Sport Relief

What is Sport Relief?	Sport Relief was set up by Comic Relief and BBC Sport to use the power and passion to tackle poverty and disadvantage.
Who does it aim to help?	People living in Solihull who are facing some form of disadvantage or social exclusion because of low income, rural or social isolation, age disability, race, sexuality or gender. Grants can be made for projects based on one of the three themes below and that use sport and exercise to strengthen communities and provide opportunities for excluded or disadvantaged people. The themes are: Increase access to sport and exercise Help people who are experiencing difficulties in their lives to regain their confidence and self esteem Encourage people to take part in sporting activities that bring communities together
What will not be funded?	Individuals Statutory organisations Trips Abroad Mini Buses Building costs or access adaptations to buildings
Who can apply for a grant?	Local charities and voluntary and community groups
Are grants made to individuals?	No. Applications from individuals will not be considered.
Do we have to be a registered charity?	No. Some groups may be too small or too new to be a registered charity. However, what you are doing must be charitable and you must have some kind of constitution or rules to govern the operation of your organisation. If you do no yet have a bank account, you can ask another group to hold the money for you.
What kind of things can we apply for?	Grants can be made for a wide range of purposes.
How can the money be used?	The money may be used in all sorts of ways. For example: buying sports equipment, coaching costs, tools, printing and publicity.
Will you fund running costs?	Yes, provided that the grant money will increase an activity or service to help people, added value must be shown.
What size of grant can we apply for?	The maximum grant available is £5,000, minimum £1,000.
Do we need to have matching funds?	No.
Do we need to provide accounts?	Yes, unless yours is a new group, in which case you should try to estimate your income and outgoings for the first year. Business Start-ups will be expected to provide a financial forecast.
What kind of monitoring will there be?	All grant recipients will need to provide evidence of expenditure, such as receipts and invoices and to complete a simple monitoring form.
Who will consider our application?	Applications are initially evaluated by our Director before formal assessment and ratification by our Trustees.
Can a group receive grants for more than one project?	Yes.
Can we appeal if our application is unsuccessful?	Yes. The Solihull Community Foundation an appeals procedure which is available to all applicants.
How long from submission till we hear if we’ve been successful?	Please do not plan to start your project until 3 months after submission to allow yourself time to plan or seek alternative funding if you are unsuccessful.