Funding For Play
Serious about getting funding for your community?
About this guide Whether you are an established community group, or just starting out trying to find ways to improve your community spaces, this guide is designed to point you in the right direction. It is not intended to be a list of fundraising ideas, but an outline guide for those intending to raise larger sums of money by securing grants from local and national funders. Developed in partnership with real life fundraising parents, it doesn’t aim to give you all the answers, because every community and project is different, but we do hope it will help you ask the right questions to be successful in any funding bid. Whilst the advice in this guide is centred on fundraising for children’s play, most of it is equally useful for other community projects such as sports facilities and community centres.
Summary 1
KOMPAN and the benefits of play
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About Support 4 Community Projects
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Getting off the ground
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Now is the time to sort your housekeeping
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Failing to plan is planning to fail
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Take a long hard look at your team
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Keep talking!
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What makes a great playground? Where are we going to get all that money from?
10 Top tips 11 Celebrate! 12 Useful resources
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The benefits of play
Growing up in today’s society can sometimes be tough, but raising children in it can be even tougher! Very few of us have the time and resources we would ideally like to get our kids outdoors and as active as we know they should be. Add to this the tempting glow of the TV or games console and it is easy to see why, little by little, our children are becoming less active. Right across Europe, childhood obesity is rising, but less well known is that children’s overall physical ability – their coordination, strength and endurance – is also declining. During the last 30 years European children’s performance has declined by 10-12%. This can make it harder for them to participate in organised sports, or at least find them enjoyable, and so the cycle continues. So putting in a playground is the solution? If only it were that simple. Of course such a complex problem will need to be tackled on many levels, but research shows that high quality play provision really can help. A study by the EMGO institute in the Netherlands showed that people who lived less than 1 km from a green park were less likely to suffer from a number of serious health conditions. The effect was particularly significant for children. Well designed equipment can develop children’s physical ability and motor skills without them even noticing, helping them grow in confidence and lead healthier lives. But a good playground, especially one developed by the community, offers so much more. It is also a great focal point for meeting and socialising. Adults and children from all walks of life have the chance to spend time together in a positive, pleasant environment, simply having fun.
www.corporate.kompan.com/KOMPAN-play-institute
About Kompan
Kompan recognised there was an increasing need from community groups and schools for support in negotiating the complex environment of fundraising bids, so approached Support 4 Community Projects Ltd (S4CP) for specialist advice. In partnership with S4CP, Kompan now offers free funding consultancy as part of our playground design service. Kompan is one of the world’s leading play equipment designers and manufacturers. Supported by the Kompan International Play Institute they are renowned for high quality, challenging equipment that incorporates the latest findings on children’s play and development. The Kompan Play Institute brings together professionals and academics in the field of play to help develop understanding and best practice in the design of equipment and playgrounds. Recent research includes reports on how play can best meet the needs of teenagers, and a best practice guide to developing playgrounds that allow children of all abilities to play together. Find out more about research into the benifits of play and green spaces at Brettschneider and Naul, Paderborn + Diusberg Essen 2004
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About Support 4 Community Projects
Support 4 Community Projects (S4CP) is a consultancy specialising in fundraising for community projects. It was founded by Julia and Corinna after they successfully raised over £90,000 for their local playground project in Hertfordshire. Realising their professional backgrounds had helped them considerably, they recognised there was a need (and a business opportunity) for supporting other groups with similar projects. Julia has a background in finance and is a serving parish councillor, whilst media specialist Corinna has experience as a fundraiser for a national children’s charity. They now work nationwide with a range of not for profit groups, supporting them at all stages of the fundraising project. This guide was developed from their own experiences and those of other groups all over the country.
“Although our playground committee comprised just a handful of volunteers, we had the courage to think big and the commitment to succeed. If we did it, you can too - and we’re here to help you.” Corinna and Julia, Support 4 Community Projects Ltd.
Notes
Julia, Corinna and the Stanstead Abbots team
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1. Getting off the ground Create your vision and be crystal clear what it is. You need this to build your case for fundraising. Do your research, involve your community, involve the children. Create mood boards, get everyone on board defining what they want, why they want it, what problem it is solving and what the positive outcomes will be – this is what funders want to know. S4CP can help you with this. Make a chart or list of everyone who is affected by, or might have an interest in your project. Ensure you involve them from the earliest possible stage; you will be surprised by the unlikely corners support will come from. Also, the earlier you take account of any negative views, the less likely they will be to de-rail your project further down the line, so make a special point of including those who might have objections. There are tough times ahead. Make sure you are tough enough to weather the storms – times when your community criticises you for not delivering fast enough, or grant applications are rejected and time slips by. Build a core team who believe in the vision and support each other, and will stick with it to the end. A team that won’t take no for an answer. This is going to be a great experience. When you see the faces of the children on opening day, you’ll remember why you stuck with it. You’ll make some great friends along the way and you’ll bring the community together.
