Community and voluntary organisations operating in Greater Cumbernauld have just a few days left to submit an application for up to £500 to deliver a proposal which seeks to benefit people living in the local area.
Earlier this month, Cornerstone House Centre announced that the highly popular and impactful Cumbernauld CAN (Community Anchor Network) was welcoming submissions for its latest small grants programme, Small Grants PB Fund Round 3.
This funding stream is being rolled out with a view to enabling multiple community activities and projects which aim to support, strengthen and improve the Greater Cumbernauld area and its people.
However, to be in with a chance of being awarded funding through an exciting Participatory Budgeting (PB) process, your organisation needs to be quick as applications must be submitted to Cornerstone House Centre by no later than 12.00noon on Monday 31 May 2021, as specified below.
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CUMBERNAULD CAN (COMMUNITY ANCHOR NETWORK): WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
Cumbernauld CAN is a Scottish Government-supported project of Cornerstone House Centre which strives to enable Cumbernauld residents and organisations to work together to become better at responding to local needs.
To this end, ‘Cumbernauld CAN’ provides ways to help the local community improve the places where they live. The innovation focuses on the principles and objectives identified with Scottish Government’s Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and Fairer Scotland Action Plan.
The Cumbernauld CAN project provides a platform for local communities to become stronger and more resilient over a three-year period. This is being done in both a strategic and a practical way, with Cornerstone House Centre facilitating leadership and interventions as a recognised Community Anchor Organisation.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT OF BETWEEN £50 and £500 THROUGH SMALL GRANTS PB FUND ROUND 3
Through Small Grants PB Round Fund 3, not-for-profit community groups (including but not exclusively charities, SCIOs, social enterprises and unincorporated associations) operating or providing services within Greater Cumbernauld (incorporating Northern Corridor, Kilsyth and surrounding villages) can apply for a grant of between £50 and £500 to deliver any specified community-benefiting proposal. This includes organisations that cover a wider geographical area but intend to utilise the funds specifically to benefit Greater Cumbernauld.
Applicant groups must not have had an annual organisational income exceeding £100,000 in any financial year since 2018. Proposals which seek to contribute to the Greater Cumbernauld area’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are eligible for submission.
To submit a proposal, please download and complete Small Grants PB Fund Round 3 Application Form and email this to events@cornerstone-house.org.uk by no later than 12.00noon on Monday 31 May 2021. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.
THE PUBLIC DECIDE WHICH APPLICATIONS ARE SUCCESSFUL AND AWARDED FUNDING
Once the deadline for applications is reached, Cumbernauld citizens will be invited to be part of a Participatory Budgeting process to decide on which proposals are awarded funding. Participatory Budgeting is a methodology where ordinary people are given power to democratically and collectively make key decisions on how public funding is spent.
Hence, key information that applicant organisations provide about their proposal within their submitted Application Form will be included alongside details of all other proposals in an online Community Voting Survey. This will be promoted and distributed widely to individuals and organisations across Greater Cumbernauld during June 2021.
After the Survey has closed, an independent, expert and esteemed Cumbernauld CAN Steering Group will verify the final results to ensure that transparency has been adhered to. Finally, voting results will be publically released in July 2021 and a proportion of proposals receiving the highest number of votes will be funded.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT OF SIMILAR FUNDING ROUNDS IN THE PAST?
Through two previous initiatives (Small Grants PB Fund Rounds 1 and 2), a total of £33,882 has been distributed to 36 community groups, benefiting the local area significantly. Indeed, an array of impactful activities are currently in the process of being delivered following awarding of funds to 27 organisations through Small Grants PB Fund Round 2 in February.
This includes the installation of a life-saving defibrillator for full-time use in the communities of Mollinsburn, Muirhead, Chryston and Mount Ellen, the purchase of clothing for primary school aged children affected by poverty, the provision of socially-distanced drive-through cinema nights to engage and entertain young people and the furnishing of four refuge accommodation houses for Cumbernauld women and children affected by domestic abuse.
In 2020, 11 community groups received funding and initiated a range of successful projects through Small Grants PB Fund Round 1. This funding round enabled activities such as establishment of a new weekly running event in Cumbernauld, continuation of a ‘Sheila Shed’ group for older women in the local area, facilitation of outings for children with additional support needs and teaching repair skills to Cumbernauld citizens.
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For further information on Small Grants PB Fund Round 3, or to request an Application Form by post, please contact Cornerstone House Centre on 01236 739220 or email events@cornerstone-house.org.uk.
Click Here to Download Small Grants PB Fund Round 3 Guidance Notes and Application Form