Leisure Initiatives Fund

Leisure Initiatives Fund

This Fund is designed to enable agencies, community groups and voluntary organisations of any kind to contribute to the overall provision of leisure in Basingstoke and Deane. Funds can be used to provide opportunities for all people to enjoy a chosen activity, regardless of where they live in the borough.

Objectives

The main focus of this award is to develop areas of work that directly benefit residents of the borough by broadening access to leisure. This can be achieved in any of the following ways:

• Introducing new activities
• Developing audiences and venues
• Encouraging collaboration between amateur and professional organisations
• Promoting links with our twin towns of Alençon, Braine-l’Alleud and Euskirchen
• Working with target groups by training volunteers
• Funding towards start-up costs for new groups

A grant may also be awarded for equipment, provided that:

• It will enable an organisation to undertake leisure development work that it could not otherwise undertake
• The equipment purchased is available for use by more than one organisation

Who Can Apply?

Any organisation may apply provided that it:

• is non profit making (including charities) and is operated with no undue restrictions on membership
• operates in the borough of Basingstoke and Deane
• benefits residents of the borough

Other eligible applicants;

• Schools may apply for projects that benefit the wider community beyond the school

What are the priorities?

Priority will be given to:

• Organisations not in receipt of annual revenue funding
• Schemes designed to increase involvement and engagement by priority sectors of the community
• New initiatives or developments to existing work

What conditions must be satisfied?

• The project must not have started
• Applicants must demonstrate a need or demand for the project
• Applicants should be able to demonstrate that they cannot deliver the project from existing resources
• Applicants should be seeking, or have secured, financial assistance from other sources
• An organisation can only receive one grant from the Leisure Initiatives Fund in any financial year
• Repeat applications from organisations for identical projects are unlikely to receive funding.

What supporting information is required?

• Most recent audited or checked accounts
• Three most recent bank statements
• A copy of the organisation’s constitution, including aims and objectives
• Evidence of wider benefit to the community
• Evidence to demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to deliver the project

How much is available?

• 90% of project costs up to a maximum of £2,000
• Maximum grant of £1,000 for the purchase of equipment

Please note these are the maximum sums available – there is no guarantee you will receive these sums.

Payment conditions

Once the grant has been approved, the applicant will receive 80% of the total grant awarded. The remaining 20% will be paid on receipt of a final report on the implementation of the action.