Village Hall Grants. Village Hall Management Committees have be written to concerning the new policy for awarding grants to village halls  

Other grants. Boxley Parish Council is happy to help parish organisations locate other grant sources and organisations are reminded that the Borough and County Councillors also have funds from which they can consider making grants (see Contacts/councillors page to see how to contact them).  Maidstone Borough Council also has some excellent information on its website.

So far this year the Council has awarded grants to Boxley Village Society, Poppy Appeal, Friends of Boxley Church, Girl Guides, Grove Green Community Hall, Kent Scouts, Sandling Village Hall, Heart of Kent Hospice, Vinters Valley Park Trust, Walderslade Woods Group, Kent Wildlife Trust and  Museum of Kent Life.

Boxley Parish Council

Grants Policy and Procedure    

Policy  

A grant is any payment or gift made by the Council to an organisation for a specific purpose.  The law requires that Section 137 grants must be “in the interests of or will directly benefit the area or its inhabitants, or of part of it, or of some of it” and “the direct benefit should be commensurate with expenditure.”   Similar considerations will apply when considering applications for other grants.

At the Finance Committee meeting in January an amount will be set from which grants will be allocated during the following financial year.  Once the Grants budget is exhausted, the parish council will only consider emergency requests for assistance, and generally only from organisations with which it has close links.  

Application Procedure                       

Organisations requesting financial assistance will be requested to submit:  

·         A completed application form.

·         Copies of their last year end accounts.

·         If possible, the number, or percentage, of members that belong to the organisation and live within Boxley Parish.

·         Details of any restrictions placed on who can use/access their services.

·         Confirmation (on the application form) that it agrees with the PC’s Equal Opportunities Policy or give details of their own policy.  

Organisations will normally be expected to have clear written aims and objectives, a written constitution and a separate bank account.  

For grant requests for projects costing over £3,000 the Parish Council will require that the organisation has robust tendering regulations, e.g. obtaining a minimum of three tenders. The Parish Council reserves the right to request proof of the tender process. Projects notified to the Parish Council in advance and included in the Parish Council’s budget documents will only have the funds released on completion of the work. Whilst Boxley Parish Council would not normally consider applications for Capital Projects, any such applications will require a more substantial case with supporting evidence of the community benefit.  

Applications will not be considered from:  

·         Individuals.

·         A political party.

·         Private organisations operated as a business.

·         “Upward funders” i.e. local groups where fund-raising is sent to a central HQ for redistribution.

Assessment Procedure

A grant request, once received in writing, will be considered at the next meeting of the Finance Committee.  

Each application will be assessed on its own merits.  However, to ensure as fair a distribution as possible of available funds, the Council will take into account the amount and frequency of any previous awards.  Due account may also be taken of the extent to which funding has been sought or secured from other sources or fund raising activities. (The Clerk can advise on alternative funding sources).  

Successful Applications  

Organisations receiving grants are required to advise their users/members that the grant or equipment had been received from Boxley Parish Council.  Where possible, the Council will affix an appropriate label.  

Where equipment is gifted to an organisation, the parish council requires that it be insured and maintained at the expense of the user.  

Ref Policy/Grants02

Adopted 10^th November 2009 .  Minute 2007/8.1

Boxley Parish Council Grant Application Form.  

Please complete or attach the relevant information and send Boxley Parish Council, Beechen Hall, Wildfell Close, Chatham , Kent ME5 9RU . Tel 01634 861237 e-mail Bowdery@boxleyparishcouncil.co.uk  

Application from

Please state or attach an explanation on the amount of grant requested, why you are applying for a grant and the potential benefits for the residents of the parish. If possible include the number or percentage of members that belong to the organisation and live within Boxley Parish.  

Have you included a copy of the last year end accounts?    YES/NO  

Are there any restrictions placed on who can use/access the services.  YES/NO.

Please supply details of any restrictions.  

This application will not be accepted unless the organisations Equal Opportunities Policy of the organisation is attached or the following (which is the Parish Council’s equal opportunities statement) is signed as an acceptance of the principles.  

“No service user, employee or job applicant will be discriminated against or receive less favourable treatment on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, family commitments, sexual orientation, age, chronic medical condition, religious or political beliefs, social class or trade union activity.”  

Signed……………………………………………………………….. date…………………………………………..  

Statement of understanding.

I have read and understood the Boxley Parish Council Grants Policy and Procedure information. and if a grant is awarded the organisation agrees to abide by the conditions outlined.

Signed…………………………………………………………………date…………………………………………..

Position in organisation………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ref. Policy/grants application form

Village/Community Hall Grants Procedure/Policy  

In order to work prudently, obtain ‘best value’ and to be a responsible grant provider Boxley Parish Council’s Estates Committee is setting a standard for considering and awarding grants to Village/Community Halls.  Whilst the Parish Council wishes to continue to actively support the Village/Community Halls within the Parish it feels that it is essential to require applicants to meet a minimum standard covering project planning and supply of information.  By undertaking this work the Parish Council can plan with Village/Community Halls adequate funding in advance of the project being committed too.

