Deadline: 09-Jun-2024
The Dorset Council 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
Priorities
- Driving economic prosperity
- They will support sustainable economic growth across the county, enabling high-quality jobs through improvements to productivity, sustainability, and accessibility, creating great places to live, work and visit.
- They will drive forward a plan whereby Dorset Council is a catalyst for prosperity and growth, working with and supporting local businesses and partners.
- They will focus on supporting social mobility and protection of the environment. They will address Dorset’s particular challenges related to its demographics and will be aware of Dorset’s unique landscapes.
- They will also challenge low productivity and lower than average skills.
- They will create the right conditions to grow a highly skilled workforce matched to high-quality jobs, helping businesses stay, start, grow, and move to Dorset.
- Creating stronger, healthier communities
- They will enable the residents, working with partners, to develop strong networks of support and maintain strong communities. They will focus on the most vulnerable in the communities to improve wellbeing and reduce inequality through collaboration between public services, community leaders, residents and voluntary groups.
- Creating sustainable development and housing
- They will work with government, registered housing providers, community land trusts and local housing partners to deliver affordable, suitable and decent housing. They will ask for their support to help them promote the climate and ecological priorities by providing sustainable services such as rainwater harvesting, solar panels and other such approaches.
- Protecting the natural environment, climate and ecology
- There is clear scientific evidence to show that climate change is happening and is due to human activity. Whilst this is a huge global challenge, many solutions are local.
- Dorset has a role to play in helping tackle this growing danger while they still have time to make a difference.
- Becoming a more responsive, customer focused council
- They will continue to be responsive, fair, and efficient in how they deliver services to the customers by listening and learning from their experiences.
- They will strive to constantly improve with an emphasis on innovation and working with you in a collaborative approach.
- They will take a different approach to Local Plan preparation by being far more strategic, including a two-year extension for having an approved plan. They will continue to work with Homes England and the New Communities Team to deliver a sustainable new settlement within Dorset.
Funding Information
- Grants are from £1,000 to £5,000.
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.
- projects and one-off events that promote health and wellbeing and physical activity
- project management costs up to a maximum of 10% of total project costs
- projects that address disadvantage in communities
- pilot projects that demonstrate new/innovative ways of working to deliver support to communities or deliver cultural activity
What they will not fund?
- applications directly from schools/colleges/nurseries/universities. Any applications should be made through their PTA/Friends of Charities. They will not fund curriculum related projects that happen within school time. Projects that extend outreach activities to schools to develop new audiences for the organisation and/or are for the benefit of the community will be considered
- applications from organisations who are attempting to secure more than one grant in this round
- core or continuation costs e.g. normal staffing costs, business rates, normal insurance, and other running costs normally incurred by the organisation.
- projects that have already started unless you can show that additional funding will add value, enhance or extend your original project
- feasibility studies, research projects
- capital applications for ongoing repairs, routine maintenance and refurbishments to buildings, community centres, sports halls or village halls including car parks, play areas, MUGAS, pitches and landscaping
- purchase of land for future development
- loan repayments or road vehicles costs
- projects with a total cost of less than £1,000
- projects outside the Dorset Council area i.e. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and other surrounding areas
- individuals or personal equipment
- commercial Organisations
- external Bursary schemes or grants programmes administered by the applicant
- speed Indicator Devices (SIDS)
Outcomes
- Desired outcomes for this fund
- 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
- 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:
- 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
Who can apply?
- 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)
- places of worship provided their project does not promote religious beliefs or particular faiths and can demonstrate non-religious cultural, sporting or social impact activities
- food projects including foodbanks, Community Fridges and those that address food insecurity
Eligibility Criteria
- an organisation can only apply once to this fund in the current financial year unless it is a new project starting after 1 September 2024. They must have completed their last project before making a new application to this fund
- 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 communities.
- organisations must be able to demonstrate financial need for the project
For more information, visit Dorset Council.