New round of Discretionary Small Business Support Grants

Applications are now open until 12 noon on Monday 13 July for a second round of Discretionary Small Business Support Grants.

The Discretionary Small Business Support Grants Fund provides support to some small and micro businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs that are able to demonstrate a significant drop in income because of pandemic restriction measures. The grants help support businesses that did not meet the criteria for the existing Business Support Grant Schemes.

You can read more here:https://beta.southglos.gov.uk/business-support-grants-discretionary-fund/

Grants to help local groups

Need cash for something you are doing to help people during lockdown?
A reminder that Yate Town Council's COVID Battle Fund has cash available to any local group working on something to help our community in lockdown. 

But also, the MAF Money - Member Allocated Funding 20/21 is now open to applicants.

If you wish to apply, please contact a South Glocs Councillor for this area (they are all members of the Lib Dem FOcus Team) to discuss your proposal. This can be done by telephone or email, to ensure  all remain secure during this health emergency. You will find our contact details at http://localfocus.blogspot.com/

The Cllrs will either issue you with an application or advise you to make contact with the Grants Team .

It is open for  all the usual projects  and the normal rules apply to them. BUT and this is important, the rules have been modified so COVID aid groups can apply. without the usual bureaucracy. (Begs the question of why you need the bureaucracy for anyone!) 

For groups who are dealing with COVID there is  no requirement to register with the grants on-line system as this has been removed.  However, in support of the payment process and as these groups are informal they will need to have a partner who is able to receive payment. This can be a voluntary or community group registered to the Grants on-line system  (Yate Town Council is a registered group) or it can be done via a South Glos Councillor. 

CASh for small business / self employed

ARE YOU A SMALL BUSINESS / SELF EMPLOYED?

WANT SOME CASH as a GRANT no strong.

Have you applied for a grant, not a loan, a grant from South Glos Council? The government has given South Glos £39 Million to give to local small business and the self employed. This is in addition to the loans schemes and furlough.

But so far they have only managed to give out under half. They are working through applications as quickly as they can - but the real issue is that people are not asking for the cash. This is a grant you can get. Cash for just filling in one form. No strings. So what are you waiting for??

• .For more info please visit www.southglos.gov.uk/businessinfo"
• Please share with anyone in South Glos who runs a small business

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)

 

Advice sessions on South Glos Member Awarded Funding

Last year South Glos launched the Member Awarded Funding (MAF) scheme that gives Councillors the opportunity to make awards to projects and services that benefit residents in their ward. From 1 April 2017 each councillor has an allocation of £3,000 to award to local projects and services before 31 March 2018.

South Glos is offering voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and Town or Parish Councils the opportunity to drop-in at one of their advice sessions to meet with a Grant Officer for help and support with the MAF process, such as:

• How to register your organisation on the grants on-line system
• How to create or revise policies
• How to apply to your Councillor(s)
• How to complete an application form
• How to apply if your project crosses ward boundaries

The sessions are being held in Room 0013 at the Council Offices, Badminton Road, Yate, BS37 5AF:

• Wednesday 21 June 09:00-13:30
• Monday 24 July 09:00-13:30
• Monday 14 August 12:30-15.30

For more information please contact the Grants Helpline, Mon-Fri, 9am to 4pm, on 01454 865865 or grants@southglos.gov.uk.  The sessions are open and so please do just drop-in. However, if you would prefer to book a place, please contact the team to arrange.

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.

Next chance to have your say at Frome Vale Area Forum

The next Frome Vale Area Forum meeting is this Thursday 5th March at 7pm in Shireway Community Centre, Yate.




There will be a presentation from Avon Fire and Rescue raising awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning - very necessary, as shown by the recent tragedy in Cherington (Gazette report here - Yate couple killed by toxic gas boiler leak).

Other items on the agenda include decisions on community and New Homes Bonus (NHB) grants and consideration of youth funding. The Forum will also be deciding which highway schemes are a priority.

The next round of meetings will take place in July. If you would like to receive details of meetings in your area contact Democratic Services on 01454 864425 or visit www.southglos.gov.uk/areaforum

Further information regarding grant funding is available on 01454 865865 or via www.southglos.gov.uk/grants

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.