SMALL BUSINESS / ORGANISATION CASH

A new local emergency fund for Small Business has been launched. You can apply for a grant of up to £5000 through the 'Discretionary Fund for Small Businesses'. Deadline is 8th June to apply.

The fund will prioritise businesses in shared spaces (such as units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment), regular market traders, small charity properties that would meet the criteria for Small Business Rates Relief, and Bed and Breakfasts that pay council tax rather than business rates.

Other examples of the type businesses that could be eligible include:

• Independent businesses – those that are not eligible for Small Business Rate Grants due to payment to a landlord of all-inclusive rent

• Community organisations – those not eligible for Small Business Rate Grants due to payment to a landlord of all-inclusive rent

• Childcare Nurseries – those with a rateable value over £15,000 who will not have received business support grants to date, or that are not eligible for Small Business Rate Grants due to payment to a landlord of all-inclusive rent.

Applications are open until 8 June with eligible businesses expected to demonstrate a significant drop in income because of the coronavirus pandemic restriction measures.

For further information on eligibility, criteria, grant amounts and any other questions, please read the Discretionary Grants Fund FAQs www.southglos.gov.uk/discretionaryfund

Developers' money to fund improvements at YOSC, Chipping Sodbury Rugby Club, Blakeney Mills

It has been decided that almost £73,000 of developers' "Section 106" contributions paid to South Gloucestershire Council will be used for the following projects:

• Yate Town Council – £23,114.89 capital and £11,649.97 revenue funding for pitch drainage improvements on the grass pitches at Yate Outdoor Sport Complex and to purchase grounds maintenance equipment. 
• Chipping Sodbury Rugby Football Club - £23,114.89 capital and £11,649.97 revenue funding to upgrade existing showers and install heating in the Changing Rooms at The Ridings, Chipping Sodbury. 
• Blakeney Mills Play Area (Housing association) - £1,687.50 capital and £1,774.39 revenue (revenue to be capitalised) for enhancements to Blakeney Mills Play Area.

Grants advice sessions - updated

Are you a community group looking for advice on how to apply for Member Awarded Funding or Area Wide Grants?

If so, you can book a 30 minute slot on the dates and times below. The sessions take place at the Council Offices, Badminton Road, Yate, BS37 5AF.

There has been a lot of interest, so South Glos are running several extra sessions.

To book a place, please contact the team on 01454 865865 (Mon-Fri 9am to 4pm) or email grants@southglos.gov.uk. It would be useful to know when booking which subject area you are interested in.

• Wednesday 1 November 2017: 16:00 - 19:00 (30 minute slots)
• Monday 6 November 2017: 10:00 - 13:00 (30 minute slots)
• Friday 10 November 2017: 09:00 – 15:00 (30 minute slots)

Grants advice sessions

Are you a community group looking for advice on how to apply for Member Awarded Funding or Area Wide Grants?

If so, you can book a 30 minute slot between 10am and 1pm on Monday 6 November. The sessions take place at the Council Offices, Badminton Road, Yate, BS37 5AF.

To book a place, please contact the team on 01454 865865 (Mon-Fri 9am to 4pm) or email grants@southglos.gov.uk. It would be useful to know when booking which subject area you are interested in.

Update: South Glos have now organised two more sessions. You can now book for any of these dates:

• Wednesday 1 November 2017: 16:00 - 19:00 (30 minute slots)
• Monday 6 November 2017: 10:00 - 13:00 (30 minute slots)
• Friday 10 November 2017: 09:00 – 15:00 (30 minute slots)

 

Help Brimsham Park get a big Tesco grant!

The Friends of Brimsham Park are applying to Tesco for a grant towards a big project:

• To re-establish  a Wildlife Pool in the park, provide a pool liner, pollard the trees and clear the scrub to let in the light.
• Re-introduce frogs, toads, newts and small fish such as minnows and stickleback. 
• Provide a Dipping Platform for small children and put the pool at the disposal of local infant schools. 
• Plant the area with wildflowers to attract pollen gathering insects like bees and butterflies, along with waterborne insects that the pool will attract this should increase the wild bird population visiting the Park.

Yate Tesco customers will decide which of three local community projects in our area will receive the lion's share of the money donated through the Government's 5p plastic bag charge. 

Customers will receive a token at the till to vote for the local project they think most deserves the bumper £12,000 grant, and have until 6th March to make their vote count. You don't seem to get a token from the self-service tills - maybe you have to ask for it.

A total of £11.5 million raised from the sale of Tesco bags in the UK since October 2015 will be donated through the Bags of Help scheme.

