Community Come Together: Funding our Future in Swaythling

Community Come Together: Funding Our Future is an initiative set up by Mutual Gain and supported by Abri, Hampshire Police and its partners.

Small, local, independent groups and individuals can bid for up to £4,000 to turn their ideas to improve the community and reduce crime, into a reality.

All bids must benefit the local community and people of Swaythling. The project aims to reduce crime and the fear of crime though a community-led and problem-solving approach.

“We’re really excited to see what you come up with to make where you live safer for everyone. We know that you, the community, know what’s best and what you need, which is why we’re committed to empowering people, improving health and wellbeing, and supporting employment as part of our five-year £15m Community Strategy,” says Michelle Dawson, MD Community Service at Abri.

All bids must be submitted by Tuesday 30 March 2021. You can get your application form by emailing Communitycometogether@outlook.com.

All bidders must be available to attend the Community Come Together: Funding Our Future event on Saturday 24 April 2021 between 1pm – 3pm.

This initiative is a follow on from the World Café event held in February 2020, which showed the passion and enthusiasm for the Swaythling Community. It gave people an opportunity to be part of a conversation about their community and how they can improve it. You can see the full World Café report here.

PC Gail Salley, says: “This was a fantastic event last year where the community came together to talk about issues and provide practical solutions in a positive setting. Now, they have the opportunity to win funding for a home-grown initiative that can help improve the lives of people in their neighbourhood.

“I would ask those who live in Swaythling to get together with friends, neighbours and colleagues and bid for the money. Tell your community how you want to be part of the solution and tell them how they can get involved and help each other make a difference.”

Eligibility criteria

• The maximum bid limit is £4,000 (smaller bids are welcome).
• Organisations/ groups can make either a single bid or can make multiple bids - however, the maximum any one organisation can bid for is £4,000.
• Community Come Together: Funding Our Future is aimed to offer funding to local independent groups. The ethos of the process is to offer funding for groups who would not be able to access or apply for funds via other avenues - as a result the process is only open to local groups/individuals/organisations who can already evidence a connection to the Swaythling community.
• Small /non-statutory/voluntary groups working under the umbrella of a larger local organisation may be considered but public authorities and large private/commercial organisations cannot apply.
• All bids must be for projects which will benefit the Swaythling community.
• Bidders can be from outside Swaythling, but if they are from outside, they must be able to evidence a local connection to the area.
• Both constituted and unestablished groups can apply. Unestablished groups who are bidding must discuss the potential of having a local ‘sponsor’ who can support the group in receiving the funding – this can be discussed at the online workshop.
• Bidders must be aged 11 years or above. Any bidder under the age of 18 years will have to have a nominated mentor to support the bid. The working group can offer advice as to who can mentor a young person.
• All bidders must be available to attend the Community Come Together: Funding Our Future event on Saturday 24 April 2021 between 1pm – 3pm.
• As this event will be an online event, all bidders will need to prepare a short video outlining their bid – the working group will guide and support those who are not confident in making such a video.
• Successful bids will be informed on the day of the event.
• Any supporters of a bidder attending the bid event have to vote on all bids presented on the day.
• Online workshops will be offered to all bidders to answer questions, guide applicants on the bid criteria and help to make your bid as good as it can be. The working group will offer three online workshops to support those submitting a bid.
• All submitted bids will be subject to a paper sift against the criteria, they will be informed if they are successful.
• After this the working group will offer assistance to bidders who need help with putting their video together, which will be played at the online event on the 24 April.
• The working group will offer to mentor bidders through the process where this is required.
• We also need Swaythling residents to join in on the online event on 24 April so they can vote for the projects that they feel would be most beneficial in the area.
• All bids must be submitted by 4pm on Tuesday 30 March.

Want to get involved? Just email: Communitycometogether@outlook.com

Good luck!