that are specifically focused on improving the lives, health and wellbeing of vulnerable and disadvantaged people and communities in Charnwood. Requests to mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on VCS organisations and those they support will be of particular interest.

Please note:

• There will be three grant rounds during this year April 2024– March 2025:

2024/25	Round	Opening Date	Closing Date	Decision Due
Community Grants	1	Monday 15 April 2024	5pm Friday 10 May 2024	w/c 22 July 2024
Community Grants	2	Monday 15 July 2024	5pm Friday 9 August 2024	w/c 21 October 2024
Community Grants	3	Monday 21 October 2024	12 noon Friday 15 November 2024	w/c 27 January 2025

• A maximum of 2 grants can be applied for across all grant programmes in 2024/25 including Small, Community and *Facilities Grants for different organisational and project activities costs. *Please contact Tina Robinson VCS Development Officer tina.robinson@charnwood.gov.uk before applying for a Facilities Grant to ensure eligibility criteria will be met.
• If the total project cost is greater than the amount being applied for, details of other sources of income, including grants, fundraising and membership subs etc, which will be used to cover the full project cost must be provided.
• Whilst there is no requirement for matched funding, contributions from applicants or partner organisations will be encouraged. This includes in-kind contributions.
• We expect there will be a high number of applications to this fund, therefore the financial position of organisations will be taken into consideration as part of the decision-making process.  Applicants will be asked to confirm current levels of reserves and will be asked to confirm why any significant surpluses, minus restricted and allocated funds, cannot be used instead of applying for a grant.

1. Organisation Eligibility

To be eligible to apply charities, voluntary and community organisations, local charities and sports clubs / physical activity groups must:

• Be operating in Charnwood and working with local people
• National / regional organisations applying for a grant to deliver projects in Charnwood need to demonstrate local need and that they are not duplicating work already delivered in the Borough.
• Be 'not for private profit'
• Have a constitution / set of rules / articles of association and can confirm legal status eg CIC, Amateur sports club, Limited by Guarantees
• Have a bank account in the name of the organisation with more than one signatory not related or co-habiting, and have available two most recent bank statements from ALL accounts.
• The organisation to which the application relates should not be exclusive: it should allow access to, or use/participation by, the general public. There must be no restriction on membership (unless the group is for a specific age range eg Under 8s football or vulnerable group where restrictions may apply for safety reasons) by any organisation to which a grant is to be made. Membership must be open to the general public and not refused on grounds of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, occupation, religious, political or other beliefs.
• Applications are welcome for sporting activities which demonstrate wider community benefit or being delivered in community settings.
• Comply with the Prevent Duty requirements. The Counter Terrorism & Security Act 2015 places a duty on certain bodies to have ‘due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’ in the exercise of their functions. (www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance)

We cannot fund:

• Charnwood Borough Council Strategic Partners
• If you are not a Strategic Partner but have a service level agreement with Charnwood Borough Council, please check if you’re eligible to apply by contacting VCS Development Officer tina.robinson@charnwood.gov.uk
• Statutory bodies, including Town / Parish Councils
• Statutory funded provision e.g. health services, educational establishments (excluding Parent-Teacher Associations providing extra-curricular activities / equipment for the benefit of the wider community)
• Political organisations
• Exclusively religious activities
• Grants to private / commercial sector organisations
• Grant making organisations
• Grants to individuals.

Examples of ineligible projects:

• Retrospective funding for projects which have already started or taken place or items which have already been purchased
• Exclusively religious / political activity
• Any form of gambling (except small fundraising activities e.g. raffle, tombola etc.)

2. Application Eligibility

The Council have identified key priorities and aims set out in the Council’s Corporate Plan. Applications should fulfil at least one of these aims:

• Homes and Communities
• Environment and Climate Change
• Economy and Growth

Our corporate strategy

Contribution to core running costs for existing and new organisations:

• Costs in meeting increased demand for services / new emerging need for services.
• Costs associated with volunteer recruitment, retention and development to support the delivery of community activities / services 
• Staff / stationary / utility bills (e.g. heating /lighting)
• Printing / postage / telephones
• Developing a new sports club / physical activity group e.g. to purchase sport specific items such as cones, bibs, balls, racquets, kit bags.

Activity / event costs:

• Costs associated with delivering community engagement activities which are open to the wider community and create a stronger, active and more engaged community e.g.  pop up information events, health & wellbeing events, community gardening etc
• Coaches / tutor fees
• Venue hire.

Workshops / courses / training:

• Safeguarding / mental health / first aid training / food hygiene
• New training for staff / volunteers
• Sports coaching and physical activity qualifications NGB Accredited that support a benefit for the organisation not just the individual (must be recognised by Sport England)

Equipment essential to delivering the outcomes of your project:

• ICT equipment for staff, volunteers or beneficiaries.
• Sports equipment e.g. gymnastics trampette, cricket wicket mower, goal posts, archery target bosses, boats.     
• Project materials eg crafts, cooking equipment
• Furniture

Other:

• Anything else deemed acceptable in relation to the criteria for the grant.

This is not a definitive list of examples, so please contact the Grants Team if you need something and not sure if it’s eligible.

3. Application Form

Applications for grants are made via the online form. Guidance on the questions on the application form can be found below:

Charnwood Community Grants application form guidance

4. How your application will be assessed

Your application will be assessed based on:

• How the project meets Charnwood Borough Council’s strategic corporate aims
• Organisations having a clear and consistent approach to what they aim to achieve
• Whether the project is responsive to identifiable need and the organisation is well placed to deliver
• Having the skills and capabilities to make proper and effective use of resources.

5. Supporting documents required

Please ensure the following documents are available to submit with your application and note we may not be able to consider your application for funding if you do not submit all the essential information required by the application deadline.

If this is the first time you have applied for a Community Grant, please provide the following documents:

• A copy of your governing document e.g. constitution / terms of reference / memorandum of articles.
• Copy of your latest audited or independently examined accounts or twelve-month income and expenditure statement.
• Two most recent bank statements from ALL accounts.
• Working with children / adults at risk safeguarding policy or policies (if your project involves working with children and / or adults at risk).
• Equal & Diversity Policy.
• Health and Safety Policy (if you employ five or more staff).

If you have previously applied for a Community Grant and have provided documents above, please only provide the following documents:

• Two most recent bank statements from ALL accounts.
• Working with children / adults at risk safeguarding policy or policies (if your project involves working with children and / or adults at risk).
• Equal & Diversity Policy.

6. General conditions

• The grant spend must be within a twelve month period from award date
• If applicable, a progress report will be required six months from grant award as a condition to receiving second instalments and to confirm future delivery of activities.
• Any changes to the project or activity for which the funding was originally granted will require new approval.  If there are any changes the organisation should contact our Grants Team. Failure to do so could result in non-payment
• The Charnwood Borough Council logo must be included on all publicity material relating to the project or activity. 

If an organisation does not comply with the conditions attached to a grant or does not use it for the purposes for which it was awarded the Council may seek to reclaim some or the entire grant awarded.

7. Further Information

For any queries regarding this grant programme please contact the Grants Team by email grants@charnwood.gov.uk.

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