ROSE HILL REGENERATION PARTNERSHIP

INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE Introduction

Community First is an 80m government-funded initiative that will run for four years, until March 2015. The programme will help communities come together to identify their strengths and local priorities in order to plan for their future and become more resilient. It will fund both new and existing community groups. Through this programme the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership has been developed and is made up of the following organisations: Oxford Citizens Housing Association (OCHA) Oxford City Council Rose Hill Community Association Rose Hill & Donnington Advice Centre Rose Hill Methodist Church Rose Hill Asian Womens Group Rose Hill African Womens Group Rose Hill Football Club Rose Hill Childrens Centre

This partnership has been developed to award grants to small community groups and organisations whose project is of benefit to the local community in Rose Hill. Community organisations and groups can apply for a grant of up to 750. There is no minimum grant. We have tried to make the application form as easy as possible to fill in. If you need some help or clarification when completing the application form please contact Cheryl Snudden on 01865 252646 or email at communities@oxford.gov.uk

How to Apply
Please read the Information and Guidance thoroughly, in particular the Target Groups and Criteria sections. When you are sure you are eligible to apply please complete an application form and then email or post it to Cheryl Snudden, Neighbourhood Locality Officer, Oxford City Council, 2nd Floor St Aldates Chamber, 109-113 St Aldates, Oxford, OX1 1DS by the deadline. Application Forms are available from Rose Hill Regeneration Partnerships website http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decC/CommunityFirstFund.htm#1

or at Rose Hill Community Centre, Rose Hill Childrens Centre, or we can post one out to you.

The deadlines are 4pm on: 1st May 2012 30th June 2012 16th November 2012 18th January 2013

Please note that we will need to know exactly how much money you need and what it will be spent on, so please get quotes to make your figures as accurate as possible. When you have filled in the form we recommend that you take a photocopy before you send it in for your own record.

Completing the Form Section 1

Name of Group/Organisation This should be the name of the group taking forward the project. Contact Name This is the name of the person responsible for leading on the project from your group/organisation. Daytime telephone number This is the most convenient number for you to be contacted on. Description of your group/organisation You will need to let us know the aims and objectives of your group/organisation; this may be your terms of reference and if you are a voluntary organisation. Additionally tell us what your organisation does. Funding Give details of any funding you have received in the last 2 years and provide details of the group/organisations bank details, please note funds will not be paid into an individual bank account and the group/organisation bank account will need to have at least 2 signatures. Recent accounts Please provide a copy of your recent accounts. Your Project What do you want the funding for? This space is for you to tell the panel the details of the project you need funding for. Include details of what you want to do, when it will take place (eg.1 day event or 6 week course), where it will take place. How will your project benefit the Rose Hill & Iffley Community?

Let the panel know what difference or changes you would expect to see as a result of your project taking place. For example will it reduce anti-social behaviour, respond to a highlighted need by community members or bring the community together at an event.

What group(s) of people will your project help? Please let us know who will benefit from your project taking place, you can circle as many groups as you need. Or use the space to tell us who will benefit. How many people will benefit from your project? Use this space to let us know how many people you expect your project will benefit. This may be just your group/organisation or the whole community.

Section 2
Revenue This is where you need to list each service you will need to pay, this can be people or businesses. Capital This is where you will need to list items such as equipment that you will need for your project. Total Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership Funding Use this box to tell us how much funding you require from the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership Volunteer Time Use this space to tell us how many and how long volunteers will be working on this project. The cost per hour per volunteer is 11.09. Volunteer time is important as it has a monetary value which needs to be used as match funding. All Community First Funding needs to have the same amount of match funding as the grant requested, this can either be from in kind services, actual funding or volunteer time. Other funding You will need to show us where other funding is coming from for your project, this may be from other agencies, funding streams, businesses or individual etc All Community First Funding needs to have the same amount of match funding as the grant requested, this can either be from in kind services, actual funding or volunteer time. Total cost of project This is where you tell us the total amount of funding that the whole project will need. You will need to include any match funding, volunteer or in kind elements into this total.

