WECA Awards

The Warrington Ethnic Communities Association Award Scheme

Working in partnership with Warrington Borough Council

Guidance Notes (see below for application)

Background

The Warrington Ethnic Communities Association (WECA) was set up in January 2004 with the support of Warrington Borough Council to bring people from the local ethnic minority population together to enable them to work in partnership to help address issues including faith, health, welfare, age, class, gender, sexuality and disability. The objective of the elected committee of twelve is to promote good community and race relations in Warrington by influencing statutory and non-statutory decision makers. WECA works in a multi-agency partnership, with organisations including Warrington Borough Council and Warrington Voluntary Action (WVA), to ensure that the needs and wishes of the local ethnic minority community are taken into account when decisions are made.

WECA Awards Scheme background

This year Warrington Borough Council has allocated funds for WECA to distribute to local community groups. The WECA Awards Committee has been created to enable a fair and objective means of distributing the money. To ensure that each community group has an equal opportunity to apply for funding, the WECA Awards Committee has designed a fair and systematic application process open to all community groups in Warrington.

Who can apply for funding?

• Registered charities or voluntary organisations set up for charitable or community purposes. They must have a written constitution and present one bank statement, dated within the past 3 months and the last set of accounts.

• Groups must have relevant policies in place such as DBS (if required for activity), Child protection or vulnerable adult policy and insurance if applicable

• Groups may only put in one application for funding per year.

• Funding Grants will not be awarded to groups for projects funded the year before. Projects must be different.

• Group MUST be staffed 100% by volunteers.

• Funding grants will not be given to individuals

• Given the objective of WECA to support new and grass roots organisations, it is unlikely that the Awards Committee will approve grants for large fundraising charities.

Who the WECA Awards Scheme supports

WECA aims to support ethnic and cultural organisations or those groups promoting community cohesion based in Warrington, whose objective is to support the people of Warrington and to support the creation of viable and sustainable communities within the borough of Warrington. The Awards Committee place particular emphasis on new and “grass roots” organisations.

The types of project we support?

We support funding for new events/projects organised by community groups within the borough of Warrington, however, given the purpose of WECA, particular preference will be given to ethnic community groups organising events open to every resident in Warrington irrespective of ethnic background. 

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We will also consider support for capital projects for tangible items such as IT or building improvement etc., provided the applicant can suitably demonstrate how it will benefit residents in the Borough.

In very rare cases we may provide funding for an ongoing project, however, you must be able to prove that your organisation can and will raise the balance of finance required and will be able to sustain that activity going forward without WECA funding.

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Applicants applying for funding must consider and address one or more of the following:

• Improving health and emotional wellbeing

• Improved quality of life

• Making a positive contribution

• Increase choice and control

• Freedom from discrimination and harassment

• Economic wellbeing

• Maintaining personal dignity and respect

The Awards Committee encourage you to be creative and innovative in your approach so as to increase the appeal of your project.

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The amount of funding

Requests for funding can be up to the value of £500 and all requests must be sent to the WECA Awards Committee by 12 February 2016  (Please note that this deadline is not negotiable). The Awards Committee will only consider requests for funding submitted on the official WECA Awards Application Form.

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Where/Which Areas?

The projects must be administered by a Warrington based group and be for the benefit of all communities in Warrington. Therefore the Awards Committee will not consider applications for grants to support projects outside of the boundary of Warrington.

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How to Apply

All grant requests must be submitted to the WECA Awards Committee on the WECA Awards application form. Only ONE request for funding per group can be submitted so please take time to consider carefully which project you would like the Awards Committee to support.

Please include:

• a copy of the latest yearly accounts for your group (or if a new group, a copy of your budget proposals)

• a copy of your groups bank statement, this must be no older than 3 months.

• and a copy of your group’s constitution

Failure to submit this information will result in applications being rejected.

For those groups who do not have a constitution or budget please contact Warrington Voluntary Action  on 01925 246880 for more information.

How we assess projects

Amongst other things we will consider:

• The impact the grant will make on the community of Warrington

• The number of people the grant will help

• Who the grant will benefit and how

• How well the project fits the WECA objective of supporting new and grass roots groups

• Time scale of the project

• Purpose of the project

• Whether or not the project addresses issues including faith, health, welfare, age, class, gender, sexuality and disability.

• How it will contribute to good race relations in the borough of Warrington.

Funding may be awarded to projects that celebrate religious events, but will not fund activities which evangelise (the practice of preaching or spreading religious beliefs), or proselytise (the practice of trying to convert people to one’s own belief or religious views).

All groups awarded a grant will be asked to produce a report and evidence of the project being funded. Please note that WECA may use some of this    material in promotional activities.

Closing date for application 

• Friday 12 Februay (5pm)

• See application for return address detail.

Contacts

• Alison Cullen (01925) 246880 alison@warringtonva.org.uk (WVA)

• Fola (01925) 246880 Fola@warringtonva.org.uk  (WECA)