Kelston Close changing rooms upgrade under way

A major upgrade is now under way to Dodington Parish Council's changing rooms at the QE2 Playing Fields, Kelston Close. The £84,000 project has been helped considerably by a £25,000 grant from community programme Barclays Spaces for Sports, partnered with sports charity The Football Foundation. A further £7,000 contribution is coming from South Gloucestershire Council’s New Homes Bonus scheme, and Dodington Parish Council is funding the balance of £52,000.

The new funding for the QEII Playing Field follows previous grants totalling £68,000 from Barclays and the Football Foundation since 2006. These grants were used to pay for a multi-use games area (MUGA), to deliver a three-year sports development plan and to organise holiday sports tournaments for young people.

The changing rooms, which are mainly used by football players on the Parish Council's very popular pitches, date from many years ago when the facilities were the playing fields for King Edmund School (now Yate International Academy)

The works include new showers, accessible toilets, landscaping and general building improvements. At the moment the layout is mainly designed for male players, but Dodington is also aiming to make the changing rooms suitable for any female teams they may have in future.

Yate Town Council grants now available

Yate Town Council promotes an active community in Yate by awarding grants annually to non-profit making organisations. These organisations work for the benefit of Yate parishioners, with the intention of improving the range of services and activities in the town.

If your organisation is in need of some financial assistance and provides a beneficial service or activity for the community of Yate you can submit a grant application form to Yate Town Council for consideration.

Application forms can be obtained either by calling into Yate Town Council Offices at Poole Court, Poole Court Drive, Yate, BS37 5PP,  by telephoning 01454 866507 or email info@yatetowncouncil.gov.uk. Alternatively you can download an application form from the Town Council website www.yatetowncouncil.gov.uk  Applications must be completed and returned to Yate Town Council Offices by 26th June 2015.

Next chance to apply for grants

Community groups have until 10th April to apply for grants to be awarded at the July meetings of the Area Forums.

Frome Vale Area Forum, which covers an area including the Yate, Dodington and Sodbury wards, has £21,450 left for community grants. It is also possible to apply for New Homes Bonus and Positive Activities Funding (the latter is for provision for young people).

More information and links to the online application system are available from this page.

Applications can be made throughout the year, which decisions being taken in July, September, December and March, but the money available will reduce as the year goes on. The amount available will be updated on the Grants page after each meeting.The closing date for the current round is Friday 10 April 2015.

Photo clubs to benefit from Community Grants

And the last of our round-up from the recent Frome Vale Area Forum, which awarded two grants to local photographic organisations:

Photographers with Disabilities £2820

PWD was formed to enable people with disabilities to practice the Art of Photography. They run two regular weekly workshops and every fortnight they have a photoshoot with a model. They welcome both disabled and supportive non-disabled members. The grant will cover half the year's rent of the dedicated studio they need - unlike clubs aimed at non-disabled people, they cannot pack up their equipment and take it away after every session.


Sodbury and Yate Photographic Club £700

This club has been running for over 40 years, and welcomes young and old people alike. They run a disabled people's project in conjunction with Paul's Place. This grant will enable them to buy a digital projector to allow them to display each other's work and provide construtive criticism to help members improve their skills.

You can find out more about applying for South Glos Community Grants here.

Social initiatives grants from Frome Vale Area Forum

Some of the Community Grants from the Frome Vale Area Forum will go towards what could broadly be called "social initiatives" - projects to make people's lives a little bit better:

Yate Town Council's Dementia Friendly Towns Initiative and Community Car Share Scheme £3000

This grant will extend the work of the Development Worker in the areas of promoting dementia awareness and organising a community car scheme to provide a much needed resource for frail and vulnerable people.

Armadillo Youth Venue and Cafe - Apprenticeship £3000

The grant will contribute towards an already successful apprenticeship  scheme, part funding the cost of a Business Administration Apprentice for a year while they study for an NVQ level 2/3.

Sodbury and District Twinning Association - Youth Petanque project £475 

This money will part-fund an imaginative project for Key Stage 3 students and their families. It provides sport, French language and social skills, including pupils with special educational needs. Young people in Chipping Sodbury and Cesson are taking part in a project to talk about common topics and their cultures.

Local Area Forum grants for events and culture

The March Frome Vale Area Forum has given Community Grants to four well known events and organisations:

Chipping Sodbury Festival £1500

This grant will support activities that encourage participation by children and young people - the display boards for the Schools Art Exhibition, insurance for schools and other groups in teh Carniva, and a contribution towards the running costs of the Battle of the Schools bands and Music in the Street.

Yate and District Heritage Centre Trust - Yate International Festival £2080

Last year this very successful event attracted over 2000 visitors, bringing together many different groups and cultures through music and dance, food and activities.

Yate and District Archeological Group - Medieval Archaeology Day £1496

This event will allow visitors to learn about archeology and history through hands on activities, try out modern techniques such as geo-phys and learn new skills. Hopefully some will be tempted to take part in future archeological work with the Group.

Three Parishes Tourism Group £1400

The Tourist Infomation Office and its enthusiastic volunteers provide a wealth of information and help, not just for visitors, but for local people too. This grant will fund a reprint of the popular Chipping Sodbury Circular Walk and Treasure Hunt leaflet and provide heating so that the TIC can remain open throughout the winter months.

Grants agreed for local sports

The recent Frome Vale Area Forum decided to give Community Grants to a range of local sporting organisations. These grants were aimed at providing sporting oportunities for local young people.

Dodington football tournaments £2730

Dodington Parish Council has been running football tournaments for 7 to 11 year old boys and girls at QE2 Playing Fields, Kelston Close since 2009. There are two tournaments in each of the Easter, May, October and February half terms - 8 days of free sporting fun for local youngsters, led by professional coaches.

King Edmund Acrogymnastics £3000 

The number of young people involved in this popular sport is increasing, so there is a need to progress volunteer coaches to higher levels. This grant will pay for the coaches' training, safeguarding and welfare courses.

Southwold Swimming Club £1134

Swimming is a demanding sport, particularly at competitive level. This grant will pay for a highly respected and qualified physiotherapist to screen all the Club's competitive swimmers for probelsm that could lead to significant injury.
 

Chipping Sodbury Golf Club £1500

The Golf Club provides a 6 hole academy course on Chiping Sodbury Common that is available free of charge to the public.  There is free junior coaching on this course and practice area, both for members and non-members. The money will provide new wires around the greens to keep the cattle off the playing area.

Sodbury Tennis Club £1500

This money will be half of the cost of upgrading and improving a Mini-Tennis court and providing a dedicated children's fitness area.

Environment grants from Frome Vale Area Forum

Three local environmental organisations did well out of the first round of the Forum's Community Grants:

Friends of Yate Common £1061

A proper, professionally prepared environmental plan is essential for well-used natural spaces. This grant will pay for a five-year management plan to identify priorities and projects to maintain and enhance this popular open space.

Friends of the Beehive £1003

The Friends of the Beehive tend the honeybee colony at the Chipping Sodbury Community Orchard Apiary. The bees are essential for pollination of orchard trees and other plants. The beekeepers aim to educate the public and hopefully encourage them to set up hives of their own. This money will pay for protective suits for adults and children, tools and a hive for swarm control and demonstration purposes.

Sodbury Parish Plan Steering Group £1500 

There are very few places to sit down in Chipping Sodbury main street. The Parish Plan Steering Group has identified locations for the two seats that will be paid for by this grant.

Brimsham Park improvements

The Friends of Brimsham Park and Lake and local councillors
celebrate their grant - and their haul of rubbish!

The Friends of Brimsham Park and Lake and local councillors rolled their sleeves up last Saturday and did a really good spring clean of the park. What's more, the bulbs that were planted last autumn are popping up now, so the Park is well worth a visit, particularly on a sunny day. There's a lovely walk around the lake and good play facilities. Children love looking at the wooden fish sculpture - see whether they can spot the baby fish!

The Friends had something to celebrate too - a grant of  £2558 from last week's Frome Vale Area Forum for works to control erosion of the lake banks. Coir coils will be used to hold back erosion while providing a habitat for marginal vegetation. (Coir is natural coconut fibre)

Over the next week we'll cover a few more local grants from the Area Forum, and a bit about the organisations who are receiving them.

South Glos businesses offered Broadband Connection Vouchers

Small to medium size enterprise businesses (SMEs) in South Gloucestershire may be entitled to take advantage of the Government’s Broadband Connection Voucher scheme.

The scheme has been extended to include eligible SMEs within South Gloucestershire who have until the end of March this year to apply.

Applications for the scheme can be made now and the benefits include a connection voucher worth up to £3,000 towards faster, better broadband.

Upgrading to superfast broadband brings real business benefits, offering better services to more satisfied customers and enhancing the way businesses communicate and collaborate online. Hundreds of UK businesses are already benefiting from the vouchers scheme.

To check eligibility and for more information visit https://www.connectionvouchers.co.uk/city/bristol/

Warm Up South Gloucestershire

Are you the landlord of a rented property in South Gloucestershire? Is it cold and draughty? If so, take a look at the new initiative Warm Up South Gloucestershire which has been launched by the council this week.

The scheme offers landlords significant help to improve inefficient properties in a bid to protect tenants against cold, draughty houses. It offers a range of measures, including heating upgrades, cavity wall and loft insulation, draught proofing and double glazing. There is also a limited amount of additional support available to landlords for installing a new gas connection if required.

The initiative applies to landlords who own properties with an F or G energy rating, which means they’re very energy inefficient, and offers two thirds off, up to a maximum of £3,000, for home improvement measures.

