THE LONDON BRIDGE SMALL GRANTS FUND 2008/9 Provided by the London Bridge BID Company in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
ABOUT THE SMALL GRANTS FUND Our vision for the fund: To help young people of ages 5-19 develop their life experience outside of the school curriculum, and to help young people make a positive and valuable contribution to their community. THE FUNDERS The London Bridge Business Improvement District (BID) Company was set up in 2006 to make the London Bridge business district a safer, cleaner, more connected place to work, live and visit. LBBC is funded by businesses within the business district and is led by a Board of business representatives, with several Taskgroups helping to develop project ideas. The Building Bridges Taskgroup is responsible for overseeing the London Bridge Small Grants fund. Taskgroup members are representatives from: The Bridge Lounge Bar and Dining Room CIBC World Markets Chubb Insurance Company of Europe Ernst & Young Hewitt Associates London Bridge BID Company More London Estates PricewaterhouseCoopers Southwark Council Starbucks PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. The firm has been actively engaged in community activities in Southwark for over 15 years and is pleased to support this small grants fund.
ABOUT THE LONDON BRIDGE SMALL GRANTS FUND (cont d) AMOUNT OF GRANT AVAILABLE We accept applications for grants from 500 to 2000 (only under 500 in exceptional circumstances). Grants are made for one year only. Projects must be completed by March 2009. THE AIMS OF THE FUND Applications for funding should meet at least one of the three aims below: Aim 1: To encourage positive youth engagement We are looking for projects which help to keep young people engaged and active in their community. Young people should be encouraged to participate in decision-making in their community, and to make a difference on local issues. We are also looking for projects which encourage young people to take more interest in and / or care of their local environment. Projects could include: Encouraging young people to join local youth boards or groups that are involved in local decision-making, for example community councils; After school or weekend sporting or arts schemes, walks, exhibitions or workshops; Small-scale environmental improvement projects designed and/or undertaken by young people. Aim 2: To support the leap into the world of work We are looking for projects that enhance the basic skills and employment prospects of local young people, through learning about different types of jobs and acquiring key skills needed to enter the world of work. Projects could include: Workshops which help improve interview, team working and other interpersonal skills; Projects which enhance IT skills; Work experience projects, or projects which introduce young people to the day to day experience of working. Aim 3: To provide extra educational opportunities Projects will be considered which extend young people s educational experience outside of what is expected in the National Curriculum. We are particularly looking for projects which encourage young people to take up regular extra curricular activities. Projects could include: After school or weekend sporting or arts schemes, walks, exhibitions or workshops.
ABOUT THE LONDON BRIDGE SMALL GRANTS FUND (cont d) WHO CAN APPLY? Youth groups / youth clubs, charities, community and voluntary organisations, and businesses, whose project will benefit young people who live or go to school within the London Bridge Small Grants Fund area (i.e. the Bermondsey Community Council area see map on following page). HOW TO APPLY and TIMETABLE FOR APPLICATIONS Applicants should read this document carefully (especially the Fund Guidelines) before filling in the application form, and make sure any relevant documentation is sent with the form. The deadline for applications to this year s London Bridge Small Grants Fund: Friday 15 February, 2008. The London Bridge BID Building Bridges Taskgroup will consider all applications and will confirm whether applications have been successful by the end of March 2008. Projects must be completed by March 2009. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Equal opportunities considerations will be made and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. Applicant groups should also ensure that projects take equal opportunities into account as much as possible. The Graffiti Boards project allowed both junior and senior members to try out new things and to work well as a team. The project helped create a sense of belonging, as the boards will be displayed in the new Salmon Centre. Sam Adofo, Salmon Youth Centre, Bermondsey
ABOUT THE LONDON BRIDGE SMALL GRANTS FUND (cont d) AREA OF FOCUS Projects must benefit young people who live or go to school within the area marked below (the Bermondsey Community Council area).
