Rural Programme Community grants Programme guidance This guidance is for organisations applying to deliver community grants in Wales 1
About the Big Lottery Fund Our mission helping communities and people most in need We believe that the following three approaches are vital to help us achieve our mission and address inequality in Wales and we want all activity we fund to embrace these. People-led we want the people who will benefit from, or be affected by, your project to be meaningfully involved in the development, design and delivery of your activity. Strengths-based we want to encourage organisations to make the most of, and build on, the skills and experiences of people and strengths within communities. Connected we want to know that you have a good understanding of what others are doing locally, that what you re doing complements and adds to this and that you have working relationships with other relevant groups. Accessibility Please contact us to discuss any particular communication needs you may have. Contact information is at the end of this guidance. Our equality principles Promoting accessibility; valuing cultural diversity; promoting participation; promoting equality of opportunity; promoting inclusive communities; reducing disadvantage and exclusion. Please visit our website for more Information: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/about-big/our-approach/equalities We care about the environment The Big Lottery Fund seeks to minimise its negative environmental impact and only uses proper sustainable resources. Big Lottery Fund, November 2016 2
Contents Page What s it all about? 4 Overview of Rural Programme timescales 5 Eligibility & what success could look like 6 Money available 8 Who can apply 9 Application process 9 Useful information 10 3
What s it all about? The Big Lottery Fund has 13.5 million to help make great things happen in rural communities. This funding will support people and communities in rural Wales to create solutions to address rural poverty. Poverty affects people and communities in different ways. We want communities to identify what matters most to them, and develop projects that really meet their needs. This programme is not just about addressing the financial aspect of poverty. We are looking for projects which tackle the range of issues associated with rural poverty which could include; lack of transport, poor access to services, withdrawal of services, isolation. What are we looking for? We are interested in projects that tackle poverty by bringing together people and communities to use their strengths to address what matters to them. We expect projects to address poverty through the following areas Improving well-being Raising aspirations Building social capital - enhancing the skills that are available within the community Increasing resilience to challenging circumstances. Some case studies can be found at page six which highlight the type of projects that we may fund and how they address poverty. Further information demonstrating some of the different activities that could be funded through this programme can be found on our website www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/ruralprogramme. We are not setting programme outcomes. Projects need to set their own outcomes, making sure ensuring they meet the overall programme aim of creating solutions to address rural poverty. You can apply for funding now if you have a project ready to go but future rounds of funding will be available for groups who may need to further develop their ideas. The deadline for Round one is 1pm on the 3rd April 2017. Please contact us, or sign up to our newsletter, to find out about the support available in your area and the dates of future funding rounds. 4
Overview of the Rural Programme timelines Round 1 Community grants 10,000-350,000 Open for applications 1st November 2016 Application deadline 3rd April 2017 Notification of decision July 2017 Rounds 2-4 Community grants 10,000-350,000 The timings of these rounds are still to be confirmed Further timings will be announced late 2017. 5
Which areas are eligible? Communities in the following areas can apply: Anglesey Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire Gwynedd Monmouthshire Pembrokeshire Powys. These areas are eligible as they are defined as the most rural by the Welsh Government s Rural Development Plan. We want this programme to support the most rural communities, some of which may never have benefitted from our funding in the past. We will only support communities with a population of 10,000 or less. We will also support individuals spread throughout eligible areas who have a common experience of poverty. We welcome applications for projects that will support communities of interest. If your community or project operates outside these eligible areas, or has a population greater than 10,000 please contact us on 0300 123 0735 to discuss what funding options may be available. We will only fund existing work and activities if they include new or enhanced elements. To see whether your work has new or enhanced elements, ask yourself these questions: will the project work in a new or expanded geographical area? will the project work with new groups of people? will the project deliver a new range of services or activities in addition to current work? What could a successful project look like? Success will be different for each project and it will be up to you to decide what that is and propose your own outcomes. The case studies below give an idea as to what it may look like. Electric car club is just the spark for rural community 6
The costs and commitments associated with owning a car can really add up. Insurance, MOT, tax, servicing, cleaning, parking charges and repairs the list is substantial. These problems can be exacerbated in rural communities where local amenities and services have ebbed away and where public transport options are few and far between. Many people can find themselves increasingly isolated without a car. In a beautiful corner of rural South West Wales however, Wales first electric car share club is enabling people to share the cost of motoring with their neighbourhood. With a grant of 25,000 from the Big Lottery Fund three years ago, the Cilgwyn Community Group in Newport, Pembrokeshire, was able to lease a brand new electric vehicle and set up a car-sharing club for the area. Such has been the success of the scheme the group has been able to buy a new electric car outright with the profits and has inspired other groups in neighbouring communities to establish a club of their own. Members pay an annual fee of around 30 and pay 1 an hour and 10p a mile to use the car which can be booked through an online calendar system. Other members can see bookings, so they can arrange to share a lift or request an alteration. Drivers record their miles and time in a book in the car and pay monthly. Good for the environment and easy on the pocket - the car is powered by a solar panel on the roof and can cover up to 90 miles before needing a re-charge. The vehicles can also be charged with renewable energy, much of it produced from wind and solar turbines locally which means they produce no tailpipe emissions. Opening new doors to independent living for older and younger people Six pilot projects offering a positive solution for younger people seeking affordable accommodation and older people wanting to live independently in their own homes received more than 1.3 million from the Big Lottery Fund. The projects around the UK were funded in early 2016 as part of Homeshare, the UK s first national home-sharing initiative developed by the Big Lottery Fund and Lloyds Bank Foundation as a new and sustainable model for people with particular housing needs in local communities. It matches younger people looking for 7
