Broadwoodwidger Parish Council grant application window is now open for 2025. Please see the grant policy and application procedure below.
Grant Policy and Procedure
Introduction to Policy
A grant is any payment or gift made by the Parish Council to an organisation for a specific purpose that will benefit the Parish, or residents of the Parish, and which is not directly controlled or administered by the Parish Council. The law requires that section 137 grants must be ‘in the interests of or will directly benefit the area or its inhabitants, or any part of it, or some of it’ and ‘the direct benefit should be commensurate with expenditure’. Similar considerations will apply when considering applications for other grants.
Policy
The Parish Council awards grants , at its absolute discretion, to organisations which can demonstrate a clear need for financial support to achieve an objective which will benefit the Parish by:
- Providing a service
- Enhancing the quality of life
- Improving the environment and promoting the Parish of Broadwoodwidger in a positive way.
The Parish council will not award grants to:
- Private individuals
- Commercial organisations
- Purposes for which there is a statutory duty upon other local or central governments departments to fund or provide
- ‘Upward funders’ – i.e. local groups where fundraising is sent to a central HQ for redistribution
- Religious organisations: unless for a purpose that does not discriminate on grounds of belief.
- Political Parties.
This list is not exclusive and may be added to at the councils discretion.
Only one application for a grant will be considered from any organisation in any one financial year.
Ongoing commitments to award grants in future years will not be made. A fresh application will be required each year. This will be at the discretion of the council.
Grants’ will not be made retrospectively.
Application Procedure
Applications open on July 1st every year.
Organisations requesting financial assistance of up to £500 are required to submit by 31st August at the latest in the year of their funding requirement:
- A completed application form
- The number or percentage of members in the organisation that live within Broadwoodwidger Parish.
- Details of any restrictions on who can use/access their service.
- Confirmation (on the application form) that it agrees with the Parish Council Equal Opportunities Policy or give details of its own.
- Organisations will normally be expected to have clear written aims and objectives, a written constitution and a separate bank account controlled by more than one signatory.
All grants awarded will be subject to a regular report back to Broadwoodwidger Parish Council as to progress/community benefit.
Assessment Procedure
When the Parish Councils sets its annual budget, an amount will be set from which grants will be awarded during the following financial year. A decision upon an award will remain for approval by the Parish Council at the appropriate meeting in September of each 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.
An emergency grant request once received in writing will be considered at the next meeting of the Parish Council.
Each application will be assessed on its own merits.
The Parish Council may make the award of any grant or subsidy subject to additional conditions and requirements as it feels appropriate. The Parish Council reserves the right to refuse any grant application which it considers to be inappropriate, or against the objectives of the Council.
Nothing contained herein shall prevent the Parish Council from exercising, at any time, its existing duty of power is respect of providing financial assistance or grants to local or national organisations under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972.
Successful Applications
A grant award must only be used for the purpose stated on the application. If the organisation is unable to use the money, or any part of it, for the purpose stated, then all monies, or unexpended parts of such monies must be returned to the Parish Council. The Parish Council may require proof of expenditure.
Organisation receiving grants are required to advise their users/members that the grant or equipment has been received from Broadwoodwidger Parish Council.
Please submit your request to the Clerk using info@broadwoodwidger.com
