Spirit of Ruchill and Possilpark Fund

Area:

• Glasgow City

Key dates Applications can be made at any time.

About this fund:

The Spirit of Ruchill and Possilpark Fund was part of Spirit of 2012’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games legacy programme (known as Fourteen), which originally provided an investment of £250,000 into the community. The programme operated from January 2015 through to June 2018. A panel of local people formed, to oversee the design and distribution of the resource budget, informed by the ideas and aspirations of community groups and local people.

Since 2018, Foundation Scotland has supported the panel to secure smaller sums of investment (circa £20k by 2020) to distribute in Ruchill and Possilpark. The dedicated panel has matured into a team of knowledgeable and skilled people, with a strong awareness of local priorities and good practice for open grant making, participatory budgeting, microgrants and commissioning.

Alongside awarding grants, the fund acts as a catalyst for things to happen in the local community by fostering connections and supporting local people to take community action. The fund and panel repeatedly and successfully mobilise people in the community – encouraging involvement in community events including Burns night ceilidhs, Summer outings and participatory budgeting events.

Purpose of this fund:

The fund supports projects and activities benefiting and involving people living in Ruchill and Possilpark, guided by ideas, aspirations and views of local residents, alongside the existing Ruchill and Possilpark Community plan. Key priorities for 2021 include mental health, elderly isolation, digital inequalities, and training opportunities for young people.

The fund is currently only open for ‘Spark grants’, which are small grants, less than £500 for projects that ’spark’ a new idea or activity in the community that will make a difference to people living in Ruchill and Possilpark.

Sparks is a specific grant programme from the Spirit of Ruchill and Possilpark Fund designed to release small amounts of funding into communities by supporting individuals or groups of local people and neighbours who want to run local projects to benefit other community members. Sparks highlights include:

• Local children and young people in Hamiltonhill benefiting from the football goals that four local young people bid for and successfully won at a participatory funding event.
• A local person received funding for promotional material for Metafit fitness classes in Ruchill and Possilpark Community Centres and trained residents to deliver classes on a weekly basis.
• The ongoing Ruchill Park Run, established via funding for leaflets and signs, a defibrillator and group refreshments.

Additional criteria:

A Sparks project should be a new idea or initiative. It should aim to ‘spark’ something in the community.

• The project will make a positive difference to the lives of people who live in in either Ruchill or Possilpark.
• The individual or group running the project is willing to contribute their time and skills to the project.
• Activities and projects are advertised in different ways (posters, social media etc.) and the project or activity is open to all.
• Individuals and informal groups can apply – by an informal group we mean at least three residents committed to making the project happen.
• Under 18s can apply for a Spark Grant as an individual or as an informal group.
• Grants are paid out by Possilpark Peoples Trust.
• Constituted groups may also apply although it must be for a new idea.
  Who can apply?

Who can apply?

The fund is currently open for individuals, unconstituted groups and constituted groups.

We cannot fund the following:

• Non constituted groups.
• Applications from individuals. However, individuals may be able to apply for funding under any micro-grant scheme associated with a fund, or under some education and training funds.
• General fundraising appeals or activities.
• Trips abroad (unless otherwise stated on the fund page).
• Costs already incurred or activities which will take place before we’ve decided on an application, i.e. retrospective funding.
• The repayment of loans or payment of debts.
• The advancement of religion or politics, including requests to support religious or political groups' core activities. However, religious groups may apply for funding for non-religious activity that will benefit the wider community beyond their own specific congregation and is open to all on a non-denominational basis. For example, a church may apply for funding to upgrade a church hall that is regularly used by other community groups.
• Payments towards areas understood to be the exclusive responsibility of statutory authorities. However, we can provide grants to Parent Teacher Associations/Parent Councils if they are appropriately constituted and occasionally to schools where the activity being delivered is additional to the core curriculum/statutory activity.
• Activities that are likely to bring the fund, Foundation Scotland or the donor into disrepute. For example, we can’t fund groups or organisations using hate speech or inciting violence, or those linked to such groups or organisations.
• that conflict with the interests of the funder. For example, where a renewable energy company provides funding, we can’t fund any projects or organisations that are anti-windfarm or anti-renewable energy as such activities are likely to be contrary to the interests of the funder or its subsidiaries.
• For place-based funds, we can’t support projects which don't benefit the people who live within the defined fund area. Projects that benefit people in the fund area plus others outside that area can be supported on a proportionate basis. Applicants to these funds don’t need to be based in the fund area.
• For themed/cause-related funds we can’t support projects which don’t relate to the priorities stated for the fund.
• Costs directly related to the sale of alcohol, including but not limited to the refurbishment of a bar area