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Team Hackney Community Grants 2007 / 2008 Large Grants programme - £5,000 - £50,000
Questions and Answers |
Here are some questions and answers about the large grants programme to help you apply. You should read the Guidance Notes before making your application as they contain more detailed information.
 Click here for the Guidance Notes
What is the Large Grants programme?
The Large Grants programme is the final round of the three funds available under the Team Hackney Community Grants programme. This is an awards scheme that aims to increase the way the borough’s voluntary and community sector (VCS) can improve life for everyone who lives in Hackney.
You can submit your application any time up to 12noon, 7 December 2007 and your application will be processed within eight to ten weeks, excluding the festive period.
What is the difference between this programme and the Fast Track and the Small Grants programmes?
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Objectives: The nine objectives remain the same BUT under the large grants programme, your project must meet one of the first eight objectives AND it must also meet the ninth mandatory objective of developing a fit for purpose voluntary and community sector that is capable of delivering services it is funded or commissioned to do.
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Stricter application process: Team Hackney Large Community Grants have been designed to help voluntary and community groups develop and progress from applying for large grants to submitting tenders for commissioned services. The application process will be a lot tougher than the Small Grants and Fast Track Summer grants. You will be required to submit a workplan detailing the activities of your proposed project over the next year. We have included some advice on Full Cost Recovery which should help you when planning your budget. Together with HTEN and CEN, we are holding Fit for Commissioning training courses, the first starts on 31 October. Click here for information on our Fit for Commissioning training
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Hard and soft outcomes: In particular, the grants panel will be looking for applications that will achieve hard outcomes, that is those that are measurable, as well as soft outcomes which are less obvious - such as a change in behaviour. You should read the Guidance Notes carefully, checking the outcomes wanted under each objective and making sure your application addresses these.
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Partnership working: There is more emphasis on partnership working with statutory services, and for VCS groups to take part in strategic decision making in Hackney through our Community Empowerment Network. We also encourage smaller voluntary and community groups to form partnerships and apply together for a grant to provide a joint project, although this is not something we score the application on. We have included some documents in the Application Pack to help you form partnerships and we are holding a training course in this on Wed 28 Nov 07 10am - 1.30pm. Click here for more information on training
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Payment of grant: Once you have been awarded a grant, the monitoring requirements will be a lot more rigorous. Depending on the amount awarded, your organisation will receive the grant in two or four installments based on your meeting our monitoring demands including attendance at the post-award workshop. See the section in the Guidance Notes called Payment of Grant for more information.
What types of projects will be given grants?
Projects must meet one of the following eight objectives as well as the ninth objective to develop the skills of the voluntary sector:
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Objective 1 - Raising educational attainment: Activities that raise attainment of pupils at National Curriculum Key Stages 1 to 4, with a particular focus on Key Stage 1 (age 5-7) and Key Stage 3 (age 11-14) and on Caribbeanheritage pupils and Turkish and Kurdish speaking pupils (these groups have particularly poor attainment levels). Activities should be delivered in partnership with, or be supported by, local schools and should address identified needs in those schools.
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Examples of projects: One-to-one group support for reading, work with parents to help them support their children’s education, particularly for parents for whom English is an additional language. Peer mentoring or out of skills activities that develop skills in self-management, organisation and communication. Interventions to reduce exclusions, particularly amongst Caribbean Heritage pupils.
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Objective 2 - Engage 16 – 25 year olds in education, employment and training: Activities that will reduce the number of 16-25 year olds ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET).
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Examples of projects: Engaging with socially excluded young people (including those involved in crime or anti-social behaviour) and supporting them to engage with mainstream agencies that can provide them with advice about further study, employment or training. Mentoring programmes for NEET young people or those at risk of leaving school without a clear plan to continue learning. Activities in partnership with schools to give young people the support they need to continue in learning and prevent them from falling into the NEET group.
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Objective 3 - Cleaner, greener and safer public spaces: Activities that will clean up, or improve public spaces in Hackney including reducing litter, graffiti and fly-posting.
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Examples of projects: Community clean up days or planting days in the Local Park, or estate. Community gardening projects. Litter picking projects or activities to educate people not to drop litter. Projects that work with young people who create graffiti to reduce damage to property. Projects to ‘design out’ fly-tipping and fly-posting e.g. by gating off alleyways used for fly tipping.
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Objective 4 - Tackling domestic violence: Hackney has a high rate of domestic violence. Around 44% of ‘Actual Bodily Harm and Grievous Bodily Harm Assaults’ are domestic violence incidents. It is known that many domestic violence incidents go unreported. Funding will support activities that will reduce, or mitigate the effects of domestic violence by supporting victims, working with perpetrators and educating communities in how to recognise, challenge, report on and reduce domestic violence.
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Examples of projects: Peer support networks for victims of domestic violence. Activities at community events to raise awareness of domestic violence, particularly in communities in which it is hidden or taboo. Confidential support for people who have a family or friend suffering domestic violence and don’t know what to do.
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Objective 5 - Supporting older people over 50 to live independently: To help over-50s remain independent, as they get older through activities that enable them to stay active, healthy and receive appropriate support from the local community.
