Bramley Battery Storage, Hampshire

Fund Overview

The Bramley Battery Storage development is located in Bramley, Hampshire. BW ESS is committed to providing a Community Benefit Fund (the Fund) of £10,000 each year to support community projects for the lifetime of the development. The donation is linked to inflation (CPI) so is expected to increase in value each year.

Local groups can apply for grants between £250 and £5,000. There will be one application round each year. Additional rounds may be established should not all the funding be awarded at the first round. Any funds not allocated at each round will be carried forward to the next.

Applicants can apply for further grants each year; however, they may not receive priority over organisations that have previously been turned away or those who are applying for the first time.

Criteria for the Fund

Project Location

Projects for which grants are requested must be for the benefit of communities within Bramley Parish in Hampshire (the Benefit Area).

For a physical (capital) project, this needs to be delivered at a location within the Benefit Area.

Where a grant supports a service or activity, the beneficiaries must be for individuals who reside within the Benefit Area. The activity itself therefore may take place outside the Benefit Areas (i.e. an excursion for a local elderly community group). However, the grant can only be used for costs which benefits the local residents.

Organisations located outside the Benefit Area can apply if they are delivering a service or activity for individuals residing within it. An example of this may be a youth worker employed by a local charity. The Fund could pay for costs associated with supporting young people that reside in the Benefit Area.

Types of Grants

The Fund is open to any community project which is for the benefit of residents within the Benefit Area.

Some examples of the type of projects the Fund will support are given below:

• Community buildings and facilities: For example: capital improvement works to village halls, community centres, museums, heritage centres and community cafes.
• Energy conservation and renewable energy: For example: Insulation and energy efficiency improvements in community buildings, solar panel projects.
• Community activities and services: For example: projects addressing health and wellbeing, volunteering, social isolation, family poverty, community safety, access to amenities, young and older people’s projects, and projects providing support for local clubs and groups.
• Environmental and public open space projects: For example: projects involving parks, nature reserves, community growing schemes, and habitat/species conservation.
• Sports, recreation and play: For example: playgrounds, skate parks, sports equipment and sports field drainage projects.
• Educational grants: For example: targeted Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educational activities, outdoor classrooms, Forest School development, educational trips.

The above list is not exhaustive and is provided to give ideas only. You are encouraged to contact GrantScape if you are unsure if your project is eligible. We would much rather have the conversation to confirm eligibility before you take the time to complete the application form to then find out your application cannot be progressed.

Organisations that can receive grants:

Eligible Organisations, who can apply for funding include:

• Voluntary and community groups
• Local charities
• Local Authorities (if they are applying on behalf of a community project)
• Parish Councils
• Schools and educational establishments (for projects above LEA responsibility)
• Social enterprises and Community Interest Companies operating on a non-profit-distributing basis. These are defined by Social Enterprise UK as ‘businesses that trade to tackle social problems, improve communities, people’s life chances, or the environment. They make their money from selling goods and services in the open market, but they reinvest their profits back into the business or the local community’. These organisations must have a minimum of three unrelated Directors, that also do not reside at the same address.

Organisations need to have a written constitution, a set of rules, or a governing document and a bank or building society account held in the name of the organisation in place before applying for a grant.

Exclusions:

Grants will not be available for:

• Commercial organisations.
• Private membership-based sports clubs and facilities unless membership is open to the general public without undue restriction (e.g. not membership by nomination organisations or with restrictive charges).
• Individuals applying directly to the Fund
• Projects that support political campaigns or those which are narrowly religious in focus. Please note this does not include capital building works to local Churches which are considered community assets, or where projects at religious buildings demonstrate wider community and environmental benefits.
• Retrospective funding (i.e. funding can only be requested for works that will begin / expenditure that will be incurred AFTER the funding decision has been made and a formal grant Contract issued).
• Works considered a statutory duty, such as scheduled transport services, works to public highways and public car parks, or projects that are the responsibility of the LEA or Parish Council.

Judging Criteria:

A local Advisory Group will be established to help decide on which applications that apply to the Fund will be supported. To ensure fairness, all Panel members declare any conflicts of interest and do not take part in decisions where they are personally involved. This helps keep the process impartial and transparent.

The main criteria used when assessing applications received will be:

• The social, economic, educational and environmental benefits which will result from the project.
• The level of positive community impact and involvement in the project.

Other factors will also be considered which must be demonstrated in the application:

• The ability of the applicant to deliver the project.
• How the work will be continued after the project has been completed i.e. its sustainability and legacy.
• Value for money.

If, after reading the above, you are confident that your project meets the criteria, please click Next, below:

How decisions are made:

Representatives from the Parish Council, The School and the Pre-School have been selected to join a local Advisory Panel. The Panel will collectively decide on which applications will be supported and for how much, taking into consideration the above criteria.

Grants Awarded:

For details of grants awarded, please click the button below.