Support Grant Aid Scheme

Shetland Islands Council

Support Grant Aid Scheme

GUIDELINES

 

Introduction

This is a grant aid scheme designed to support voluntary organisations to develop and deliver projects that meet community needs and make a lasting difference in the community.

The Support grant scheme is designed to assist community organisations and voluntary organisations which cater exclusively or primarily for under 18’s or junior sections of adult organisations with annual operating and programme costs.   This scheme can also consider applications from organisations working with additional support needs participants (adults and juniors).  

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

 

1. 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

 

2. 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

 

3. Who can apply?

Your organisation can apply for a Support grant if :–

  • you are based in Shetland
  • you are a non-profit making organisation
  • have an open constitution or set of rules which clearly define the organisation’s aims, objectives and procedures
  • you have a bank or building society account in the name of your organisation which require 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 the organisation
  • you cater primarily or exclusively for young people (i.e. under 18’s) and/or additional support needs participants (adults or under 18’s)

 

4. 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.

 

5. 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.

 

6. 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.

 

7. 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 cater exclusively or primarily for adults

 

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

Application forms will be sent out to you within two working days of requesting a form but you may also collect an application pack from your local Community office (see Section 18, Contact Details.)

To be eligible for consideration Community Development staff must receive your completed Support Grant application form within 6 months of the start of your organisation's new financial year.

You should contact our staff at the earliest opportunity to request an application form and, if required, to get assistance with completing the application form.

 

9. What can we apply for?

We will consider funding: –

Operating Expenditure:

Premises costs

  • Buildings insurance (only for buildings owned or leased by the applicant)
  • Rent/rates
  • Heating/lighting
  • Building repairs
  • Telephone line rental only (not calls)
  • Cleaning materials
  • Wages (cleaner/caretaker)

Other costs

  • Activity insurance
  • Licences
  • Group affiliations
  • Postage
  • Stationery
  • Photocopying
  • Advertising and publicity
  • Audit fees
  • Room hire

Programme Expenditure:

  • Local Transport
  • Venue hire (including costs associated with hire of venue - e.g electricity)
  • Expendable equipment (consumables – see examples below)
  • Wages/honorarium

Example of consumables items that could be considered for funding are things such as paper, card, paint, crayons, art and craft materials, glue, string, table tennis balls, shuttle cocks, target faces, chalk, cue tips, squash balls, badges for uniformed organisations, etc.

We will not fund: –

  • Items that only benefit an individual e.g. medals, trophies, prizes, personal clothing, strips and personal equipment
  • General running costs for adult organisations
  • Loan or endowment payments
  • Development or special project costs
  • Feasibility, Design or Capital costs
  • Business or commercial ventures
  • Fundraising expenses
  • Animal feed, meals or subsistence costs
  • General entertainment costs e.g. cinema, theme parks, etc.
  • Disclosure Fees
  • Satellite television subscription fees
  • Telephone calls
  • Vets' and farriers' fees

 

10. How much can we apply for?

There is no minimum grant specified for this scheme.  However organisations can only apply for up to 50% of eligible costs up to a maximum grant of £5,000 and we will not award more than the amount you request in your application.  Any organisation which has received a Support Grant of £3,000 or more is only eligible to receive an inflationary increase in grant assistance the next time it applies, with the inflation rate set by the Shetland Islands Council’s annual budget strategy.  (Please note, there will be no inflationary increase on the maximum grant of £5,000.)

Youth Centres

Youth Centre Management Committees can apply for up to 75% of eligible costs up to a maximum grant of £15,000.  Any Youth Centre which has received a Support Grant of £8,000 or more is only eligible to receive an inflationary increase in grant, as set by the Shetland Islands Council’s budget strategy.  (Please note once a Youth Centre is in receipt of the maximum grant i.e. £15,000, all future grant awards will be linked to the Council’s budgetary strategy)

Only the following organisations qualify for Youth Centre funding – Unst Youth Centre, Livister Youth Centre, Old School Centre Mossbank, Brae Youth Centre, Germatwatt Youth Centre, Scalloway Youth Centre, Sandveien Neighbourhood Centre, Sandwick Youth and Community Centre.

 

11. 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 your local Community Office for the attention of your Community Learning and Development Officer (CLADO).  Please note for Shetland-Wide organisations with the exception of sports organisations, you should return your applications to the Lerwick, Bressay and Gulberwick Office.  All Sports Organisations should send completed applications to the Grants Unit, as detailed in Section 18, Contact Details.

  • 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 the grant will be paid in full directly into your organisation’s bank account.
  • You must comply with grant conditions and use the grant only for the purpose set out in your application form.
  • You will be required to account for the grant, by means of submitting your organisation’s audited annual accounts that relate to the period for which the grant was given, within 3 months of your financial year-end.

 

12. If your grant 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 your local Community Learning and Development Officer/Sports Development Officer as appropriate for advise and further assistance. Following receipt of the explanation you may wish you to revise your application and resubmit it or appeal the original decision.

 

13. 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.

 

14. 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

 

15. Other considerations

  • No applications can be considered for expenditure already incurred, except with prior agreement of the Executive Director, Education and Social Care Department.
  • All grants are at the discretion of Shetland Islands Council and subject to the availability of finance.
  • In the event that your project 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/

 

16. Service pledges

In order to improve service delivery of the Department's variousgrant aid schemes available, we have introduced the following service pledges:

  • The Grants Unit will provide accurate information about their grant aid schemes and 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 who have had grant applications rejected will receive a written explanation of why it was unsuccessful.
  • All organisations who 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 with Education and Social Care Service.

 

17. Contact details

The following offices are available to give advice and guidance with your grant applications and project planning and should be consulted at the earliest opportunity prior to completing a grant application.

When your application form has been fully completed and all relevant information attached, it should be returned, in the first instance, to your local community office.

Please note sports organisations should return your applications to the Grants Unit as detailed below.  Non-sporting Shetland-wide organisations return applications to Lerwick Bressay and Gulberwick Office as detailed below:

Grants Unit Sports Development Officer
Hayfield House Hayfield House
Hayfield Lane Hayfield Lane
Lerwick Lerwick
ZE1 0QD ZE1 0QD
Tel. (01595) 743827 / 743828 Tel. (01595) 744045
   
Lerwick, Bressay and Gulberwick Office North Isles Office
Old Library Centre C/o Yell Leisure Centre
Lower Hillhead Mid Yell
Lerwick Shetland
ZE1 0EL ZE2 9BN
Tel. (01595) 743880 Tel. (01957) 702040
   
North Mainland & Whalsay Office South Mainland & Fair Isle Office
4 Havragord C/o Sandwick Junior High School
Brae Sandwick
Shetland Shetland
ZE2 9SZ ZE2 9HH
Tel. (01806) 522417 Tel. (01950) 431439
   
West & Central Mainland Office Community Work Manager & Skerries Office
Scalloway Public Hall Hayfield House
Scalloway Hayfield Lane
Shetland Lerwick
ZE1 0UJ ZE1 0QD
Tel. (01595) 880440 Tel. (01595) 744060

 

Or email (for all offices):

communitydevelopment@sic.shetland.gov.uk