Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council: Cultural Diversity Fund

Overview

Applications for funding, up to a maximum of £1,500, must demonstrate how the proposal responds to the key themes in the Programme Criteria.

Event/project proposals must comply with relevant government and public health guidance and regulations. Any activity outside the set timescales or guidance and regulations will not be eligible for funding.

Any funded projects must take place between 1st September 2021 and 31st March 2022.

Eligibility

The Cultural Diversity Fund (CDF) is open to community/voluntary and faith-based organisations based in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area that meet the following criteria:

• adhere to a properly adopted open and accountable governance document (Constitution or Articles and Memorandum of Association, or applicable governing document)
• have set up a bank account in the name of the organisation, which requires a minimum of two unrelated members to authorise withdrawals and an annual set of independently examined financial accounts, endorsed at an Annual General Meeting;
• operate under a Management Committee or Governing Board, elected by its membership at an Annual General Meeting, and elected office bearers;
• have in place appropriate Safeguarding Policies for protecting Children and Vulnerable adults
• have up to £5 million Public Liability Insurance, to cover all risks associated with the activities of the organisation.

Programme criteria

The programme seeks to encourage local community/voluntary and faith based organisations, individually or collaboratively, to recognise and promote one or more of the following themes:

• To increase awareness and appreciation of culture/heritage and language
• To increase participation in cultural/heritage and language activities
• To develop opportunities for groups to explore their own cultures, beliefs and traditions, to increase their capacity to develop relationships with those of different traditions and values
• To develop opportunities for groups to extend their knowledge and understanding of others’ beliefs and traditions
• To develop and promote models of good practice for cultural diversity work in the Lisburn & Castlereagh area.

What they will fund

Projects/Events related to culture, heritage and language. This may include, but not restricted to, those from the list below:

• Events, talks, exhibitions, publications and digital resources raising awareness of local history, culture, heritage and language;
• Workshops aimed at enhancing knowledge and skills of local heritage and promoting participation in and understanding of cultural, heritage and language activities;
• Conservation reports (by specialists) to assess the conservation needs of heritage, collections or objects;
• Conservation work based on a conservation report carried out by specialists in the field;
• Archival conservation boxes for vulnerable documents.

Eligible expenditure may include for example:

• Hire/purchase of equipment including instruments
• Tutors (up to a maximum of £25 per hour)
• Performance fees
• Materials
• Marketing and publicity
• Design and publication of books/booklets