Community First Panel priorities up to March 2013

The Leabridge Ward Community First Panel met on October 25 and agreed the priorities for funding for the year to March 2013:

To help promote the local economy
To improve the quality of community life
To bring different communities together
To support the local heritage.

It was reported that all last year’s bids had eventually been approved by the Community development Foundation (CDF) and the funding distributed. Two unsuccessful bids were advised of alternative funding and help.

DATES FOR NEXT YEAR’S BIDS

We would like to encourage bids typically around £500 although bids can be made up to around £2,500. The final decision on awarding the grant will be made by the Community Development Foundation (CDF).

Bids can be sent in from 7 November, the beginning of the process and the final deadline is noon, 31 January 2013.

The total available for next year’s projects is £8,489 for organisations based or working in Leabridge ward, London Borough of Hackney.

Please use this form (click here to download it and choose “Save” if prompted) and email it to Leabridgeward.London@claptonpond.org . We can’t accept any posted forms at the moment. You can email us for information at Leabridgeward.London@claptonpond.org. Those bids that the panel will be recommending to the CDF will be notified by mid – February, 2013.

The bid deadlines will be advertised through the website, other local websites and blogs, and other local media.

The Leabridge Ward Community First Panel is:

Ian Rathbone
Julia Lafferty
Monica Blake
Ruth Gray
Euan Mills
Conny Schmidt
Jean John

The next meeting of the Panel, to consider the bids: Monday 4 February 2013.Community First aims to encourage people in Leabridge ward to:

Support the social action projects they need, improving the quality of life for themselves and others in their neighbourhood.
Participate in relevant local decision making, promoting a sense of ownership not only of problems but of local opportunities and resources.
Start more neighbourhood groups and revitalise existing groups.
Work with businesses, charities and public authorities, encouraging people to help others and themselves to improve the quality of life locally.
Introduce a new approach to funding projects – leveraging time, money and other resources – helping neighbourhoods play a leading role in regenerating their area.

To receive Community First funding any group or organisation must:

be a not-for-profit, third sector voluntary or community group
be connected with and/or meeting the needs of the local community
have a bank account with 2 signatories OR nominate an organisation which has a bank account with 2 signatories to hold funds on its behalf
have a governing document that has as a minimum the name, aim/purpose, objects, a dissolution clause for the organisation, a list of Trustees/Committee members, and Trustees/Committee member signatures. New groups are not required to have this in place, but should agree to develop one.
provide evidence of significant community participation in their application through the group’s matched element to the project
show that their project is in line with the priorities identified for the ward

Examples of what can be funded are:

the purchase of equipment, like a computer, oven, furniture
the costs of putting on a local event or workshop
training for volunteers
additional activities to expand an existing funded project
activities that support community activity
activities that meet an identified need in the local community
funding to support an organisation to achieve a quality or other standard relevant to their activities.

Community First cannot fund the following:

statutory organisations, such as Local Authorities, schools and the Police Force
arms length public sector organisations that are controlled wholly or in part by, for example, a Local Authority, a Primary Care Trust or agencies of these
any party political activity
commercial ventures
organisations working in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, or those that primarily benefit communities overseas in Europe or elsewhere. The grants must be used for activity within local communities in England.
certain types of activities that support Asylum Seeker groups. Further information can be found at: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk

Match Funding

Groups funded by the CF programme will need to demonstrate match funding. The matched element should principally be in volunteer time but can also be donated cash, goods and services.
As grants awarded will be small and volunteering opportunities in some cases may be limited, many groups will, nonetheless, be dependent on volunteers to help deliver projects. CDF are recommending groups use an hourly rate of £11.09 to calculate the value of volunteer match time.
In order to greater reflect current labour market costs, CDF is using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) and within this the Median gross hourly earnings rate. From the current survey (December 2010) CDF are therefore recommending groups use an hourly rate of £11.09 to calculate the value of volunteer match time. The ASHE is the ONS principal source for earnings estimates collected in April and uses data on 181,000 employees. The statistics (drawn from current HM Revenue & Customs PAYE records) although higher, are based on current labour market costs and give a more realistic indication of how much it might cost a group to employ a full or part time member of staff in the (volunteer) role. CDF are opting for this median value as it represents the middle ground used to calculate the pay rate for a typical worker within a homogeneous group and will be adjusted annually to reflect changes in labour costs.