Smart Start Community Grants to help children get ready for school

The Smart Start programme is launching its community grant fund making £250,000 available to small local projects in Warwickshire. The fund will support and pilot local creative ideas and grass-roots activity which enables children to get the best start in life and improves school readiness.

Rugby Lib Dems Councillor Jerry Roodhouse is Chair of the 0-5 Strategy Group.

The grant can be provided in a one-off payment of £2500 to each initiative or projects can join together in a joint bid to receive a larger amount. In order to bid for the funds each project must meet one or more of the following priorities:

• Access to learning activities
• Access to play and learn areas and equipment
• Improving the health and wellbeing of children aged 0-5 and their families
• Activities helping to develop parent-child bonding and attachment
• Activities which help children to develop self-help and social skills
• Activities which help parents develop skills to interact with their children and support their development
• Initiatives that support most vulnerable families with 0-5s, including those with special needs, living in isolation and/or from poorer backgrounds.

Bids will be considered from organisations and groups who directly support 0-5 families during any time from the moment of conception through to when the child reaches school age. These organisations include:

• Constituted 'not-for- profit' community organisations in Warwickshire
• Non-constituted or new 'not-for-profit' groups working in Warwickshire that can be supported by a mainstream service or community group willing to administer the funds through their organisational bank account
• Warwickshire Town and Parish Councils
• Any other organisations (public, private or voluntary sector) which are involved in work for the benefit of their local communities.

Please see the guidance notes below for more information on how to apply. It is strongly recommend that those applying read the guidance notes. They will help you decide whether or not you can apply to the fund and give information on how to fill in the application form.

The guidance notes can be read here: https://apps.warwickshire.gov.uk/api/documents/WCCC-630-806

An Application Form can be downloaded here: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/health-and-wellbeing/smart-start-best-start-for-0-to-5-year-olds/smart-start-funding-opportunities

For more information on the community grant fund please email: smartstart@warwickshire.gov.uk, or telephone 01926 413788

Applications are open from Monday 12 September until Friday 11th November at 5pm.