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Community Relations, Cultural Diversity Grant Scheme

CR and CD Application Form

Aim of the Scheme

The Community Relations Council, with the support of Government, has established a fund of approximately £400,000 to spend each year on community relations projects.  This funding is intended to help community/voluntary groups throughout Northern Ireland develop their capacity to engage in community relations work and to enhance the community relations potential of projects they undertake.

Objectives of the Scheme

This grant scheme seeks to achieve the aims listed below by providing advice and financial support for projects.  Questions 16 and 17 of this application form will ask you to identify which of these aims best matches the objectives of your project.

  1. To develop opportunities for groups to exploretheir own cultures, beliefs and traditions, thus increasing their capacity to develop relationships of trust with those of different traditions and values.
  2. To develop opportunities for groups to extend their knowledge and understanding of others' cultures, beliefs, traditions; increasing their acceptance of and respect for diversity.
  3. To enable groups to challenge stereotypes of their own and other communities in order to acknowledge and address difference.
  4. To increase the ability and confidence of groups and organisations to identify and address those issues that divide them.
  5. To develop networks of communication, trust and co-operation between divided communities.
  6. To promote models of good practice for community relations work in Northern Ireland.

Types of Groups Eligible

  • The scheme is aimed at locally based groups such as community development groups, cultural organisations, women's groups, church groups, tenants associations and other organisations and groups involved in community relations, reconciliation projects and cultural engagement.
  • The scheme is aimed primarily at projects involving adults.  Groups whose main work is with children or youth may be eligible for funding by the Department of Education, Education and Library Boards or the Youth Council.  People working with 0 - 5 year olds should contact local health and social services.

Eligible Costs

Grants may be awarded towards the cost of the following:

  • Bursaries for community relations practitioners to attend conferences.  (These are limited to one bursary per year for anindividual from an applicant group).
  • Organisation of events.
  • Seminars or discussion groups.
  • Fees for trainers, speakers, artists or facilitators.
  • Basic travelling costs within Ireland and Britain.
  • Cost of accommodation for speakers.
  • Renting appropriate facilities.
  • Creche provision.
  • Resource materials.
  • Action research and small publication costs.

Please note: The maximum award payable is £10,000 but in the main most grants are much smaller than this.  It may be useful to refer to Community Relations Council annual reports for details of previous grant allocations.

Exclusions

As grants are aimed at specific projects or schemes they will NOT cover on-going costs eg. salaries.  Nor will they pay for major capital expenditure, competitions, religious services, purchase/lease of musical instruments/uniforms and sporting equipment, cash generative schemes, retrospective events or party political activities.  Grants will NOT cover travel outside Ireland and Britain, except in the case of bursaries.

Monitoring and Evaluation

It is a condition of any grants awarded that the Council receives monitoring and evaluation information after the project has taken place.  As the grant recipients are expected to do some of this themselves, monitoring and evaluation forms to assist the process will be sent to all groups who are offered a grant.

Information on Application

Additional application forms are available from the Community Relations Council.  The Council will try to process applications as quickly as possible, but this will depend upon current resources and demand.  Applications usually take 8 - 12 weeks to process.

It is always best to apply during the early development stages of the project as this allows time for Council staff and the group to adequately discuss the project.

Applications that have been registered before the project takes place but have not been processed by CRC until after the event are still eligible.

There is no restriction on the number of applications any one group can make to the scheme.  However, if a group has received funding in the past, it may need to demonstrate that new proposals will build upon earlier achievements.

Please feel free to attach further notes for any of the questions if there is insufficient space. 

Applicants should understand that while careful consideration is given to each application, it may not be possible to assist applicants to the extent requested, even if applications come within the criteria set out above.  Due to the large volume of applications received, it is unlikely we will be able to extend grant aid to each applicant.


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