GrantRadar

Wade's Charity

Wade's Charity Small and Main Grants Programmes

A Leeds charity dating to 1530, which makes grants and owns green spaces including Gotts Park, Middleton Park, Beckett Park and Gledhow Valley Woods. Two programmes: a Small Grants Programme of up to GBP 500, open year round and administered by Voluntary Action Leeds, and a Main Grants Programme for anything above GBP 500, decided at trustee meetings in February, June and October. Every application must meet one of the charity's two objectives — providing recreational opportunities, or the use of public open space — and must serve people in the pre-1974 City of Leeds boundary, which is narrower than the modern council area.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Amount not specified
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Three things must all be true
  • First, the area: the charity can only support projects providing services for people residing in the pre-1974 boundary of the City of Leeds, which equates roughly to Leeds postcodes LS1 to LS17 but excludes areas previously within Wetherby Rural District Council's boundary, such as Thorner — the charity asks you to contact it if you are unsure
  • Second, the activity: it must offer recreational opportunities to people, or relate to the use of public open space
  • Third, the organisation: the charity generally only supports registered charities, exempt or excepted charities, and industrial and provident societies, though if your application is for wholly charitable purposes and you meet the other criteria you are invited to contact them to discuss
  • The Small Grants Programme will also consider constituted community groups, and restricts grants to organisations with an annual income of less than GBP 25,000 that are based in the area of benefit
  • The Main Grants Programme is open to registered charities and constituted voluntary and community groups
  • Applicants may submit one application per calendar year

What it funds

All applications must fulfil one of the charity's two charitable objectives:

  • Offering recreational opportunities to people
  • Work related to the use of public open space
  • Within that, the charity awards grants for the provision of facilities for recreation and for the preservation of public open space, and also receives applications supporting children and young people, the elderly, the wider community and the arts

The Small Grants Programme covers smaller funding requests of up to GBP 500; the Main Grants Programme covers requests above GBP 500 that fall outside the Small Grants Programme.

What it will not fund

  • Projects that have already taken place — grants are not awarded retrospectively
  • Anything that does not fulfil one of the two charitable objectives: recreational opportunities, or the use of public open space
  • Services for people living outside the pre-1974 City of Leeds boundary, including areas formerly within Wetherby Rural District Council such as Thorner
  • Organisations with an annual income of GBP 25,000 or more, under the Small Grants Programme

grants are given on a single-year basis and longer-term funding is not the norm, although one application per calendar year is allowed and each is assessed on its own merit

How to apply

  1. Check all three criteria first — area, activity and organisation type — and contact the charity if you are unsure whether your area qualifies
  2. For a Small Grant of up to GBP 500: download an application form from Voluntary Action Leeds at doinggoodleeds.org.uk, or ask VAL to post one out
  3. Send the completed Small Grants form with supporting documentation to Voluntary Action Leeds, Stringer House, 34 Lupton Street, Hunslet, Leeds LS10 2QW — not to Wade's Charity
  4. For a Main Grant above GBP 500: there is no application form; prepare the information listed below and submit it as a Word document by email to info@wadescharity.org
  5. Expect a visit: if a Main Grant application meets the three criteria, the charity arranges to visit you to discuss it before it goes to trustees

the charity's Charity Adviser is available to discuss potential applications before submission, and will not discuss previous unsuccessful ones

successful applicants must submit a written report on the use of the grant; submitting it on time is described as crucial to the success of any future application

Have ready

  • Your name and role
  • The name, address, email and phone number of the organisation you are applying on behalf of
  • Your registered charity number
  • A brief outline of what your organisation does
  • An outline of what you are seeking grant funding for, explaining how it provides recreational opportunities or relates to public open space
  • A budget breakdown for your project indicating all sources of funding
  • A copy of your latest signed accounts

this list is for the Main Grants Programme. Small Grants use Voluntary Action Leeds' own form, which must be sent to VAL with its supporting documentation.

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