Voluntary Sector Grants For Children and Young People
**Closing date extended until Tuesday 30th October**
Councillors to encourage improved youth activities and provision on patch
Worcestershire County Councillors will be able to help voluntary groups, community groups and charities on their own patch.
The County Council has allocated to all county councilor divisions £3,500 to distribute to or between voluntary sector organisations working with children and young people in their Division be they charities, faith groups, the local pta or voluntary sector youth clubs. The groups must be providing positive activities places to go things to do for children and young people aged between 8 and 19 years.
The concept fits with the Council's current piloting of local community forums for children and young people in areas around Worcestershire. The local forums aim to pick up on need, identify gaps and direct more effectively energies and resources to provide better positive activities for children and young people in these very local communities.
The concept of local forums has been promoted Cllr Liz Eyre, the County Council’s lead member for Children and Young People. It was supported cross party by councillors when debating the County Council’s budget in February. Around £200,000 has been allocated for all 57 councillors to distribute, even those who are not yet leading with a pilot.
There are clear criteria and organisations applying for the grant are being asked to demonstrate how their proposed project will help children and young people and make a difference to children and young people’s lives. The activities must be delivered within single electoral divisions and the maximum amount that can be bid for is £3,500, which must be spent by March 31, 2008.
Bids must be submitted to County Councillors by Friday, October 12. Each Councillor will then consider the applications for their division and forward their recommendations to a central panel of officers and young people for verification. Allocations will then be decided upon by Friday, November 2 and notification sent out by Monday, November 12.
Councillor Liz Eyre said: “I am a firm believer that local children and young people and those that support them know best what will work in their area. They know what is available and where the gaps are.
“These grants will allow the voluntary sector to plug gaps and directly improve the quality of life for children and young people living in the area that the county councillors represent. While £3,500 may not sound much, it can be put to great use by voluntary organisations to provide a huge range of additional positive activities for children and young people across the county.
“Projects which include matched funding and are clearly supported by the young people themselves are those that will be most appealing to the councilors.”
Information on applying for grants is available on the website or via divisional County Councillors.