Funds

Gateshead Community Network Small Grants fund

Great North Forest Travel grants
John Haswell Memorial Trust

Great North Forest Travel grants
           

The countryside of the Great North Forest is on your doorstep. It covers 96 square miles of beautiful countryside for your group to visit, explore and enjoy.

Your group can:
enjoy a walk, cycle, horse ride or picnic
learn about historical heritage
get involved in practical and educational work

participate in a health walk or fitness trail
enjoy educational work for all skills and ages
write, draw, paint, sketch, dream . . .

Sites near Gateshead include:
sculpture trails
long distance walks and cycle ways
local walking routes
woodlands full of wildlife and wild flowers
ponds full of wildfowl and wildlife
and much, much more.

If your group would like to visit the Great North Forest and needs transport costs, why not apply for a grant? Read further to see if you are eligible ..

Minimum grant is       £25.00

Maximum grant is       £100.00

The group doesn't even have to be constituted.

Only transport costs will be funded through Gateshead based, community transport schemes, of which there are currently 3.

Grants must be used within three months.

Decisions made monthly.

EXCLUSIONS : Film costs, parking tickets, retrospective

THIS IS NOW A ROLLING PROGRAMME, THEREFORE NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT DEADLINES!!

For more information on where to visit and accessible sites, please contact:

Great North Forest

On (01207) 524888

Or visit www.greatnorthforest.co.uk

To apply for a grant, contact

Gateshead Voluntary Organisations Council

On (0191) 478 4103

e-mail: enquiries @ gvoc.org.uk

or download an application form in word format Application Form

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John Haswell Memorial Trust

Show me the Guidelines

This trust was set up with funds remaining after John Haswell House was purchased. The money was raised in memory of John Haswell, a local solicitor who was very active in the voluntary sector and very generous with his time. He died unexpectedly and friends wanted his name to continue.

During the 1960s and 70s there was very little activity within the trust. When GVOC took control of the trust the legal arrangements weren't finalised until 1987 and the trust was not reinstated until 1988. A new set of guidelines for grant giving were established and revised in 1994. The spirit of the original, and present, aims are to:

make applying as easy as possible
encourage new and emerging groups
be flexible about capital and revenue projects
support existing groups with training and equipment
ensure the grant was needed and would be well used
monitor the effectiveness of the grants

Subsequently, these have also been added:
repeat grants will not be given in any one year
maximum grant of £400
signed receipt required for all cheques issued
grants for photocopying/printing - GVOC account to be set up
follow up calls occasionally made by Trust Secretary
grants to recoup costs will not be supported

Since 1989/90 Gateshead MetroCentre have donated the coins from the fountains and this is the trust's only source of income.

Volunteers clean and count every single penny at a secret location. The cleaning of coins, to make them legal tender after being soaked in chlorine for weeks, was very difficult and time-taking. Many methods have been used over the years. Soaked in cola (great but too expensive) and washed in a cement mixer (also great but far too noisy)! The most successful came from two engineering students from the University of Northumbria and the very same recommended mixture is still used today.

The Panel comprises of GVOC staff, management committee members, a representative from Gateshead MetroCentre and local people for their local knowledge and experience.

Guidelines

What is the Fund for?

This fund supports the development of NEW work through start up grants, grants for small pieces of equipment and funding of more complex initiatives. It is designed to be used by both new groups and more established voluntary organisations.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be charitable or voluntary organisations based or active within Gateshead. Groups do not have to be a registered charity to apply for funds. Statutory organisations will NOT be eligible for grants.

What will grants be given for?

Grants (from £25 to £400) will be awarded to help with the costs of new pieces of work or developments. Applications are particularly welcomed for the following:

For small and starting groups:

Furniture, equipment, one-off start up costs, project costs, or training costs, information on model or pilot projects elsewhere which Gateshead groups seek to study.

For larger, established organisations:

Conferences, training, seminars and initiatives to co-ordinate joint use of resources, or to establish local expertise in areas of use to voluntary organisations.

• individuals; only groups or organisations are eligible
• salary costs
• any ongoing running costs of projects
• partial funding for large general appeals
• training course fees outside of the area where expertise will not be shared with other Gateshead groups
• recouping of costs

How do we apply?

The application form MUST be completed in full and returned to Victoria Clark at John Haswell House. The Panel meets to discuss applications and distribute funds bi-monthly. Applicants are encouraged to consult with the Trust Secretary prior to applying.

Are there any conditions attached?

All grants awarded must only be used for the purpose or purposes stated in the application form. Copies of any correspondence, receipts or papers, which confirm how the grant is spent, must be forwarded to the Panel Secretary.

The Panel regrets that no completed applications via email can be accepted. A decision is reached every two months. All applications are acknowledged.

Contact GVOC for an application form, or Victoria Clark for advice.

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Gateshead Community Network Small Grants Fund

Get your group off to a flying start!!!

Gateshead Community Network is offering the opportunity to new community groups to access small grants of £25—£1500 for work within their communities. This fund will be focussed on supporting new community organisations to help them set up and get started with activities or to develop their group.

Who can apply?

New and emerging voluntary and community groups working in Gateshead, i.e. newly formed community groups, and those groups who have become constituted within the last 12 months are eligible to apply.

Support is available for groups to get started and also help to fill in the application form.  Contact Ruth Dodds on (0191) 478 4103 or e-mail info @ empowergateshead.org.uk for more information, or to arrange an informal advice session.

Small Grants fund criteria

Small Grants fund application form