Friday 21 December 2012

TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT APPLYING FOR OSCOTT COMMUNITY CHEST FUNDING

Many people get mixed up when it comes to dealing with Councils and their time scales. They work in financial year time frames. April to April.

With This in mind I thought I would remind you it is not to early to start preparing a bid for the next round of Oscotts Community Chest funding. (There will be more competition than ever this year) AND THERE IS NOT OF MONEY AVAILABLE IN THE FIRST PLACE also sadly there will be an increase in the bureaucracy involved.

Application forms should be sent out from February onwards and notices will go up in Libraries, in time for the spring dead line.
However now is the time whether you are a local organisation or an individual to consider how to put your bid together. The actual process of decision making can take some time so the sooner the bid goes in the better.





Bids are assessed by a Oscott Ward Support officer for suitability and then put to the Oscott Ward Advisory Board (which is made up from Community Group leaders, councillors, the Police and other Voluntary organisations). who then, scrutinise the bids before prioritising them and recommending them to the Councillors on the Ward Committee. Sadly because of limited funding some bids have to be rejected although those making the bid make be advised to look at more suitable funding from other quarters.
Finally the Ward Councillors Which is made up of Councillor Barbara Dring, Councillor Tristan Chatfield and myself make a decision regarding the recommendations' in public at a Ward Committee meeting.


Those receiving funding are are asked to give a feed back at a later date on how the money was spent.

In the past we gave given small amounts of funding for example to Community groups of all sorts to help them engage the community.
Voluntary organisations have received funding.
 Funding has also been given for environmental improvements, Community safety, helping the elderly. helping the disabled, helping young people find things to do and struggling young families .

If you want to know more about how to make a bid and what can be funded please contact the Oscott Ward Support Officer on 675 2349

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