Marr Community Ward Forums – February 2016

Introduction: Thecommunity ward forums held in March 2014 focused on funding for community projects. This folder contains information which was covered in those forums including some additional details which you will be able to refer to when you are thinking of seeking funds for a project. There are also links to organisations and web sites that will be able to help you further (an electronic version of this document will be available on the MAP web site (

Contents:

Page 2: “A Simple Funding Strategy”

Page 3: Community Fundraising: Why is it important?

Page 5: Outputs and Impacts: The Basics

Page 7: Funding Sources for Marr Community Projects and a few tips

Page 13: Village Halls in Marr: Where did they get funds?

Page 15: Useful web sites

Page 16: Where can I get funding advice locally?

“A Simple Funding Strategy”

The idea of developing a funding strategy for a small community project may seem bureaucratic and unnecessary. The principles, however, are the same as for a complex, large scale, project. If you’re applying for funding there has to be some documentation.

Experience shows that some of the steps below can be undertaken very simply; but if not done at all can cause complications – or even put the project at risk.

  • Before the funding strategy
  • Agree what the project is
  • Identify who is going to benefit from the project/ Why you are doing it
  • Establish how to evidence need and support for the project
  • Develop a business plan
  • Estimate costs
  • Consider financial viability and sustainability of the project
  • Developingthe funding strategy
  • Consider the range of possible funding sources; own funds, community fundraising, shares, grant funders etc.
  • Plan timescale for pursuing elements of funding
  • Research the range of different funders and what they fund
  • Talk to potential funders about the project
  • Review the project, business plan, and funding strategyin relation to each other

Community Fundraising - Why is it important and what methods have worked locally?

Why?

There are many different ways for projects to secure funding (using the reserves of the group/organisation, applying for grants, corporate sponsorship, legacies, individual donations, share schemes). Often, we all start by thinking of which grants we can apply for. This is of course important, but there are many reasons why community fundraising should be an important part of your funding strategy too, some of these are listed below.

  • It is becoming more and more difficult to get grants and having a range of income streams can make your group less reliant one type of funding
  • You will have more flexibility about what the income can be used for and when it should be spent by (some grants have very tight restrictions about what grants can be spent on and by when)
  • By working together successfully on a fundraising activity (or activities), the committee will learn how to work together effectively and this is really important for the success of the project as a whole
  • By fundraising for the project in your community, you will be raising awareness of the project and your group, make the wider community feel as if they have a stake in what you are doing and feel more involved in the project…you may even be able to recruit some more volunteers to spread the load!
  • By providing evidence of support for the project in the wider community via successful fundraising activities, you will be able to demonstrate to grant funders that the project has wide community support…this will make your grant applications more likely to succeed
  • Many grants need match funding and community fundraising is ideal for this.

What community fundraising methods have worked locally?

Listed below are some of themany ideas that came out of the workshops:

