Grants Scheme Guidance and Policy

Funding for activities or capital up to £2,500

Our Priorities

Crewe Town Council’s priorities are set out in the ‘A Vision for Crewe – Crewe’s Community Plan’ which was adopted by the Town Council in August 2019 (a copy of which can be found at the end of this guidance). We recommend that you read the Action Plan before applying for a grant because your application will be considered with reference to the themes in this Plan:-

• Cultivating civic and community pride in Crewe
  • Working to make a difference in the life of our communities and developing a combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference happen
  • Creating opportunities for local people by enabling them to be engaged and be employed in the place they live
• Celebrating arts and culture in Crewe
  • Supporting the expression of creativity and imagination of the community
• Aspirational young people in Crewe
  • Ensuring that young people have the opportunities, knowledge and skills to progress towards achieving and building their aspirations
• Health and wellbeing in Crewe
  • Creating space and opportunity where people can feel safe and well
  • Improving health and wellbeing
  • Developing existing services and new initiatives focussed on health and wellbeing
  • Increasing access to services and their engagement with the community
• A Voice for Crewe
  • Engaging in constructive positive dialogue with community partners to lobby and influence for and on behalf of Crewe

Grant applications MUST support the outcomes identified in the Plan, which are to:

• Support local services to be delivered at the heart of communities enabling people in Crewe to access support closest to them
• Support Crewe to tell the best story of itself
• Utilise local skills, knowledge and talents in Crewe
• Empower a volunteering culture in Crewe
• Enable the community to engage with arts, culture and leisure activities in Crewe
• Build resilience and aspirations for young people in Crewe
• Support safe activities and places for young people in Crewe
• Reduce social isolation and loneliness in Crewe
• Improve health and wellbeing outcomes in Crewe
• Support activities and projects focussed on mental health for adults, young people and children in Crewe
• Support the community to feel safe when accessing the town and services in Crewe
• Increase bereavement services and support in Crewe
• Enhance and enable the community for the benefit of all in Crewe

Assistance

If you have any questions, queries or need assistance to complete your application, please email [email protected] or contact the Finance and Engagement Manager on 01270 756975

We only fund organisations that

• Are a voluntary, community or faith sector organisation, registered charitable organisation, social enterprise, community interest company, not-for-profit community business, community amateur sports club or a not-for-profit group which has a governing document and an active management committee / board
• Operate within the Crewe Town Boundary OR are able to significantly show and demonstrate that the proposed activity will positively benefit Crewe residents
• Are able to provide proof of a bank or building society account in the organisation’s name which requires at least two signatures and, where possible, an audited set of annual accounts
• Have the appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place and are able to evidence them if the proposed activity involves vulnerable people, children or young people

We only fund activities or projects that

• Directly involve, include or positively benefit residents within the Crewe Town boundary.
• From time to time, the Town Council may wish to create responsive funds which are targeted for a specific purpose. These funds will have their own guidance and application process but will be similar to those of outlined in the Councils current Community Grants Scheme

We cannot fund

• Incomplete applications, where the grant form has not been fully completed or not all the required information / documentation has been provided
• General running costs such as utilities, insurance, broadband, salaries or staffing costs
• Applications from national bodies without a local link, branch or association to Crewe or who are unable to demonstrate their effectiveness in the town of Crewe or the benefit to Crewe’s residents
• Work which has already taken place or been started
• Applications where funds will be used retrospectively
• Activities that duplicate others already taking place in Crewe area unless the application is to fund organisations working in partnership
• Activities which are mainly of a political or religious nature
• Applications from individuals as well as general appeals, sponsorship or general fundraising requests from organisations
• Applications for projects, events or activities whose primary aim or purpose is fundraising
• Loans against loss or debt
• Applications for over £2,500 unless it is in exceptional circumstances

How to apply for funding

• All grant applications must be made in writing and submitted on the most current Crewe Town Council Grants Scheme Application Form. This is available on the grants page or by emailing [email protected]
• Forms must be clear, legible and preferably submitted by email to [email protected]
• A complete copy of the organisation’s latest set of accounts, or at least three bank statements, governing documentation and relevant policies relating to the project must be supplied within seven days of the grant application being submitted. Where an organisation or project is newly established, details of anticipated costings and quotations must be attached to the application

Application Deadlines

Grant applications will be considered five times per year. Applications for 2021 / 2022 MUST be submitted before midnight on the following dates:-.

• Sunday 20^th June 2021
• Sunday 19^th September 2021
• Sunday 26^th December 2021
• Sunday 21^st February 2022

Reapplying after a successful application

• Organisations that have already received funding from the Grants Scheme can reapply after a full financial year has elapsed i.e. if you have received funding in 2020 / 2021, you are unable to apply until the financial year 2022 / 2023. However, in very exceptional circumstances, earlier applications may be considered

Reapplying after an unsuccessful application

• Unsuccessful organisations can reapply in the new financial year, which commences in April each year