FUND GUIDELINES (please read these CAREFULLY!) The London Bridge Small Grants Fund is funded by the London Bridge BID Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and is administered by the London Bridge BID Company. The fund is designed to provide support for one-off or pilot projects. There is no commitment for ongoing revenue or maintenance costs. Projects must benefit young people of ages 5-19 who live or go to school within the Bermondsey Community Council area (see map on previous page). APPLICANTS Only one successful application may normally be made per organisation per year. Only applicant groups (and support organisations) with a management committee, some form of written constitution and a dual signatory bank/building society account will be eligible to apply for grants. Those groups without a constitution and/or groups where the majority of committee members are aged 18 or below, must give us details of a support organisation who will take responsibility for the grant and will oversee the project. Applicant groups or their support groups will be required to seek all necessary legal and other approvals (planning permission, health and safety, ownership, and Criminal Records Bureau checks where appropriate). Applicant groups must also operate according to equal opportunities policy. Support organisation responsibilities will be as follows: To receive the small grant on behalf of the applicant group To seek all necessary legal and other approvals (health and safety, child protection, insurance and so on) which may be required to complete the project To undertake informal monitoring and support of the project from beginning to end To communicate any project problems to the London Bridge BID Company To ensure proof of spend can be provided at the end of the project (receipts, invoices, and so on) WHAT WE MAY NOT FUND In general, we would not fund the following: Academic research General appeals Individual people (for example, individuals seeking support in looking for work) Projects which assist religious or political activities Projects run for individual or commercial benefit Services or projects which would normally be provided by statutory or public authorities (applications from statutory bodies will be assessed on a case by case basis) Contributions towards large-scale capital improvements
FUND GUIDELINES (cont d) PAYMENT OF GRANTS, MONITORING AND EVALUATION Grants will usually be paid 50% upfront and 50% in arrears, subject to checks. On completion of the project, groups will be asked to send evidence that full spend has been made. This should be in the form of copies of all relevant receipts and invoices. Successful applicants will also be required to complete a simple form when the project is complete which explains the success of the project. Projects should be completed by March 2009. The London Bridge BID Company (LBBC) reserves the right to visit or monitor projects at any reasonable opportunity. Grant support must be used exclusively for the purpose for which it was awarded. The London Bridge BID Company must be kept informed of any changes to the project, and reserves the right to refuse a grant which has not been spent appropriately. PROJECT PUBLICITY Successful applicants will be required to acknowledge that the project has received financial support from the London Bridge Small Grants Fund, and include relevant logos in promotional publicity. Publicity will be explained more fully if funding is approved. The funding from the London Bridge small grants fund enabled us to hold six full day summer holiday art workshops which were attended by many local families. The flags produced were then shown in an exhibition. All in all these have been some of our most successful workshops. Bridget Virden, Cafe Gallery Projects, Bermondsey
HELP WITH FILLING IN YOUR APPLICATION FORM FILLING OUT THE FORM You can handwrite or type your answers onto the Application Form. Then you can either e- mail your application to grants@londonbridgebid.co.uk or post your application to: Helen Moore London Bridge BID Company 3 Gainsford Street London SE1 2NE CHECKLIST Please ensure that you have completed the checklist at the beginning of the application form. This will help to ensure that you have sent us all the information we need to consider your application. SECTION 1: GROUP DETAILS This section will give us information about your organisation, and contact details so that we can let you know whether your application has been successful. Bank account We will not transfer a grant to an individual s bank account. Please give us the names of signatories for your organisation s account on your form. Child Protection Policy The small grants fund has been developed for projects which work with children and young people, so we require more information on the level of protection given to those taking part in the project. Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check numbers We require information on whether volunteers and staff working on your project have been checked by the CRB. Once checked, a CRB check number is given. CRB checks are standard procedure for people who regularly work with young people. If available at the time of application, please give us the CRB check numbers of all staff who will be working with young people on your project. If funding is approved, proof of CRB checks will be required before the project begins.
HELP WITH FILLING IN YOUR APPLICATION FORM (cont d) SECTION 2: YOUR PROJECT 2a) Project details Please give us a brief project outline of no more than 300 words in the space provided on page four of the form. This should tell us about the purpose of the project, as well as the activities taking place. The space on page four of the form should be used to tell us more about why you think the project is needed. In particular, to what extent you think the project will benefit individuals and the local community. 2b) Project costs Please break down all costs within your project. Make sure you tell us: When each cost must be paid before the project begins, during, or after? Which parts of the project the small grant is paying for, if not the whole project. Here s an example answer: After-school theatre project Hire of venue (once a week at 25 per week, for a total of ten weeks): 250 Deposit of 100 required before project starts. The rest payable when project ends. Sets and costumes: 500 Payable when project begins Staffing costs (one assistant at 50 per hour, for a total of 10 hours) 500 Payable when project ends. Additional administrative costs: (workshop resources, decorative materials) 100 Payable before project begins The small grant will cover the cost of the set and costumes, and staffing costs (total of 1,000). 2c) Measuring your project This will help us evaluate whether your project will meet our three fund aims of Encouraging positive youth engagement, Supporting the leap into the world of work and Providing extra educational opportunities. Your project could meet any, or all, of the fund s three aims. SECTION 3: DECLARATION Please make sure that this section is completed before sending in your application. For more information, please call Helen Moore on 020 7407 4701 or e-mail grants@londonbridgebid.co.uk.