INTRODUCTION

Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council’s community grants are available for projects or organisations that benefit the local community. These grants align with the strategic themes outlined in the Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council Strategy 2024-2029.

For the purposes of this policy, donations and grants differ only in that a donation is given without needing to specify how it is used, whereas a grant must be spent specifically for the agreed purpose. For example, a donation may be given to a village hall for general running costs without specifying what it is spent on, whereas a grant would be given towards the cost of a specific project, such as the installation of a new security system.

1.    Micro Grants

Grants of up to £250 for individuals or informal groups of residents.

Eligibility for the grant:

– Your project must benefit the people of Shavington-cum-Gresty.

– You can be an individual.

– You can be an informal group.

– Your project must fit one of the strategic themes below:

  1. Building a United Community

  2. Protecting Our Environment

  3. Celebrating Our Heritage

  4. Improving Health and Wellbeing

You can apply by using the Shavington-cum-Gresty Micro Grants form.

Decision Making Process for Micro Grant:

– Once you have applied for a grant, it will go to the following people, who all must agree for the grant funding to be approved:

  – Chair of Community and Engagement Committee

  – Deputy Chair of Community and Engagement Committee

  – Clerk or Community Manager

We aim for this to be a quick and easy process, so we will endeavour to get back to you in writing within one month with a decision.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

– This will be light touch in view of the size of the grant.

– A summation of the project outcomes and any lessons learned.

– A few photographs if appropriate.

– Quotes from people who have benefited from the project.

A list of projects will be presented to each Community & Engagement Committee with updates.

2.    Community Grants

Requests for grants of up to £5,000 must be applied for using the Community Grants application form.

When applying for a Community grant, match funding is preferred but not essential.

Criteria for Funding for Small Grant Applications:

Grants are available for organisations/projects/events that can demonstrate a proposed benefit to the community of Shavington-cum-Gresty. Requests will only be considered from the following categories of applicants:

– A Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish based charity.

– An organisation serving the needs of the residents of Shavington-cum-Gresty.

– A Shavington-cum-Gresty based club/association/organisation serving a specific section of the community or the community as a whole.

Any requests for funding from organisations which do not meet this criteria should be considered by the Full Parish Council, not the Community and Engagement Committee.

Applications will be considered based on the following:

– The ability to demonstrate how the activity or project will benefit the residents of Shavington-cum-Gresty.

– Priority will be given to those projects which progress one or more of the following strategic objectives:

  1. Building a United Community

  2. Protecting Our Environment

  3. Celebrating Our Heritage

  4. Improving Health and Wellbeing

For Community Grant applications, the Council may require additional supporting evidence proportionate to the value of the request. This may include quotations or estimates, recent accounts or budget information, evidence of need, details of community benefit, project timescales, match funding or other funding sought, and any other information reasonably required to assess value for money, deliverability and benefit to residents.

Decision Making Process:

– Your grant application will be checked and evaluated by the Clerk or the Community Manager before it is submitted to the Community & Engagement Committee for consideration.

– Dates for application windows will be set each year to align with meeting dates.

– An equal portion of the budget will be set aside for approval at each meeting, with any unused budget rolled over to the next window (within a financial year)

– Incomplete applications may be declined or returned, leading to a delay in decision-making, and an application is considered during the next evaluation round.

– Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council may seek further clarification on any details or information contained within the grant application and liaise with external parties to verify information or details contained within the grant application.

– Where necessary, organisations will be asked to meet Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council to discuss their application in more detail before it is presented to the Community & Engagement Committee.

– Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council strives to allocate funding and donations in a fair and open manner, judging each application on its own merit. Funds are allocated under the provision of various Local Government Acts, the General Power of Competence, and Audit Regulations.

– Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Councillors are governed by a Code of Conduct, which can be found [here](https://shavingtononline.co.uk/councillor-code-of-conduct/). Councillors have an obligation to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interest when considering the allocation of funds held by Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council.

– Applicants will be notified in writing following the decision made by the Community & Engagement Committee at Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council.

3.    Young person Scheme

Requests for grants of up to £250 must be applied for using the Young Person Scheme application form. This scheme is designed to empower the younger generation and align with the strategic theme of Building a United Community. The process is similar to the Micro Grants scheme.

