Deadline: 7-Jul-23
The Dorset Council through its Community and Culture Project Fund is providing small grants to organisations who want to start new activities and events that benefit the local community.
The fund is for ‘not for profit’ community groups including:
- museums
- arts
- heritage
- physical activity
- sport
- play
They prioritise applications that supports residents and those groups that are marginalised, disadvantaged or hard to reach.
Priorities
- Protecting the natural environment, climate and ecology.
- Creating stronger, healthier communities.
- Creating sustainable development and housing.
- Driving economic prosperity.
- Becoming a more responsive, customer focused council.
Funding Information
- The fund is a small project grant, funding up to 80% of total project costs.
- Grants are from £1,000 to £5,000.
Desired Outcomes
- They will be asking you to deliver a project that makes a positive impact or difference to people in the communities. They will expect your project to contribute to at least one of the following outcomes:
- better pathways for young people to get into employment.
- promoting equality and social inclusion through events.
- improving the health and wellbeing of communities and people particularly vulnerable people.
- helping disabled people to live independent lives.
- reach, empower and support new diverse, disadvantaged and marginalised communities.
- making a positive environmental impact.
- improving lives of those suffering rural deprivation.
- overcoming digital exclusion in isolated communities or targeted groups and using digital technology to engage more communities.
- developing new activity within organisations.
- helping people to feel more connected to the place in Dorset where they live.
- raising the profile of the arts, heritage, sport, environment and climate change themes.
- Culture Specific Outcomes
- create memorable experiences which help enrich, interpret and celebrate Dorset’s coast, towns and countryside.
- develop high- quality arts, heritage and cultural offer to command regional, national and international recognition.
- demonstrate sustainable cultural tourism, increase employment in Dorset’s cultural sector, raise aspirations and retain local talent.
- employ Artists, creatives and freelancers to include them in decision making and to ensure they are paid properly.
What they will fund?
- projects that deliver an environmental impact or cultural activities that incorporate environmental/climate change themes.
- projects that support communities with the cost-of-living challenges.
- projects that address, and fund cultural projects that reach isolated audiences via digital/online solutions.
- one off events /major events/activities which have the potential to raise the profile of the arts, heritage, sport and the environment in the Dorset Council area including those that promote equality and social inclusion.
- volunteer led projects that include equipment and staffing costs which add value or enhances the normal activities of your group or organisation.
- play that includes young people with disabilities and play projects that improve health and wellbeing through opportunity for physical activity. Play projects that demonstrate consultation with young people, schools and local community.
Eligibility Criteria
- organisations that operate within the Dorset Council area for the benefit of people who live there.
- constituted organisations.
- Parish and Town Councils in Dorset.
- non-profit making organisations operated with no undue restriction on membership e.g. Charities.
- charitable incorporated organisations (CIO).
- community Interest Companies (CIC), they will only fund CIC’s with a minimum of 3 directors, two of whom must be unrelated. They need to see a clear ‘Asset Lock’ Statement and Memorandums and Articles of Association.
- registered Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC).
- Company Ltd by Guarantee (not for profit).
- accredited Museums.
- heritage organisations.
- arts organisations.
- sports organisations.
- community organisations.
- partnership of organisations with a written partnership agreement (Town Councils can be part of a partnership project).
- Eligibility for this fund
- an organisation can only apply once to this fund, in the current financial year, unless it is a new project starting after 31 March 2023. They must have completed their last project before making a new application to this fund again.
- organisations can only submit one grant application in this round.
- newly constituted organisations (the amount such organisations can apply for is £1,500) who have been in existence for less than 12 months, are eligible to apply without having to present a set of accounts but must be able to demonstrate they have a constitution and bank account. Before drawing down funding they will be required to have public liability insurance, and a safeguarding policy in place.
- an organisation who is revenue funded by Dorset Council may apply for project funding providing the project is distinctly separate and adds value or enhances the organisations work and increases their social impact.
- where the organisation relies on the Organisations premises to deliver the project the premises should have reasonable security of tenure for at least 5 years.
- organisations with an annual income over £500,000 are not eligible for this fund unless their project has a grass roots and local focus with distinct benefits for Dorset.
For more information, visit Dorset Council.