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Examples of projects: Healthy lifestyle programmes e.g. walking groups, low impact exercise classes (by instructors with appropriate qualifications in exercise and fitness), appropriate sports, dancing, ‘exercise at home’ projects, healthy eating projects. Recruitment of more over 50s to existing appropriate healthy living activities/classes. Support and advocacy for unpaid carers of older people. Volunteer home visiting projects. Projects improving knowledge of, and access to, financial support available through direct payments and social security benefits (benefits advice to be delivered by accredited organisations).
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Objective 6 - Reducing worklessness: Activities to support Hackney residents of working age who are not in employment, (whether unemployed or out of work for other reasons) secure sustained employment or selfemployment. Particular emphasis will be given to lone parents and those in receipt of incapacity related benefits. Grants will only be available to projects that directly result in beneficiaries accessing sustained employment.
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Examples of projects: Grants up to £5,000 will be available for projects that result in beneficiaries accessing mainstream employment programmes (e.g. Jobcentre Plus, Working Links, Team Hackney worklessness intervention) or accredited training programmes (including Skills for Life programmes).
This objective is mandatory, in that all organisations should demonstrate how they are working towards it.
Who can apply?
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This funding stream is open to non-for-profit, voluntary and community groups that are both Hackney based and delivering a project for the benefits of Hackney residents and communities.
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The organisation must have:
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bank account in its own name, and
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an annual turnover of under £250,000 unless your organisation does not currently receive funding from a commissioned source of income. If you receive funds from a statutory source but which have not been obtained through a commissioning process and your income is over £250,000 then please indicate this in section Two.
Additional eligibility requirements may depend on your service. Please check the guidance and the application form.
Organisations that do not currently deliver statutory sector commissioned services are strongly encouraged to apply as one of the goals of this fund is to support organisations to build their capacity to engage with the commissioning process.
Applicants who have received a grant in previous years through the Community Investment Programme or the Hackney Council Grants Programme will be ineligible if they have failed to fulfil the funding requirements of the previous grant (including return of required monitoring forms). Failure to submit all the required documentation with your application will make an application ineligible for funding, and will therefore be unsuccessful.
Can I get any help with my application?
Yes, we are holding an application support workshop on Monday, 12 November 11am - 2pm to help you understand the application form.
Click here to book your free place on our workshop
You can also book a one-to-one appointment with the HCVS Development Team for more guidance. Call Zelina Kaya on 020 7923 1962 or email zelina@hcvs.org.uk
We have also included a number of documents in the application pack to help you, this includes information on partnership working, template agreements for setting up partnerships. There is also information on Full Cost Recovery, which is important to use when planning your budget, so you account for all the costs related to delivering your project.
We have a number of training courses coming up in our Fit for Purpose Community Training programme. Our courses can help you plan projects, work more effctively with your staff and put your financial systems in place.
Click here for more information on Fit for Purpose training courses
We don’t have a bank account, can we apply?
No, your organisation must have a bank account to make an application.
Are there any fixed definitions of children and young people?
Definitions vary from project to project. The broad definitions are generally children are primary school and young people are secondary school. If you are tackling Objective 1 – Raising education attainment, the focus is on key Stage 1 (ages 5-7) and Key Stage 3 (ages 11 – 14) and on Caribbean-heritage and Turkish and Kurdish heritage speaking pupils.
What does Fit for Purpose mean?
A fit for purpose voluntary and community sector that is one capable of delivering a quality service which does what it is funded or commissioned to do and is responsive to the needs of the user.
How much is available?
There is a total of £750,000 available under the Team Hackney Community Grants programme. Out of this, up to £500,000 is available for large grants of £5,000 to £50,000.
How much can I apply for?
You can apply for between £5,000 and £50,000 for projects meeting one of the objectives of the grants programme.
When can I submit my application and when will I get a decision?
You can submit your application any time up to 12 October 2007 and your application will be processed within eight to ten weeks excluding the festive period.
If I have applied to the Small Grant and Summer Fast Track programmes can I apply for a large grant?
Yes, you can make one application to each of the three funding streams.
How can I apply?
You can get an application form and guidance notes for the small grants between £5,000 and £50,000 by clicking on the link below:
Click here for the Application Form and Guidance Notes
If you would like a paper copy of these documents please call Elizabeth Adebola on 020 7923 1962 or email elizabeth@hcvs.org.uk
Is this different to Team Hackney’s commissioning tenders?
Yes, Team Hackney’s Community Grants is funding for small voluntary and community groups. One of its overall aims is to increase voluntary and community sector delivery of public services, BUT preference for this type of funding is given to small, Hackney-based organisations not delivering statutory sector commissioned services.
What is Team Hackney?
Team Hackney is Hackney’s local strategic partnership (LSP), dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone in the borough. Bringing together people from the public, private, community and voluntary sectors, to develop new ways of working and speed up improvements in service delivery and outcomes.
Team Hackney Community Grants are one way of helping Team Hackney (the Local Strategic Partnership), to meet its core objectives and priorities, which aims to reduce inequality and poverty in Hackney.
Click here for more information at www.teamhackney.org
What is the Community Empowerment Network?
The Community Empowerment Network (CEN), is a network of local VCS organisations and community champions. Team Hackney commissioned the CEN to deliver the Community Investment Programme in 2006/7. The programme aims to empower local people, giving them greater choice and influence over local decision making and a greater role in public service delivery.
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