GrantRadar

Westmorland and Furness Council

Community Fund

Westmorland and Furness Council grants of up to £5,000 for voluntary and not-for-profit constituted groups running community projects that bring lasting benefit to local residents, decided by the council's three Locality Boards (Eden, Furness and South Lakeland) against their local priorities. It pays for one-off costs such as equipment, building work, refurbishment of village halls and community centres, and start-up costs of new groups, not ongoing running costs. Boards prefer applications that ask for less than 100% of the project cost.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £5,000
Deadline
Not published
no closing date given
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Voluntary and not-for-profit constituted groups and organisations (e.g. registered charities, CICs, unregistered community organisations with charitable objectives, parish councils) running community projects that benefit residents of Westmorland and Furness
  • Groups must have a bank account in the group's name requiring two signatures, and an equal opportunities policy or statement
  • Applications from individuals, political organisations and closed-membership groups are not accepted; schools and religious groups only where there is clear wider non-religious community benefit
  • Normally one application per group per financial year

What it funds

One-off, non-recurring project costs for community projects and initiatives that benefit residents of Westmorland and Furness and contribute to the priorities of the relevant Locality Board (and fit other local plans such as ward profiles, community plans and parish plans). Examples:

  • Start-up costs of a new group or community initiative (including start-up running or staffing costs)
  • Refurbishment of community hubs including village halls and community centres
  • Building work
  • New equipment

Past recipients include village halls, playgroups, community centres, environmental groups, residents' and tenants' associations, parish councils, local history groups, sports groups and youth groups.

What it will not fund

  • Operational running costs, general maintenance costs (e.g. energy bills, insurance) and ongoing staffing costs, unless for start-up
  • Applications from individuals
  • Projects from schools, churches or other religious groups without a clear wider non-religious community benefit
  • Organisations with exclusive or closed membership not open to the public
  • Community events intended to pass surplus income to other organisations
  • Political organisations
  • Retrospective costs (work or items already bought)
  • Organisations with outstanding Project Completion Reports
  • More than one application per organisation per financial year, unless for clearly different projects

How to apply

  1. Find your locality area (Eden, Furness or South Lakeland) on the council's map and check your Locality Board's priorities
  2. Contact your area Community Development Team before applying (Eden.AreaSupport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk, Barrow.AreaSupport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk for Furness, Southlakeland.AreaSupport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk) to check eligibility and ask about deadlines
  3. Complete the Community Fund Application Form (Word), print it and have it signed in wet ink by two members of your governing body
  4. Return it with all supporting documents by email (scanned) or post to your area team
  5. The council acknowledges within 10 working days and checks eligibility; a community forum or grant panel of councillors and/or community leaders recommends a decision before the Locality Board meeting
  6. Decision by email; register as a council supplier to be paid
  7. Submit a Project Completion Report with receipts and evidence of spend within the agreed timescale

each Locality Board has its own panel dates; the council says future dates will be confirmed once budgets are final, so ask your area team for deadlines

Have ready

  • A detailed breakdown of all project costs
  • Quotes: one verbal quote confirmed in writing for items under £10,000; two written quotations for items over £10,000 (the web page asks for at least two quotes or estimates)
  • Recent bank statement (within 3 months) for all accounts in the group's name
  • Most recent annual accounts or audited accounts
  • Equal opportunities policy or statement (if not in your constitution)
  • Constitution or other governing document
  • Last annual report and/or AGM minutes
  • Child protection policy (if working with children or young people)
  • Safeguarding vulnerable adults policy (if working with vulnerable adults)

incomplete applications cannot be considered

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