Safer Stronger Communities Minor Grant Scheme is funded by Kirklees Council. The overall aim of the grant scheme is to assist Safer Stronger Communities Service in its commitment to building confident communities.

Groups can only make one application to the fund. The maximum award per group will be £1000.00 in any one year. All applications must show clearly how the grant would be used to meet one of the following aims.

• To encourage the development of community activities for example:-
  • Setting up classes/sessions/activities for the local community
  • Buying equipment for a community based activity
  • Funding a community event
  • Printing a community newsletter
  • Providing creche facilities to allow parents to take part in community group activity
  • Paying for meeting space for a new group to hold a first meeting
  • Encouraging more people to be involved with an existing activity
• To assist the development of community based organisations for example:
  • Feasibility study
  • Community consultation
  • Purchase of equipment to improve the way the organisation works
  • Paying for training for a committee, project members or volunteers
  • Community group publicity and stationery to encourage more members or to increase the take up of services
  • Introducing new systems, e.g. monitoring and/or accounting

(This list is not exhaustive and we welcome any projects that support the above aims)

• Community based "not-for-profit" or charitable organisations anywhere within the Kirklees Metropolitan District
• Applications will only be accepted from community groups that are democratic, representative of their users, have an organised structure and are able to demonstrate financial management. Groups must have a written constitution or other recognised legal governing document.
• Groups must have a written constitution or other recognised legal governing document
• Organisations that can demonstrate a commitment to Equal Opportunities good practice.
• Priority will be given to new and emerging groups and those with lower levels of income
• All applications must demonstrate that the grant will be used to increase community activity or will assist the development of the organisation.

Applications will not be considered from or for the following:-

• Individuals, statutory organisations or national organisations
• Projects for personal profit
• Party Political groups
• Groups or organisations that have failed to meet the conditions of the award agreement or not provided information from it.

Safer Stronger Communities Service will not normally consider funding for the following:-

• Religious or party political activities
• Activities where the primary purpose is to promote religious beliefs
• Social trips or holidays - but may fund education visits and residential training.
• Prizes
• Projects that require funding for major capital projects e.g. building refurbishment or new build projects
• Food - but refreshment will be allowed
• Start up cost of sport clubs and development of ongoing sporting activities.
• Salaries (fees for consultants or sessional workers will be allowed).
• On-going running (core) costs - unless the group can demonstrate that these costs could be met in future years (one grant only from SSC allowed for this purpose).
• Rent of Safer Stronger Communities buildings (please note the service offers reduced rents to groups who show they need support).
• Costs relating to items or work already carried out before the grant has been awarded
• Loans or debt repayments.
• activities that are part of statutory obligations or replace statutory funding, including curricular activity in schools.

All the grant schemes managed by the Service have application forms that must be completed. If you ring, write or email the office we can arrange to send the forms and criteria out by post or email.

Please ring or email the Funding Team to find out which is the best scheme for your project. The pack will contain the following:-

• Application Form
• Application form guidance notes
• Application criteria
• Area maps (if available)

Safer Stronger Communities Service employ a number of staff specialising in community work, community planning and funding advice. We can help find you the best officer to help, and/or refer you on to partners in the rest of the Authority or the Voluntary sector. We all try to work together to give local groups the help they need. If you have any questions please ring the office and ask us for advice - that is what we are paid to do.

The important thing to remember is that we will help and support you to do it yourselves. We don't fill in forms for groups, but we can give general advice on completing them. We can also help with direct training where needed.

If you want to arrange to see a worker please contact us by phone or email.

The Safer Stronger Communities Funding Team will offer community and voluntary groups support on organisational development, including assistance with:-

• Setting up new groups
• Writing constitutions
• Working out budgets and production of adequate accounts
• Getting costings
• Bid writing
• Filling in application forms from ourselves or other funders.

We aim to help groups to achieve a standard where they are confident and knowledgeable enough to make informed funding decisions, and to have an organisational structure to complement this.

Anything that relates to the running and funding of community groups is something that we can help with. If we can't help you straight away to get the support, we will work with you to find it.

Please contact us by phone or email to get support from the Safer Stronger Communities Funding Team.

Once your application form and all supporting information has been received, it will be subject to an initial assessment by an officer within the Safer Stronger Communities Funding Team.

If everything is in order, your application will then be considered for funding by a Grants Panel.

We are committed to making decisions within 8 weeks from receipt of a totally complete application.

We will then write to say whether your application has been successful or explain why not. Sometimes we may decide to award less than the amount of grant aid requested in your application. If you are successful, you will be expected to sign an agreement stating that your group accepts the terms and conditions of the grant award. If there is a problem with your application we will let you know.

• Your group will be expected to acknowledge the funder in any publicity produced.
• Your group will be expected to fill in a project monitoring form once the activity is completed - proof of the activity, including receipts for money spent, will be required.

The Authority offers support to a variety of community groups that have rates bills from Kirklees Council. Discretionary awards of up to 100% are available. Registered charities can claim up to 80% mandatory relief automatically further discretionary relief can be applied for.

Any group wanting to apply for a rate relief award can phone the Service and ask to speak to Gary Gordon who is the Community Building Development Manager or email us.

Any group wanting to apply for a rate relief award can contact:-joanne.brook@kirklees.gov.uk at KMC Business rates on 01484 414744. .