Sunderland support fund set up for groups and charities left out of crisis help - here's how to apply

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Picture by PA | PA Wire/PA Images
Community groups and charities in Sunderland are being encouraged to apply for a new grant scheme helping to support organisations through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sunderland City Council launched the ‘Local Support Scheme' on Monday (June 1) as part of Volunteers’ Week, an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering.

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The fund is aimed at the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector with cash grants of either £1,000 or £10,000 available.

In action, the scheme aims to offer a lifeline to those who are not eligible for existing government relief funds.

A statement on the city council’s website outlines the project.

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“The council's Community Wealth Building Strategy recognises the importance of local VCSE organisations in delivering the city's ambitions for social and economic wealth and that VCSE organisations have a key role in moving Sunderland forward to becoming a fairer and more prosperous city.

“We appreciate that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic many organisations will be experiencing financial pressures and in order to support the sustainability of the sector we have put in place the Local Support Scheme.

“The scheme will provide financial support to VCSE organisations who are unable to benefit from national support schemes including Small Business Rate Relief Grant and the Discretionary Grant Fund."

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Grant awards will only be made to eligible organisations following an application process.

The £1,000 grants are available for small groups such as resident’s associations, sports clubs and community groups which have basic governance in place.

This includes having a management committee, dual signatory bank/building society account in the organisation's name and a constitution in place before March 11 2020.

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Grants of £10,000 are available to organisations operating from community buildings which had to close due to the Covid-19 pandemic and may be losing regular income that would normally cover expenditure such as staffing and premises.

The larger grants are aimed at registered charities, community interest companies with three or more non-related directors or larger community groups established before March 11 2020.

And organisations are only eligible to apply if they have not been successful in securing funds from existing government grant schemes and do not have "adequate reserves" to cover costs in the short term.

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Guidance documents add that if the Local Support Scheme is oversubscribed with the applications received, the council “reserves the right to amend the grant levels on a pro-rata basis.”

Cabinet member for Communities and Culture, Coun John Kelly, added: "We know that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic many organisations will be experiencing financial pressures.

"That's why we've put this scheme in place to support the sustainability of this vitally important sector.

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"Voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations play a crucial role at the heart of their communities, never more so than during the current pandemic so it's important that we do everything we can to help them through this difficult time."

Applications for both the £1,000 and £10,000 grants opened this week and will officially close at midnight on Sunday, June 21.

Organisations can apply online and, if successful, can expect payment to be made within 14 working days.

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Applicants will be prompted to respond to a series of questions and may need to provide supporting documentation.

The online application form can be found here www.sunderland.gov.uk/localsupportscheme and for more information, visit: www.sunderland.gov.uk/vcse-grants

If you have any queries related to the application process email [email protected].

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