Lower End Solar Farm Community Fund
Fund Overview:
The Community Fund is available to support local charitable causes in Marston. It is worth £5,000 a year (rising with inflation each year) for the lifetime of the solar farm. Each year 50% of the grant is ring fenced to create an amount over time that can be used for a ‘significant’ project.
The Fund allows groups to apply for grants between £100 and £2500 other than for major village projects. Applications can be presented at any time during the year. Match funding is not required for applications of less than £500. However, for applications above £500, priority will be given to groups that can show evidence of match-funding being sought from other sources. This might include in-kind contributions.
The Fund is for the benefit of community groups, voluntary organisations and the local community in the parish of Marston. Applications are received by the Parish Council (the Fund Holders) who will decide how to allocate the funding. All applications received are discussed openly at each Parish Council meeting. All decisions are recorded on the Parish Council Minutes.
Project locations:
Projects for which grants are requested must be located in the Parish of Marston and/or must benefit the people living within the village.
Project Purpose:
Grants are available to support new or existing community-based initiatives that bring demonstrable benefit to residents of the local area. These may include:
- Improvements to community buildings, e.g. village halls, community centres
- Improvement to local green spaces, e.g. village greens, nature reserves, community woodlands, allotments, planting schemes
- Provision of new or improved local amenities, e.g. children’s play areas, sports facilities, cycle paths, foot paths
- Energy efficiency or renewable energy projects, such as insulation, efficient boilers or small scale renewable energy installations.
- Projects for the benefit of pre-school or school age children, or older people.
Eligible Organisations:
Eligible Organisations, who can apply for funding include:
- Voluntary, community groups
- Residents associations
- Sports clubs and facilities
- The Scout and Guide Movement
- Senior citizens clubs and activities
- Playgroups
- Youth clubs
- Parish Council*
- Schools and educational establishments
- Social enterprises (including credit unions, co-operatives, social firms, community owned enterprises, community interest companies and development trusts) provided they operate on a not-for-profit basis.
Applicants are required to have a written constitution, a set of rules, or a governing document and a bank or building society account, held in the name of the organisation, in place before applying for a grant.
*The Parish Council is eligible to apply directly for a grant, as they may be the most suitable organisation to deliver the project for the community. However, for each grant, a full application must be submitted by a Councillor on behalf of the PC which is then discussed openly at the Parish Council meeting along with all other applications received.
Exclusions
Grants will not be available for:
- Commercial organisations.
- Private membership-based sports clubs and facilities unless membership is open to the general public without undue restriction (e.g. not membership by nomination organisations).
- Projects that only benefit one individual (unless the application is received from an organisation and the project directly benefits individuals, e.g. energy saving measures such as insulation)
- Projects that are narrowly religious in focus or that support a party political campaign or cause.
- Funding core costs in organisations, e.g. running costs, administration costs, building rental costs etc.
- Retrospective funding, i.e. projects that have already been completed, whether or not already paid for.
- Works considered a statutory responsibility of the Council or Parish Council to fund, such as street lighting or general maintenance of open spaces.
Judging Criteria:
The main criteria used when assessing applications received will be:
- The social, economic and environmental benefits which will result from the project.
- The level of community support for and involvement in the project.
Other factors will also be considered which must be demonstrated in the application:
- The ability of the applicant to deliver the project
- How the work will be continued after the project has been completed i.e. its sustainability and legacy