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Go Higher West Yorkshire Grant Programme launched – £100,000 available to community groups

NewsGo Higher West Yorkshire Grant Programme launched – £100,000 available to community groups

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Applications have now closed.

Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY) is working with Leeds Community Foundation to provide funding to communities as part of a larger programme to increase the number of young people progressing into Higher Education from areas where progression rates are currently low.

GHWY is a consortium of 13 Higher Education partners (colleges and universities) which aim to raise awareness and understanding of Higher Education and help facilitate access to and preparation for studying. GHWY is currently delivering the National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) in 27 ward areas across West Yorkshire.

As part of the programme, GHWY is working with Leeds Community Foundation to make £100,000 available to community groups to help parents/carers and other families support their young people, aged 13-19, progress into Higher Education from areas where rates of progression are currently low.

Higher Education means courses at Level 4 or above. This is equivalent to the first year of a BA/BSc degree, a Level 4 or above apprenticeship, HNCs/HNDs and other courses at Level 4 or above. To put this into context – A Levels and Level 3 BTECS are Level 3 courses normally studied at 6th form or college. These courses could be being studied in-work, at any college higher education centres or at university i.e. this initiative doesn’t recruit to or promote one Higher Education destination or route over another.

Who can apply?

Community groups, charities, social enterprises or other charitable organisations from the third sector that:

  • Have a constitution or other relevant governance document;
  • Have a management committee/board of directors/trustees of at least three unrelated people;
  • Have a bank account under the name of the group with at least two unrelated signatories (if your organisation doesn’t have its own bank account, but does meet all of the other criteria, please contact us to discuss how we can work around this);
  • Provide support to students who predominantly live in one of the 27 designated NCOP wards (the locations of which are set out below)

Focus of the programme

The current phase of the programme is focused on supporting eligible groups to develop activities that enable parents/carers to support young people into Higher Education.

 

Applications are encouraged from groups that aim to deliver:

  • Projects that empower parents/carers, families or other key influencers to support, inspire or engage young people in Higher Education.
  • Inter-generational projects that build relationships and promote knowledge sharing between parents/carers, other family members and NCOP young people.
  • Projects that establish or strengthen relationships between eligible groups, Higher Education institutions and young people and their families.
  • Projects that develops parents/carers, families or other key influencers ability to effectively signpost young person/people to support their decision-making
  • Projects that address the core NCOP themes of developing confidence, building resilience, raising attainment and creating opportunities that enable parent/carers and other key influencers to support young people from targeted wards.

Size of Grant

Applicants can apply for two types of grant; small and large.

Small grants: £1,000-£2,500 Large grants: £5,000 – £20,000
Please note the below examples are not definitive and we look forward to hearing your own ideas
·         Developing a series of educational workshops or inviting an inspirational speaker to attend an event.

·         Developing hands on skills workshops where NCOP young people work with their parents/carers to create or develop a Higher Education themed event.

·         Creation of parents/carers as champions for Higher Education.

·         Providing leadership training of parents/carers or adding a Higher Education element into existing leadership/champions programmes.

·         Parents/carers/ other key influencers design a resource that show progression opportunities in their locality or wider area.

·         Meet and speak opportunities: facilitate opportunities for young people and their parents/carers to discuss Higher Education, next steps or, barriers and opportunities in their locality.

·         Visits to a Higher Education institution.

 ·         Running a confidence building family residential, with NCOP teenagers, to develop confidence, self-belief and build resilience.

·         Inter-generational programme of activity with workshops, speakers, sessions, Higher Education visits and more.

·         Creation of parents/carers as champions for Higher Education.

·         Developing an activity that links to the idea of choices, opportunity and/or progression into Higher Education, e.g. a dance performance, art piece, oral or written stories of local areas, sports events/initiatives.

 

 

While the grants can be used to part-fund a wide range of activities, we like to see the impact our support is having. Accordingly, we prefer that the grant request equals at least 50% of the total cost of the activity or project. Only one application per organisation can be considered.

Exclusions

Grants will not be awarded to:

  • For-profit organisations, statutory organisations (e.g. schools and hospitals) or overseas organisations;
  • Retrospective funding (activity and costs that have already taken place);
  • Grant-making to other organisations and/or individuals;
  • Activity targeted at a particular group (ethnic, gender, religious etc.) without a good justification for this;
  • Activity that promotes a particular political or religious point of view;
  • Activity primarily for the benefit of animals;
  • Individuals;
  • Expeditions or overseas travel;
  • Capital appeals for building projects.

NCOP Wards

Funded activity must primarily support local people located within the following 27 specified wards. To double check your activity area is taking place in a required postcode you can use GHWY online postcode checker located: www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/postcode-search/

Armley Castleford Whitwood Keighley South South Elmsall
Beeston City and Holbeck Knottingley South Kirkby
Bowling Eccleshill Middleton Tong
Bramley Featherstone Ovenden Wakefield Central
Burmantofts Harehills Richmond Hill Wortley
Castleford Ferry Fryston Hemsworth Seacroft Wyke
Castleford Glasshoughton Hunslet Shipley East

 

Additional Support

GHWY will provide an overview pack of useful Higher Education resources (these will be links to online resources but you can request whether hard copies are available and if possible these will be provided to successful projects).

Note for successful and unsuccessful applications GHWY has a wide range resources for Higher Education, employability and well-being available on its website and open for all to use.

 

GHWY may be able to co-ordinate additional support and resources to enhance your activity including: facilitating visits to universities or Higher Education centers across the 27 wards; visits from student ambassadors (current students at college or university) to support delivery and share their experiences of Higher Education; social media support or other.

 

If this is of interest please indicate your preferences within the application form. Please note that due to capacity your request may not be granted.

Monitoring and Evaluation

Successful small grant applicants will be expected to complete light touch monitoring for their projects as well as complete reflections on the projects, a blog or case study and an end of project evaluation form which will be expected to include imagery and narrative to highlight and evidence the outcomes and impact of their projects.

 

Successful large grants applicants will be expected as above but may be required to provide a more in-depth monitoring and evaluation report at the end of the project, including a more detailed budget breakdown.

 

Applicants may be approached directly by GHWY to gather more evaluation details and organise an on-site visit to the project to learn more and gain feedback from the young people involved.

 

In addition to the above reporting requirements there will be a grants mid-point learning and celebration opportunity for practitioners & GHWY to be able to share experiences, good practice and learning.

Briefing Sessions

We will be hosting 3 briefing sessions for people who want to learn more about the programme in Wakefield, Bradford and Leeds:

  • 23rd September 2019, 10am -12pm – PwC
  • 26th September 2019, 10am -12pm – Lightwaves, Wakefield
  • 3rd October 2019, 2pm -4pm – Bradford

 

If you want to book to attend a session please visit

 

Leeds – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/go-higher-west-yorkshire-briefing-event-tickets-69176018333

 

Wakefield – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/go-higher-west-yorkshire-briefing-event-tickets-69177745499

 

Bradford – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/go-higher-west-yorkshire-briefing-event-tickets-69180900937

To Apply

The programme opens for applications mid-September, please check back on our Open Grants page here.

If you post documents to us, please send them to the address below, using the correct postage amount, and ensure the documents are received by us before 12 noon on Thursday 14 November 2019. Funding allocated should be spent within 12 months of receipt.

If you post documents to us please send them to the address below using the correct postage and make sure the documents are received by us before the deadline. If you require more information about this fund please contact Leeds Community Foundation on 0113 242 2426 or email grants@leedscf.org.uk.