We Are Cally Residents Grants Guidance Notes 2021

Introduction

Islington Council is excited to be working with local people and organisations to shape a brighter future for the Cally.

We are Cally is our new approach to creating better opportunities in the area around Caledonian Road. We’ve agreed plans for improving the Jean Stokes Community Centre and creating a Youth Employment Hub at West Library. We’ve gathered thoughts and ideas from people who live and work in Cally and used what we heard to write a community plan for the area. Now, we’re launching the We are Cally Residents Grants, to help Cally residents who have ideas to put into action.

Grants of up to £500 are available to local community groups and Cally residents who want to work with their neighbours to make something happen. This might be putting on a community event, making a space greener, running activities for children and young people, or sharing stories about Cally with other residents. We want to hear your ideas.

These guidance notes are here to help you understand the We are Cally Residents Grants process and write a good application. They contain the following sections:
Part 1. About this Funding Programme
Part 2. Key Dates for Your Diary
Part 3. What and Who We Can Fund
Part 4. Your Application
Part 5. The Assessment Process
Part 6. Receiving a Grant

We understand that a written application form might make it difficult for some people to apply for a grant. If you need help with your application or need application documents in a different format, please contact the Community Development Officer for Cally, Barry Winchester, on 07817 088256 or barry.winchester@islington.gov.uk.

Part 1. About this Funding Programme

Over the last six months, Islington Council’s Community Partnerships team have spoken to over 150 people who live or work in Cally to find out what is good about life in the area, what challenges local people face, and what people’s hopes are for change over the coming years. This engagement has formed the basis of the We are Cally Community Plan, which lays out shared ambitions for Cally by 2024 and the steps that will be taken to get there, by the council, voluntary sector organisations, and residents.

Islington Council have established the We are Cally Community Fund to enable residents and local charities to run projects and activities that address priorities laid identified in the community plan. £10,000 of this fund has been set aside for We are Cally Residents Grants: grants of up to £500 for groups of residents who want to act on things that matter to them.

The We are Cally Plan has five main goals:

• to create more opportunities for children, young people and families so that young people in Cally get the best possible start in life
• to boost the local economy by supporting local businesses and helping local people into training and work
• to strengthen community connections
• to make Cally a greener place, with attractive parks and open spaces that are used by everyone
• to improve health and wellbeing and tackle poor air quality

We are looking for ideas for projects and events, which contribute to these goals, are led by residents, and have a positive impact on the Cally community.

We are Cally Residents Grants are here to fund residents and community groups who may normally find it difficult to get funding. Islington Council have arranged for established local voluntary sector organisations to support your application and the delivery of your project, if needed. The Community Development Officer for the Cally is also available to help you through the process.

Part 2: Key Dates for Your Diary

10 May 2021: Applications for We are Cally Residents Grants open
9 June 2021 at midday: Closing date for applications
2 July 2021: We will notify you by this date if you have been successful or unsuccessful
31 December 2021: Projects need to be finished by this date

Part 3. What and Who We Can Fund

We welcome applications from groups of residents and community groups who wish to make a positive difference to the Cally area.

Your project might bring people together around food. Perhaps you are interested in telling the story of the Cally, for example through an art or storytelling project, or a podcast. You might have an idea for an activity for children and young people during the school holidays. Can you think or a way to help your neighbours save money and reduce waste through a ‘reuse and recycle’ scheme? Or do you have an idea that will bring people together to grow plants on your estate, helping to make Cally greener?

We are open to all these ideas, and more. The key thing is that your project or event is led by residents, and helps a wider group of people in Cally. We are particularly interested in applications from groups of residents who usually miss out.

We encourage potential applicants to contact the Community Development Officer for Cally to talk through your idea prior to applying.

The checklists below detail what and who can be funded by a We are Cally Residents Grant.

What we can fund

• All projects should contribute to at least one of the goals of the We are Cally Community Plan (see Part 1).
• Activities or event must be led by Cally residents
• The grant must benefit the wider Cally community, not just the people applying. This might be people on your estate or your street, or people who share a particular interest (for example, music or cycling) or aspect of their identity (for example, lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, or Bangladeshi young people).
• Any things you buy for your activity (for example, a sewing machine or garden tools) must be able to be used by a wider group of people, not just the people applying. We can’t fund the costs of alcohol.
• None of the applicants can be paid for organising the activity or event. You can use your grant to pay for services that you need to run your project (for example, the services of a bike mechanic or provider of a bouncy castle).
• You need to consider how people will be kept safe during the event or activity.

1. All in-person activities and events must be permissible according to current coronavirus restrictions and follow guidance on social distancing and hygiene.
2. You should consider how adults and children will be kept safe from harm or abuse.
3. You should carry out a risk assessment to help you think through safety issues.

Who we can fund

• Applications can be made by local community groups without paid staff (such as tenants and residents associations, parent-teacher associations, mutual aid groups, and friends of parks groups) or groups of three or more Cally residents who will work together to run a project or event. We cannot accept applications from individuals.
• There is no minimum age for applicants. We welcome applications from children and young people, which are supported by a youth group or other organisation.
• Constituted community groups (organisations with a legal document laying out its aims, activities and the processes by which it operates) can apply for a grant directly. Unconstituted groups or informal groups of neighbours will need their application to be supported by an established voluntary or community sector organisation, who will hold the grant on your behalf.
• Organisations directly receiving a grant or supporting an application need to have the following in place:

1. Constitution or governing document
2. Annual audited accounts, or accounts signed by Chair or Treasurer
3. Bank account, with most recent statement provided
4. Safeguarding Children Policy, if working with children. (A sample policy is available from the Islington Safeguarding Children’s Board.)
5. Safeguarding Adults Policy, if working with adults. (A sample policy is available from Voluntary Action Islington.)
6. Appropriate insurance for your activity. (Please see the separate Insurance Guidance Notes for more information.)
7. Organisations must not meet any grounds for mandatory exclusion for public funding or contravene the Equalities Act 2010.

