Community Relations Council

New: One-off Capital Grants Upgrade to
Victims/Survivors Groups Development Grants Scheme
Closing date for applications 15 December 2009

The Victims Unit, OFMDFM has made £500,000 available towards the cost of capital expenditure items and refurbishments costs for groups working with victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland Conflict. The Community Relations Council’s Victims Programme will be taking forward this upgrade scheme on behalf of the Victims Unit.

The scheme is open to groups working with victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland Troubles. The maximum award to any one group will be up to £40,000 and grants can be used to fund items such as:

• Upgrade of IT hardware and software
• Group office premises refurbishment and improvement

Scheme timetable:

Download the full application guidelines here.

Download the application form hereVictims/Survivors Application Form

Victims/Survivors Development Scheme

Victims/Survivors Application Form

Closing Date: 14th December by 5pm posted or hand delivered to Belfast office only. Applications will not be accepted by fax or email as a signed hardcopy is required.

Aim of the Scheme:

The Community Relations Council, with the support of the Victims Liaison Unit, has established a special fund of £750,000 over a two-year period from May 2002 to April 2004 to support healing and recovery work with victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland Troubles.  The Scheme seeks to ensure fair access to support for victims and survivors of the troubles.  The principal aim of the Scheme is to support victims and survivors to become active members of society.

This scheme is targeted at supporting groups which are made up of victims, or are working with victims, or are working with victims resident in Northern Ireland.  Priority will be given to groups who work with those who, during the course of the Troubles, have lost close relatives or had close relatives injured, or been injured or traumatised as a result of community conflict.

The Council would aim to have a geographical and sectoral spread in applications received and grants given and the Council will ensure continuous monitoring and evaluation.

Types of Groups Eligible:

The scheme is aimed at locally based and regional groups working with victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland Troubles.  Grant aid is not for individuals as there are other sources of funding for this work.

The scheme is aimed at projects involving adults and/or children who have been affected by the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Criteria for Applying:

The purpose of the application must reflect the principal aim of the scheme and must include at least one of the following elements:

1. Projects that can demonstrate how they will help people to begin to make the transition from "victim" to "survivor" as part of a process of healing and recovery.
2. Projects and activity programmes for victims of community conflict that will support the training of volunteers and staff in relevant support services to assist the healing and reconciliation process (groups will need to demonstrate work that supports the promotion of best practice).
3. Assistance with organisational development and operational/strategic planning for groups involved in supporting victims and survivors to become active members of society.
4. Projects that will explore the causes and effects of the Troubles and which will facilitate sharing and the development of trust and understanding between participants and an awareness of their needs amongst a wider community.
5. Assistance with small-scale research costs involved in evaluating the effectiveness of projects involving victims groups and the development of models of good practice.
6. The provision of small-scale seeding support for new groups working in the area of victim support.  (Funding will only be allocated to newly established groups ie. in existence for up to 1 year).

Eligible Costs

Grants may be made towards the costs of the following:

• A limited number of bursaries will be made available for individuals from groups to attend conferences/seminars relevant to supporting victims/survivors in the healing process.  Individuals from groups or organisations in receipt of a bursary will not be eligible for a further bursary for a period of 12 months from the date of any earlier award.
• Programme expenses such as the costs involved in the organisation of locally based conferences, seminars or discussion groups, renting facilities, travel and subsistence, assistance towards creche provision with bona fide registered and accredited child minders, facilitation or research costs and the purchase of small items of capital equipment (ie. chairs, over head projector etc.)

The maximum grant payable is £10,000 but most grants will be in the region of a few hundred pounds.

Exclusions

• Grants are aimed at specific projects or schemes.  They will NOT cover on-going costs eg. salary, major capital expenditure, large equipment costs, cash generative schemes, religious services, competitions, political lobbying, retrospective events or political parties/party political activities.
• Grants will NOT cover travel outside Ireland and Britain, except in the case of bursaries.
• Small seeding grants will NOT be available to groups that have already secured seeding support from the Community Relations Council in the past.
• Grants will not support the erection of memorials/memorial gardens.

Evaluation

It is a condition of the grant being made that the Council receives a written evaluation no the development of the project in due course.  The group will do this themselves, and evaluation forms to assist the process will be given to all groups who are offered a grant.

Application Process

Forms for application are available from the Community Relations Council.  The Council will try to process applications as quickly as possible but this will depend on the volume of work.  Applications in the early development stages of the project are appreciated as they allow time for the Council and the group to discuss the project.  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 the project will need to clearly demonstrate the group's (and their initial project's) process of development.

Applicants should understand that whilst careful consideration is given to each application, it may not be possible to assist applicants to the extent requested, or at all,, even if the applications come within the criteria set out above.  This may depend on the volume of applications received and the size of the fund available.