Moray Federation of Community Halls & Associations

Moray Federation of Community Halls & Associations

Funding for Village Halls

We are all finding it increasingly difficult to find levels of funding support to enable us to repair or maintain the structure of our Village Halls, but there are funds still available to help, the following information may be of help to you.

LATEST FUNDING NEWS

Moray Alcohol & Drug Partnership

Applications for funding are now being sought to provide initiatives that will have additional benefits for drug & alcohol services in Moray. Information can be found in the Guidance Notes or from their website www.madp.org.uk

Scottish Rural Development Programme - LEADER

LEADER is a new innovative rural development funding programme for Communities and Groups in Rural Moray.

Part of the new Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP), LEADER is aimed at promoting economic and community development within rural areas. The current LEADER Programme will run from 2008-2013 and will encourage new and experimental approaches to rural development. The SRDP and LEADER are funded by the Scottish Government and the European Commission.

The new LEADER fund for Moray is an opportunity for participating groups to develop projects that will strengthen the social, economic and environmental fabric of Moray's rural communities.

For advice on eligibility or those considering submitting an application for LEADER funds please contact the LEADER Programme Team. The LEADER team are here to help and look forward to discussing your ideas with you and your group.

AWARDS FOR ALL

Lottery funding through the Awards for All programme is still available in Scotland, applications for funding between £500 & £10,000 is still available.

More information is available from this website:- http://www.awardsforall.org.uk/scotland/index.html

ARGOS IN THE COMMUNITY
Argos has developed a new charity policy to meet growing needs of charities and associations, which contact the company for donations. Support is given only to registered charities and non-profit making organisations—not trusts and foundations.
For further information, please contact : Media Relations , 489-499 Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 2NW or send an email to— MEDREL@argos.co.uk

B&Q have a significant influence on the communities in which they operate, not least because of the employment they provide and the contribution they make through local projects and strategic partnership initiatives. B&Q are committed to involving its stores in building upon these benefits, and in working to avoid or minimise any negative impacts. Their aim is for all their stores to be welcomed as 'good neighbours' in the communities that they serve.

Supporting community projects
B&Q have been involved in thousands of great community projects up and down the country. Many of them start with donations of waste materials such as timber and paint, however, they also recognise that sometimes these projects need additional support to help get them started.

B&Q One Planet Living (OPL) Grants
Since 1997 B&Q has supported the Better Neighbour Grant scheme, offering funding, in the way of B&Q materials, to projects that involve and have long-term benefits to local communities. In 2008 the scheme was re-launched as the B&Q One Planet Living Grants.

The One Planet Living Grants offer between £50 and £500 of B&Q materials for projects supporting at least one of the following themes – environment/energy saving, natural habitats/wildlife and local culture/heritage.

Each store has a 'limited' budget and may not always be able to offer help should their budget be exhausted. However, through making contact, if stores are unable to help on the first occasion, they may be able to help in the future or be able to offer assistance through waste donation.

How to apply: The One Planet Living Grant is for local organisations to apply directly to their local B&Q store. They are launched every January.
For more information visit— www.diy.com/awards

 

For 2008 it might be worthwhile keeping your eyes and ears open with regard to Land Management Contracts, administered by SEERAD, as it seems likely that these funds could be used to support individual Village Halls. More on this when I get the full story.

Village Halls website has a very useful publication which takes you through the process of applying for funding. For regularly updated information on funding opportunities for Community Halls follow this link.

Funding Opportunities

Rural Development Small Awards Fund and details are on the website
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Rural/rural-policy/16780/6554

Application forms and leaflets are also available at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1113/0022068.doc
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1113/0018125.pdf
they even give the marking criteria
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1113/0019084.doc

Details can be found at
Rural Development Small Awards Fund, Scottish Executive, Mailpoint 1D, Pentland House, 47 Robb's Loan, Edinburgh, EH14 1TY.
tel: 0131 244 3885
Fax: 0131 244 3101
and by email at rdsaf@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Unfortunately it talks about the scheme ending at the end of 2007, so people may need to be quick.

The Mary Salmond Trust

It is aimed at community and youth organisations in the North East, including Moray. The Mary Salmond Trust (after his mother) covers the Gordon constituency which includes the part of Moray covering Keith, Newmill, Mulben, Grange, Rothiemay, Knock and Drummuir. The only contact given was by post to: The Mary Salmond Trust, Messrs McColl and Associates Ltd, 11 Burns Road, Aberdeen AB15 4NT.

The Body ShopThe Body Shop have introduced a novel way to fundraise and establish a social opportunity, as Donna Gray explains:"A Body Shop event involves me coming along to your venue, arranging a display of products from The Body Shop (more details here) it is really just as you would have a party in an individuals home only on a larger scale. Hosts of parties normally receive gifts for holding their parties but when we do a fundraiser we give a donation to funds instead. Usually this is 10% of sales, if we have a particularly successful party then we can give a little more.

Once the display is set up and the guests have arrived, I demonstrate the products, guests get to sample, smell and feel the products working usually on the back of their hands. It is really a very sensory experience. Then once the demo is finished about 20 minutes after that once they have selected the products they would like to purchase and I've had a chance to help them with their order. They can then have a refreshment and then we usually do a prize draw or the hall does perhaps a raffle (again adding more funds) Products are then delivered to a nominated person for them to distribute to their customers. Commitee members or anyone wishing to help raise funds can also have catologues before hand and collect orders outwith the actual event from friends/family/neighbours. As all sales count towards the total.

You can sell tickets for a ladies night (more funds) or you can just put up posters and tell everyone that The Body Shop is bringing the store to their door that afternoon/evening."To contact Donna either ring her on 07729183957 or email her here