Ground Maintenance Grant Aid Scheme

Shetland Islands Council

Ground Maintenance Grant Aid Scheme

GUIDELINES

 

1. Introduction

This is a grant aid scheme designed to assist voluntary organisations, which manage and maintain outdoor sports pitches with its annual operating maintenance costs.  

We hope this scheme makes a real difference to the quality of life for people living in Shetland.

 

2. What our grants are for -

This grant scheme aims to support projects and activities that: –

  • Encourage participation in community life, in particular those focusing on young people and those most disadvantaged,
  • Assist in the process of sustaining and regenerating fragile rural areas,
  • Ensure organisations are open to those who want to take part and that they actively encourage more people into their organisation,
  • Promote individual and community achievement.

 

3. We expect all funded applications to demonstrate that -

  • It meets a community need
  • it represents value for money
  • it is well planned
  • there are long term benefits
  • it makes a difference to the community
  • the project expenditure can be accounted for

 

4 . Who can apply?

Your organisation can apply for Ground Maintenance grant if: –

  • you are based in Shetland
  • you are a non-profit making organisation
  • you have an open constitution or set of rules which clearly defines your organisation’s aims, objectives and procedures
  • you have a bank or building society account in the name of your organisation which requires at least 2 signatures on each cheque or withdrawal
  • you can enclose your most recent annual accounts which have been certified as true by a person independent of your organisation
  • you own and/or lease, manage and maintain an outdoors sport pitch in Shetland
  • you complete and submit a Ground Maintenance Grant application form within 6 months of your organisation’s new financial year commencing 

 

5. New organisations

We welcome applications from new organisations.  If you are a new organisation, your committee should draw up and adopt a constitution or set of rules before you apply.  We realise that new organisations do not have a set of accounts for the last year but instead we would need an estimate of your income and expenditure for your first year and an office bearer from your organisation must sign this.

 

6. Constitutions

A Constitution should include:-

  • an organisation’s name, aims and objectives
  • details of how it achieves those objectives
  • details of how its committee is elected or appointed
  • details of how people can join the organisation
  • details of what will happen to the assets of the organisation if it closes
  • the date when the constitution was adopted and signed on behalf of the organisation

If you need help drawing up a constitution or changing your existing constitution our staff can assist with this.   See Section 17, Contact details

 

7. Are you a local branch of a national organisation?

You may apply if you are an independent branch of a national/umbrella organisation and have your own bank account, constitution, and management committee and have control over your own income and how you spend it.  

 

8. Who cannot apply?

  • Public bodies
  • Organisations in receipt of annual core funding from either Shetland Charitable Trust and/or Shetland Islands Council for services purchased
  • Companies which aim to make a profit
  • School organisations and school projects 
  • Individuals
  • Organisations outwith Shetland
  • Organisations who do not manage and maintain outdoor sports pitches

 

9. How do we apply / when do we make an application?

Application packs will be sent out to you within two working days of requesting a form, but you may also collect an application pack from the Grants Unit (see address on page 6). 

To be eligible for consideration the Grants Unit must receive your completed Ground Maintenance Grant application form within 6 months of the start of your organisation’s new financial year. 

Should you require any help with your application please contact the Grants Unit as soon as possible for assistance. 

 

10. What can we apply for?

We will consider funding: –

Operating Expenditure:

Operating costs

  • Haulage
  • Insurance
  • Rent
  • Rates
  • Other hire charges i.e. plant hire
  • Heating / lighting
  • Wages
  • Fuel
  • Equipment purchase *

Maintenance costs

  • Grass cutting / strimming
  • Lining
  • Drainage works
  • Verti-draining / rolling 
  • Seeding / returfing works
  • Fertilising / weed spray
  • Sand / lime / top soil / maintenance
  • Other repairs / maintenance **

Other costs:

  • Cleaning materials (including protective clothing)
  • Administration costs
  • Telephone line rental

* Please note all equipment purchase must be directly related to the maintenance of outdoors sports fields. Your organisation may apply for grant assistance towards new equipment items such as gardening tools, painting equipment, mops, buckets, lawn mowers, strimmers, line markers, hoses, etc.   Your organisation may also apply for new equipment that is directly associated to the activity that takes place on the sports field such as permanent and portable goals, corner flags, nets, etc.

** Please note in addition to the above listed eligible funding categories other repairs and maintenance costs must be directly related to the maintenance of outdoors the applicant’s sports field.  For example your organisation may apply for financial assistance towards the repair and maintenance of buildings, equipment, boundary walls, fences, car parks and associated facilities.

We will not fund: –

  • General running costs not directly associated with managing and maintaining a sport field
  • Items that only benefit an individual e.g. medals, engraving, trophies, prizes, etc
  • Sports equipment such as strips, footballs, cones, bibs, hockey balls etc.
  • Loan or endowment payments or bank charges
  • Development or special project costs
  • Feasibility, Design or Capital costs
  • Business or commercial ventures
  • Any other expenditure that is deemed as non-maintenance or is deemed unrelated to the regular costs of maintaining an outdoors sports field

 

11. How much can we apply for?

There is no minimum grant specified for this scheme.  However eligible organisations can only apply for up to 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum grant of £6,000. 

Please note that we will not award more than the amount you request in your application.  If you are unsure about how much funding you can apply for, please contact the Grants Unit in advance of submitting your grant application for guidance and assistance.

