Comment by eddie bridgeman on June 12, 2012 at 4:48pm

Details on the Neighbourhood Matched Fund are here http://www.cdf.org.uk/content/funding-programmes/community-first/ne...

Comment by eddie bridgeman on June 12, 2012 at 4:50pm

Some useful Q&A about the who, what and where.....

Community First Programme: Neighbourhood Matched Fund

Guidance Notes:  How to request funds from your local panel

This document will explain how the Community First: Neighbourhood Matched Fund works, whether you can apply, and how to request funds from your local panel. It contains useful web links and guidance on completing a Funding Proposal Form, in which you can set out the aims of your project, the problems it addresses, and the benefits to your neighbourhood.

 

Details about the programme & the aim of the programme

£30 Million is now available to fund community projects in some of the most deprived areas of the country. People will be encouraged to give time, expertise and resources towards the projects they identify in their areas. The government will match these pound for pound, helping to stimulate local action towards meeting community needs.

The programme will help communities come together to identify their strengths and local priorities in order to plan for their future and become more resilient. It will fund both new and existing community groups.

Community First Neighbourhood Matched Fund is an initiative that provides local communities with the means to address their own priorities.

Communities will set up local panels in each eligible ward, and will decide upon projects for funding in their area. 

It is a matched fund programme, which means that every £1 provided in funding must be matched by a similar amount of in-kind donations (this means donations of cash, services, free products or volunteer time).

Our Website

All the information on this fund can be found through the following link:-

http://www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/neighbourhood-matched-fund

Am I eligible to apply to my panel for funding?

You can check the postcode finder on our website, to see whether your ward is eligible for funding. If so, and your project will directly benefit people in your ward then you are free to apply for funding. Each ward has its own Community First Panel which is made up of members of your community who have come together to produce a list of priorities to improve your area. If a project fits in with these priorities then the panel may recommend it for funding. You can learn more about panels on our website.

Each panel will have a webpage and email address.  You can find out about local priorities on the webpage and get in touch with them via the email.

CDF’s website will provide the web details and email addresses for all panels.

Is funding available to individuals?

No, funding for this programme is only available to groups, so if you have an idea to improve your neighbourhood, you must form a group to apply for funding. You will need to create a set of rules which all members of your group agree to abide by. This is called a Terms of Reference. For help on creating a Terms of Reference you can find a template form on our website. For some useful advice on how to set up a project, please visit the My Community Starter website: http://www.communitytoolkit.co.uk/

Comment by eddie bridgeman on June 12, 2012 at 4:54pm

Some more useful guidance.....

How do I apply?

You can discuss your project with your local panel and if it is approved then a representative from your local panel will recommend your project to us for funding. Please fill out a Project Proposal Form(as above) which can be found on the website. This form allows you to show the panel how your project fits in with the aims of the Community First programme, and it provides the information in the way the panel will need to see it to make a decision.

 

 

Project Proposal Form Guidance

A section by section guide to completing the proposal form. 

You need to answer all questions.

About your group

Please provide standard contact details so that CDF can contact you if the panel approves your proposal.

About your project

Project Title

Choose a name for your project which will allow it to be easily recognised.

Project Summary

Please provide details about your project i.e. the aims of the project. The aim is a brief statement that explains the overall purpose of your project.

Which of the local priorities identified for your ward does this project address?

The panel website will list the priorities for the ward, make a note of which of these priorities your project will address.

How does your project meet these priorities?

The starting point for addressing how your project meets the priorities in your ward is to be clear on the need it is addressing. You need to demonstrate a problem, issue or situation where something needs to be changed to make things better for a person, group of people or an environment. 

Area Covered by project

Although funding for this programme is at ward level, different neighbourhoods within your ward may have greater need of funding. Please let the panel know here what specific area of your ward your project will benefit.

Amount requested

Tell us how much grant you are applying for?

 

 

What is the start date for the project and when will it be completed?

Tell us how long the project will take to complete.  Be as realistic as possible about when the project might start and how long it will take to complete.  Don’t put a start date of a week after submission of your proposal, if the panel is not going to meet for three weeks.  You should find panel meeting dates on their webpage, or you can email them to ask. Please bear in mind the time frames when planning your project. Any unspent funds will need to be returned to CDF at the end of each financial year.

Comment by eddie bridgeman on June 12, 2012 at 4:56pm

What counts as Willesden Green? 

In this case the Ward boundaries.....have a look here. http://www.brent.gov.uk/tmaps.nsf/Map?ReadForm&x=os&loc=tma...

The Local Community

How many people will be involved in the project? What will they be doing?

There are various ways of involving people. For example:

• Having people who would use your project on your management committee.
• Getting local people who will use the project to help design it.
• Setting up user groups to give feedback on your plans and plan activities.
• Where appropriate local people delivering activities or volunteering on the project.

The more members of the local community involved in the project will mean a higher number of volunteer hours, which means a higher match value for the project.

How will this project improve this neighbourhood?

Once you have addressed the need of your project of your project, you will need to have clear idea of the specific changes and improvements your project will have in your neighbourhood. 

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