How applications are considered

• Your grant application will be checked and evaluated by a Crewe Town Council Officer and then assessed by the a Grants Advisory Group before it is submitted to Crewe Town Council’s Community Plan Committee for consideration
• Incomplete applications may be declined or returned, leading to a delay in decision-making and an application is considered during the next evaluation round
• Crewe Town Council may seek further clarification on any details or information contained within the grant application and liaise with external parties to verify information or details contained within the grant application
• Where felt necessary, organisations will be asked to meet Crewe Town Council to discuss their application in more detail before it is presented to the Grants Advisory Group
• The Working Group will judge each application on its own individual merits and how each project best supports the aims and objectives set out in ‘A Vision for Crewe’ Plan’ and the work carried out by Crewe Town Council in the community. The Advisory Group will make their recommendations to the Community Plan Committee and a formal resolution will take place regarding the grant application. Once the Community Plan Committee has made a decision, organisations will be informed of the outcome of their grant application
• Crewe Town Council strives to allocate funding and donations in a fair and open manner, judging each application on its own merit. Funds are allocated under the provision of various Local Government Acts, the General Power of Competence and Audit Regulations
• Crewe Town Councillors are governed by a Code of Conduct, which can be found here. Councillors have an obligation to declare any personal and / or prejudicial interest when considering the allocation of funds held by Crewe Town Council
• Applicants will be notified in writing following the decision made by the Community Plan Committee at Crewe Town Council

If your application is successful

• Successful applicants will be asked to complete and sign a Grant Acceptance Agreement before funds are released
• Funds will only be paid to successful organisations via direct bank transfer, not by cash or cheque
• Receipt of funds must be confirmed in writing

Grant conditions

• An End of Year Grant form Report must be submitted upon completion of the project. The report shall highlight how the project has benefitted and made a difference to both the organisation and the community and include details as how the funds were spent. Organisations are also required to complete a Case Study
• Organisations are required to submit an information / news release for use in the press, social media and reciprocal websites. Support will be provided to draft the information, which must be signed off by both the organisation and Crewe Town Council before it is released
• Funds awarded MUST only be used for the stated project and for the purposes outlined in the original grant application. If an organisation wishes to vary the project or purpose for which the funds will be used, they must formally write to Crewe Town Council to seek approval for the funds to be used for a different purpose. No further work should be carried out on the project until this formal approval is granted. Crewe Town Council reserves the right to request all funds to be repaid should funds not be used for the stated purpose or project outlined in the original grant application
• If an organisation is unable to spend all of the funds allocated to the project or for the purpose stated in the original application, any unspent monies must be returned to Crewe Town Council at the earliest opportunity
• If an organisation is unable to fulfil the project to which funding has been allocated, the organisation must immediately repay the grant funding in full to Crewe Town Council
• In cases where a funded project generates a profit, Crewe Town Council must be informed in writing. Crewe Town Council reserves the right to request for the profit to be paid back to the Grants Scheme unless it is satisfied that the profit will be utilised to benefit the organisation positively and the community, which it supports

Community Plan Action Plans – July 2019

Cultivating Civic and Community Pride

Working to make a difference in the life of our communities and developing a combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference happen

Creating opportunities for local people by enabling them to be engaged and be employed in the place they live

The following Action Plan has been developed to address the key issues and actions that were received during our consultation refresh in Spring 2019

They all aim to support the community to have the knowledge skills and opportunity to make a difference and develop pride within the community

Celebrating Arts and Culture

Supporting the expression of creativity and imagination of the community in Crewe

The following Action Plan has been developed to address the key issues and actions that were received during our consultation refresh in Spring 2019

There were two key elements with the first being artists themselves wanting to feel and be part of a vibrant sector in Crewe, have the workspace to inspire them and their work and also showcase those the local community

The second was the community being able to have a wide programme of arts and culture activities for them to engage with and enjoy. Where possible, there was a view that workshops / information sessions could support larger public events to give the community a greater exposure to arts and culture but could also play a part with smaller activities and also participate in services delivered at a local level

Aspirational Young People

Ensuring that young people in Crewe have the opportunities, knowledge and skills to progress towards achieving and building their aspirations

The following Action Plan has been developed to address the key issues and actions that were received during our consultation refresh in Spring 2019

Throughout all responses, there was an expressed need to encourage young people to have aspirations and to be given opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge needed to give them the best chance to achieve their aspirations

It was raised that when developing activities, that this should be inclusive of all young people including those with physical disabilities, special educational and additional needs

Providing activities for young people to take part in was also raised alongside the need for safe and accessible youth provision. There were also many comments around ensuring that any barriers to accessing provision and services were considered including working with parents or guardians to support them to encourage their children to attend activities

Health and Wellbeing

• Creating space and opportunities where people can feel safe and well
• Improve health and wellbeing
• Develop existing services and new initiatives focussed on health and wellbeing
• Increasing access to services and their engagement within the community

Health and wellbeing of the community was identified through the survey and focus groups with issues raised around healthy eating, the impact of loneliness and isolation, the need for mental health services for adults, children and young people and the overall poor health outcomes in Crewe

The issue of transport was raised throughout all the themes but has been included in this section as it was often linked to the issues of isolation and accessing health and wellbeing services

The following Action Plan aims to highlight how working with community partners can improve health and wellbeing of the community

A Voice for Crewe

A strong Town Council engaging in constructive positive dialogue with community partners to lobby and influence for and on behalf of Crewe

This section includes key issues Crewe Town Council may not be able to directly address but has a role to play in lobbying and influencing partners and stakeholders representing the views of the community