Grants & Funding

Forward5 

Taking Scouting Forward across the County

We are fortunate to be able to financially support Scouting.  Reach was closed at the end of 2021/22 and the Executive have launched Forward5, a five year scheme to take Scouting forward after Covid.  Reach provided £300,000 of awards and many lessons – including that we could be reluctant to part with cash!  Forward5 has been funded with over £400,000 (and possibly more) and we will be running a rolling five year budget to provide grants and loans.

What is available?

• Forward5 is a programme of awards that can be given as grants and/or loans.
• Loans will usually be interest free and are ideal where the project generates income (to fund repayments) or to bridge a gap to other funding.
• Amounts are flexible from £1 to £30,000.
• We may consider over £30,000 for a special case, but you must agree that we will consider it in advance of an application.

How do I apply?

• You can be any County Scouting entity: District, Activity Centre, Activity team or Group.
• Make sure your project meets the Forward5 criteria – ask for help and advice.
• There are no deadlines for applications.
• Complete the application form and get the support of your District Commissioner.
• Submit the form to forward5@leicestershirescouts.org.uk
• For small amounts you might want to short circuit!  A committee member said “if a Beaver wrote with a crayon on a card asking for a football we would buy it!”

How are decisions made?

Applications are considered by the Finance Committee to ensure that the project is well thought through. If over £4,000 the final decision is made by the County Executive.  (The ability of Finance to agree smaller awards aims to speed up getting money where it is needed.)

Is there anything expected from the successful recipients?

• Let us shout about the award!
• Tell us and others how you are doing – share your achievements with others in Scouting.
• Make the most of your Forward5 award – we want Scouting to move forward.

I am so excited, what are the Forward5 criteria for projects?

We have stripped this down to a simple statement – our aim is to help fund projects to strengthen and develop Scouting within the County.   We aim to support viable projects to enhance the long-term growth, quality, and delivery of Scouting in Leicestershire.

These can be small and simple, perhaps a storage solution for a group that does not have a hut, or big and complex like a new facility at a camp site. It is hoped that people use their imagination and there are some unusual and inspiring applications.

We will look at the following criteria – they set out the spirit and are not proscriptive, you are not looking to tick every box!  The higher the award the more we will want to see multiple criteria applying.

A lasting impact.              A small award may have an impact on a few but create lasting memories; a large one should have an impact beyond a single event or year.

Sustainable.                       The aims should be achievable without the input of further Forward5 awards.

Develop Scouting.            Help Scouting go forward – new members, new heights, new goals.

No easy option.                 Can it be reasonably achieved in other ways? Forward5 is not to replace budgeting and fund raising. 

Many not a few.                Benefit a broad cross-section. A single group is unlikely to get a substantial award as we want to spread the benefit across many young people.

Grow and learn.                We like projects which enable our young people to grow and learn, extending the depth and breadth of their skills, experiences, and adventures.

Last not first.                      Being the final slice of funding will be prioritised.  This provides the greatest value.

There is a County Budget for leader training, so this is excluded from Forward5, and international trips are not covered.

I meet the criteria; can you give me more guidance on what I can I get?

• Award value – there is a wide range:
  • We give micro awards, between £1 and £250, which are to give you a bit of a boost! Those small, everyday things that just make Scouting great.
  • These small awards do not require any other funding to be used and are ideal as a helping hand for new groups.
  • The maximum is £30,000 although we may consider more for a special case, but you must agree that we will consider it in advance of an application.
  • The biggest awards are for complex projects with ambition to make a difference for years. They should include detail such as plans, costings, how it will be managed, etc.
  • A larger award must benefit a broad cross-section of young people. 
• Please make a few calls to members of the Exec. People will be delighted to help steer you.
• Successful applications above around £500 will probably include a combination of funding such as local fundraising and external grants as we generally support up to 50% of total costs.
• We like applications where the award finishes the fundraising for a project, rather than relying on Forward5 to do the heavy lifting.
• Any application for an award above £15,000 must be supported by your District & County Commissioner and it is likely that we will ask to meet to get to know it better.
• All applications must have District support.

That is quite a lot to think about, I might need help!

Please contact forward5@leicestershirescouts.org.uk . The application process is intended to help you and not to be a bureaucratic hurdle. Please ask if you have any queries.  At the time of drafting the following are available to take questions and direct you to help:

• Adrian Wray County Secretary – adrian.wray@leicestershirescouts.org.uk
• Jonathan Griffin County Treasurer – jonathan.griffin@leicestershirescouts.org.uk

I will be devastated if we do not get the award!

If your project is not successful it does not mean it is a bad project. We have limited funds and many competing great projects; we simply cannot fund them all. We will try and provide feedback.

We have a firm budget for each year of the five and if you are unsuccessful solely because we have spent the budget it may be suggested that you apply again in the following year.

Buildings

Based on our Reach experience many applications relate to buildings and this causes issues, including:

• We exclude general building maintenance – confusion over what that means.
• Many of these projects were for very high awards in the region of £100,000.
• There is often no clarity over other fund raising.
• Often, we do not have ownership of the building.
• They can be complex projects that are not explained clearly.

The exclusion of general building maintenance is because we do not fund work that should be budgeted as discussed above.  Each entity using a building should be working to a plan to keep it properly maintained.  However, that is not extended to exclude all applications that relate to existing property.  We will consider major projects against the Forward5 funding criteria set out above.  We will also look to help with emergency work that is not covered elsewhere, such as by insurance.

Very high awards will need to strongly “pass” many of the funding criteria and benefit a lot of young people.  Considerable funds towards a group hut often fail in not reaching enough young people or offering something new.

We want to see that other sources of funding have been tried or considered.  With property applications this will include that an application to JC Brooks has been made but also that where appropriate insurance claims have been tested.

We need to ensure that the benefits of funding are long term, and we have concerns when we are being asked to fund a considerable sum and the property is not owned by the Scout Group.  If an entity does not own the land, then it cannot own the buildings that are constructed on it, even if the entity has fully funded their construction.  If the property is not owned, then there needs to be another mechanism to give security such as a long lease.

Typically, the overall value of property work is high and therefore it is important that we apply good decision making to such projects – as a general point not just for Forward5.  We often receive very messy and muddled applications and applicants should be encouraged to improve these as it suggests that insufficient time and attention has been given to it and it makes it harder for the committees to review the project.

Download factsheet as above

Approved by the Finance Committee 6 June 2022