WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
WORKING WITH THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR 2002-2006
Appendix 1
Our Vision
The City Council is committed to working with and supporting a vibrant, innovative
and effective voluntary sector. It recognises and values the independence of the
voluntary sector and the unique role of voluntary and community groups in enabling
local people to articulate their needs and to develop services to meet those needs.
To support the voluntary sector in providing effective and efficient services to local
people the City Council is committed to:
 Improving the effectiveness of its support to the voluntary sector
 Ensuring its investment in the voluntary sector is targeted and leads to specific,
measurable outcomes of benefit to Westminster residents.
Our Priorities
During the period 2002-2006, the City Council will be seeking to support activity
which:
 Supports and encourages the infrastructure of Westminster’s voluntary sector
and enables the sector to work independently with and on behalf of Westminster
residents.
 Meets the shared aims and priorities of the Westminster City Partnership.
 Targets users in the most vulnerable neighbourhoods and those in the most
vulnerable communities as defined by the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and
the ethnic minority needs audit.
 Promotes and develops self help and active citizenship.
Our Improvement Plan
The City Council is implementing an Improvement Plan to address the following key
issues identified through its Best Value Review of Grants to the Voluntary Sector:
 Improving access to grant services and the transparency of processes,
procedures and decision-making.
 Developing a better understanding of the effectiveness of grant-aid and value for
money.
 Establishing a framework within which the City Council and voluntary
organisations can work effectively to achieve common goals.
 Developing criteria and priorities for funding to ensure grant-aid supports the
infrastructure of the voluntary sector and complements the City Council's
corporate aims and priorities of the Westminster City Plan, the Westminster
Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and the City Council's Civic Renewal
programme.
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Further details are set out in the attached documents:
Key Areas for Improvement: summarises the Improvement Plan following the
Best Value Review of Grants to the Voluntary Sector. (Annex 1)
The Strategic Context: summarises the key policies and strategies that
underpin and inform the City Council's Strategy for working with the Voluntary
Sector. (Annex 2)
Objectives, Priorities and Criteria for Grant-Aid 2003-2006: sets out the
criteria and priorities that will inform funding decisions for the City Council's
Grant-Aid programme during 2003-2006. (Annex 3)
Conditions of Grant Aid: sets out the City Council's standard conditions of
grant-aid that must be met to qualify for funding. (Annex 4)
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Annex 1
Key Areas for Improvement
The City Council is committed to improving the effectiveness of Grants to the
Voluntary Sector and as a result of the Best Value review has identified key
areas for improvement:
To improve access to grant services and the transparency of processes,
procedures and decision-making, we will:
 Continue to implement and develop good, consistent practice in the provision
and dissemination of information about grant-aid and other funding sources
 Adopt the London Funders’ Group single application form
 Co-ordinate the award of grant-aid, rate relief and rent relief, offering a
consistent, transparent package of support to voluntary organisations and
ensuring that the Council’s resources are maximised
 Implement systems to evaluate the satisfaction of voluntary organisations with
the Grants service
 Extend the role of the Corporate Voluntary sector group to include Members
and Chief Officers and to provide corporate oversight for funding and
supporting the sector.
To develop a better understanding of the effectiveness of grant-aid and
value for money, we will:
 Improve and “front-load” assessment of grant applications giving greater
emphasis to evaluating value for money and the identification of expected
outputs and outcomes prior to the award of grant.
 Implement fit for purpose monitoring and evaluation systems related to
expected outputs and outcomes
 Implement funding agreements for all awards and move towards longer term
funding arrangements, while retaining flexibility for projects and new initiatives
 Implement systems to evaluate the satisfaction of final recipient users of
grant-aided services.
 Adopt a range of local performance indicators by which to compare progress
and measure improvement
To establish a framework within which the City Council and voluntary
organisations can work effectively to achieve common goals, we will:
 Develop and adopt a Compact or protocol for working with the voluntary
sector
 Support and help develop the capacity of the voluntary sector, through
strategic funding of infrastructure organisations and the provision of support in
accessing other resources.
