Tatsfield Parish Council Website
Tatsfield Parish Council Grant Awarding Policy
Tatsfield Parish Council welcomes applications for Grants from Village groups and organisations as well as other bodies providing services to Tatsfield residents.
In all requests the Parish Council will apply their Grant Awarding Policy (most recently approved September 2015) which can be seen below.
It is possible that the Parish Council will request a copy of the organisation's accounts.
Funding support will be made available to the voluntary and community sector organizations that are – Based in or around Tatsfield and delivering activities or services to the people of Tatsfield Based outside Tatsfield but are providing activities or services not otherwise available to the people of Tatsfield.
A grant is defined as an award of funds to an organisation or individuals to undertake voluntary and community activities. The organisation themselves determine their activities and the council makes a financial contribution through awarding funding.
[a] An eligible group will usually –
Be a non profit making body or they recycle profits or income for the public good.
Work for the benefit of the community of Tatsfield
Be independent and determine their own aims and objectives
e formally constituted, have a management committee made up of volunteers who are the employing body, range from small local self help groups to branches of national charities
Have a formal constitution and/or have a charitable status
[b] Eligible groups can also include –
Voluntary organisations which employ paid workers for their experience or skills and may or may not have volunteers to carry out some of their activities
Community groups generally which have no paid workers and so are made up entirely of volunteers
Organisations that provide services specifically useful to Tatsfield residents.
[c] Tatsfield Parish Council will allocate resources to eligible groups –
Against clear and consistent criteria
That achieve quality and effectiveness of services
Have common and transparent arrangements for agreeing objectives, monitoring performance and evaluation
[d] In order to maintain a consistent approach, all requests for grant funding will be reviewed by Tatsfield Parish Council in the following areas to achieve best value –
Level of service delivery / value for money
Quality service
Financial management
If there is a real need for financial assistance from the Council
Governance
Meeting changing needs
Attracting new funding resources
Reducing duplication
Increase voluntary involvement
The availability of funds to support voluntary activity is dependent on the Council’s overall financial position and the choices it makes when allocating its resources. Tatsfield Parish Council will supply direct financial support in the form of grants to eligible bodies.
Decision making will be on the basis as set out in point 3 and a decision will be made by Tatsfield Parish Council Members at the next Council meeting but usually within 8 weeks of application.
[a] The council recognises that performance management is an important means of showing that the public money is spent in the right way and achieves best value.
[b] In the allocation of monies, there will be the need to ensure the effective monitoring and evaluation which focuses on outcomes. To achieve this it is proposed that –
Monitoring should be proportionate to the amount of funding support awarded
Monitoring should also be used to demonstrate achievement
Information collecting should be kept as simple as possible for groups
There are various associated risks involved in providing funding support. Voluntary and community groups will be encouraged to carry out risk assessments to identify possible areas of concern, for example:
• Audit processes
• Process in place to minimise fraud
• Safeguarding