Benefit of the project

– Your project must benefit the people of Shavington-cum-Gresty; or

– Your project must benefit the students of Shavington Primary School or Shavington Academy

Eligibility of the applicant:

– You must be a student or group of students from Shavington Primary School or Shavington Academy and the lead applicant must reside in Shavington-cum-Gresty; or

– You are under 18 and a resident in Shavington-cum-Gresty

Aim of the project

– Your project must fit one of the strategic themes below:

  1. Building a United Community

  2. Protecting Our Environment

  3. Celebrating Our Heritage

  4. Improving Health and Wellbeing

Decision Making Process for Young person Scheme:

– Once you have applied for a grant, it will go to the following people, who all must agree for the grant funding to be approved:

  – Chair of Community and Engagement Committee

  – Deputy Chair of Community and Engagement Committee

  – Clerk or Community Manager

We aim for this to be a quick and easy process, so we will endeavour to get back to you in writing within one month with a decision.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

– This will be light touch in view of the size of the grant.

– A summation of the project outcomes and any lessons learned.

– A few photographs if appropriate.

– Quotes from people who have benefited from the project.

A list of projects will be presented to each Community & Engagement Committee with updates.

4.    What Will Not Be Funded?

– Staffing costs

– Projects or events which have already taken place

– Projects or events which are not for the benefit of the community of Shavington-cum-Gresty

5.    All Funding Application Terms and Conditions

– An award of a grant must give direct benefit to all or some of the inhabitants of the Parish, and the size of the grant should be commensurate with the benefit delivered.

-Successful applicants must agree to advertising the grant given and the grant scheme through social media and other suitable means. They must also agree to the Parish Council advertising the grant given through our newsletter and other publications, including social media.

– The Parish Council does not affiliate with any political party and legally cannot provide grant or support to any party-political activity.

– The Council does not affiliate with any religious group; however, applications will be considered where there is a clear community-wide benefit.

– Applications will only be considered when made on a formal application form.

– The Council will normally require details of the structure and funding of the organisation and may request copies of budget/accounts and business plans.

– The Council will require details of any project which is the subject of the application, including quality standards, costs, timescales, and how the remainder of the funding will be provided.

– Match funding for community grants is preferred but not essential.

– Applicants will be required to state the amount of grant sought from the Council and provide details of other grants or awards applied for or gained, which must be disclosed in full.

– Payment will be made against a formal acceptance of the grant and terms.

– The Council will usually only consider requests for specific projects, not ongoing or core costs. Exceptions to this will be “pump-priming” to help organisations get established or organisations which deliver a substantial part of the Council’s priorities.

– The Council may, where it appears to be a more cost-effective or efficient use of resources, prefer to act in partnership with another organisation, or provide support “in kind,” rather than provide grant assistance.

– An evaluation of the project must be provided once the project is complete to provide evidence that the benefits for Shavington-cum-Gresty residents and outputs have been achieved. The evaluation form must be returned to the Council within four weeks of the completion of the project.

– The applicant acknowledges and agrees that all decisions made by the Council for such a grant request are solely a matter for and at the discretion of the Council. The applicant will provide to the Council all such assistance as is reasonably necessary to enable the Council to comply with its requirements under the Freedom of Information Act.

– Please be aware that if your project involves working with children and/or vulnerable people, we will need to be assured that they are safeguarded and may come back to you for more information in addition to your safeguarding policies.

– Where an application is successful, the terms and conditions must be accepted in writing within the same financial year in which the grant is offered.

– If there is any breach of the requirements, the group will be banned from applying to the scheme for 24 months.

6.    Standard Conditions for All Grants

Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council’s support must be recognised in all associated publicity and information material. A high-resolution Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council logo will be provided and must appear on all literature related to the project or service the funding is for. Council’s brand guidelines will be provided to applicant for reference.

– Any equipment purchased must be branded with the Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council ‘supported by’ sticker, which will be supplied by the Parish Council where appropriate.

– All successful grant applicants with social media accounts must tag the Parish Council in posts related to this grant funding and, where possible, use the hashtag #shavingtononline.

– The grant is to be used only for the defined purposes in the committee resolution and associated grant application.

– Update information must be supplied to the council on request and as a requirement following the completion of the funded activity.

– Successful grant applicants agree for details of their project to be featured on the Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council website, social media pages, and any other promotional literature.

– Successful grant applicants agree to attend the Annual Meeting of Shavington-cum-Gresty Parish Council.

Application Forms: