Grants to voluntary and community groups

Woking Borough Council Community Grants 2009/10

As in previous years, Woking Borough Council will be offering local community organisations an opportunity to apply for financial support.  The grants scheme aims to support those projects and services which further the aims of Woking´s Community Strategy, which seeks to tackle the needs of the Borough by working in partnership with local organisations.  The themes include a strong community spirit, a clean, healthy and safe environment, an accessible transport system, health and well-being, access to affordable housing and provide learning opportunities.  Criteria for the Community Grants Scheme has been drawn up.

A new process for applications has been adopted by the Council, and Organisations seeking to apply for funding will be able to do so through the Window on Woking (WoW) website.  WoW is a community website, hosting a wide range of 'microsites' developed by local community organisations.  This is a free service for community groups and organisations serving the Woking area, where they can publicise and share information about their activities, events and provide their contact details.  The site was developed by Woking Borough Council in partnership with WAVS, Woking Citizens Advice Bureau and the Community Legal Services Partnership.

Organisations interested in applying for funding will first need to register with WoW from where they will be able to access the electronic grant application form.  There are over 500 organisations already registered on the site and from mid-September onwards they will be able to make a grant application online and track the progress of their application via the website.

Organisations can register by going to WoW and clicking on the link `Add Your Organisation´.  Full instructions are provided and it takes less than 10 minutes to complete and submit a registration request for approval.  Once registered, organisations are responsible for maintaining their site and ensuring the information is kept up to date.

Details of the 2009/10 grant scheme will be posted onto the WoW site in mid-September.  Notification will be sent to those Organisations registered on WoW in the run up to the launch of the scheme and there will be a two month period in which Organisations will be able to submit applications.

Assessment

The applications will be assessed by Officers and observations will be sought from other service areas of the Council.  The Council's Portfolio Holder for grants to voluntary and community organisations and the Director of Woking Association of Voluntary Service (WAVS) are also consulted on all applications.

New Applicants 

All new applicants will be invited for interview to discuss their project and their organisation in general.

Previous Applicants 

Applicants who have received a grant in the past will be contacted to discuss progress made on past projects and to discuss proposals for future projects.

A report on each application will be prepared by Officers for submission to the Executive.  The Executive will meet on 5 March 2009 to consider all applications and Organisations will be kept informed of the progress of their application through the WoW site.  The meeting is open to members of public and copies of the reports will be available, once published, a week before the meeting. Following the decision of the Executive, applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application.

In certain circumstances, applications for assistance will be considered outside this timetable.  Each application will be considered on its merits provided funding is available.

All applications for grants for the next financial year will be examined for evidence that the organisations applying are seeking to help themselves and working towards independence.  The Council will also be looking at how the work of the groups applying, furthers the aims and objectives of the Community Strategy.

It is intended to enable Organisations to apply for all types of community support offered by the Council through the WoW site in future years, including discretionary rate relief, community rents and other types of grants administrated by the Council.

Further Information

For further information on community support by the Council, please contact Frank Jeffrey, Principal Member Services Officer at Woking Borough Council, on 01483 743012 or email frank.jeffrey@woking.gov.uk. To register with the community website, apply online at www.windowonwoking.org.uk