We have organised for local voluntary groups to support you in planning and delivering your project. If you would like more information about who you can work with to support your idea, please contact the Community Development Officer for Cally.

Part 4. Your Application

How to apply

All applications must be made on the We are Cally Residents Grant application form. We will ask you some questions about your project, the people involved and the funding you need.

Telling us about you

We need to know some things about the people applying. There are two parts to this section of the form – you need to fill in the one that is right for you. If you are applying as an informal group of Cally residents you need to fill in part A. If you are applying on behalf of a constituted community group, you need to fill in part B.

Telling us about your project

We need you to tell us about the project you would like funded. The application form asks you to clearly describe your idea (in no more than 450 words), including:

• Why you want to do this project. What is the local need for this?
• Which of the priorities of the We are Cally Community Plan your project is contributing to.
• Who it will benefit, and how. Is the idea targeted towards any particular groups (e.g. women, young people, Black and Minority Ethnic groups) or is it designed for everyone? Is the idea targeted towards a particular area of Cally?
• We also need you to write a short project plan (in no more than 300 words).
  This should outline:

1. When you want to do this. A short timeline – when will it take place
2. Where your project will take place.
3. The main tasks needed to make this idea happen.

Buying things for your project

We will ask you how much money you need to run your project.

On the application form, please ensure you include the calculation for each item. For example, for venue costs, we would expect to see the hourly rate and the number of hours booked. Please also state specific items of expenditure. For example, ‘performance’ is too general and could include various costs, like the cost of performers, venue hire or props.

We would like to know if there is any other money from somewhere else that will go towards turning your idea into reality. You don’t need to have money from any other sources to make an application for a We are Cally Residents Grant.

Space to run your project

As part of your project plan, you need to tell us where your event or activity will take place.
If you need space to run your project, there are lots of possibilities in the Cally area.

• If you are planning to hold a street party, please see the council’s street party webpage for guidance.
• If you would like to use a local community centre, please contact:

1. Jean Stokes Community Centre: Barry Winchester, Community Development Officer: barry.winchester@islington.gov.uk or 07817 088256
2. Nailour Hall: Sandra Mannix, Community Centre Chair: sandramannix@live.co.uk
3. York Way Community Centre: Sandra Davies, Community Centre Chair: 07904 364 865

• If you want to deliver something in a park (e.g. Bingfield Park or Barnard Park), please email Bhupesh Thapa, Central Assistant Parks Manager: bhupesh.thapa@islington.gov.uk

Submitting your application

You should complete your application, responding to the information provided in this guidance and questions in the application form, and submit it by midday on 9 June 2021.

You can fill the application form in electronically and send it by email to: wearecally@islington.gov.uk. Or, if you do not have internet access, we can send you a paper copy which you can post to us at: We are Cally Residents Grants, Jean Stokes Community Centre, Carnoustie Drive, N1 0DX.

When we receive your application form, we will confirm that we have received it within two working days; if you don’t hear from us, please get in touch.
You do not need to send the documents listed in Part 3 with your application, but we may ask you or the organisation supporting you to show us these before you receive funding.

Part 5. The Assessment Process

Assessing your application

Your application will be looked at by a panel consisting of local councillors, a resident representative, the council’s Community Partnerships Manager, and a voluntary sector representative.

We may contact you if we require any further information to help us assess your application. We may also work with you to adjust your application and budget if needed.

When deciding which projects to fund, we will consider:

• How your project contributes to one or more of the goals of the We are Cally Community Plan
• The idea you want to have funded
• Who will benefit (We want to fund projects run by and for a diverse range of communities in Cally, and we may prioritise communities who have not been funded before.)
• How you will run the project (We will look at your budget and action plan.)

We will let you know by 2 July 2021 if you have been successful. We will give feedback to all unsuccessful applicants.

Appeals process

If you would like to appeal against any decision made during the application process, please email wearecally@islington.gov.uk. In the first instance, we will provide verbal feedback on the reasons for our decision. If you remain dissatisfied, you can submit a written appeal, which will be considered by the Head of Community Partnerships.

Part 6. Receiving a Grant

If you are successful, we will send you a grant agreement outlining the conditions of your grant, which you will need to sign and send back to us. You must use the grant for the project set out in your application. If you need to make changes to your project, you must contact us to check first.

You should acknowledge funding from the council when you talk about or promote your project. We will give you details of how to do this if you are successful.
Islington Council’s Community Partnerships team and local voluntary sector organisations are here to support you through the application process, and during the delivery of your project. This support could include:

• developing your idea
• recruiting and working with volunteers
• promoting your project to other Cally residents
• monitoring your project
• applying for future funding

People in Cally have lots of skills and expertise, and we want to help this to be shared across the community. We will invite you to meet with people running other projects funded by a We are Cally Residents Grant to share ideas and experiences.

We will visit as many projects as possible. For some projects, we’ll arrange to talk to people involved so we can find out more and tell other residents what has been achieved through the We are Cally Residents Grants programme.

At the end of your project, you will need to tell us what happened during your project by filling out a short report form. This will ask you questions about:

• The money you spent
• What you did (for example, the number of workshops you ran)
• Who the project benefitted
• What went well, what could have been better, and what you want to do next
• Your experience of applying to the We are Cally Residents Grants programme, and the support you were given

 Download the Application Form