Policy

A grant is any payment or gift made by the Council to an organisation for a specific purpose.  The law requires that Section 137 grants must be “in the interests of or will directly benefit the area or its inhabitants, or of part of it, or of some of it” and “the direct benefit should be commensurate with expenditure.” Similar considerations will apply when considering applications for other grants.  

Boxley Parish Council policy is that

·      Grants for maintenance will only be considered in exceptional circumstances as it considers that the day to day maintenance of the hall should be covered by the hire fees or fund raising.

·      Village/Community Hall Management Committees will be required to show, for large scale projects costing over £3,000 that it is applying for funding from other sources; has undertaken fund raising events or has been ‘saving towards the project. The Parish Council will be happy to assist the Committee to identify other funding sources.

·      The Parish Council will only award up to 80% of the cost for essential repairs or renewals (e.g. windows, fire doors etc).

·      For projects costing over £3,000 the Parish Council would require the Management Committee to obtain 3 tenders, for projects over £6,000 5 tenders. The Parish Council reserves the right to request proof of the tender process. 

·      VH Management Committees will be required to liaise closely with the Parish Office so where possible the Parish Council can order the work and gift it to the Village Hall which will enable VAT to be reclaimed. This will increase the value of the grant given to the hall by the rate of VAT.

·      Unless a schedule of payments has been agreed in advance by the Parish Council funds will only be released on completion of the work

·      Capital projects to expand the business by major capital work will not normally be considered by the Parish Council.  

The Parish Council recognises that most halls are run by volunteers and will be happy to assist/advise VHMCs on how to meet these standards.  

At The Estates Committee meeting in October or December the Committee will consider individual grant requests from Village/Community Hall Management Committees for specific projects in the following financial year so that provision can be made in the budget recommendation to the Parish Council.  

An additional budget will also be identified from which other grant requests will be allocated in the current financial year. A maximum award of £500 for such unplanned applications will only be considered. Once the additional budget is exhausted only emergency requests for assistance, and generally only from organisations that the Parish Council has Custodial Trustee status, will be considered.  

All organisations requesting assistance will be required to complete an application form which will include notification of the Parish Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy.  Village/Community Hall Management Committees will have to sign that it agrees with the policy or submit details of their own policy. Management Committees should also agree to representatives of the Council being given the right to inspect the work on completion.  

Application Procedure

Organisations requesting financial assistance will be requested to submit:

·      A completed application form.

·      Copies of their last year end accounts.

·      Copy of current hire fees with an explanation of any unusual agreements where a group pays less than normal.

·      Details of any restrictions placed on who can hire the hall.  

A grant request, once received in writing, will be considered at the next meeting of the Estates Committee and the Estates Committee reserve the right to inspect the required work before a grant is agreed.  

Each application will be assessed on its own merits.  However, to ensure as fair a distribution as possible of available funds, the Council will take into account the amount and frequency of any previous awards.  Due account may also be taken of the extent to which funding has been sought or secured from other sources or fund raising activities.  

Successful Applications

Organisations receiving grants are required to advise their users/members that the grant or equipment had been received from Boxley Parish Council. 

Where equipment is gifted to an organisation, the parish council requires that it be insured and maintained at the expense of the user.  

GrantVH01.  

Boxley Parish Council Village Hall Grant Application Form  

Please complete or attach the relevant information and send Boxley Parish Council, Beechen Hall, Wildfell Close, Chatham , Kent ME5 9RU . Tel 01634 861237 e-mail Bowdery@boxleyparishcouncil.co.uk  

Application from

Please state or attach an explanation on the amount of grant requested, why you are applying for a grant and the potential benefits for the residents of the parish. If possible include the number or percentage of members that belong to the organisation and live within Boxley Parish.

Have you attached details of the grant requests to other external sources or fund raising activities undertaken?                                                                                                       YES/NO  

Are you aware whether you have been successful?                                        YES/NO  

Have you included a copy of the last year end accounts?                               YES/NO  

Have you supplied a copy of your hire fees?                                                   YES/NO  

Are there any restrictions placed on who can use/access the services.          YES/NO

Please supply details of any restrictions.

This application will not be accepted unless the organisations Equal Opportunities Policy of the organisation is attached or the following (which is the Parish Council’s equal opportunities statement) is signed as an acceptance of the principles.  

“No service user, employee or job applicant will be discriminated against or receive less favourable treatment on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, family commitments, sexual orientation, age, chronic medical condition, religious or political beliefs, social class or trade union activity.”  

Signed…………………………………………………………date……………………………………

Statement of understanding.

I have read and understood the Boxley Parish Council Grants Policy and Procedure information. and if a grant is awarded the organisation agrees to abide by the conditions outlined.

Signed…………………………………………………………………date……………………

Position in organisation………………………………………………………………………………..

 Ref. Policy/grants application form

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