Community Foundation Northern Ireland: Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund – Cushendun

Overview

Purpose of the fund:

Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund – Cushendun Community Grants Scheme is part of the Cushendun – A renewed coastal village project, funded by the UK Prosperity Fund. The project aims to work with the people, businesses and community/voluntary groups using Cushendun to renew the economic heartbeat of the village, fulfilling the hopes and ambitions expressed by local people through successive Village plans over ten years.

Only projects which take place within the Glendun District Electoral area, are eligible to apply. Organisations that are not based in the outlined area of benefit are welcome to apply, providing that the project will take place in the village scheme area and benefit the local people.

The grant scheme will provide grants of between £3,000 and £5,000.

The Renewed Coastal Village project will support a programme of activity across Autumn/Winter to bring new tourism/visitor ‘products’ and activities on the themes of heritage, culture and local assets. The purpose of this work is to stimulate new and increased business into the village, to test what can be achieved in terms of increased economic activity, and make Cushendun a more attractive place to live and work.

What are they looking for?

They want to offer flexibility in this programme and fund. They particularly wish to see proposals for projects identified in the village plan, including, but not limited to, plans for inter-connected walking trails, tourism signage, arts programmes, exhibitions and historical research.

They want to inspire change through ideas and actions to encourage active participation in caring for the Cushendun, sustaining its long-term future.

The fund will be managed by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland on behalf of the National Trust.

Who can apply

• A community or voluntary group/organisation
• A registered charity
• A social enterprise or other non-profit making organisation

What can be funded

• Projects taking place within the Glendun District Electoral Area.
• Projects which meet at least one of the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund – Cushendun objectives:
  • Enlivening Village Heritage
  • Promoting Culture
  • Celebrating Local Assets
• Projects that engage a wider range of people with Cushendun, to improve their wellbeing and connection with the landscape
• Projects that engage communities as active participants in the discovery, interpretation and celebration of Cushendun

Here are some examples of the types of projects they can fund:

• Outdoor activities to engage young people in the natural and /or cultural Cushendun Arts projects which help local communities engage with the natural and cultural heritage of Cushendun
• Wellbeing activities in Cushendun for people with mental health problems
• Storytelling project or an exhibition to help share stories of the heritage and people of Cushendun
• Purchase of tools or equipment for volunteer/community groups to help maintain Cushendun’s shared garden spaces
• Community research projects which explore and celebrate under-represented cultural heritage of Cushendun , digitising and making archives accessible

Supporting Documents

You will need to submit the documents below with your application in order for it to be assessed:

Constitution:

Applicants must submit a Constitution/Terms of Reference or similar which details the purpose and governance of the group or organisation, including not for profit and dissolution clauses. This is not required for public organisations or individuals.

Policies:

Any, relevant to project, policies such as Child Protection, Adult Safeguarding Policies and Equality Policy/Equal Opportunities Policy

Accounts:

Applicants must submit a copy of their most recent signed accounts, audited if applicable.

Evidence of land ownership:

Please submit evidence of land ownership, e.g. deeds, or copies of your lease with an unexpired term of at least 10 years without a break clause. If the property or land is held on a lease for less than 10 years or if it contains a break clause that may terminate the lease within 10 years, the land owner must join in the grant application and agree to be bound by the grant conditions if a community grant is awarded.

Site map and photographs: for habitat/heritage site works.

Additional Guidance for habitat & capital projects

Please read this section if your project involves work to habitats or other capital works, e.g. pathway and other access improvements, works to heritage features such as Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

• Projects which benefit priority chalk grassland habitat and species (and/or habitat connectivity between sites) will be weighted as part of the assessment scoring. More detailed guidance with maps and criteria around site prioritisation can be found on the Cushendun – A renewed coastal village website.
• Applicants must secure any required planning permissions or other statutory consents required for the project before applying. It is the responsibility of the applicant to speak to the relevant authorities to determine if any permissions or consents are required. Help from the Cushendun – A renewed coastal village project team will be available for small organisations/groups if required.
• Applicants must show how the habitat/site/feature will be maintained after the project has ended.

How your grant application will be assessed

Assessment & Decision Periods

• Submitted application forms will have a 3/4 week assessment period and decisions will be presented to the Foundation’s Grants and Impact Committee as soon as possible following this.
• They anticipate decisions issued by the end of July (2022)

Rating of applications

Each application will be assessed by the Community Foundation Grants staff and rated against the following:

• Alignment with the Cushendun – A renewed coastal village objectives
• Involvement of and benefit to local community
• Value for money
• Ability of the applicant to carry out the project

How your grant will be paid & monitored

Successful applicants will be notified by email once a decision has been made. A Grant Agreement will be sent to the Lead Contact named in your application. This agreement needs to be signed online by an authorised signatory for your organisation and returned to the Community Foundation.

Grants will be paid up front upon receipt of your signed contract.

Grantees will need to submit copies of invoices/receipts for all expenditure over £500. For items under £500 grantees will need to complete a table detailing Date/Item Description/Amount when completing your end of grant report. Grantees will need to keep receipts for items under £500 for 7 years for audit purposes.

The End of Project Report template will be provided with your Grant Award letter.