  • Strictly Come Prancing – Banchory, extremely popular and successful
  • Black tie ball or dances – can raise significant funds eg Aboyne.
  • Youth Scotland Games
  • Raffle
  • Afternoon teas or coffee morning – eg Stewarts Hall Huntly have lots of coffee mornings, run by various groups which are very popular. They can be regular events which raise small amounts but are also a really good social event. Need effective team to run and lots of volunteer input.
  • Knitted squirrels
  • Race nights – Gartly raised about £1k from a race night and got local businesses to sponsor horses as well
  • Pub quiz
  • Duck race eg. Tornaveen, different age categories so everyone can join in, fun outdoor activity/event, straightforward to organise
  • Auctions – silent or noisy eg Tarland Hall did two auctions, very successful and popular events, raised ~£2.5k.
  • Running bar at other events (licence only costs £10)
  • 100 Clubs – type of lottery, see more info at Annual membership but prize draw each month, quite a lot of work. Ballater raised approx. £1500after prizes were paid out over one year. Small Lottery licence costs £40 initially and then renewal fee is £20 per annum, obtainable from Aberdeenshire Council, Inverurie (Blackhall Road).
  • Art show eg Gartly asked for fee to exhibit and 10% of sales, over 3 days raised ~£400.
  • Fire walk – Huntly Cancer Support ransponsored fire walk and raised ~ £2k, they used a Just Giving page for online donation/sponsorship: see (costs £15/month)
  • Leisure Hunt – people follow a trail in their car over a month long period and visit various sights, they pay to participate. Proved to be popular and accessible to those who are less mobile
  • Glassel Gig (one day music festival) – raised significant funds ~ £25k annually, but became too onerous to organise as involved a lot of volunteer input and time
  • Murder Mystery – eg Braemar sold tickets for entertainment and meal at Braemar castle, local amateur dramatic group wrote script and acted out murder mystery. Raised few hundred pounds but also raised profile of Castle and was great fun.
  • Zip line over River Don – raised ~£22k by charging and sponsorship
  • Clairvoyant evening – Aboyne playgroup raised ~ £1k, easy to organise, high cost tickets but a novelty so quite popular
  • Pop up restaurant – Gartly hall hired local chef to develop one off 4 course menu and prepare food, hall publicised and shared profit with chef, raised few hundred pounds but really successful local event.
  • Pop up shop inInsch every couple of years –community donates new/nearly clothes, evening before auction people come to preview plus various other fundraising activities eg raffle. Next day people pay to attend auction. Raises ~ £9k. Lots of young women attend, good event for women, provides affordable clothing and left over clothes given to charity shop. Very successful.
  • Musical review eg Glass Community Assoc, did WW2 musical review which was sold out for two nights, raised few hundred pounds but extremely successful event.
  • Rhynie Gala Day – raises ~£11k over 3 days. About 17 community groups involved, only those groups who participate are eligible to receive funding raised. No charge for entry. Includes various activities eg disco for youngsters, dance for adults, bar, soup and sweet etc.

For more information on fundraising, please see:

Outputs and Impacts: The Basics

Jean Henretty, Banchory and District Initiative

Outcomes – So What?

It is the change to your community that matters.

New bike track – so what?

Young people are healthier. Young people are distracted from anti-social behaviour. The community recognise the contribution made by young people in the community.

New kitchen – so what?

More people can use the community facility. Older people are less isolated as they can come to our community café.

Trees planted – so what?

School children have more knowledge about food production. An area of wetland is now drier and accessible to the wider community.

Community newsletter – so what?

More people participate in community activities. Older people have become more skilled on their computer.

National Outcomes:

Healthier; Wealthier and Fairer; Greener; Safer and Stronger; Smarter

Local Authority Outcomes:

Single Outcome Agreement (SOA)

  • Early Years
  • Economic Recovery and Growth
  • Employment
  • Health Inequalities and Physical Activity
  • Older People
  • Safer and Stronger Communities, including Reducing Reoffending

Marr Area Outcomes:

Marr Community Plan 2013- 16

Funders Outcomes:

Lottery; EU; Charities etc

Some Funding Sources for Marr Community Projects

The table below provides summary details of a few of the possible funding sources for community organisations and projects in Marr. It is not an exhaustive list and please remember that grant availability changes all the time, so make sure you keep up to date with new opportunities by subscribing to newsletters and mailing lists (MAP and AVA particularly – see below for contact details), contacting support organisations and doing your own internet research. See the AVA website for lists of more grants broken down by type of project:

BUT…before you startyour grant searches and applications, here are some tips:

  • Have a look at the criteria before you apply and make sure that the grant funder is suitable for your project :
  • does your project meet any of their stated funding priorities?
  • do you have to be a charity?
  • is your organisation eligible to apply?
  • will they fund all types of project costs (eg. core costs such as staff and office rent or just capital costs eg. infrastructure and equipment?
  • when is the deadline for applications and when will they make a decision?
  • is there are timescale limitation on when the money needs to be spent that you cannot meet?
  • do they fund your geographical area?
  • is there a limit to how much you can apply for?
  • Before you apply, phone them up and have a chat…their development officers can usually give you really helpful advice which will save you lots of time. For the bigger funds, it is really useful to build a relationship with them and they can support you through the process…that is what they are there for.
  • Do you need match funding eg. will the grant provide all of the project costs or do you need to have other funders in the pipeline or some of your own groups funds? Remember that funding in kind (eg. a local person or business donating materials or time) can sometimes be put down as match funding.
  • When filling in the application form, it’s a bit like an exam…make sure you read the question carefully and answer clearly and fully …but don’t waffle. If you don’t understand a question, call them and they will clarify.
  • Ask someone who does not know about the project to read the draft application before you submit it, what seems obvious to you might not be to them and they can point out where you need to add detail, remove irrelevant text or make things clearer.
  • You may be more successful with local funders as these are likely to have fewer groups applying than to national funders, so think about these first.
  • Securing funding from local sources also evidences local support/credibility for your project and may help to leverage national funding.

