Coronation community fund
Coronation community fund - application guidelines
Residents, organisations and businesses in Cheltenham are being invited to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort over a weekend of special events from 6 to 8 May.
Cheltenham Borough Council has agreed a pot of funding, worth £30,000, to allocate to local good causes that will help the town celebrate and commemorate this very special year and that will create a legacy for future generations.
We are now inviting applications for funding to support Coronation related projects across Cheltenham that will help us deliver our key Coronation themes:
- Using the opportunity of the Coronation to bring people together, connecting people to foster new relationships and celebrating our diverse communities.
- Using the opportunity of the Coronation to help improve the bio-diversity of Cheltenham green spaces and natural environment
- Using the opportunity of the Coronation to help make Cheltenham a place where all our children and young people have the opportunity to thrive
We are welcoming applications from a wide range of organisations:
- local communities and third sector organisation
- trade and business representative organisations
- cultural and creative organisations
- local schools and other educational institutions
We have two pots of funding:
Coronation community fund: This fund will support longer-term projects that will help the town celebrate and commemorate the Coronation. Grants of up to £3,000 will be made on a match-funding basis.
Community Building – Coronation fund: This fund will support small-scale projects, events and activities that will help the town celebrate the Coronation. Grants of up to £300 will be made.
The closing date for Coronation community fund applications is 11.59pm on Thursday 27 April 2023.
Community Building applications are on a rolling grants process and applications are welcomed at any time.
Coronation community fund information
Who can apply?
Any parish council, constituted voluntary sector, community or neighbourhood-based organisation, trade and business representative organisations or school can apply. The awarding criteria will seek to distribute this funding evenly across the different areas of Cheltenham.
How much can be applied for?
For the Coronation community fund grants, any group may apply for a single award up to a maximum of £3,000. Please contact us if you need more funding – and have special project that might meet many our criteria.
Please be aware that as the fund is limited, the council will look to fund only those projects that offer the best value for money.
Funding will be allocated on a 50% match-funding basis; in that the council will fund 50% of the agreed costs of the project, with the other 50% of costs being met by the organisation through either match-funding or contributions in-kind. These are defined as non-cash contributions to a project, typically donated goods and services, which are necessary for the project and would otherwise have to be purchased for the project to go ahead.
We recognise that for many community organisations, there will be the need to organise fund-raising activities. Consequently the award will be held open for 12 months from the decision by Cabinet to allow for other funds to be secured. We will only pay the grant once you can demonstrate that the other funding is in place.
Implementing projects
The applicant organisation will be responsible for the project management and delivery of the successful schemes. Consequently the Council will be looking for applications that demonstrate clarity of both planning and delivery of the projects with an understanding of what permissions will be required to see the successful implementation of the project.
What we will fund
Coronation community fund projects need to be accessible at no-cost to the general public and need to create a lasting legacy for the local community that commemorates the Coronation. We will only fund time-limited projects up to a maximum of 12 months from the project start date.
Applications must be accompanied by evidence that the applicant will secure the necessary permissions to enable the work to proceed.
What we won't fund
- Any events or activities of a political nature
- Ongoing revenue commitments
- Projects being delivered outside the boundaries of Cheltenham borough.
- Projects that cannot demonstrate that the necessary permissions will be achieved within the appropriate timescales
The assessment criteria
In May, a Coronation community fund panel, which will include the leader of the council, a representative of the VCS and the relevant cabinet member, will assess all submitted applications. They will consider the information supplied on the proposals form to assess the following seven criteria:
- How the project will bring people together, connecting people to foster new relationships and celebrating our diverse communities.
- How the project will help improve the bio-diversity of Cheltenham green spaces and natural environment
- How the project will help make Cheltenham a place where all our children and young people have the opportunity to thrive
- The project’s value for money in terms of its benefits versus the amount of grant requested
We will be looking for reassurances that the applicant has thought about all the different types of licences and permissions that might be required to deliver the project. These might include event type permissions and licences as well as highway permissions and planning permissions. We have attached a guide to the types of permissions needed for public events at the back of this document.
We are also looking for assurances that the project deliverer will put in place a robust system for collecting, monitoring and assessing the impacts of the project and for reporting and sharing this information.
Where projects involve working with children and young people, we will also ask you about what measures you have in place to safeguard their wellbeing.
Groups will also need to have current and relevant liability insurance in place before any agreement can be signed and you will be expected to provide copies to prove this. Applicants will be held liable for any damage caused to public property and the council will not accept any liability for claims for damage, loss or injury resulting from this work.
The intention is that recommendations from the panel are discussed by Cabinet and final decisions will be communicated to bidders shortly after the meeting.
Community Building - Coronation fund grant information
Why Community Building - Coronation fund grants?
Throughout our work we are adopting a “strengths-based” approach to thinking about how we maintain and improve the things that make Cheltenham special. We know that the amount of funding that the public sector bodies have to do this, be it through local councils, schools, the police, and the health service is shrinking.
A strengths-based approach starts from a place of possibilities, strengths and capacities as opposed to problems or deficiencies. Cheltenham Borough Council wants to provide small amounts of money to our local communities to help them deliver small-scale projects, events and activities that will help the town celebrate the Coronation.
Who can apply?
Any parish council, constituted voluntary sector, community or neighbourhood-based organisation, trade and business representative organisations or school can apply. The awarding criteria will seek to distribute this funding evenly across the different areas of Cheltenham.
How much can be applied for?
Any group may apply for a single award up to a maximum of £300. We will expect the group to contribute to the success of the project and match the grant with energy, time and commitment measured at £12/hour, or through meeting any additional costs incurred.
What we won't fund
- Any events or activities of a political nature
- Projects being delivered outside the boundaries of Cheltenham borough.
- Projects that cannot demonstrate that the necessary permissions will be achieved within the appropriate timescales
The assessment criteria
We are looking for projects that have been well thought out and can demonstrate the following:
- That the project, event or activity will help the town celebrate and commemorate the Coronation
- What the event or activity will achieve
- The amount of funding requested and any additional volunteer time or cash that is contributed
How to apply - for both Coronation community grants
Can an organisation make more than one grant application?
The council will treat the two grant funds separately so an organisation may submit applications to both and success in one will not jeopardise the other application. However, within the two funding pots, no more than one award will be awarded to any one organisation.
Making an application
Please ensure you complete all pages of the online application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Applications for both funds open on Monday 20 March and close on Thursday 27 April at 11.59pm.
Go to the online application form
Agreements and performance management
Before the project can start, the council will enter into a project agreement with the provider which will set out various obligations on the two parties. This is very important as the way in which the money is used will be subject to inspection and audit and your monitoring plans will help us ensure that your project is progressing along the right tracks.
Grant payments
For successful applicants, payments will generally be made in arrears on receipt of a completed performance management report and claim form. However, we can arrange advance payments to help with cash flow but this will be subject to checks and you will be liable to repay this if your project does not make satisfactory progress.
Other considerations
Please be aware that as this is public money, the funding will be subject to inspection and audit. Any fraudulent activity will be quickly identified and reported to the police.
The closing date for Coronation community fund applications is 11.59pm on Thursday 27 April 2023.
Sources of support
For all information relating to the Coronation of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort in Cheltenham, please visit our Coronation information page.