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Consultations  »  Grant Aid Policy


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Consultation #3  Grant Aid Policy    (21 November, 2013)

This Consultation is: Closed


Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Policy Fen Ditton Parish Council

GRANT AID POLICY - DRAFT

The Council has statutory powers to make funds available to local organisations for the, benefit of the Parish and its residents. The Council will consider an application for grant aid from any local voluntary or charitable organisation where the group’s activities can be seen to be of benefit to the Parish or the greater part thereof. A total figure for available grant aid will be agreed by the Council as part of the budget for each financial year. The grant may be in the form of either a financial grant or, in certain approved cases, the provision of work carried out by the Council’s own staff and/or use of Council premises.

Application Process

  1. OnlyapplicationsmadeontheGrantAidPolicyApplicationformwillbeconsidered. The form is available from the Council’s office or web site.

  2. Detailsofhowthegrantwillbeusedwillberequiredfromeachapplicanttogether with a current statement of accounts.

  3. TheapplicationwillbeconsideredbytheCouncilatitsmeetinginNovembereach year.

  4. Chequeswillbepostedupto14daysafterthe1stAprilfollowingFullParish Council meeting.

Conditions

Requests for grant aid will only be considered from the following categories: -

A Cambridgeshire based charity.

An organisation serving the needs of the citizens of Fen Ditton Parish.

Citizen(s) of Fen Ditton requesting grant aid with a project/event, which will be for the benefit of the local community.

A Fen Ditton Parish based club, association, or charity organisation serving a specific section of the community or the community as a whole.

An organisation/group, local or national which serves the needs of the Parish.

A local branch of a national organisation/group which serves the needs of the citizens of Fen Ditton.

Agreed by the Parish Council XXXX

Policy Statement

A grant or subsidy is any payment made by Fen Ditton Council (hereinafter referred to as FDPC) to be used by an organisation or individual for a specific purpose in the furtherance of the wellbeing of the community, either generally, or for a specific purpose and which is not directly controlled or administered by FDPC. The purpose of any grant or subsidy given by FDPC is to support initiatives in the local community and to help create opportunities for the residents of Fen Ditton that are not, as a matter of course, funded by FDPC.

There are limited public funds available each year and this policy seeks to provide a framework to maximise the value and benefit that this support brings to organisations within the Parish.

Guidelines for Grant Applications

  1. 1)  It is a condition of any grant application that the group or project must bring direct benefit to the residents of Fen Ditton. All applications must clearly demonstrate how this will be achieved.

  2. 2)  GrantAidapplicationformsareavailablefromtheClerkorfromtheParishCouncil website. Application forms must be submitted along with the latest set of the group’s accounts. It is important that all questions on the application form are fully answered and that any appropriate additional information, which supports an application, is provided.

  3. 3)  Grant applications cannot be made retrospectively.

  4. 4)  The scheme provides start-up awards for new as well as grants for existing organisations Applications will be considered for day-to-day running expenses and individual projects.

  5. 5)  Applications WILL NOT be considered from:

    • ·  Organisations intending to support or oppose any particular political party or to discriminate on the grounds of race or religion.

    • ·  Private organisations operated as a business to make a profit or surplus.

    • ·  Upward funders, i.e. local groups whose fund raising is sent to their central

      HQ for redistribution.

    • ·  National or International Charities.

  6. 6)  Applications will not normally be considered from national organisations or local groups with access to funds from national “umbrella” or “parent” organisations, unless funds are not available from their national bodies, or the funds available are inadequate for a specified project.

  7. 7)  Applications from religious groups will be considered where a clear benefit to the wider community can be demonstrated irrespective of their religious beliefs. Compliance with this requirement will need to be demonstrated throughout the project.

  8. 8)  FDPC will only grant aid to churches for parish clocks and possibly for environmental purposes. Church Halls can also be grant aided if they are used by the community and do not discriminate against any legal groups.

9) Schools will only be grant aided for environmental purposes or if, in the opinion of FDPC, their application is for the benefit of the wider community.

10) Applications from education, health or social service establishments will be considered where the organisation can demonstrate that it is working in partnership with other groups and where there are benefits to the wider community within the parish.

11) It must be understood that any grant must only be used for the purpose for which it was awarded unless the written approval of FDPC has been obtained in advance for a change in use of the grant monies, and that any unspent portion of the grant must be returned to FDPC by the end of the financial year in which it was awarded.

12) Although FDPC will give as much help as possible, the administration of and accounting for any grant or subsidy shall be the responsibility of the recipient.

13) FDPC reserves the right to request any further information that it deems necessary to assist the decision making process. Account will be taken of the amount and frequency of previous awards and of the extent to which funding has been sought or secured from other sources or own fund-raising activities.

14) Ongoing commitments to award grants or subsidies in future years will not be made. A fresh application will be required each year.

15)The size of any grant awarded is at the sole discretion of FDPC.

16)FDPC may make the award of any grant or subsidy subject to such additional conditions and requirements, as it considers appropriate.

17)FDPC reserves the right to refuse any grant application which is considered to be inappropriate or against the objectives of FDPC. 



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