High Wycombe town community facilities grants criteria

Introduction

Community Facilities grants are awarded to not-for-profit voluntary and community sector groups based and operating in one of the unparished Wards of High Wycombe. The maximum award is £10,000.

Grants are capital monies awarded for one-off projects, for the purpose of improving or upgrading a community facility. Applicants must provide proof that they are offering a service to their local communities which will be of direct benefit to residents living in the unparished wards of High Wycombe.

Evidence must also be provided to show that a grant will provide value for money in terms of what can be achieved for residents.

Main Criteria

The project must meet at least one of the Council's 2020 to 2025 priorities. The Council has identified four key priority areas against which all applications will be assessed.

No group is expected to meet every priority; however, there may a strong synergy between the priorities and actions in one area that may contribute to the delivery of more than one priority.

For a facilities grant, 50% of the cost of works must be match-funded up to a maximum of £10,000. The applicant must provide proof of matched funding. A facilities grant will normally be based on the lowest of three quotations, copies to be provided with the application form.

The council's key priorities are:

increasing prosperity
strengthening our communities
improving our environment
protecting the vulnerable

For further information on Buckinghamshire Council’s priorities, see our Corporate Plan for 2020 to 2025.

Examples of Successful Applications

Examples of the type of application which would meet the criteria are listed below. This is by no means an exhaustive list:

improving or updating toilets
refurbishing sports facilities, for example a shower block
refurbishing a kitchen
building maintenance
renewing a floor
re-decorating

Typically, we award funding to:

constituted voluntary-led organisations with charitable aims
registered charities
charitable incorporated organisations (CIO)
social enterprises
community interest companies (CIC)
companies limited by guarantee that have charitable aims
membership groups

We are unable to accept applications from groups that:

do not have a bank or building society account in the name of the organisation or group, with a minimum of 2 unrelated cheque signatories (we are unable to send funds to personal bank accounts)
have not returned evaluation reports for previous projects
are subject to an investigation by the Charity Commission, the police, or any other organisation in a legal capacity
fail due diligence or do not comply with Charity Commission guidelines. For example we would not provide funding to organisations that had related bank signatories, several related trustees or income well more than the threshold for charitable registration

We are unable to fund:

unspecified contributions to general fund-raising appeals or large projects. If your proposal is part of a larger project, you may be eligible for Community Board Funding
for profit or commercial elements of charitable organisations
public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations and for activities that are supported by other statutory bodies
direct replacement of statutory or public funding
political activity or campaigning
contingency funding
fundraising activities
sponsored events, multiple trophies, or prizes
individuals
profit making or business ventures, including start-up costs

We do not normally fund:

projects that exclude community access
retrospective projects or where expenditure has already been incurred or committed. There must be at least 6 weeks between receipt of applications and the start of activities for the assessment process to be completed and proof to be provided to show a grant is needed
national or regional charities, although we can support local branches of national charities if they are financially independent and locally managed
salaries
organisations whose free reserves include more than 12 months of running costs
medical research and equipment
organisations that do not have their own bank account (through prior agreement a group may nominate and authorise an organisation to apply on their behalf)
School PTA and Friends groups unless the project supports the wider community
non project costs for example general core costs and capital items for offices
projects which could potentially exacerbate or exploit tensions or misunderstandings within communities

Grant terms and conditions

Read the grant terms and conditions

Process

The small size of most voluntary and community groups means that they are reliant on grants and donations to deliver their project. It is essential that applicants provide evidence with their applications that there is a need for a grant and that the activity for which funding is required will not go ahead without it.

Application forms must be signed by an officer of the applying organisation e.g. Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer.

Grants may be applied for at any time during the year. However, the grant fund has a finite budget and grants will be awarded on a first come first served basis. Decisions will be made within 6 weeks of receipt of applications.

Apply for a community facilities grant

Apply now

If you would like to discuss your application, contact: [email protected].

If you are unhappy with our decision

There is no right of appeal on decisions. This applies at all stages during the application, due diligence and decision-making processes.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your application, you can make a complaint.

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