Beverley Town Council Launches New Community Grants Programme

Beverley Town Council is pleased to announce that it has revamped and relaunched its Grants programme under which it offers financial support to local organisations.

Community groups and organisations are now being invited to submit applications to the Town Council’s new Small and General Grants Schemes. Applicants should ensure that the project they are seeking funding for will primarily benefit the town and residents of Beverley, alongside other important criteria.

Councillor Tom Astell, Mayor of Beverley, explained:

“Beverley Town Council has a great track record of supporting local groups, events, organisations and projects.  However, as part of a rolling review of our policies, we identified a need to improve our funding process and I am delighted to announce our new Small and General Grants Schemes are now open for business.

“The Council would like to encourage local groups to take a look at our new application forms and guidance notes, all of which can be found on our website: www.beverley.gov.uk.

“We believe it is important for groups that benefit local residents and the town to receive vital support of this kind, but the Town Council also has to make sure the application system is both accessible and accountable.  Because the finances that will be used come from the public purse, Councillors have made sure there is a robust decision-making process and that funds will be distributed to things that truly benefit the people of Beverley.

“There are a wide range of amazing local groups and organisations that work hard to make a positive difference and we look forward to supporting as many as we can through this revamped system.”

The two funding streams that are now open are:

Small Grants: These are for small and new organisations seeking funds for a specific item or project, and that may not have a past track record.  Applicants can apply for up to £500. 

General Grants: These are for established organisations seeking a one-off grant or funding for a specific item or project.  Applicants can apply for up to £2,000.

The deadline for both applications is Wednesday 27th January 2021.

In addition to these, the Town Council is also developing a Partnership Grants system. This will be open to ongoing projects, such as annual or bi-annual events, ongoing services and longer-term project delivery, which take place over a three-year period. Funding is agreed on a three-year rolling basis, which will be reviewed each year. 

The Town Council hopes to work as a genuine partner with successful applicants and aims to launch the Partnership Grants in early 2021.

Cllr Astell said:

“There are many amazing events and long-term projects that take place in Beverley. The past year has seen many of these postponed or cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but with a vaccine on the horizon we hope these will flourish once more. We are aware that for many of these groups, guaranteed and sustainable financial support from the Town Council will help them to access additional funds they require.  We want to develop genuine partnerships with such organisations and the forthcoming Partnership Grants system will do just that.”

Information regarding the Partnership Grants application process will be released in early 2021.

Any groups interested in the applying for a Small or General Grant can find all relevant information and application forms on www.beverley.gov.uk, whilst potential Partnership Grant applicants are advised to keep an eye on the website for an announcement in early 2021.