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2. Now is the time to sort your housekeeping
Make sure all the legal and governance stuff is in place before you do anything else – your project won’t get off the starting blocks without it. Who owns the land? Can you evidence it? Do you have the title deeds? What is the relationship between the volunteers who are applying for funding and the legal owners? What is the constitution/legal structure of the group making the grant applications – funders will want assurance about who they are paying their money to. What evidence have you got? Have you got the right tax structure to recover VAT? That could cost you another 20% if not. Have you checked the planning requirements? Are there eco regulations that will apply to the area, e.g. tree protection orders, protected wildlife, flooding, green belt, conservation area? Will you need licences, permissions and insurance for fund raisers (e.g. raffles, alcohol, street collections, entertainment, food).
“It has given everyone an opportunity to get involved with a project at the heart of the community - we have consulted children and their parents and carers via schools and playgroups, involved local groups like the Scouts and Youth Club in working parties, encouraged local businesses to contribute, and kept everyone informed so that people in the community feel a sense of ownership of the project.” Fundraising volunteer
Notes
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3. Failing to plan is planning to fail You’ll need a Business Plan, a Fundraising Strategy, a Budget and Financial Plan, a Project Plan and a Communications Plan. You’ll need to develop processes: reporting to stakeholders, running consultations, tendering for supplier bids. Sounds excessive? It’s not! It’s vital preparation for a successful bid. You’ll need all this to ensure that you manage your project smoothly, to help you communicate with all your stakeholders and to provide evidence to potential funders that you and your project are credible and likely to succeed. Create an Evidence Dossier too. Document the history of your group – has it been successful in other projects? Show how the community has been involved so far. Gather letters of support from local stakeholders – youth groups, businesses, the police, local councillors, the church, the school and pre-school, childminders. Don’t forget to plan for post implementation. Your project won’t stop when the equipment is installed. Who is responsible for the playground after the equipment is installed? Does the role of the volunteers change after installation? Think about the durability of the equipment and its lifespan – ask the supplier for this information, e.g. what maintenance will be needed? Who has budgeted for that? Has the budget accounted for any insurance required? Plan for how usage will change after implementation. The playground should be used more so there may be higher maintenance costs – who will meet these?
Local children make models of their dream playground
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4. Take a long hard look at your team Hopefully you’ve got a team of willing volunteers already, but volunteers move on for all sorts of reasons, so have regular publicity to keep bringing new people into the team. It can really help to have a new burst of energy if the existing team is flagging a bit. Do a “skills audit” – you’ll need all sorts of skills in your team – creativity, researchers, negotiating, relationship managers, volunteer managers, scrap-bookers, fundraisers, financial management, technical, project management, marketing, communicating, practical do-ers. What experience do they have that will be directly relevant? Have you got skills gaps? S4CP can help you do a skills audit. Think about local experts or charities who can help fill the skills gaps. Give everyone “job descriptions” so that everyone is focussed on doing their bit and you don’t get dependent on a single volunteer who is too overloaded. Use all this information to help you manage your project efficiently, and to demonstrate credibility and competency to funders.
“Great friendships built over the years on a shared commitment to getting a job done. We are a great team and working on this project has uncovered a lot of talent and determination!” Project Volunteer
Young volunteers help maintain the playground
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5. Keep talking! Don’t underestimate how important (and time consuming) this can be. You will need to keep communicating with all your stakeholders, but it will be time well spent. You will need to engage with your community from the outset, so that you have the body of evidence that your funders will demand. You’ll need to develop, distribute and evaluate consultations. S4CP and Kompan can help you with this. Focus groups may need training. Your core team may want to draw on a wider body of volunteers to help with specific tasks at various stages in the project (e.g. distributing consultation questionnaires, facepainting at your fundraising events, blowing up balloons at your opening party!) so keep them all on board so you have reserves to draw on. You’ll be working with a range of partners e.g. local government and other local voluntary groups who you must also keep informed. You’ll also need to allocate someone to work with the suppliers, building a good working relationship to ensure a smooth running project. It is also critical to keep the community updated so they can see the progress you are making, even if sometimes it is slow. Involve the children and their parents and other carers in planning and designing the playground, so that you deliver what they want. Funders will demand this evidence. Be prepared to negotiate at this stage as different groups may have conflicting opinions about what they would like, it may also differ from your personal opinions. To have a sustainable future it must be their playground not yours. The talking doesn’t end when the ribbon is cut at the opening. The funders will want regular updates on progress and outcomes – including updates long after the opening day! And they’ll want you to give them publicity. You’ll need to become your own publicists. Use all available outlets including local press, social networks and setting up a website – this can be done for free.
