Get Active in the Community Awards

Overview

This initiative is funded by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and has been developed by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) in support of the Northern Ireland Physical Activity Strategy. The strategy aims to increase participation in activity, especially by those who are currently sedentary.

For general health benefit adults should achieve a total of at least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as walking) on five or more days in the week.

Since the Get Active in the Community Cash Grant Awards scheme was launched in 1999, it has helped 1,191 groups to improve health in their local communities through physical activity. Evaluation has shown that the scheme has met its overall aims and objectives, and has been an important motivator in increasing levels of physical activity.

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland has been commissioned to process and judge the applications. Their support is gratefully acknowledged.

The Get Active in the Community Cash Grant Awards scheme is open to all community and voluntary groups.

The purpose of the scheme is to assist projects from existing groups that want to introduce a new physical activity, and new groups undertaking a physical activity project for the first time.

To be short listed for an award your application must demonstrate how the project meets at least one of the four objectives of the scheme.

• Overcoming barriers: Project helps people overcome the main barriers to being physically active such as nobody to exercise with, lack of access to facilities, lack of confidence and lack of willpower.
• Acquiring new skills: Project provides opportunities for people to acquire new skills through participating in physical activity.
• Promoting health benefits: Project raises awareness of the health benefits of regular moderate activity.
• Promoting local facilities: Project raises awareness of local leisure facilities, the local environment and physical activity opportunities.

In making its final decisions our selection panel will give high priority to projects that:

• target the 17–25 and 50+ age groups, people with disabilities* and minority ethnic groups
• provide walking, cycling, dancing or activities for people with a disability (see page 6 of the brochure)
• offer activities for sedentary people**
• initiate after school activities
• propose activities that can be integrated into daily life
• originate from groups not receiving grants from other bodies
• come from groups with an annual income of less than £15,000
• take place in communities experiencing high levels of multiple deprivation
• demonstrate value for money.

Get Active can fund a wide range of activities. As part of your project they can also fund:

• safety equipment (eg high visibility vests for walk leaders, cycle helmets)
• venue hire (make sure you use local facilities, eg church hall, leisure centre)
• essential equipment to run programme
• tutor costs
• entrance fees for swimming
• transport (this can be a maximum of 20% of the total grant awarded and must be used to transport participants to local activities)
• bike hire
• small prizes as motivators.

Examples of priority activities

• Walking programmes
• Cycling programmes
• Dance programmes
• Programmes of activity for people with a disability

How to apply

Complete the application form available from the contact or to download from the HPA Get Active website. Return the completed form to the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

Demand for grants outstrips available funding. In 2007 for example, 321 applications weresubmitted and 164 received funding.

April 2009 - The GT team contacted the Helpth Promotion Agency and it is estimated that this scheme will open later in the year.