Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council: Community Festivals Fund

Overview

Overview

The Community Festivals Fund was established in recognition of the positive contribution that festivals can make to communities and to the local economy. A key priority of Department for Communities is ‘to enable communities to enhance their quality of life through participation/engagement in culture, arts and leisure activities.’ (Department for Communities Community Festivals Fund Revised Policy and Guidance Framework October 2015).

 A community festival is a series of events (or a single event with several elements) with a common theme and delivered within a defined time period. A community festival is a festival which has developed from within a community and should celebrate and positively promote what the community represents. Community festivals are about participation, involvement and the creation of a sense of identity and are important in contributing to the social wellbeing of a community. 

This fund is for festivals that are developed by and for a community. They must be initiated and led by a community organisation or a community-led partnership. It is not enough to run a festival on behalf of a community - the community must play a strong part in the development and delivery of the festival and have ownership of it. 

What is a community? 

There are two types of communities that may apply to the Community Festival Fund: 

• Geographical communities - a town, village, neighbourhood, rural area.
• Communities of interest - a group of people who have a common interest, concern or characteristic. 

At least half of the participants in the festival should be from the local community that the event is based in. 

For the purposes of the Community Festival Fund, Department for Communities has stated that the following will apply:

• all Festivals must be culture based, where culture is defined as ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular people or social grouping
• all Festivals must demonstrate their commitment to promoting social cohesion, social inclusion, equality of opportunity and good community relations.

Levels of Funding

• One day community fun day type events. Events must be programmed to be of at least 4 hours consecutive duration and include a range of at least 3 types of activities to suit all sections of the community.
  • Up to £750
• Festival events lasting 2 consecutive days or more. Each of the days of the festival must include a range of activities to suit all sections of the community and be programmed to be at least 4 hours duration. It is not enough to simply duplicate the same event on 2 days – the festival must have different activities on each day that it takes place.
• Up to £1,500
• Festivals lasting 3 consecutive days or more. Each of the days of the festival must include a range of activities to suit all sections of the community and be programmed to be at least 4 hours duration. The festival must have different activities on each day that it takes place.
  • Up to £3000

Grants awarded will be up to a maximum of 75% of overall event costs.

Applications will be considered for festivals operating between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026.

Who can apply?

• Applications can be made by non-profit taking community and voluntary organisations that are based in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area or have their main activities based in the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area.
• Festivals developed by public bodies or private sector companies cannot apply to the Community Festival Fund.
• To be eligible for grant-aid, you will have to show that your organisation is a bona fide organisation that is well run and that it has a properly adopted “Governing Document” such as a constitution or memorandum and articles of association which clearly show that it is non-profit making and taking. Evidence that a constitution has been formally adopted must be supplied.

If an organisation is satisfied that it is an eligible formally constituted organisation as outlined, it MUST be in a position to meet the following criteria:

• Be committed to Equal Opportunities in terms of organisational policies and the delivery of services to those being served or represented.
• Be non-party political and open to the full range of local opinion.
• Have a constitution / governing document that has been adopted at a public meeting showing clearly defined purposes that are for the public benefit in line with the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.
• Be able to demonstrate a fair and equitable ethos through established aims and objectives in accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998).
• Be able without prejudice to the obligations of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), to demonstrate regard to the desirability of promoting Good Relations between persons of different religious belief, political belief, political opinion or racial group.
• Be accountable to local people through an established constitution, open membership, committee elections, accounting procedures and Annual General Meetings. The Office Bearing positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer should be held as a minimum.
• Have appropriate and adequate insurance cover for all activities and all actions proceeding such as costs, claims, demands and liabilities whatsoever, arising from all or any of the group activities. To also ensure that any individuals or organisations worked with are properly insured.
• Ensure that all group activities abide by the law and that the necessary permissions are obtained for activities from the appropriate body/authority.
• Ensure that Child Protection Policy / Vulnerable Adults Policy and Procedures are in place and adhered to as and where appropriate.
• Have a bank/building society account and keep a proper record of group accounts.
• Be able to produce an annual statement of independently audited or certified accounts, or be able to present a bank statement in the case of newly established groups.
• Have arrangements in place for dispersing the group’s funds if they dissolve/ end.
• Agree to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council's promotion, monitoring, evaluation, and training procedures as required.
• Be prepared to take part in any peer supported workshops that the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council deems necessary

See Guidance for further requirements

Eligible costs

Applications are restricted to no more than one per organisation in any financial year.

Eligible costs may include:

• Event insurance
• Venue hire
• Performance fees
• Transport within the community/ area that the Festival is taking place in
• Equipment hire
• Signage
• Advertising, marketing and media costs
• Printing
• Administration (stationery, postage etc.)
• The assessment panel may consider other costs not listed above that the applicant can show are essential to the running of the festival, however there is no guarantee that these will be funded.