Financial Assistance

Criteria

Grants are made by this Council to voluntary organisations and individuals through the Financial Assistance Budget. At the present time there is an annual budget provision of £15,300.
The Council's present policy for granting financial assistance is based on the following guidelines:

that consideration be limited to those organisations or individuals which are not eligible for mandatory rate relief;
only those organisations with a mainly theraputic and social welfare purpose be considered for assistance. Recreation and Sports Clubs should not normally receive assistance to cover normal revenue and operational expenditure;
individuals may apply for financial assistance for help towards the cost of their sport or recreation pursuits. Financial Assistance to individuals is normally awarded to offset the costs of pursuing their recreational/sporting pursuits at a national or higher level;
the financial resources (cash and investments) of the organisation and the possibility of grants from other public authorities would be taken into account;
the Council should not actively protect organisations from the effect of inflation. At the same time the policy does not exclude some such assistance where this can be properly justified. (The Council has not used financial assistance to mitigate the effects of inflation and other increased costs on voluntary organisations generally).

Each grant is awarded on its own merit after submission of a report to Cabinet. Currently Cabinet meetings are held on a monthly basis.
Two or three years audited accounts must be produced in the case of organisations, and where the applicant is an individual, an estimation of costs together with funding already obtained should be disclosed.
Contact Joan Curran, Treasury Management Officer, Darlington Borough Council, Corporate Services Department, Room 301, Town Hall, Darlington. DL1 5QT. Tel; 01325 388323 or e-mail: joan.curran@darlington.gov.uk