 

12. Application process

Once you have completed your grant application, attached all the necessary documents and worked through the checklist, please send the application and enclosures to the Grants Unit for processing and consideration.

  • On receipt of your application we will check if it is complete and ensure all the necessary information has been enclosed.
  • We will acknowledge receipt of your application within 5 working days or return your application if not complete, and will let you know what else you need to do.
  • Your completed application will be assessed and you will be informed of the decision in writing in no more than 6 weeks of receiving the completed application.  
  • Successful applications will be issued with a grant offer letter and acceptance docquet.
  • Once your organisation has accepted the terms and conditions of the grant and returned the acceptance letter 50% of the total grant due will be paid into your organisation’s bank account.   
  • Following the first lump sum payment the remainder of grant assistance will be paid on receipt of completed SIC/ECS1 grant claim forms and receipted expenditure.
  • All approved grant assistance must be claimed by no later than 31 March in the Council financial year it is awarded.

You must comply with grant conditions and use the grant only for the purposes as set out in your application form.

 

13. If your grant application is unsuccessful

We will tell you the main reasons why in a letter within 6 weeks of receiving the completed application.  You may also find it useful to contact the Grants Unit as appropriate for advice and further assistance. 

Following receipt of the explanation your committee may wish you to revise your Ground Maintenance grant application and resubmit it.  Alternatively you may wish to appeal the original decision.  If your committee wish to appeal a decision, please contact the Grants Unit who will instruct you how best to proceed.

 

14. Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

Please note the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 gives members of the public the right to request any information that we hold. The Council regularly releases information about grant awards and informationregarding your application may be made available to the public. Any personal information provided will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

 

15. Child Protection requirements

From 1 April 2008 any organisation seeking financial assistance from this grant aid scheme must comply with Child Protection requirements if they:

  1. Organise activities for children and young people under the age of 18;

Or

  1. Arrange activities attended by children and young people under the age of 18, and have staff or volunteers engaged in a ‘childcare’ position as defined in the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 *

If either of these conditions applies to your group, then you will need to ensure that you have in place all of the following: 

  • a Child Protection Policy and Child Protection Procedures;
  • a Code of Conduct for staff and volunteers;
  • an Equal Opportunities Policy. 

Templates for these documents are available from the Education and Social Care Department or at www.shetland.gov.uk/childsafeshetland/Grantaidtemplate.asp and must be approved and signed by committee members of your group.  You must also carry out Enhanced Disclosure checks for any individuals working or volunteering in a ‘childcare’ position, to ensure that they are not on the Disqualified from Working with Children List.  This is in order to comply with the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003.

* Staff or volunteers in a ‘childcare’ position include those ‘whose normal duties include caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children’ and would cover, for example:

  • Instructors or coaches who work with children (even with other adults present)
  • Adults who accompany children on visits (even if their own children are part of the group)
  • Adults who supervise other people’s children who are ‘sitting out’ of activities

Even if your group does not fall within this list, it might still be subject to the requirements of the Act.   If this is the case, you may wish to seek further advice from either the Central Registered Body for Scotland (CRBS), who process Disclosure checks for volunteers, on 01786 849777, or Disclosure Scotland on 0870 609 6006.

Contact details for local support on this subject and more information are available on the ChildSafe Shetland website: www.shetland.gov.uk/childsafeshetland

 

16. Other considerations

In addition to the above the following considerations also apply to this scheme:

  • The applicant must have adequate insurance cover in place for its facilities and be able to evidence this on request.
  • No applications can be considered for expenditure already incurred, except with prior agreement of the Executive Director, Education and Social Care Department.
  • All grant awards are subject to the Shetland Islands Council’s approved grant conditions and availability of finance.
  • In the event that your annual pitch maintenance expenditure is underspent your organisation may be required to repay part of the grant assistance back to Shetland Islands Council.  If this happens you will be contacted in writing and asked to repay the identified underspend.

Your organisation’s contact details must be included in the Council’s online Community Directory and you will be responsible for making any changes to your organisation’s details as necessary.   If you have not joined the Community Directory please contact your local Community Office for information, or look up the website at http://www.shetland.gov.uk/communitydirectory/

 

17. Service pledges

In order to improve service delivery of the department’s various grant aid schemes available, we have introduced the following service pledges:

  • The Grants Unit will provide accurate information about its grant aid schemes and the application procedures.
  • All grant application forms requested will be sent out within 2 working days.
  • All grant application forms received will be acknowledged within 5 working days.
  • All organisations receive a decision on completed grant application forms within 6 weeks *
  • All organisations that have had grant applications rejected will receive a written explanation of why it was unsuccessful.
  • All organisations that have had a rejected grant application advised in writing have the right to appeal against the decision.

Please note this timescale only applies to Grant Schemes that are delegated to officers within the Council’s Education and Social Care Department.

 

18. Contact details

Officers in the Grants Unit and the Sport and Leisure Service are available to give advice and guidance with Ground Maintenance grant applications where required and should be consulted at the earliest opportunity prior to completing a grant application.     They can be contacted as follows:

Grants Unit Sports Development
Hayfield House Hayfield House
Hayfield Lane Hayfield Lane
Lerwick Lerwick
Shetland Shetland
ZE1 0QD ZE1 0QD
Tel. (01595) 743828 / 743827 Tel. (01595) 744045 / 744046
   
Leisure Facilities Officer  
Hayfield House  
Hayfield Lane  
Lerwick  
Shetland  
ZE1 0QD  
Tel. (01595) 744047