GrantRadar

South Gloucestershire Council

Community welcome spaces grant

Monthly grants from South Gloucestershire Council, paid from the government-funded Crisis and Resilience Fund, for voluntary and community groups, charities, social enterprises and town and parish councils running a free-to-use community welcome space (warm or cool space, community hub or café) for South Gloucestershire residents. Awards are £100 to £500 a month over the period the space is open to the public, on a first come, first served basis until the funding runs out. Organisations must first be registered and approved on the council's community grants system.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£100 – £500
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Light
short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

  • Voluntary or community groups, charitable or social enterprise organisations, and town or parish councils in South Gloucestershire running (or planning) a Community Welcome Space that is free to enter, open to the public and primarily benefits South Gloucestershire residents
  • Organisations do not need to be registered charities but must have charitable aims or be not for profit (e.g. a tenants' association or friends group)
  • All applicants must be registered and approved on the council's online community grants system, which requires a constitution or governing rules, equality and diversity policy, safeguarding policy and recent financial accounts, three named contacts, and a bank account (not a personal or building society account) with at least two authorised signatories, one of them on the governing body
  • Organisations must hold public liability insurance and adequate health and safety (and, where relevant, food safety) arrangements
  • Businesses, schools and PTAs, other public sector bodies and individuals cannot apply

What it funds

  • Fully funding or contributing to (including as match funding) the running costs of a free-to-enter community welcome space open to the public and accessible to all, for example heating, volunteer expenses, activities and refreshments
  • The grant can also pay for additional support in the space such as advice services, hot drinks or food parcels
  • Spaces may already operate under another name such as 'Community Hub' or 'Community Café'
  • Awards are £100 to £500 per month for the planned period the space is open to the public, or until the funding runs out

What it will not fund

  • Individuals or private households
  • Businesses
  • Schools, school PTAs or school friends' groups
  • Public sector organisations (town and parish councils are eligible)
  • Political purposes or gain
  • Anything encouraging or supporting radicalisation or terrorist activity, or proscribed organisations
  • Salary costs of paid staff
  • Retrospective applications
  • Spaces that are not free to enter or not open to the public

Repeat awards are not guaranteed, and awards may not be made where there is already substantial welcome space provision in the locality

How to apply

  1. Read the Principles and processes for Community Welcome Spaces grants; call the grants helpline (01454 865865, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm) or book a phone appointment if you need help
  2. Create or update your organisation's account on the council's community grants registration page and upload the required documents; wait for the registration to be approved
  3. Request an application form by emailing grants@southglos.gov.uk
  4. Complete and return the form to grants@southglos.gov.uk
  5. A panel of council officers including a service director assesses applications fortnightly; you are told whether your application is approved
  6. If awarded, payment is made within five to ten working days of the award notification (or once registration requirements are met)
  7. Record the number of people using the space for monitoring, credit the council in publicity, and add your space to the council's online directory of local services (Well Aware)

First come, first served until the funding runs out; there is no appeal process.

Awards and project descriptions are published on the council's open data page.

Have ready

  • Constitution or governing rules
  • Equality and diversity policy
  • Safeguarding policy
  • Financial accounts for the most recent reporting year (organisations with income under £5,000 can upload a statement of account; groups active under 6 months can upload recent bank statements)
  • Completed application form (requested from grants@southglos.gov.uk)

The four documents are uploaded once to the council's grants registration system, which must be approved before applying.

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