Each Community Council has an annual Community Council Grant available to it, calculated on the basis of:

 

·       an Administrative Grant of £500; and

·       a Project Grant, which varies from year to year and according to the population of a Community Council Area.

 

This is set out in the Inverclyde Council Scheme of Funding for Community Councils (the Funding Scheme) approved on 11 August 2020 and updated on 7 December 2023. This guide is a summary of that Funding Scheme.

 

The table below has an example of how the Community Council Grant is calculated, and the Council’s Community Council Liaison Officer (CCLO) can also provide information and guidance.  The CCLO can be emailed on community.councils@inverclyde.gov.uk or contacted using the details shown at www.inverclyde.gov.uk/communitycouncils .

 

Community Councils should note they may also be able to apply for other forms of grant funding both from the Council and from other funding providers.

 

Administrative Grant

 

Administrative Grant can only be used to meet reasonable and appropriate operational and administration costs, examples of which are:

·       Insurance

·       Auditors' fees

·       Production and circulation of Minutes, agenda and annual reports

·       Maintaining a website

·       Stationery

·       Photocopying

·       Postage

·       Travel costs

·       Telephone costs

·       Accommodation lets

·       Affiliation fees

·       Subscriptions

·       Bank charges

·       Advertising

·       General Publicity and promotional activities.

·       Consultation with the community.

 

A Community Council can carry forward unspent sums at the Year End as explained further at the end of this guide.

Project Grant

 

The Project Grant enables a Community Council to fund projects within its community which, having regard to any guidance issued by the Council, it feels are likely to advance, promote or improve the well-being of any part of its Community Council Area or anyone living in that area. There are a wide range of possible projects that could be undertaken, examples of which include:

 

·       Funding installation of a community defibrillator;

·       Organising a community “litter pick”;

·       Organising seasonal community events; or

·       Pursuing or participating in a community asset transfer.

 

These are only examples however, and the Project Grant could be used for a wide variety and scale of imaginative community led projects.  Depending on the nature of the project, Community Councils should take into account any future funding it might need, for example ongoing maintenance and running costs, as well as the any initial costs of setting up the project.

 

A Community Council can, if it wishes, use the Project Grant for operational and administrative costs in the same way as their Administrative Grant.  A Community Council can carry forward unspent balances at the Year End as is explained further at the end of this guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Example Grant Calculation

 

As stated above, the Community Council Grant varies from year. The following table sets out an example of the grant calculation under the Funding Scheme and based on the 2023/24 budget.