Deadline: 3-Sep-23
The County Durham Community Foundation has launched the Banks Community Fund (LCF) to support community and voluntary organisations and environmental projects which are located close to a Banks Group development, and which provide benefit to the local community.
The Banks Group develops land for a variety of uses including residential property, commercial property and renewable energy (on shore wind and solar). It is a family owned, County Durham- based business employing around 400 people across the north of England and Scotland. The Banks Group looks for opportunities to make a real positive difference to local people and their communities and to provide lasting benefits, whether during the lifetime of a project or during long-term aftercare.
Aims
Funding will be awarded to projects that aim to:
- build, improve or maintain public parks or amenities.
- build, improve or maintain community buildings or amenities.
- bring land back into use.
- reduce or prevent pollution.
- provide information on sustainable waste management.
- improve quality of life in a local environment.
- promote or conserve biological diversity through the provision, conservation, restoration or enhancement of a natural habitat, or the maintenance or recovery of a species in its natural habitat.
Funding Information
- Grants from the Banks Community fund (LCF) will typically be up to £5,000.
Who they support?
Typically, they award grants 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
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible to receive a grant from Banks Community Fund (Landfill):
- you must be open to the community (public) and allow access to your premises/project for a minimum of four evenings per week, two days per week or 104 days per year
- be located in an area where the Banks Group is currently operating (you will need this information to complete your application).
- three quotes/estimates will be required to accompany the budget; where this is not possible due to the specialist nature of the project, they ask for written confirmation with a brief explanation.
- In addition, social enterprises, CICs and other companies must demonstrate within applications that:
- the company has been registered for a minimum of 12 months.
- a reasonable percentage of their income has been earned through trading.
- the project they wish to fund is not a tradable asset or service.
- the application is made for cost to deliver the project not managing the CIC.
Ineligible
- unspecified contributions to general fund-raising appeals or large projects
- for-profit or commercial elements of charitable organisations
- capital items for general office or company resourcing (non-project)
- public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations
- direct replacement of statutory or public funding,
- party political activity and campaigning
- contingency funding
- refreshments or food
- buying premises or land rights
- projects that solely support animal welfare
- feasibility studies or initial community consultations
- fundraising activities
- deficit or retrospective funding
- sponsored events, multiple trophies or prizes
- general running or core costs, except as a proportionate contribution to a project
- CIC start-ups
- wholly grant-maintained CICs
For more information, visit County Durham Community Foundation.
