Worcestershire Ambassadors ‘Silver Jubilee’ Funding Criteria

Criteria

• The funding must be used to promote Worcestershire or be for an organisation who benefits Worcestershire

• The application must be from a registered charity with accounts provided on request (see more detailed guidelines below)

• No ongoing commitment will be undertaken

• All activities will be based on one-off payments

• Full and active recognition of Worcestershire Ambassadors funding is required. This is expected to be in the way of our logo on literature (e.g. flyers, media advertising and websites). If the funding is for a specific event, we would also like to attend the event with our stand to promote Worcestershire Ambassadors. If funding is for a specific event, and the event gets cancelled, contingency use of funds needs to be considered.

• Applicants must be able to report on the use of funds after the agreed use has been specified (agreed use must be within 12 months of receipt of funds)

• Maximum award £4,000 per application

• Maximum successful applicants 25

Programme Deadline

All applications need to be submitted in full by 31st July 2025. Shortlisting will take place during August and September, with successful applications being notified by 30th September. Presentation of the donations will take place on Tuesday 18th November at a presentation ceremony, and successful applicants will be expected to attend in person to receive the funds. Applicants to confirm availability to attend the awards event on 18th November and provide the name(s) of the attendees, should they be successful.

Eligible Legal Structures

There must be a governing document in place appropriate to the legal structure. This must include an asset lock (or equivalent clause) and the purpose of all funded activities must be charitable (not for profit). This includes:
• Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
• Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) – may also be registered as a Charity or a Community Interest Company Limited by Guarantee (CICLG) Trust
• Community Benefit Societies (CBS), registered as charitable with HMRC.

Governance

You must have at least two unrelated members legally responsible for the governance of the organisation; Trustees/Directors/Management Committee as appropriate to your structure. Please note that this refers to the highest level of governance, a Management Committee that sits below a board of Trustees (eg charities, CIOs) or Directors (CLG or CICLG) does not count towards this.

We will check the relevant regulator website (e.g. Companies House and/or the Charity Commission) to verify this, so ensure this information is up to date at the point of application.

Finances

The accounts or financial records must show that your organisation is solvent. By this we mean that the value of your current assets is greater than the value of your current liabilities. You must have a bank account in the same name as the organisation you are applying for, with a minimum of two unrelated signatories. Bank details to be provided, for the account which will receive the funds, should the application be successful. When you apply to this ‘Silver Jubilee’ funding programme from the Worcestershire Ambassadors, you will be required to submit accounts from the last completed financial year. If these accounts were submitted to Charity Commission/Companies House more than 18 months ago, then we require management or draft accounts for the most current year. New organisations that do not have accounts for the last completed financial year are required to provide an income and expenditure forecast for the current year and include a note as to why accounts are not available for previous years.

Safeguarding

You must have a safeguarding policy in place that has been reviewed in the last 12 months and is reviewed annually (this needs to be in writing on the safeguarding policy). If your safeguarding policy has not been reviewed annually, please provide a rationale for this and outline when it will be next reviewed).

Previous funding

Applications cannot be received from organisations who have received more than 2 donations from the Worcestershire Ambassadors in the past 3 years.

Registration

If your organisation’s income is over £5,000 at the time of application, your organisation must be registered with The Charity Commission or the relevant regulator (e.g. Companies House, CIC regulator or Financial Conduct Authority) or be in the process of registration. Evidence of this must be submitted with your application. If it is not, your application will not be considered for funding.

Supporting documents

When applying for funding from the Worcestershire Ambassadors, you must submit at a minimum: a governing document and annual accounts or an income and expenditure forecast template if your organisation is less than one year old. Additionally, you must submit your safeguarding policy that has been reviewed in the last 12 months. We are unlikely to follow up if you do not provide the required documents due to tight programme deadlines. Ensure you provide the correct documents with your application; otherwise, your application may not be shortlisted.   If for any reason you are not able to provide one of the required documents, please provide a document explaining why you do not have it.

Who is not eligible?

The following types of organisations are not eligible:

• Companies limited by Shares (including CIC limited by shares)
• Statutory organisations, such as local authorities
• NHS bodies
• Co-operative societies
• Schools
• Sports clubs

What can we not fund?

The grant funds cannot be used for:

• Activities that promote religious or political views
• Activities generating private profit
• Spending that has already taken place (i.e. retrospective funding), unless there is a specific exception made, which should be clearly stated in the fund application
• Individual sponsorship or redistribution of a grant to individuals or other organisations
• Activities where people are excluded on the basis of religion, sexual orientation, sex or ethnicity (unless the issue is group-specific)
• There must be no personal benefit attached to the grant
• The organisation must not have two years of late submissions to the Charity Commission/Companies House within the last two completed financial years
• The organisation must not have two years of net current liabilities within the two most recent completed financial years
• Organisations where Trustees are paid are not eligible unless evidence of approval is provided from The Charity Commission and/or this arrangement is referenced in the governing document