GRANT AID SCHEME
3 WAYS WE CAN HELP
Diss Town Council is committed to assisting voluntary and not-for-profit organisations working for the benefit of Diss residents whenever possible. One of the ways this is done is through financial grants.
LARGER GRANTS
There are three methods by which the Council supports local groups. The first is by contributing directly towards the costs of an organisation by budgeting for a grant towards the work of an organisation. This is done by raising money (through the Council tax) and making a direct grant to groups such as the Diss and District Citizens' Advice Bureau and Diss Museum. Grants under this scheme need to be applied for, in writing to the Town Clerk by 1st September each year and will be considered by Councillors for inclusion in the following year's Council budget.
REDUCED RATE HIRE
The second method is by offering discounts (of up to 60%) on the hire of Town Council owned facilities such as the Corn Hall, Old Stables and Sports Ground. When booking these facilities, an accompanying letter should be attached requesting a discount and stating how the organisation is benefiting residents of Diss.
SMALL GRANTS
The third method of grant aid is via the Council's 'Small Grants Scheme' (to which the rest of this guidance relates). Each year, the Town Council has a budget for making relatively small grants to local organisations. The maximum grant made is £250 and the scheme aims to enable local groups to access other larger funding sources.
Applications for small grants are considered by the Council at its June and October meetings and must be submitted on the accompanying form by either 1st June or 1st October annually. Grant aid will usually only be made to organisations which can demonstrate that they are directly benefiting residents of Diss. Grant cheques will be forwarded by the end of June and October.
COMPLETING THE FORM
This information is aimed at helping you complete the application form correctly, as incomplete forms will be returned for the necessary information to be provided.
- Please complete the form clearly in BLACK INK and BLOCK CAPITALS, as it will need to be photocopied.
- You are advised to keep a copy of the completed form
- All applicants must have a group bank account, the name of which is to be given on page 1. Cheques WILL NOT be made payable to individuals.
- Make sure the contact name on the front of the form is of someone who has authority to act on behalf of the group and answer any queries regarding the completion of the form.
- Where possible, please give a telephone number where we can contact you during normal working hours.
Q1. - Please tick all the answers, which are relevant to your organisation or group.
Q2. – By membership we mean people who are registered as belonging to the organisation.
Q3. – Unless previously supplied, all applications must be accompanied by -
a) A formal constitution or written evidence that you are working towards formalising one,
b & c) Copies of your Child Protection Policy and/or protocol for working with vulnerable adults if applicable to your group,
d) A copy of your Public Liability Insurance if held in your group’s name or evidence showing how you are covered for example, the premises may hold a policy that covers all activities within the building,
e) If you own or are responsible for the premises where you meet, you will need to provide written confirmation that your organisation has undertaken a disability audit of the premises,
f) Have you carried a risk assessment of your activities? If yes, please include a copy.
Q4. – Details relating to what your organisation is trying to achieve - include your priorities for the coming year?
Q5. & Q6. These relate to the amount you are applying for and a breakdown of how you would spend any grant given.
Q7. Q8. & Q9. This relates to the numbers of people benefiting directly from the work or activity of your organisation.
Q10. Have you applied to any other agency for financial support? Please give details of all current applications. This will not affect your application with Diss Town Council.
You must remember to include the documentation as requested under Question 3 together with the following
A copy of the last year's audited accounts.
A copy of the last annual report to members or, if this is not available please give a brief outline of the group’s activities over the past year on a separate sheet.
The completed form must be signed and dated by a responsible person in your organisation.
THE CLOSING DATE FOR ALL COMPLETED APPLICATIONS IS 1st APRIL AND 1st OCTOBER EACH YEAR.
Notification of the result of any application will be sent by 30th April and 31st October.
If you have any questions regarding the application form or would like any assistance completing it then please contact:
The Town Clerk at Diss Town Council on (01379) 643848 or via email at towncouncil@diss.gov.uk