Monday 5 September 2016

People's Postcode Trust

The People’s Postcode Trust’s aim is to try to make the world a better place through short-term funding for grassroots community projects that help to prevent poverty, support healthy living initiatives and uphold human rights for some of society’s most vulnerable groups.
It will also consider projects which help different communities come together for better understanding and community relations.
The Trust wants to help organisations find real solutions to tackling the root causes of poverty and its long-term consequences by, for example, helping people gain the skills, knowledge and resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty.
Poverty prevention can focus on relieving other needs, such as those associated with ethnicity, geography, gender and lack of educational and skills development.
Examples of projects which may fit within the Trust’s criteria are:
o Training programmes to boost skills and opportunities for disadvantaged groups;
o Homelessness support;
o Prevention of anti-social behaviour in young people;
o Support for at-risk families (parenting support);
o Improvements to physical and mental health;
o Promotion of human rights;
o Services around domestic violence;
o Integrating refugees;
The following funding levels apply to specific applicants:
o Applicants that are not formally registered as a charity with Charity Commission can apply for up to £2,000 in funding, while
o Applicants that are registered with the Charity Commission and can provide a charity number can apply for between £500 and £20,000 (or £10,000 in Wales) in funding.
As a general guideline, the larger and longer the project the higher the amount it would be considered acceptable to request. The amount requested should be directly related to the strength of the long term outcomes of the project.
The following organisations are eligible to apply for between £500 and £2,000:
o Companies limited by guarantee with a non-profit purpose;
o Constituted voluntary organisation with no charity number;
o Community Interest Company (CIC) with no charity number;
o Constituted sports group with no charity number; and
o Organisations with tax exempt status but no registered charity number.
The following organisations are eligible to apply for between £500 and £20,000 (£10,000 in Wales):
o Constituted sports organisations that are registered with OSCR (the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator) or the Charity Commission; and
o Organisations with registered charity number or a Charitable Incorporated Organisation number.
The Trust will consider applications from branches of national charities if the branch has its own charity registration number. However, this does not extend to local Wildlife Trusts.
Projects likely to get funding need to demonstrate:
o Innovative and tangible impacts; and
o Sustainability: how the project will continue to benefit beneficiaries beyond its 12 months.
Funding is available for pilot projects as long as applicants can show how they intend to continue the project beyond the period of funding.
Funding is not made for general requests for running costs towards existing projects. However, if the existing project is to be expanded in a new way or into a new area then the project could be eligible.
General running costs that support the running of the project may be applied for. Requests for running costs can be up to 20% of the total amount applied for. Requests for project staff and sessional salaries can be up to 50% of the total amount applied for. Requests for volunteering expenses can be up to 25% of the total amount applied for.
Applications for building renovations must have an ecological impact, or demonstrate a wider impact on the organisation such as enabling new and vital services to take place.  
Marketing costs are eligible for funding as long as they are no more than 10% of the total amount requested.
All applicants must be able to provide proof they are a constituted organisation and have a bank account., while all registered charities with an income above £25,000 are expected to have a financial reserves strategy in place. All funding must be spent within 12 months of the date received and applicants must be able to provide receipts equalling the total amount awarded. Any unspent funds must be refunded to People’s Postcode Trust. 
Funding is not available for:
o Requests for sporting kit or equipment;
o Community development projects including Community Centre renovations, activities aimed at involving isolated groups within the community in ways that do not relieve poverty or benefit their long-term physical or mental health; or activities promoting a community’s social history,  oractivities promoting community arts projects.
o The improvement of green-spaces; improve habitats; enhance or protect biodiversity;
o Charities that appear to have excessive unrestricted or free reserves and no policy to reflect the rationale behind this;
o Organisations that have previously been funded by the Postcode Community Trust and that did not comply with all the funding requirements in full;
o The promotion of religion;
o Bodies seeking to distribute grants/funds to others;
o Political parties or activities;
o City councils, local authorities or government/statutory bodies;
o Projects or activities that the state has a legal obligation to provide;
o Local authority-run schools and nurseries, private schools PTA groups and universities;
o Private clubs for those with restricted memberships, or organisations that charge rates that will exclude disadvantaged groups;
o Projects that cannot be maintained due to high ongoing costs or the need for longterm specialist skills;
o Feasibility studies or research;
o Umbrella groups which do not provide a direct service to individuals;
o General awareness raising projects;
o General marketing appeals (including website development) or sponsorship;
o Events such as conferences, day trips, seminars, galas, festivals or activity weekends;
o Generally speaking, the Trust will not fund very short-term projects;
o Training or educational workshops that do not result in a tangible outcome for participants;
o Medical research, advice and equipment;
o End of life or palliative care, including hospices;
o Building renovations that are purely for cosmetic purposes;
o Renovations or installations of toilets, showers, lifts or changing rooms;
o The purchase of items or salary costs that are excessively priced; or
o Sessional or staff salaries that charge an excessive hourly rate.  
In addition, the following are unlikely to receive funding:
o Exercise classes for elderly or disabled people where the outcome is social rather than health;
o Youth clubs that exist for socialisation and don’t offer a qualification;
o Projects that simply boost the confidence of participants;
o General activities with, for example, refugees that don’t help to integrate them into their communities.
The final application round for 2016 in England, Wales and Scotland is Thursday 1st September to 5pm on Friday 30th September 2016.
Application forms are available to complete online at the Trust’s website.
Applicants wishing to discuss their project proposals should contact People’s Postcode Trust’s Management Team (PLEASE NOTE: this is an extremely competitive grants programme, so discussing your project with the Trust’s management team to check whether it will qualify for funding may be advisable).
Contact details for the People’s Postcode Trust are:
The Management Team
The People's Postcode Lottery
76 George Street
Edinburgh EH2 3BU
Tel: 0131 555 7287
Email: 
info@postcodetrust.org.uk
(Source: GRIN)

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