[cma-l] Funding News - Community Business Fund (UK)

Tue Apr 4 09:13:11 BST 2017

Despite Bill's helpful advice, may I make the obvious point....?

If a station is in a position to "provide strong evidence of how they benefit the wider community." It is very likely that -
A) They have significant resources already that can pay for the research that measures and describes the "strong evidence"
B) They are already implementing the idea and don't really need the funding to take it forward.
We are no longer on radio frequencies relying on the internet to broadcast. The burden of PRS, PPL & OFCOM  fees were all too much. 
This grant application has the flavour of the Ofcom one... The eternal hunt for that will o' the wisp that never seems to crystallise into something real.
I understand that funders have to set these tests and requirements.... but after a while the round of failed applications does become... oh so wearisome ....

Regards to all

Ron
Radiojcom 

Sent from my iPad

> On 4 Apr 2017, at 01:19, Bill Best <bill.best at commedia.org.uk> wrote:
> 
> Hi Martyn
> 
> Yes, this again.
> 
> You will note that The Power To Change do not say that will not fund community radio projects - just that community radio projects must provide strong evidence of how they benefit the wider community.
> 
> Furthermore, you will recall our advice on this matter given on 8th December 2016:
> 
> Tips for CMA members who are applying to the Community Business Fund
> There are two funds that may be of interest to CMA members. The Community Business Fund (CBF), and the Bright Ideas Fund, which will reopen next year. If you are not ready to apply to the CBF, eg do not have a business plan already, then the Bright Ideas Fund may be more suitable.
> 
> The CBF has grants of between £50K and £300K for “step change” in trading income and financial viability/sustainability. Power to Change funding is for organisations serving a tightly defined neighbourhood – such as a one or two wards of a city, or a village in a rural area. You should demonstrate how you reach many different types of people who live in this neighbourhood, and not just work with one specific group.
> 
> If you are a licensed station, talk about your licence range, which will usually be for a 5km radius, and about the location of your studio – who comes through the door? What happens there as well as the broadcasts? How does it forward community development just by being there for people?
> 
> There are four criteria that all CBF applicants will need to meet:
> 
> 1) Locally rooted
> The idea needs to have come from the local community, not from an outside individual or organisation stepping in to try to change things. This is grassroots action. Communities are defined geographically – not as communities of interest. The project needs to be open to and accessible by all groups of people. An example was a social centre for people with learning disabilities. This includes a café which all people, not just people with disabilities, can access. The centre can be hired out by other community groups as well.
> 
> 2) Community Accountability
> There are many types of community accountability. This could include being a membership organisation, holding consultation sessions, etc. We noticed this overlaps a lot with key commitments. For example, how can local people become members/volunteers/presenters at a station? Do you have a regular feedback show to review your output? Do you have members meetings etc? How can volunteers become board members, and have a say in the running of things? Do you plan programming in a democratic way? Show how local people have ownership of your project.
> 
> 3) Trading
> This means non-grant income. They are only interested in organisations who are already trading, and who want to trade more. A good model is where grants are just for extra activities, not to support the running costs. We discussed how sometimes organisations are unclear of how to categorise their income. For example, a service level agreement with a local council or school – is this grant or trading? This can be a grey area. There is no cut-off point for what percentage of your income should be from trading, but the applications are quite competitive, so the more trading the better. Show how it can grow realistically, not too rapidly. They need to see a clear trading model – what products/services is the organisation going to trade in? How does that build on existing types and levels of trading?
> 
> 4) Broad Community Impact
> Impact is about how you are changing lives. This could be a wide range of things - we would advise you to talk more about those who come through the door, than those who tune in. This could include how people learn skills, an apprenticeship programme, reducing loneliness and isolation, etc. They don't want to see just one specific group benefiting from a project, this needs to be broad. When developing new resources, they need to see the right balance, to show sustainability. For example, if they were to fund a new training studio, how would it be accessed by different groups? Who would pay – and at what rates. Different rates for different customers could mean it brings in a good income, whilst being accessible to all.
> 
> http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cma-l/2016-December/008508.html
> 
> The Power To Change has recently funded community radio projects and they have no particular prejudice against community radio projects. I will ask them to update their website.
> 
> Best regards
> 
> Bill
> -- 
> Operations Manager
> Community Media Association
> http://www.commedia.org.uk
> https://twitter.com/community_media
> https://facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation
> 
> Canstream Internet Radio
> http://www.canstream.co.uk
> https://twitter.com/canstream
> 
>> On 3 April 2017 at 15:29, Martyn Haynes <martyn.haynes at wcrfm.com> wrote:
>> this. again.
>> 
>> Community radio
>> Despite receiving a lot of applications from community media
>> organisations, we have not yet funded a community radio station. This
>> is partly
>> because community radio stations find it hard to demonstrate they are
>> locally rooted, as they cover a broad geographical area like a whole
>> city, rather than a neighbourhood. Applications from community media
>> organisations have often struggled to provide strong evidence of how
>> they
>> benefit the wider community.
>> 
>> On Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 12:54 PM, CMA-L <cma-l at commedia.org.uk> wrote:
>> > The £10 million Community Business Fund will reopen in early summer 2017.
>> >
>> > Power to Change supports community businesses to revive local assets,
>> > protect the services people rely on, and address local needs.
>> >
>> > Power to Change awards grants to help new and existing community businesses
>> > grow and become more sustainable.
>> >
>> > There are two main grant programmes:
>> >
>> > The £1.85 million Community Business Bright Ideas Fund is aimed at community
>> > groups who have a community business idea but need help turning it into
>> > reality.
>> > The £10 million Community Business Fund is aimed existing community
>> > businesses that need funding for a business development project to make
>> > their organisation more sustainable.
>> >
>> > Find out if you are eligible:
>> >
>> > http://www.thepowertochange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Community-Business-Fund-applicant-guidance-v4.pdf
>> >
>> > Through the fund, Power To Change will award grants between £50,000 –
>> > £300,000 to community businesses in England.
>> >
>> > http://www.powertochange.org.uk/funding/grants/community-business-fund/
>> >
>> > \\
>> >
>> > Community Media Association
>> > --
>> > http://www.commedia.org.uk/
>> > http://twitter.com/community_media
>> > https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation
>> >
>> > Canstream Internet Radio & Video
>> > http://www.canstream.co.uk/
>> > https://twitter.com/canstream
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> >
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>> >
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>> >
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>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Martyn Haynes
>> Director
>> 
>> 101.8 WCR FM
>> www.wcrfm.com
>> 
>> Wolverhampton Community Radio Training (WCRT)
>> Newhampton Centre
>> Wolverhampton
>> WV1 4AP
>> 
>> Office: 01902 572260
>> Mobile: 07984 612 218
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> Reply - cma-l at commedia.org.uk
>> 
>> The cma-l mailing list is a members' service provided by the Community Media Association - http://www.commedia.org.uk
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>> _______________________________________________
>> 
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> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> Reply - cma-l at commedia.org.uk
> 
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> Canstream Internet Radio & Video: http://www.canstream.co.uk/
> _______________________________________________
> 
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> 
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