Tuesday, February 14, 2012

No Go on the Community Action Against Crime but All is not Lost

Here is the text of the message sent from the home office on our bid in to the Community Action Against Crime process:
Applicant:West Marsh Forward
ID Number: 585

Application to the Community action against Crime: Innovation Fund

Dear Mr. John Mooney ,

Thank you for your application to the Community action against Crime: Innovation Fund.  Your application has been carefully reviewed against the eligibility criteria and I regret to inform you that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

We recognise the time and trouble your organisation has taken in preparing the application. There was a considerable level of interest in this programme.  We received in the region of 1700 applications meaning the fund was oversubscribed by a ratio of 7:1 in proportion to the funds available for this programme. Unfortunately due to tight restrictions on administration costs and the very high level of applications received we do not have the resources available to us to feedback on applications. Whilst CDF appreciates that feedback on applications is helpful to applicants, sadly this means that we cannot provide feedback on an individual basis for this programme.

There may be alternative sources of funding that you can look at.  One of the best places to start is your local Community Safety Partnership (CSP), especially if they have already provided a letter of support for your application.  This is an opportunity for CSPs to continue their ongoing work to support local community groups with an interest in community safety matters.

You can also find support and guidance from a wide range of existing voluntary sector organisations that have vast experience in this field.  Locality (http://locality.org.uk/), NCVO (www.ncvo.org.uk ) and NAVCA (www.navca.org.uk/) are all good places to start.

Other useful sources of information include:
·       The DCLG barrier busting portal www.barrierbusting.communities.gov.uk
·       The main source of government services online: www.direct.gov.uk
·       A one-stop information portal for people with an interest in local public services www.info4local.gov.uk
·       The 'Take Part' guides published at www.number10.gov.uk

If you wish to seek an alternative source of funding, there is a wide range of other grants available.  There are a number of websites that can help you find the funds you need to support your work in the future:
www.fundingcentral.org.uk
www.governmentfunding.org.uk
www.lotteryfunding.org.uk
www.communityfoundations.org.uk
www.fundinginformation.org
www.grantfinder.co.uk
www.fundraising.co.uk

Please know this decision does not reflect upon the valuable work your organisation is doing in the community.  I know that the Home Office is grateful for your work and regret that it has not been able to provide support on this occasion.
 

This refusal is very disappointing as the bid was regarded as good by the Local Safer Communities Partnership as were a number of other bids put in locally which were also refused. There seems to have been only three of more than twenty or so put in locally that have received backing.
But nil desperandum there are other local opportunities showing themselves. Councillor Billard and I have been in discussion with Andrew Dodd and Jo Middleton to look at forming a Ward Wide group of all the community groups to get together to put a bid in to Reaching Communities (Big Lottery) for Community Project based around Community Cohesion and Housing. There needs to be a spirit of cooperation on the ward to give this bid the best chance and I am working at the moment on the writing of the context locally for this bid and will be looking to local people and groups to help get it right.
Many people on the Ward have asked me to look at the progress made on the East Marsh and how they were able to convince funders of their viability and the main answer is that the bid presented showed a united front from the majority of the community groups and active residents in their ward.
This is our next challenge and I hope we have made a positive start.... Watch This Space

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