CRC Victim/Survivor Groups: Development Scheme

Overview

The Community Relations council with the support of Victims Unit has established a fund to support the healing and recovery work with the victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland Troubles. The scheme seeks to ensure fair access to support for victims and survivors of the Troubles. The principal aim of the scheme is to support victims and survivors to become active members of society.

This scheme is targeted at supporting groups which are made up of victims, or are working with victims resident in Northern Ireland. Priority will be given to those who during the troubles have lost close relatives or had close relatives injured, or been injured or traumatised as a result of the community conflict.

The Council aims to have a geographical and sectoral spread in applications received and grants given and the Council will ensure continuous monitoring and evaluation.The scheme is aimed at locally based and regional groups working with victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Grant aid is not for individuals as there are other sources of funding for this work.

This scheme is aimed at projects involving adults/and or children who have been affected by the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Any constituted voluntary and community victims group or organisation that can provide evidence of need for their support services to victims and survivors resident in Northern Ireland are eligible to submit an application to the Strategic Support Fund.

Your organisation may be a branch of a larger organisation. If so, you can normally only apply if your organisation is an independent branch. By ‘independent’ we mean that you must have:

• your own governing document
• a management committee
• a NI/UK bank or building society account in the name of the organisation and under its direct control
• your own annual accounts approved by your own management committee, signed and dated control over your own income and how you spend it.

If you are not independent you may still be able to apply for funding support, but you will need the support of the larger umbrella organisation. If you are a dependent branch, but have a management committee, a NI or UK bank or building society account in the name of your branch and produce your own annual accounts, you can still apply for funding support. and your own annual accounts, the larger organisation that you are linked to should apply for a funding award.

The purpose of the application must reflect the principal aim of the scheme and must include at lease one of the following elements:

1. Projects that can demonstrate how they will help people to begin to make the transition from victim to survivor as part of a process of healing and recovery.
2. Projects and activity programmes for victims of community conflict that will support the training of volunteers and staff in relevant support services to assist the healing and reconciliation process. (groups will need to demonstrate work that supports the promotion of best practice)
3. Assistance with organisational development and operational/strategic planning for groups involved in supporting victims and survivors to become active members of society.
4. Projects that will explore the causes and effects of the troubles and which will facilitate the sharing and development of trust and understanding between participants and an awareness of their needs amongst a wider community.
5. Assistance with small scale research costs involved in evaluating the effectiveness of projects involving victims of groups and the development of models of good practice.
6. The provision of small scale seeding support for new groups working in the area of victims support. (Funding will only be allocated for newly established groups i.e. existence for up to 1 year)

Eligible Costs

Grants may be made towards the costs of the following:

A limited number of bursaries will be made available for individuals from groups to attend conferences/seminars relevant to supporting victims/survivors in the healing process. Individuals from groups or organisations in receipt of a bursary will not be eligible for a further bursary for a period of 12 months from the date of any earlier award.

• Programme expenses such as the costs involved in the organisation of locally based conferences, seminars or discussion groups, renting facilities, travel and subsistence, assistance towards crèche provision with bona fide registered and accredited child minders, facilitation or research costs and the purchase of small items of capital equipment (i.e. chairs, over head projector etc.)

The maximum grant payable to an applicant organisation is £40,000. Grant awards will be based on the applicants ability to demonstrate need accompanied by a work plan that clearly outlines timeframe, participant numbers for each activity.

How to Apply

Forms for application are available from the Community Relations Council and can be downloaded from the Community Relations Council website.

The Council will process applications as quickly as possible. We aim to process applications valued at less than £10,000 within 12 weeks from receipt of a completed application form and within 16 weeks for completed applications valued at more than £10,000.00.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE SOME CHANGES TO THE DEVELOPMENT GRANT SCHEME FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2011-2012.

The Council would like to draw your attention to the following changes in how groups apply to the Scheme:

• There is only one closing date for the Development Grant Scheme which is 15 July 2011.
• There is one opportunity for groups to apply to the Development Grant Scheme for activities and services from 15th June 2011 and 31st March 2012.
• Groups wanting to apply for financial support to the Development Grant Scheme must complete the new application form and read the accompanying Guidance Notes.
• It is important to note that unfortunately the Council is not in a position to retrospectively fund activities and services that may have been occurring up to 15th June 2011. The Council will only be able to support activities and services from the opening date of the Scheme.