Community Chest

If you are part of a local club or organisation that has an idea for getting people in the Vale of Glamorgan more active, more often, and you need some financial support, then you may be eligible for a Community Chest grant.

More than £40,000 has been invested into community sport and physical activity in the Vale during the last 12 months thanks to the special grants scheme, and even greater amounts of money are on offer this year.

Agreed by a panel of volunteers, with support from the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s sports and play development team and Sport Wales, the Community Chest scheme is available to help new ideas get off the ground and improve existing opportunities for local people of all ages and abilities to take part in sports and physical activities.

During 2010 – 2011, grants totalling £40,820.47 were awarded in the Vale to 53 different sports clubs and organisations, and the activities that were given a boost included dance, cricket, basketball, climbing and Australian rules football. The funding was used for areas such as improving coaching standards, buying equipment and hall hire.

In 2011 – 2012 there is a larger pot of funding available and the maximum grant up for grabs has also increased. Whereas the maximum that could previously be applied for was £1000, that figure has now risen to £1500, giving an extra helping hand to get local people into an active lifestyle.

Explaining the scheme’s aims for the next year, the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s sports and play development manager Karen Davies said: “The priority for 2011 – 2012, in the lead up to Olympic year, is to ensure that all available funding is spent on appropriate projects that will lead to increased participation. There is already a good cross-section of sports benefiting from Community Chest funding, and we hope this continues to be the case throughout the next year. However, we’d also like to hear from more non-traditional sporting organisations, such as community groups, as they may be able to attract the ‘non-sporty’ population who would never consider attending a sports club but would be interested in a different sort of activity.”

Who can apply for a Community Chest grant?

The Community Chest panel meet every two months to consider applications. Any organisation can apply within the following guidelines:

• Applicants must hold a bank account in the name of the organisation.
• Applications for individuals are not eligible.
• All organisations must have an acceptable constitution or set of rules.
• If the above has yet to be adopted applicants must demonstrate how the organisation is organised & managed.
• Grants must be additional to existing or normally funded programmes and services.
• Primary schools are not eligible to apply for funding.

Please download guidance notes.

2011 Panel Dates

If you would like to discuss a potential Community Chest grant and would like an application form, please call Karen Davies on 01446 704793 or Julie Morgan on 01446 704748.