Henham Parish Council Village Hall Community Grant scheme 2023
Under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972, Henham Parish Council has discretionary powers to award grants to local groups or organisations for the purposes of bringing a direct benefit to the parish or its residents. To be considered for an award, applicants must apply for a grant using the application form and provide the necessary information.
The total grant fund agreed as available from April 2023 to March 2024 is £5,000 this money will not form part of Henham Parish Councils’ precept but will specifically be drawn from cash reserves.
Considerations: Section 137 states that if the grant application will only benefit, say 10% of the residents, then only 10% of the total budgeted Section 137 monies can be granted.
For the purposes of this year’s specific Village Hall Community Grants, the Parish Council wish to encourage new and existing community groups to form and explore the value of using the newly refurbished village hall as a community hub for the direct benefit of the parish and residents.
Grants will be available up to a maximum of £500 per application to be paid directly to the Village Hall. It is expected that groups and organisations will look at accessing different sources of funding for their project alongside any application to the Parish Council Community Grants Fund.
The application form is available by email from clerkhpc@daceyhome.co.uk
Who can apply?
To be eligible for the award of a grant a local group or organisation must:
- be established for charitable, benevolent, social, cultural, recreational, or philanthropic purposes.
- have a constitution, or set of rules, which defines its aims, objectives, and operational procedures.
- Comply with all legal including health, safety and safeguarding requirements.
- Where applicable as in the case of existing groups or organisations be able to provide a copy of its latest annual accounts and/or most recent bank statement. Its accounts are to be checked and signed by a person independent of the group.
NB: Should there not be sufficient suitable applications to use up the £5,000 then only the amount approved to applicants will be drawn from reserves. Any balance will not be carried forward to future years.
What can be funded?
- the project should be something that makes the local community a better place in which to live, work or visit.
- it should benefit people who live in the parish.
- there must be clearly presented evidence that local people support the project and are involved in carrying it out.
- applications do not have to be from groups that already exist.
- each group may only make one application per year.
Not eligible
- Support for individuals or private business projects.
- Projects that are the prime responsibility of other statutory authorities
- Projects that improve or benefit privately owned land or property.
- Projects that have already been completed or will have been by the time the grant is made.
Conditions of support
The council may make the award of any grant subject to all or some of the following conditions.
Required conditions will be at the discretion of the council and consider the group or organisation’s individual circumstances.
- The application must be made using the official application form.
- Details must be provided of the extent to which funding has been sought or secured from other sources or own fund-raising activities.
- For this year awards in 2023-2024 will specifically be to subsidise the costs of hiring Henham Village Hall payable directly to the hall by HPC
- Funding must only be used for the purpose agreed with the parish council.
- Funding must be spent within the year awarded.
- If project costs are more than anticipated on application, any shortfall must be met by the group.
- In order to fully understand your project or activity, parish councillors may wish to visit the project or activity prior to the project or activity commencing. They may also wish to conduct a site visit once the funded project is underway.
- As a minimum, the group will write to confirm receipt of the grant for audit purposes,
- You must acknowledge the Parish Council’s support in all publications, publicity, and annual reports.
- You should show the funding awarded separately in your published financial accounts and the Parish Council should have access to your financial records, on request, where appropriate.
- A representative of your organisation should give a report to the Parish Council in person (held on an evening between March and May each year) on how the group or project is progressing.
When to apply
Organisations should write/apply anytime.
Any award granted would become available subject to Village Hall availability and maximum grant fund of £5000 per annum.
This is a competitive process against other bids and the quality of each bid is important.
All groups will be treated equally. If an organisation has had a grant previously, they are not guaranteed to receive financial support again but are not excluded from applying again. A fresh application will be required each time.
How decisions are made
All grants are to be judged and considered at monthly Parish Council Meetings and subject to available funds and a majority vote.
Decisions will be made by Henham Parish Council. The Council’s decision is final.