Background
Welsh Government have announced £1.5m of funding to support Warm Hubs as safe and warm places within the local community that people can go to during the Winter.
Many organisations including local authorities, community councils, faith groups, sports clubs, and community centres are already providing, or looking to set up Warm Hubs within local communities. Warm Hubs funding is to support places where people can find a safe and warm environment during the day/evening to support the economic, social and well-being of people across Wales this winter.
Conwy County Borough Council have received an allocation of £56k to deliver Warm Hubs in Conwy County.
Who can apply?
The following types of (not for profit) organisations may apply for funds provided their projects are in Conwy County:
- Voluntary, community groups
- Community Councils / Town Councils
- Social enterprises provided they operate on a not-for-profit basis (including credit unions)
- Co-operatives
- Social firms
- Community owned enterprises
- Companies limited by guarantee
- Community interest companies and development trusts
- Charities
- Third sector organisations.
All applicants must have a constitution and bank account as a minimum. (A copy will need to be provided)
What funding support is available?
- Applicants can apply for between £500 and £1000
- A breakdown of costs will be required in the application form
- There is no match funding requirement
- All projects must be completed by 15 March 2025
What can the funding be used for?
The funding should be used to establish / re-establish spaces and add value to those that are already in place supporting the economic, social and well-being of people in Wales this winter.
The funding will support places that provide individuals with a welcoming, accessible, safe and warm environment. Offering more than just warm spaces, they will be an inviting place, open, inclusive and available for all in the community to use. Identifying and delivering to local need.
Examples might include (but are by no means exhaustive):
- basic refreshments and snacks (as a minimum) but may extend to provision of a more substantive meal where possible.
- the provision of advice and support services to those who attend, this can be for example advice and support on financial matters, health and well-being or digital accessibility.
- further enrichment activity such as exercise, arts or cultural activity (subject to location and availability).
- transport to / from Warm Hubs – depending on local need (see community transport association below)
Community Transport Association (CTA)
For community groups and organisations, CTA’s team in Wales can provide:
- Information about any community transport scheme in your area, their opening hours, eligibility criteria and contact details
- Advice and support for organisations wanting to set up your own community transport scheme in areas where no existing schemes are available. Including advice on identifying the local need for a community transport scheme, different community transport models, and practical resources and guidance on running a scheme.
- Funding advice and support for organisations wanting help to develop grant proposals for a community transport scheme.
- Linking groups who are exploring setting up a new scheme to existing community transport schemes for peer advice and support
The Wales team can be contacted by email at wales@ctauk.org and the CTA website is CTA | Community Transport Association
How to apply?
A two week application window will be open from 29 November with a closing date of 12 December 2024.
All applications will be discussed and decided by a panel, including representatives from CCBC and CVSC. Successful applicants will be notified before Christmas.
Successful applicants will be required to provide the following information monthly:
- How much has been spent and what you have spent it on
- The number of places/spaces supported
- Activities within the spaces supported
- How many people have accessed the spaces supported
- The role of transport in supporting Warm Hubs
Successful applicants agree to the following WG guidelines
Monitoring requirements
You must:
- (a) provide us with such documents, information and reports which we may reasonably require from time to time in order for us to monitor your compliance with the Conditions including:
- i) A report from WLGA to be submitted every quarter from December 2024 to April 2025 by confirming details of the resources allocated to each authority, the activity each authority anticipates using it for, and any spend achieved to date (and on what), that meets the purposes set out in Schedule 1 and Annex A.
- a. What each Local Authority has spent and what they have spent it on
- b. The number of spaces supported
- c. Activities within the spaces supported
- d. How many people have accessed the spaces supported
- (b) meet with the Welsh Government Official and such other of our representatives as we may from time to time reasonably require;
- (c) ensure that the Project Manager (or such other person as we may agree) together with any other person we may require attends all meetings with the Welsh Government Official.
Audit Requirements
- (a) You must:
- i) maintain complete, accurate and valid accounting records identifying all income and expenditure in relation to the Purposes;
- ii) without charge, permit any officer or officers of the Welsh Government, Audit Wales or any UK subsidy enforcement body at any reasonable time and on reasonable notice (in exceptional circumstances, such as the prevention or detection of fraud, it may not be practicable to provide you with reasonable notice) being given to you to visit your premises and/or to inspect any of your activities and/or to examine and take copies of your books of account and such other documents or records howsoever stored as in such officer’s reasonable view may relate in any way to your use of the Funding. This undertaking is without prejudice and subject to any other statutory rights and powers exercisable by the Welsh Government, Audit Wales or any UK subsidy enforcement body or any officer, servant or agent of any of the above;
- iii) retain this letter and all original documents relating to the Funding for ten years from the date of the last payment of the Funding;
- (b) Under paragraph 17 of Schedule 8 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 the Auditor General for Wales has extensive rights of access to documents and information relating to monies provided by the Welsh Government. They and their officials have the power to require relevant persons who control or hold documents to give any assistance, information and explanation that they may require; and to require those persons to attend before them for such a purpose. The Auditor General and their staff may exercise this right at all reasonable times.
Further information and support available by contacting:
Email: local.development@conwy.gov.uk
Telephone: 01492 577824 / 01492 575946