Small Grants Fund

Small Grants Fund

(Please see guidance notes below.)

Essex Playing Fields Association operates a Small Grants Fund for the benefit of its members.

We appreciate that many organisations need to make unbudgeted repairs or improvements to their playing field or playground facilities from time to time and simply don’t have the finances to undertake the work. Furthermore, because often the amounts involved are relatively modest, they fall beneath the radar of more well-known and well-publicised grant providers, or else the amount of paperwork required to make the application is not commensurate with the sum being applied for in the first place!

This is where we come in.

We typically make grants of anything from £200 to £1,000, and the application form should take no more than a few minutes to complete.

Our SGF Committee sits twice a year. Applications need to be received by our Secretary by 15 February or 15 August in order to be considered at the meetings held in April and September.

Please contact our Director to obtain an application form.

Recent recipients of grants from us include:
• Sheering Cricket Club - £500 towards a new mower
• Boreham Parish Council - £750 towards renovation and maintenance of recreation ground
• Lawford Parish Council - £1,000 towards replacement metal fence, enclosing play equipment
• Harlow Cricket Club - £500 towards preparation of grass practice wickets for Colts
• Shalford Village Hall - £500 towards renovation of football pitch / cricket outfield
• Feering Parish Council - £739 towards disabled access picnic bench and new litter bins
• Derek Flannery Playing Fields Association - £600 towards ground renovation and goal posts
• Radical Bikes CIC - £528 towards plant hire for dirt jump maintenance
• Ingatestone & Fryerning Parish Council - £1,000 towards a new multi games wall and tarmac surface
• Elsenham Youth Football Club - £1,000 towards the upgrade of the football field
• Fyfields Sports and Social Club - £1,000 towards the purchase of a multislit slitter

Any grant supplied is conditional upon the project being completed within six months of the funding being made. Recipients are also encouraged to provide photographs of the completed project for our records and which may be reproduced on our website and/or in our Newsletter.

Guidelines for Small Grants Awards

  • The Financial sub Committee will consider applications twice a year - Feb/March and Sept/Oct
  • To be considered for an award the applicant must be a current member of the EPFA and have paid their membership subscriptions for at least 2 consecutive years.
  • The Executive Committee will decide as part of the annual budget process how much in total may be allocated for Small Grants in the coming financial year.
  • The maximum award is £1000
  • The decision whether or not to make an award is the responsibility of the Financial sub Committee and their decision is final. They will report on the award process at the Executive meeting following that decision. In making their decision the FsC will take into account the following:

1) The underlying aim of the Small Grants Fund is to encourage councils and clubs to improve the quality and variety of facilities which they offer.

2) In particular we want playing fields to become more relevant for younger people and more accessible for those with disabilities.

3) It is expected that applicants will raise funds which at least match those provided by the EPFA.

4) Applications for the funding of routine maintenance and upkeep should not be considered.

5) No individual organisation should be awarded more than £1000 in a 5 year period, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

6) Recipients of awards should provide documentary evidence and/or photographs on completion of the project and provide material for publication by EPFA as requested.