Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council: LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme

Overview

The purpose of the LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme is to provide small grants up to a maximum of £750 to local community and voluntary organisations. The grants are to give financial assistance to allow groups and organisations to: -

(1) improve the general cleanliness in their local area, particularly in respect of litter.

(2) promote recycling, reuse, repair, upcycling and waste reduction.

(3) look at ways of reducing carbon footprint by taking simple, practical actions.

Council has an already established LiveSmart Initiative, delivered by the Environmental Resource Officer Team, which aims to encourage, inform and involve all our residents, businesses and visitors to live more lightly on our planet by taking simple steps to protect our environment. LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme is based on the idea that if every person in our Borough tries their best to live sustainably, the combined impact will be huge.

The LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme will complement the LiveSmart Initiative by engaging local communities and raising environmental standards in places where people live, work, relax and spend time.

Overview of fund

Community groups and organisations are being encouraged and supported to keep their local area clean and tidy, promote recycling, reuse and waste reduction and have a positive impact on their carbon footprint. There are a number of specific objectives which applicants must address. Your application can address more than one objective but only one is necessary.

• RecycleSmart: aims to reduce waste by educating, engaging and inspiring us all to buy less, reuse more, recycle and compost.
• ClimateSmart: aims to reduce our carbon footprint by increasing our knowledge of sustainability and empowering change with simple, practical actions.
• FoodSmart: aims to prevent/reduce food waste and save money by encouraging and enabling us all to think, shop and eat smarter.
• PlasticSmart: aims to prevent/reduce plastic use and increase recycling with simple, practical actions.
• LitterSmart: aims to prevent and reduce litter through education, encouraging responsible disposal and supporting local people to carry out litter lifts. •
• ClothesSmart: aims to raise awareness of the impacts of purchasing, encourage life-long care and reduce waste to landfill by giving unwanted clothes and textiles a new lease of life through donation, repair, reuse and recycling

Levels of grant award

Applicants can request a grant up to a maximum of £750. You can only apply for one grant per year. This is a competitive process, and all grant awards will be determined on the basis of merit. In the event that the fund is oversubscribed only the top scoring projects will be offered an award. Council reserves the right to reduce the amount of funding awarded if we do not consider that the amount applied for represents value for money. Please Note: Groups will have to provide all evidence requested once the project expenditure is complete. This will include receipts, bank statements, or any other documentation deemed necessary. If requested documentation is not supplied, then clawback procedures will be initiated. Please do not apply for funding if you cannot supply these items. 
 

General Principles

In line with Council’s Grant Funding Policy the overarching principle for all Council grant funding is that of meeting local needs which have been identified and prioritised by Council or by others but acknowledged by Council. Any activity that cannot be shown to meet the following basic requirements will not be provided with funding:

• Have a clearly identified need. Can deliver outcomes which meet this need.
• Deliver cost effective and quality service provision, fitting with the purpose and remit of the funding.
• Be delivered by a credible organisation with the capacity to deliver the project as stated.
• Reflect the statutory remit of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, aligning with Council’s Corporate Plan, the relevant Service plan and that they can meet the specific criteria of the fund, in this instance the LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme criteria.
• Applicants must demonstrate their commitment to promoting Good Relations and Equality of Opportunity.
• In the interests of transparency, equality and accountability, all applicants will have a right of appeal should their application be rejected.

Who Can Apply?

Organisations must be from within the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. 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.
• Groups must demonstrate that they are well run and that they provide a voice for local concerns. The project for which you are seeking funding for must be inclusive, open to the whole community and adhere to democratic principles.
• Only groups which meet the criteria can apply to the LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme.

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 based in the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area or have their main activities based in the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area.
• Be committed to Equal Opportunities in terms of organisational policies and the delivery of services to those being served or represented.
• 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 non-party political and open to the full range of local opinion.
• 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 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 Council's promotion, monitoring, evaluation, and training procedures as required.

What can be funded?

Applicants can apply for grants of up to 100% of costs up to a maximum of £500 towards project costs including small items of equipment. Example projects might include:

• Food waste reduction projects
• Community litter collection and prevention
• Fruit and vegetable planting
• Gardening projects e.g., planting of pollinator plants
• Native shrub planting
• Recycling, reuse, and waste prevention projects

The types of expenditure that the grant can contribute towards include:

• Materials & signage
• Insurance and other essential operating costs
• Small Capital items such as gardening tools
• Professional fees
• Hire of equipment
• PPE
• Operating costs