“We have moved from some 260 households which were disengaged with the park on their doorstep, to having a very active community-led group; the playground refurbishment project has really brought people together.” Linda Saltwell, community development worker.
Notes
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6. What makes a great playground? You may have children yourself and visit playgrounds regularly, but have you really identified clearly what makes a good playground? How do you know that your playground is going to be well used and loved? How can you prove to your funders that they are making the right investment in your project? Kompan offers this expertise and a free design service to help you turn all your ideas into a practical design. Areas for consideration include: • The space and location. How will different equipment be located to make best use of the space? • The age range of the children who are likely to use the park. Will there be enough to challenge older children and make them feel included in the space? • What different play activities can be offered to make the space exciting visit after visit? • How can natural features such as slopes and planting be incorporated? • What can be incorporated in addition to equipment such as picnic areas, biodiversity zones or areas to grow fruit and veg. • How can the equipment allow children of all ages and abilities to play together? • The practical infrastructure such as surfaces, paths, drainage and access. • The life-span and maintenance requirements of different materials. If you are running a consultation, it is often most productive to identify what types of activities the children like, such as climbing, chatting with friends or pretending games, then let your playground company advise you as to the most suitable equipment, taking into account all the factors above. Children (and adults) often pick the equipment they are most familiar with – sometimes missing out on exciting new types of play equipment that have been specifically designed to meet the needs of modern playgrounds.
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7. Where’s all the money going to come from? Good quality equipment that will last for many years isn’t cheap, and if you’ve done your budget properly, you’ll realise that the costs involved are wider than just the equipment that you’re going to buy. But if you’ve done all your preparation, you’ll be very well placed to start asking for funding. This is where you need to do your research so you know where to look for the money – and think creatively too. Have a Fundraising Strategy so that you can consider all the types of funding sources and don’t get too dependent on any single source – they won’t all be successful: • • • • • • • • • •
Public Grants: European, national and local funding sources Lottery Charities and trusts Private donations Local businesses Local groups who fundraise/volunteer for you (Rotary, church, Scouts, Probation Service) Fundraising events Collection tins Online donation websites Gift Aid
S4CP can help you with all this in depth.
“Personally, being involved with the HAPPI group/ Carden Park project has enabled me to meet and work with new people and also to gain a great sense of purpose and achievement, knowing that what we have done has brought new life to a run down area for future generations to enjoy. It was great to see the look of joy on my children’s faces when the park opened and also on the faces of the other 400 people who turned up to our opening event... quite overwhelming really, but made all the hard work seem worth it!” Gina Crees volunteer + secretary of HAPPI, Brighton
Notes
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8. Top tips • Read the grant criteria and phone up the advertised contact for more information to test likelihood of getting funding. Don’t bother applying if you and your project don’t meet their criteria. Speak to the funders or their intermediaries to check eligibility and chances of success. Ask them to review a draft of your application. S4CP can help you with this. • Fill in the forms properly or you’ll fall at the first assessment screening. • Use plain English; panels who assess the applications have limited time to read your application. • Focus on clear outcomes that meet the funder’s criteria – use their language. • Pick up on current trends, e.g. grant pots with eco themes, companies with Corporate Social Responsibility Policies that focus on donating time and expertise rather than cash. • Formal grant pots tend to focus on capital costs (e.g. equipment) so if you need to cover the costs of your opening party, organise a local event fundraiser instead. • Kill four birds with one stone. Organise a family fundraiser quiz; publicise it widely locally so everyone is aware of your project; get all the attendees to fill out your consultation forms; organise a children’s competition to design what they want from the new playground; get match funding from the employer of one of your volunteers. The quiz alone may not have raised much money, but with just a few hours work, you’ll have got so much more from it. • If you don’t ask, you won’t get. Some local businesses may get offended if you don’t ask them to get involved. • Success attracts success – it may seem hard at first, but once you’ve got cash in the kitty, others will want to join the bandwagon. So shout loud about your successes! • However local your project, brand it and get your brand into every nook and cranny of the community, so that everyone knows about it. You’ll be surprised at who comes out of the woodwork to help. • Put a value on the donations of time and expertise to show funders what you have achieved already and to show your stakeholders just how much the real cost of your efforts is. • Be realistic about the timescales for fundraising. Understand the timetable. Some grant providers takes MONTHS to make a decision! • Ask for free help e.g. from your local authority Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) or Rural Community Council (RCC). • If your bid is rejected, ask for feedback and learn from any mistakes. Have a “Plan B” already up your sleeve. • Stick with your vision and don’t be tempted to scale it back or do the project in stages. It’s harder to attract money for a project that’s already started.