1

14/11/2018Funding Sources for Marr Community Projects, Marr Area Partnership

Name of Funder / Name of grant / Amount of Grant (£) / Criteria / Contact details or web site
Local Grants
Marr Area Partnership / Initiative Grant Scheme (IGS) / Up to £1000 / Wide criteria but only up to 50% of project costs. Marr area only. Simple application form. Apply at any time.* / Natasha

Aberdeenshire Council Marr Area Office / Marr Area Committee Grant / Up to few thousand pounds / Grants for local community projects, very wide criteria. Marr area only. Simple application form. Best to have match funding – 50% if possible, but this is flexible. * NB Cannot apply for both IGS and this grant together. / Nikki Nicol


Foundation Scotland / Kildrummy Lumsden & Towie
Community Fund / £250-£3000 / For projects/groups in Kildrummy, Lumsden and Towie that reflect priorities within Community Action Plan. Groups and private businesses can apply. One or two rounds per year. /
Glens of Foudland Wind Farm Community Trust / Trust Grant / Up to £1000
(more in rare instances) / Projects that provide a community
benefit in the parishes of Forgue, Drumblade, Culsalmond and Gartly plus Huntly and Insch eg. environmental, communityhalls and schools, support for youth activities. Short application form, apply at any time, decisions every two months. / Glens of Foudland Wind Farm Community Trust, The Brander Library,
The Square, Huntly, AB54 5BR


Mid Hill Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund / Feughdee West Community Fund / For projects and groups within the Feughdee West Community Council area. / Application form available on Marr Area Partnership website
Mid Hill Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund / Banchory Community Fund / For projects and groups within the Banchory Community Council area. / Application form available on Marr Area Partnership website
Mid Hill Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund / Crathes, Drumoak and Durris Community Council Community Fund / For projects and groups within the Crathes, Drumoak and Durris Community Council area. / Application form available on Marr Area Partnership website
Vattenfall / Clashindarroch Wind FarmCommunity Fund / The fund comprises a fixed index-linked annual payment that started in 2015 at £185,000. / The Fund supports projects located within or directly benefiting one or more of the three community council areas of Huntly, Strathbogie and
Tap O Noth and the area of the Cabrach Community Association. /
Greenspan Electric Cairnmore Ltd / Cairnmore Community Fund / No specified amount but aim to benefit as many applicants as possible / No set criteria but projects should benefit communities of Rhynie, Lumsden, Clatt and Kennethmont.
Annual funding round in spring and information put in Huntly Expressin late March. / Greenspan Electric Cairnmore Ltd
Aberdeenshire Council / Developer contribution (planning gain) / No specified amount / Sums available depend on local circumstances and are usually linked to specific localities and/or types of infrastructure development. Funds have to be claimed retrospectively. / Marr Area Manager, is the first point of contact when finding out if developer contribution funds are available for a specific area
Marr Area Office

Tel: 01975 564801
Foundation Scotland / Express Grants / up to £2k / Needs to be at least 25% of project and spent within one year. Apply any time, 8 week turn around time. /
Aberdeenshire Council Economic Development Dept. / South Aberdeenshire LEADER Fund2014-2020 / Large scale grants / Connecting People & PlaceDeveloping key Economic SectorsPromoting & Protecting the Environment
Enriching & Positive Activities for allCo-operating with other countries & areas / Alasdair Cunningham, Co-ordinator–South Aberdeenshire LEADER, Aberdeenshire Council

Phone:01467 628262
Cairngorms National Park Authority / Cairngorms LEADER Fund 2014-2020 / Large scale grants / Priority themes are: To grow the economy of the Park by strengthening existing business sectors, supporting business start-ups and diversification, and increasing the number of workers employed in the Cairngorms National Park; and Protection and enhancement of the Cairngorms National Park landscape, wildlife and local heritage. / Alice Mayne, LEADER Manager

Tel: 01479 870543.

