Voluntary and neighbourhood groups invited to apply for cash
Small voluntary and neighbourhood groups in Ealing will be able to apply for cash grants between £250 to £5000, thanks to a new Grassroots Grants scheme being launched in Ealing today, by Ealing & Brentford Consolidated Charity (EBCC).
The scheme is part of a £130 million national drive by the Government to support thousands of groups and projects, working to improve their local communities.
EBCC will be working in partnership with Ealing Community and Voluntary Service, Southall Community Alliance and Acton Community Forum, to make the grants available to a range of local groups including charities, voluntary groups and neighbourhood initiatives, with an annual turnover of less than twenty thousand a year.
Funding for capital items such as IT equipment, furniture and office equipment, websites and newsletters can all be considered. As can ongoing revenue costs such as contribution towards staff salaries, training, rent and funding of activities such as play sessions, advice sessions, community days etc.
The Grassroots Grants programme is unable to fund statutory organisations such as local authorities, primary care trusts and schools or ‘arms-length’ organisations funded or part-funded by them. Nor is it able to fund commercial ventures, or political or religious activity. However activities such as youth clubs or parent and toddler clubs, run by religious groups can be considered.
Maria Gledhill, Chief Executive of EBCC commented “This is great news for local groups in Ealing who are doing fantastic work, often working on a shoestring and relying mainly on voluntary support. We are committed to making it as simple as possible for groups to apply and turning around applications within a fortnight, so that grants can be put to good use straight away and the money used to make a real difference in the community”.
Under the Grassroots Grants Scheme £410,485 will be available for small grants over three years. And the Government has made a commitment to match £1 for £1 any funds raised by local philanthropists (either individuals, group and trusts or businesses), as part of its Government’s Matched Endowment Challenge funds up to a total of £301,771.
The aim is to create a local endowment fund which will be managed by EBCC which will ensure that further grants will be available which smaller groups can benefit from, not just today, but in the longer term.
September 11, 2008