The council has secured government funding to deliver the measures and work will be completed by a largely local small and medium sized enterprise (SME) supply chain to ensure that South Gloucestershire businesses benefit. The funding was secured in conjunction with Bristol City Council and North Somerset Council who are running their own Warm Up campaigns.

The funding for the scheme is limited, so you need to act quickly to take advantage of it.

If you're a landlord, go to www.warmupsouthglos.co.uk and call 0800 980 09 02 to find out more. If you're a tenant, speak to your landlord about the scheme.

Free childcare for 2 year olds - find out more!

Yate Children’s Centre, Cranleigh Court Road, is holding weekly surgeries for parents who would like to find out more about this Government funded scheme.

A maximum of 15 hours per week per child can be claimed for 38 weeks per year if your child is entitled to a free place.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The family meet the eligibility criteria also used for Free School Meals
• The family receive Working Tax Credits and have an annual gross earnings of no more than £16,190
• The family receive Universal Credit and have an annual gross earnings of no more than £16,190
• The child has a current statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) or an Education, Health & Care Plan
• The child attracts Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• The child is looked after by the Local Authority
• The child has left care through a special guardianship or adoption or residence order. 

Your child must be resident in South Gloucestershire.

Please call on 01454 864154 to book an appointment.

Surgery dates: 11th November; 18th November; 25th November; 2nd December; 9th December; 16th December, between 1.00 and 2.00pm. Friendly advisor Claire will be able to explain the process, check eligibility and inform you about how to apply for funding.

Grants for community groups

Local voluntary organisations, community groups and Parish Councils have until Wednesday 26th November to apply for a range of grant funding from South Gloucestershire Council - Community Grants, New Homes Bonus (NHB) and Positive Activities Subsidy (PAS) grants.  The final decisions on all three will be made by councillors at the area forum meeting in March.

Community Groups are aimed at projects that benefit local people. Generally the grants are less than £3,000 but more can be awarded if the Forum thinks it is justified.

New Homes Bonus funding is a grant which the council receives annually from central government, based on the number of homes built or brought back into use. This money would typically be used for larger projects. It's worth contacting your ward councillor to find out more, as the number of new homes built has varied greatly between the wards.

The Positive Activities Subsidy grant funding is to help local young people aged 13 to 19 (up to 25 for disabled people) to take part in, or initiate, activities.  Applications should be for projects which are accessible, affordable, wanted and valued by young people. Frome Vale has very little of this funding left to allocate.

To apply visit www.southglos.gov.uk/grants (free internet access is available at all South Gloucestershire libraries). For more information call the grants helpline on 01454 865865 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm) or email grants@southglos.gov.uk

Older people set to benefit from Community Grant

A local care provider has decided to give away its first ever Community Grant – a sum of money that could benefit any local group in South Gloucestershire working with older people.

Bluebird Care opened its office in Chipping Sodbury a year ago, and ever since has been working hard to support other organisations in the community.

Jack Whitfield, Managing Director, said: “As well as providing care & companionship services to people living in their own homes, Bluebird Care is passionate about supporting community projects and initiatives. So many neighbourhoods thrive because of volunteers who work tirelessly to run community groups, host events and provide services that benefit others. Much of this work involves supporting older people who, without regular coffee mornings, day-trips or lunch clubs, would be left isolated at home.”

The care provider is making available £250 to a community group or initiative that works with older people within the area. The group that can best demonstrate a need for additional support will be allocated the funds.

Bluebird Care (South Gloucestershire) offers a realistic alternative to residential care by allowing people to stay in their own homes with care and support. Their work can involve one or more short visits a day in order to help with the everyday tasks of life. However, their service doesn’t stop there because longer duration visits are also available, including overnight help and live-in care.

Sophie Rowland-Jones, Managing Director, says support will be offered to the successful applicant to ensure older people get the most from their Community Grant: “The Bluebird Care Community Grant will also come with support and advice. We want to work with a local project that gives older people an opportunity to try something new and that will add benefit to their lives. Examples of the type of projects we are looking for could include gardening, leisure, recreational or musical activities.”

For more details, and to receive an application form contact Bluebird Care can phone 01454 323624, email southglos@bluebirdcare.co.uk or visit their office at 82 Broad Street, Chipping Sodbury.

Please complete a short survey to support the campaign to update the Kelston Close changing rooms

Please help the project to update the changing rooms at our local playing fields! Dodington Parish Council manages the changing rooms at the QEII Playing Fields at Kelston Close.

Over the years, and with heavy use during football seasons, the changing rooms have become run down and look very sad. The good news is that Dodington Parish Council is seeking to completely renovate the building and the area around it.

The Council is preparing to apply for funding from the Lottery Funded Sport England Inspired Facilities Fund.

Your comments and views are needed to help make our application successful - please share this post and encourage local people to fill in the survey.

Click this link to complete the very short questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/qe2kelston