reasonably-priced accommodation with older people who are lonely or isolated and can offer a spare room. The younger person typically pledges around 10 hours of companionship and light domestic help to their host in return for accommodation, bringing practical, financial and emotional benefits for those who take part. Studies show that young people are leaving rural areas in record numbers for a range of reasons, including lack of affordable housing. One solution could be Homeshare and Alex Fox, chief executive of Shared Lives Plus, which has been involved in the scheme as an advisory partner, said it has the potential to work in Wales. He said: Homeshare is rapidly becoming a real option to help areas solve housing challenges, support older people to stay in their own homes for longer, reduce isolation and build stronger communities by bringing together older and younger people in a positive way. We know that there is significant appetite to expand Homeshare in Wales and Shared Lives Plus is committed to supporting further expansion and development of the Homeshare model across Wales and in Welsh rural communities. Visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/ruralprogramme to read more about these rural poverty case studies and others, including themes like community growing, disability, community shop and domestic violence. How much money is available? Round one has approximately 2 million available. Grants of between 10,000 and 350,000 will be awarded, and we want these to go to organisations based in the communities they serve, or communities of interest. You can apply for as much or as little as you need. Those applying for more than 100,000 will have a different application process which is explained later on page nine. Grants are available for up to five years. What we will fund Revenue funding The programme is mainly for revenue funding which can cover the operating costs of your project, and a contribution towards your organisation s overheads. For help in completing your budget and in working out your overheads, please refer to our guide on Full cost recovery on our website. We won t pay for: your day-to-day running costs, current or regular activities, general appeals, endowments or fundraising anything you start, spend money on or agree to spend money on before we confirm our funding 8
activities that are statutory obligations or will replace statutory funding, including activities on the curriculum in schools items that only benefit one person loans or interest repayments activities to promote religion or belief political activities any costs which someone else is paying for, if in cash or in kind funds to build up a reserve or surplus, whether distributable or not routine repairs and maintenance general improvements to public areas unless they are essential to your project equipment which is not essential to the project. Capital funding Applications are allowed to include capital up to a maximum of 10 per cent of your overall project budget. In exceptional circumstances capital requests of more than 10 per cent may be considered. Please contact us to discuss your proposals. Who can apply? To apply, you need to be: a formally constituted voluntary / community sector organisation, such as a charity, community group, cooperative or social enterprise based in the community (or one of the communities you wish to serve if you are working with a community of interest). We would like you to consult and engage with others in your community. You may decide to work in partnership. This could include public, private and third sector organisations. We won t accept applications from: branches where you don t control how you are run and how your money is spent organisations applying on behalf of another organisations awarded / involved in delivering the Community Development Support Grants through this Rural Programme public sector organisations, as the lead applicant. The application process If you are asking for 10,000 to 100,000 you will need to submit an application form. If you are asking for 100,001 to 350,000 you will need to submit a completed project plan, an organisation details form and any supporting documents such as a draft partnership agreement. 9
Please contact our Advice Line on 0300 123 0735 to discuss your project, and have an organisation details form and project plan guidance sent to you. If you have any queries, or wish to discuss your project further before you submit your application, please contact us at the number above. All completed applications are to be received no later than 1pm on Monday 3 rd April 2017 at the following address: Big Lottery Fund, 10 th Floor, Helmont House, Churchill Way, Cardiff, CF10 2DY Or by email to: rural.wales@biglotteryfund.org.uk When we receive your submission we will check that you have sent everything we asked for. If not, we will contact you and give you five working days from the date of the letter to send us any missing information. If you cannot meet this deadline, please contact us. On receipt of your completed submission it will be allocated to a funding officer to assess. The assessment process will consist of either a telephone conversation or visit to ensure a thorough understanding of your proposed project. What else do I need to know? Working in partnership Organisations can work on their own or in partnership with public, private and other third sector organisations. If you are working in partnership, please send us a draft partnership agreement. If you are awarded funding the draft partnership agreement must be approved by us and finalised prior to any funding being released. We may request changes to the draft agreement before it is finalised. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/research/making-the-most-offunding/partnership-working Annual accounts You don t need to send us your annual accounts with your application, but we may ask to see them during the assessment of your application. How do I find out more? Before you apply please contact us to talk through what you want to do, so we can discuss with you whether or not it s something we may support. Phone 0300 123 0735 between 9am and 5pm weekdays, or email rural.wales@biglotteryfund.org.uk. If you have a hearing impairment you can contact us by text relay on 18001 plus 029 2067 8200. 10
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