Small grants for Third Sector Groups

Transcription

1 Small Grants for Registered Third Sector Groups Guidance Notes What are small grants? Each year Lancashire County Council Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help Service (Young People's Service) allocates funding to support local third sector youth groups and individual young people in each of the 12 districts of Lancashire. 75% of the total funding given to a district is initially set aside to support registered Third Sector Groups working with young people. Small grants for Third Sector Groups Who can apply? The Third Sector is defined as not for profit Voluntary, Community and Faith organisations and social enterprises. If your group falls into any of these categories and meets regularly with a group(s) of young people you can apply. What is the money for? This funding aims to support Lancashire young people aged (up to 25 for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities). Priority will be given to funding groups who support and work with vulnerable young people. This includes: Young people who are looked after or leaving care Homeless young people, Young People who are Not in Education, Employment or Training, Young Carers, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender young people Young People with learning difficulties or disabilities Young Parents Black and Minority Ethnic young people (including Gypsy/Roma/ Travellers) Young People known to the Youth Offending Team Young people from low income families Young people living in rural isolation The funding is aimed at meeting specific local needs, supporting local groups to:

2 Extend the range and quality of places to go and things to do for young people in the local area; developing the local Youth Offer. Support better outcomes for young people. Funding is restricted to supporting established membership youth groups providing regular programmes for young people and priority will be given to groups who deliver projects within targeted communities. The grants will normally be small in scale, one-off or short term in nature. The key purpose of grant funding will be capacity building, enabling organisations to deliver better services for young people and to support innovative services and emerging needs in local areas. If services have been procured or commissioned from Lancashire County Council; applications will need to outline how this request for funding from Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help Service (Young People's Service) does not duplicate the procured or commissioned services. Please provide details of other Lancashire County Council funding your organisations has received. This will be taken into account when considering your application. Any group applying for funding must first be accepted for registration and issued with a registration number before applying for a small grant. How much is available? The maximum amount for any registered group is up to 2, in one financial year. Who decides what will be funded? Young people are central to the decisions made about small grants. We support local young people to assess applications and make decisions and recommendations. Local young people's panels will meet to asses, score against set criteria and make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools who will make the final decision. The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools will make the final decision at a Cabinet Decision Making Session (under Schedule 4 of the Lancashire County Council Constitution.) Grants may be given for parts of a project rather than the full costs specified in the application and young people, or the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, and Schools may put a limit on the amount of grant given. Applications will be assessed to ensure that best value considerations are in place to avoid duplication of funding. Lancashire Youth Strategy Groups applying for funding should show how they will develop the Lancashire Youth Offer and support the vision and mission outlined in the Lancashire Youth Strategy. Key priority areas Projects should meet the following priorities, stemming from the Youth Strategy:

3 Offer structured and planned programmes to enable young people to develop their personal and social skills Organisations that promote young people s engagement in decision-making about services that affect them and the development of those services: Involve young people in the planning and development of activities Services which increase the number of Places to Go' and Things to do for young people, including: Provide Sporting and other physical activity, positive activity, encouraging personal development, innovation and creativity, residential opportunities, other recreational, creative, cultural, sporting and enriching activity. Provide a safe enjoyable meeting place which may be in areas with no other provision with safe travelling distance. Help young people pursue their ambitions? Projects can include; Places to go and things to do and someone to talk to Information advice and guidance Opportunities for volunteering, leadership and active citizenship Alternatives to formal education. Projects should also align with the County Council's strategic priorities and the Children and Young People's Plan. For more information: - Lancashire County Council Corporate Strategy - Lancashire Children and Young People's plan Registration The Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help Service (Young People's Service) operates a registration system for third sector groups. Registration allows groups to gain access to support and resources in each district. If your group can show it is operating safely and is delivering structured activities which lead to young people's development you can also apply for grant support. The registration requirements ensure that groups who apply for funds have met essential criteria about their ability to safeguard the well being of young people and make use of resources in an appropriate manner, according to their constitution and the requirements of the County Council. Groups can register on-line by visiting and clicking 'Information for Professionals.'

4 What will we fund? Applications may contain requests for funding which cover the whole or partial cost of the following items, in the support of criteria outlined above. Previously supported applications include: Purchase of equipment; Provision of training; Administration (maximum 50.00); Rent of premises (other than school facilities); Purchase of materials; Transport costs for young people not eligible for a free bus pass; Refurbishment; Any other purpose acceptable to the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools. Projects funded in the past include: Projects which encourage employment and skills development, health awareness, educational development, citizenship, civic pride and volunteering. Cross community, cross cultural youth weekend for young people to experience life and community groups of other cultures. Young Parents Group - A trip for the children and parents to Heaton Park including fares for people to attend the newly formed group What can't we fund? Foreign trips. Groups can apply for activities abroad but the transport element of the activity cannot be funded. Repeat grants. We will not fund you to do the same project again, unless you are able to demonstrate how it adds value to the original project. Commissioned projects. We will not fund you for a project that you have received commissioned funding for, unless you are able to demonstrate how it adds value to the original project. How to apply? Groups should first ensure they are registered with the Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help Service (Young People's Service) before completing the Small Grants Group Application Form. You must apply for funding before your project takes place as we will not fund applications to cover expenditure already made. If you need help completing your form you should contact the local Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help Service (Young People's Service Office.)

5 All completed applications will be assessed by a panel of young people who will make recommendations regarding each application All applications will then be considered at the Children, Young People and Schools Cabinet Decision Making Session. Deadlines There are five deadlines for applications throughout the year for projects taking place from April 2016 December Please note that your money must be spent by the end of March PLEASE NOTE: Apply early for your project regardless of when it will take place in the year. Funding may be allocated to successful projects early in the year, so there may be limited funding remaining later on. Deadline for applications to be received into the central office Results of decision making panel published 7 th April th June th May th July th July th September th August th September th October th October th November th December 2016 Any unspent funding remaining following these deadlines may be reallocated at the discretion of the Head of Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help Service (Young People's Service) and the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools. Monitoring and Evaluation We want to know how the funding you received was spent and what the outcomes from the project were. Successful applicants will be expected to: Submit proof of expenditure to the Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help Service (YPS) district office as soon as possible after expenditure has been made Submit a monitoring form to show what was achieved. This could include a DVD or a photographic record if preferred. Financial and Monitoring records will be maintained by the Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help Service (YPS) district office which will be open for inspection by the County Treasurer. Failure to submit proof of expenditure and completion of an end of project will prevent any future applications and request for grants being considered until such time as they requirements have been fulfilled. The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools takes an interest in projects receiving funding and may request to visit successful applicants, along with

6 young people from the local youth panel. It is therefore expected that applicants allow any visits and publicity to take place.