Description
Grants are available for charities and community organisations working across the UK to support Clarion residents of all ages to get online and build the skills, motivation and confidence needed to use the internet safely in everyday life.Current StatusOpen for ApplicationsMaximum value:£ 5,000
Objectives of Fund
The Fund is designed to support Clarion residents of all ages to get and stay online and to use the internet as an everyday tool, safely and confidently.
The Fund is designed to address digital exclusion, and to:
- Support Clarion residents to discover the full scope of how the internet can assist them in their everyday lives, and provide them with the skills and confidence to do so.
- Support residents to access the tools that meet their individual needs and circumstances.
- Encourage residents to use the internet safely and with confidence.
- Support residents of all ages, regardless of whether they go online regularly, to use it safely, and avoid risky and/or illegal behaviour.
The Fund aims to reach:
- Residents who have never used the internet before.
- Residents who may have previously used some online facilities but who may not be aware of the full potential to use the internet in their everyday lives.
- Residents with limited internet skills.
- Residents of all ages.
This Fund is NOT primarily aimed at helping people to use a computer.
Value Notes
Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 are available.
Match Funding Restrictions
Applicants are encouraged to try and secure match funding. This may include grants from other funders, free venue hire, donations, etc. Volunteer time can be included as in-kind support at the rate of £10 per hour.
Who Can Apply
Not-for-profit organisations including constituted community groups, registered charities, social enterprises and Community Interest Companies can apply as long as they can prove the majority of beneficiaries of the project will be Clarion residents.
All applicants must:
- Be primarily supporting Clarion residents.
- Have a minimum of three unrelated Management Committee members.
- Have a governing document.
- Have a bank account in the name of the group, with at least two unrelated signatories. Groups without a bank account must provide details of another group who will be managing any grant awarded on their behalf.
- Have a record of income and expenditure or set of accounts.
- Have a ‘safeguarding policy’ if working with vulnerable adults or young people under the age of 18.
- Possess relevant insurance, including public liability where required, before delivering activities.
- Have an online safety policy which covers both participants and tutors/volunteers.
Priority may be given to applicants that are able to provide proposals for how activities could be sustained after Clarion funding has come to an end.
Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Statutory organisations, such as Local Authorities and schools.
- Party political activity.
- Commercial ventures (for profit).
- Retrospective funding.
- Individuals.
- Projects run by individuals as opposed to an organisation.
- Promotion of religious beliefs.
- Activities that exclude people on the grounds of religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability.
- Applicants in receipt of a Digital Communities Fund grant in the last 12 months.
- Groups with overdue or incomplete monitoring on a previous grant from Clarion, Affinity Sutton or Circle.
- Grants for equipment only.
Eligible Expenditure
The funding is aimed at projects which are actively seeking to support residents of Clarion housing and should be delivered in and around Clarion neighbourhoods. Projects can support a range of beneficiaries including both Clarion residents and members of the wider community.
Projects should focus on:
- Supporting residents to discover the full scope of how the internet can assist them in their everyday lives, and to provide them with the skills and confidence to do so.
- Supporting residents to access the digital resources that meet their individual needs and circumstances.
- Building digital skills and confidence for all.
- Encouraging residents to use the internet with confidence they are safe, and avoid risky and/or illegal behaviour.
The Fund is able to cover costs associated with running activities. These could include, but are not limited to the following:
- Connectivity (mobile and fixed).
- Training resources.
- Venue hire.
- Insurance.
- Event costs.
- Volunteer expenses.
- Refreshments for participants.
- Staffing costs.
- Publicity materials.
Funding is also available for equipment and computer software, providing that:
- There is a clear demonstration that the equipment will be used primarily for digital inclusion.
- The equipment cannot be obtained for free or at greatly reduced cost elsewhere.
- Equipment in a useable state is not already available in the area.
- The project proposal provides a clear demonstration of the need for the items requested.
- The equipment is made available for community benefit and will not be purchased to solely benefit an individual.
- There is somewhere safe to store the equipment.
Applications that can:
- Demonstrate an understanding of what is already going on in the community.
- Demonstrate how the proposed project/activity will eg make the most of existing provision in an area.
- Demonstrate how they can add value, ie by reaching new participants, those that may be missing out or who are unaware of how the internet can assist them.
- Demonstrate how they will address a gap in provision, ie where there is no existing support in a specific area.
- Make the best use of other services, partnerships or networks.
This Fund is not primarily aimed at helping people to use a computer.
How To Apply
The deadline to apply is midday on 21 September 2022. This will be the final round for this financial year.
Applications are open on a rolling basis, however they must be submitted before the published deadline to be considered for the upcoming round. Organisations can only submit one application per round.
Applications must be submitted via the Clarion Futures online grants portal (Flexi-Grant). Applicants are required to register on the system before starting an application form.
The guidelines are available from the Clarion Futures application portal.
Contact Clarion Housing for further information.