Aberdeenshire Sports Council / Aberdeenshire Sports Council Grants / £500 per annum / Sports clubs must be affiliated to ASC, must match fund 50% Grants available for coaching, club start up or development, equipment or travel /
Aberdeenshire Council / Support for Aberdeenshire Business Grants / Up to max £15,000 / Grants for business development, job creation, rural shop support and sustainable businesses. Max of 50% costs. Loans also available. /
Heather MacraeTel: 01569 768294
Astor of Hever Trust / Small, one off donations (no specified max) / Grant for registered charities in the UK (particularly Grampian region), undertaking projects in the arts, medicine, religion, education, conservation, youth and sport. Donation requests should be outlined in a letter (no application form or guidelines). The Trustees meet twice a year in April/May and October/November. / The Administrator, The Astor of Hever Trust, Frenchstreet House, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1PW

David and June Gordon Memorial Trust / No amount specified / Aims include, music, drama and the arts; youth projects; ecumenical; social welfare. Projects within Grampian Region. Simple application form. / Miss Barbara McFarlane
Tel: 01224 312408
MacRobert Trust / MacRobert Trust Grant / No amount specified / For charities only, preference for Scottish organisations and one of the criteria is Tarland area. Various criteria including armed services, education and training, children and youth, agriculture and horticulture. / The Charities Secretary
Tel: 013398 81444
Email:

Ballater Victoria Week / Small amounts (approx. £100-£1000) / Every November at the AGM, the profits from that summer's BVW are distributed among several local groups and organisations (Upper Deeside). To be considered for a donation, contact via email. /
Ballater Charitable Chiels / Will fund local groups eg. mother & toddlers, local sporting groups etc. as well as larger charities (eg medical). Specialise in giving funding to groups benefiting children eg. to improve quality of life of children with learning difficulties. Applications for funding are considered every two months. / Andrew Thain (Chair/Press officer) 07752532864 –
Jo Walters Trust / Bursaries, scholarships and grants awarded in the areas of education, sport, outward bound and the environment. /
Scotland Wide Grants
Big Lottery
Various grant programmes for wide range of projects – not all listed here / Awards for All Scotland
Improving Lives
Community-led activity
ScottishLand Fund / £500 - £10k
£10k to £1 million
£10k to £150k / For community groups, schools and health organisations. Wide range of community development projects suitable. Deprived areas or small towns (population of 3,000 to 10,000) are priority. Apply any time.
Challenging circumstances
Communities improving the places in which they live
Communities ownership and management of land and land assets /

Opening in 2016
Creative Scotland / Various funding streams / Various / National organisation that funds and supports the development of Scotland’s arts, screen and creative industries. /
Sports Scotland / Sports Facilities fund / Projects over £10k (no max specified but can be over £100k) / Capital funding programme for the development or upgrading of sports facilities. Can be suitable for community recreation, club sport or high performance training or competition. /
Tel: 0141 534 6500
Lloyds TSB Foundation / Henry Duncan Award / Up to £7000 / For registered charities in Scotland focused on improving the quality of life for disadvantaged people (eg. isolated older or disabled people). Grants for capital or core costs. Match funding not necessarily required. /
Tel: 0131 444 4020
Weir Charitable Trust / Up to £25k / Funding for Scottish-based community groups and small charities and categories include sport, health, culture, recreational facilities or animal welfare. Can be used for capital or core costs, match funding not necessarily needed. Two rounds per year. /
Tel: 0131 554 7806
The Robertson Trust / Between £500 and £15,000 / Priority areas include health;care;education & training;community arts;community sport; alcohol misuse;criminal Justice /
UK Wide Grants
People's Postcode Trust / Small Grants Programme / Grants of between £500 and £20,000 (if not a charity limit is up to £2000) / Various funding criteria (eg. sport, community development, health and poverty), for projects lasting up to 1 year. Can be for capital or revenue costs. Four rounds per year. /

Tel: 0131 555 7287
Heritage Lottery Fund / Various / Various grant programmes up to £2million / Various heritage projects eligible including museums, parks, historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions. /

Tel: 0131 225 9450

Village Hall Redevelopments in Marr: Where did they get funds?