Small Grants PB Fund Round 5: Community Groups In Cumbernauld Invited To Apply For Up To £1,000

Cornerstone House Centre is delighted to announce that Cumbernauld CAN (Community Anchor Network) is returning with its latest small grants programme, with applications now being accepted from community and voluntary organisations.

Small Grants PB Fund Round 5 is being rolled out with a view to investing £20,000 across multiple community activities and projects which seek to support, strengthen and improve the Greater Cumbernauld area and its people.

Through four previous initiatives (Small Grants PB Fund Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4), a total of £63,912 was distributed amongst 61 community groups, benefiting the local area markedly. Notably, a spectrum of impactful activities was delivered following awarding of funds to 22 organisations through Small Grants PB Fund Round 4 in April 2022.

This included the subsidising of almost 3,000 miles of journeys for cancer patients attending important hospital appointments, establishment of equipment to enable two Scout Groups to take children camping during the summer, coordination of a ‘Supporting Offliners’ programme for local people unable to access services due to digital exclusion and supporting the acquisition of the historic Braehead Cottages building as a community asset.

In recent years, the small grants programme has contributed significantly to improving the organisation, outcomes and scope of several small to medium sized charities, social enterprises and community groups operating in Greater Cumbernauld. It has also been prominent in helping a number of small, volunteer-led groups sustain and develop during the difficult period of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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APPLYING FOR FUNDING: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

What Is Cumbernauld CAN (Community Anchor Network)?

In 2020, social enterprise and community anchor charity Cornerstone House Centre initiated the launch of Cumbernauld CAN (Community Anchor Network), a project supported by Scottish Government which aims to develop the connected capacity of the Greater Cumbernauld community.

The project strives to enable Cumbernauld residents and organisations to work together to become better at responding to local needs. In this respect, Cumbernauld CAN seeks to provide way to help local communities improve the place where they live. The initiative focuses on the principles and objectives identified with Scottish Government’s Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and Fairer Scotland Action Plan.  

Cumbernauld CAN is working to develop, strengthen and grow the community’s capacity to make a positive contribution to the wellbeing of Greater Cumbernauld. A key element of the programme involves initiating Participatory Budgeting (PB) opportunities for local groups and citizens. PB is a process where ordinary people are given power to democratically make decisions on how public funding is spent.

Small Grants PB Fund Round 5: Apply For A Grant Of Between £100 And £1,000

Through Small Grants PB Round Fund 5, 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 funding grant of between £100 and £1,000 to deliver any specified community-benefiting proposal. This includes organisations that cover a wider geographical area but intend to utilise the funds exclusively to benefit the Greater Cumbernauld locality.

Applicant groups must not have had an annual organisational income exceeding £100,000 in their latest set of accounts or financial records. Should applications to the Fund be oversubscribed, Cornerstone House Centre has the discretion to assess organisation applications with reference to their levels of unrestricted cash and bank balances shown in their last set of accounts or financial records.

Proposals which seek to contribute to the Greater Cumbernauld area’s response to the cost of living crisis, COVID-19 pandemic recovery and Scottish Government net zero carbon emission targets are eligible and actively encouraged.

To submit a proposal, please download and complete Small Grants PB Fund Round 5 Application Form and email this to events@cornerstone-house.org.uk by no later than 12.00noon on Monday 24 October 2022. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.

The Public Decide: Community Voting Determines The Outcome Of All Proposals

Once the deadline for applications is reached, Cumbernauld citizens will be invited to take part in a Community Voting Survey to decide on which proposals are awarded funding.

Key information that applicant organisations provide about their proposal within their submitted Application Form will be included alongside details of all other proposals in this Survey, which will be promoted and distributed widely to individuals and organisations across Greater Cumbernauld during November 2022.

Once the Survey has closed, an independent Cumbernauld CAN Steering Group (consisting of experienced members of the public, private and voluntary sectors) will verify the results to ensure transparency has been adhered to. Finally, voting results will be publically released in December 2022 and a proportion of proposals receiving the highest number of votes will be funded.

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For further information on Small Grants PB Fund Round 5, 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 5 Guidance Notes and Application Form