Target Groups
Preference will be given to projects helping the following target groups living on Rose Hill & Iffley: - Black and minority ethnic communities - Disengaged young people - People with health related problems - Disabled people - Lone parents - Unemployed people - Older people living alone - Rose Hill Community

What kind of things does the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership fund?
Social events for the community, e.g. fun days, a street party Items of equipment e.g. games for a youth club; crockery for a lunch club Additional activities to expand an existing funded project Printing and publicity for your community event/project Activities that meet an identified need in the local community Training to improve your organisations effectiveness such as help with the management of your organisation, financial management, fundraising, or developing a business plan Local events and one-off projects Volunteers expenses such as travel, childcare, refreshments, etc Funding to support an organisation to achieve a quality or other standard relevant to their activities.

What the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership funding cannot fund

Any party political activity Commercial ventures Statutory organisation such as Local Authorities, schools and the Police Arms length public sector organisations that are controlled wholly or in part by for example, a Local Authority, a Primary Care Trust or agencies of these organisations. Individuals Retrospective funding for project costs that have already occurred or commenced. Activities that promote a religious viewpoint Projects that do not primarily benefit Rose Hill residents

Assessing Applications
Once your application has been received and the deadline has passed it is assessed by the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership. You will be informed of the outcome of your application 2 - 3 weeks after the deadline. After this time you will be sent an

Award Letter detailing the conditions of your grant and funding will be made direct to your bank account.

Important Information
Preference will be given to small local community/voluntary groups It is not necessary for groups to have a constitution to apply but the group should have agreed aims and objectives. Applicants MUST have a group bank account with 2 signatories or nominate an organisation which has a bank account with 2 signatories to hold funds on their behalf. We cannot pay money into personal bank accounts Grants are only awarded to community / voluntary groups delivering a project or activity that will benefit the residents of Rose Hill. Applicants must explain how the grant will improve the lives or environment of people in their community All projects funded by the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership must promote equality of opportunity Grants must be used for the activities as laid out in the grant application and for no other purpose, unless subsequently approved by the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership. Any change in use of the grant that has not been renegotiated and agreed with the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership will result in the group having to return the money. You will need to fill in a monitoring form on the completion of the project We require a short evaluation report at the end of your project to tell us how it went and what the benefits have been to local people. You will need to give us copies of the receipts to show how you have spent the money. If your matched funding is volunteer time we recommend you use an hourly rate of 11.09* to calculate the value of volunteer match funding.

Please send completed applications to: Oxford City Council, Communities & Neighbourhoods Team, 2nd Floor St Aldates Chambers, 109-113 St Aldates, Oxford, OX1 1DS

* The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings carried out by the Office for National Statistics provides within it the Median gross hourly earnings rate. From the current survey (December 2010) the Community Development Fund (CDF) are recommending community groups use an hourly rate of 11.09 to calculate the value of volunteer match time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Do I have to be living on Rose Hill to apply? A: No, but your project must be benefiting Rose Hill residents Q: Do I have to be part of a charity to apply? A: No, although we do fund charitable groups, we welcome applications from small community or voluntary groups of residents that want to deliver a project or activity that will benefit a group of people and not just an individual or family. Q: Can I apply for something I need in my garden, like a shed or bench? A: No, the funding is for projects that benefit the local community. You could apply if it were for benches in a communal garden shared by others. Q: What does match funding mean? A: Groups funded by the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership will need to demonstrate they are getting match funding from other sources. This could be money they are raising themselves through collections, sponsorship or volunteer time. If you are using volunteer time as your matched funding it is recommended that you use an hourly rate of 11.09 to calculate the value of this support. Q: On the application form it asks for a constitution. We do not have a constitution as we are an informal group. Can we still apply? A: Yes, you can still apply without a constitution, but you will need to provide details of your groups aims and objectives and have a group bank account with 2 signatories. We cannot pay money into personal bank accounts. Q: What does the Rose Hill Regeneration Partnership need from me after I apply? A: if you are awarded a grant from the Partnership then part of the acceptance of the award is that you will complete a monitoring form and evaluation report plus send us details of how you spent the money. This information is sent to you when we award the grant. Q: Why do you want to see our accounts? A: We wish to see your accounts/treasurers report so that when we are looking at how much money we can award to you, we see how much money you have already raised and spent. We are also able to see that there is a genuine need for the grant.