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9. Celebrate! Make sure you throw a good opening party – that takes some planning too! You’ll want to celebrate yourselves, but there’s more to the opening party than that. It’s a chance to publicly recognise your volunteers and donors with good media coverage. It’s also a chance to keep the relationships going – ready for your next project. It doesn’t have to cost much – if you’ve followed the advice above, by this stage your project will have attracted such a loyal following that you’ll be able to call on local businesses to donate some soft drinks and party food. Let the local press know the details of the opening in advance as they may be able to send a reporter along; people like to know about good news in their area. Even if they can’t attend have your local photography buff take some shots and send them to the newsdesks with a short write-up, as an eye-catching photo will often secure you some great coverage.
“The best bit about the project? Just seeing everybody gathered together in the playground we built! Children all over the new play equipment, funders and supporters there to share in the euphoria, and see what their enthusiasm for the project has achieved!” Fundraising volunteer
Stanstead Abbotts village playground opening
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Useful resources Children’s Play KOMPAN.com/KOMPAN-play-institute provide lots of information and current research about play and playgrounds. Children’s Play Information Service www.ncb.org.uk and www.playengland.org.uk http://corporate. On the NCB website you can also find links to your local authority’s play strategy, which may provide you with useful information about local needs when you are completing grant applications. Finding help locally The following organisations are worth contacting to see what help they can provide. Their resources, and therefore the type of help that they can offer, will vary from area to area. • NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action) http://webdb.navca.org.uk/home. aspx to find your local Council for Voluntary Service who may be able to help with funding advice and other resources. • ACRE (Action with Rural Communities in England) www.acre.org.uk/resources_usefullinks_rccs.html to find your local Rural Community Council who may be able to help with funding advice. • www.communityfoundations.org.uk/what_are_community_foundations_/finding_uk_community_ foundations/ to find your local Community Foundation Trust. These charitable bodies help local donors to fund projects in local communities. • Also contact your local county, district or borough council, who may have a community development officer who can help. Charities legislation and advice www.charity-commission.gov.uk for information about setting up a charity How to write a press release www.freelanceuk.com/news/1126.shtml Online grant databases www.grantnet.com and www.fundingcentral.org.uk These are online databases comprising thousands of funding schemes that are available in the UK, directed at the public, private, charitable, and voluntary and community sectors. They can be a bit laborious to search and you’ll need to get used to the jargon to maximise the search engine results. S4CP can help you with this. Fundraising through shopping portals Online shopping portals enable your organisation to take a commission every time someone shops online. You will need to persuade your local community to sign up and shop this way. Examples - www.easyfundraising.org.uk and www.thegivingmachine.org.uk/ Lottery Funding For details of all lottery grant programmes see www.lotteryfunding.org.uk, www.awardsforall.org.uk is the most relevant one for local community projects. Landfill Communities Fund schemes These are bodies which distribute landfill taxes to community projects. For example: www.biffaward.org, www.wren.org.uk and www.veoliatrust.org
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Trusts of high street names Many large shops, banks and other businesses have community trust funds. Two examples are: Tesco: http://cr2010.tescoplc.com/communities/tesco-charity-trust.aspx Co-op www.co-operative.coop/membership/local-communities/community-fund/ Local community fundraising event ideas Try www.better-fundraising-ideas.com/index.html for some inspiration.
Notes
“Mummy - it looks like Paradise!� (child peeking through fence during construction)
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KOMPAN PLAY INSTITUTE
A better life through play
KOMPAN PLAY INSTITUTE
Play for health
nowhere to go
Play for All The newest developments in universal design, accessibility and inclusion in playgrounds
This publicaTion is abouT providing for young people ouTdoors, physically and socially. included in The publicaTion is a series of documenTed soluTions for ouTdoor acTiviTy for young people ThaT is The resulT of many years of exTensive research.
http://teenagers.kompan.com
If you would like to receive copies of the latest research on the benefits of play email KOMPAN.uk@kompan.com
KOMPAN Ltd
Support 4 Community Projects Ltd
21 Roebuck Way Knowlhill Milton Keynes MK5 8HL
5 Yeomans Court Ware Road Hertford Herfordshire SG13 7HJ
Tel: 01908 201002 Fax: 01908 201007 Email: KOMPAN.uk @KOMPAN.com
Tel: 020 81440194 Email: info@support4communityprojects.co.uk
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