Welsh Church Act Fund

About the Welsh Church Act Fund

The Welsh Church Act Fund was established from the proceeds and assets of the disestablishment of the Church in Wales. These assets were distributed evenly amongst the former county councils in Wales, and then divided between the Welsh Unitary Authorities when they were formed in 1996.

We act as administrators for the fund, and members of the fund working group are drawn from the council's elected members.

Levels of funding

Grants normally range from £50 to £1000.

Who is eligible to apply?

Applications for financial assistance from the fund are invited from organisations, associations and clubs for various schemes operating within the County Borough of Conwy.

The charitable purposes for which the fund may be applied are as follows:

• Educational resources for advanced education, where funding is not readily available from other sources.
• Advancement of knowledge and appreciation of the arts and literature of Wales;
• Relief of poverty;
• Advancement of religion;
• Relief in sickness;
• Elderly persons;
• Social and recreational;
• Aesthetic, architectural, historical and scientific matters;
• Medical and social research, treatment, etc;
• Probation;
• People who are blind or visually impaired;
• Emergencies or disasters.

In most cases, grants will not be made if assistance for a particular application has been received from other departments of the Authority, either monetary or benefits in kind.

Applicants that have previously received funding from the trust will not be eligible to re-apply in the same financial year.
Applicants seeking deficit funding will not normally be eligible and neither will individuals seeking funding for educational tuition fees, sponsorship or charitable donations.

Grants cannot be made for party political purposes.

How are applications assessed?

All applications will be assessed against the same criteria.

All applications will be assessed by the working group, and the working group decision will be final.

Applications are considered on a biannual basis at an appropriate meeting to be held in June/July and November/December.

How to apply

All applicants will be required to complete an application form. You may be asked to provide additional information before assessment of your application can be made.

In some instances, grant payments will only be made on receipt of appropriate documentation; for example, receipts, invoices or other suitable proof of expenditure.

For further enquiries and application forms, please contact Mrs Catherine Dowber: welshchurchactsfund@conwy.gov.uk or 01492 576201.

Alternatively, please write to:

Closing dates

The closing date for applications is the first week in May and October each year.

If sufficient funds are available, applications will be presented to the next scheduled panel.

We endeavour to have the result of your application to you within two months of the closing date.

Notification of funding

If your application is unsuccessful you will receive notification from us via email/letter. You cannot appeal this decision.

If your application is successful you will receive a letter of notification. Payment of the grant will be made by BACS transfer. We will need to see a paying-in slip or bank statement in the name of the individual/organisation before payment can be made.

The Authority expects individuals/organisations to acknowledge any financial assistance granted by the Council in any advertising or literature that is produced.

The Council has a bilingual policy, part of which encourages organisations who receive financial assistance from the Council to provide their services or activities bilingually, as far as possible.

Advice and guidance on bilingual good practice can be obtained from the Council's Welsh Language Officer on 01492 576130.