 Work with voluntary sector infrastructure organisations to establish a resource
centre for the organisations in the sector
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To ensure grant-aid 2003-2006 supports the infrastructure of the voluntary
sector and meets the City Council's corporate aims and priorities, we will:
 Develop criteria and priorities for funding which seek to support the
infrastructure of Westminster's voluntary sector
 Develop criteria and priorities for funding which meet the aims of the
Westminster's City Plan programmes
 Target funding towards activities and services for users in the most vulnerable
neighbourhoods and those in the most vulnerable communities as defined by
the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and the Ethnic Minority Needs Audit
 Target funding towards activities and services that promote and develop self
help and active citizenship
The objectives, priorities and criteria that will inform funding decisions for 20032006 are detailed in Annex 3.
Review and Evaluation
Reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of this strategy will be the
responsibility of the Corporate Voluntary Sector Steering Group (CVSSG) The
CVSSG will:
 Review this strategy and priorities for funding at least every three years.
 Review and evaluate progress in meeting performance targets related to the
achievement of this strategy.
 Review annually progress against specific objectives agreed with funded
groups.
The assessment of progress and review will be incorporated and reported in the
City Council’s Best Value Performance Plan.
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Annex 2
The Strategic Context
The following is a summary of the outcome of the Best Value Review of Grants to
the Voluntary Sector and the key policies and strategies that underpin and inform
the City Council's Strategy for working with the Voluntary Sector.
1.
Outcome of the Best Value Review of Grants to the Voluntary Sector
During June 2001 and March 2002 the City Council carried out a Best Value
Review of Grants to the Voluntary Sector, the outcomes of which form an integral
part of our strategy for working with the voluntary sector.
The outcome of the review and the subsequent recommendations were informed
by extensive consultation with voluntary organisations (funded and unfunded),
users of grant-aided services, City Council Members, City Council officers and
co-funders.
The review concluded that:
 City Council departmental priorities for grant-aiding voluntary organisations are
very clear but overall the City Council does not have a coherent or well
understood approach to working with the voluntary sector.
 There is a strong desire on the part of all stakeholders (voluntary
organisations, Members, officers and co-funders) to develop a more effective
working relationship based on shared expectations and goals.
 The City Council has a poor understanding of the effectiveness of the grantaid invested in the sector. This is both in relation to specific funded activity
and in relation to overall corporate objectives.
 Many of the processes and procedures associated with grant-aid do not
appear to voluntary organisations to be accessible and transparent.
The Review concluded that the City Council should continue to support voluntary
organisations but that it should do so within an effective framework for
improvement, ensuring the achievement of corporate objectives and value for
money.
The main recommendations of the Review are as follows:
 Improve access to grant services and the transparency of processes,
procedures and decision-making
 Develop better understanding of the effectiveness of grant-aid and value for
money
 Establish a framework within which the City Council and voluntary
organisations can work effectively to achieve common goals
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2.
The Westminster City Partnership
The Westminster City Partnership, (the Local Strategic Partnership) is a
partnership between Westminster City Council, the Primary Care Trust, the
Metropolitan Police, the Voluntary and Community Sector, local business and the
local community. The Partnership has developed and agreed the Westminster
City Plan that sets out the vision for Westminster, together with short, medium
and long term targets to achieve this vision.
The Partnership’s shared vision for Westminster is a City that:
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Provides access to outstanding customer focused services
Is a successful World Class City
Is a learning community, in which children, young people and adults realise
their full potential
Is clean, safe and environmentally sustainable, where residents and
organisations are considerate and active in improving their own environment
and neighbourhood
Ensures everyone is able to enjoy their best possible health and well being
In order to realise this vision the City Partnership’s key aims are:
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Putting the customer first
Investing in your City:
 Our City investment programme
 Improving and protecting your housing and your neighbourhood
Cleaning and greening your City
Guarding your City
Promoting a healthier Westminster
Investing in your education
The City Council will support the shared aims and priorities of the Westminster
City Plan by grant-aiding activities linked to the City Plan programmes:
Under the Customer First programme of the City Plan we will be seeking to
improve access to Information and advice services. Under this priority we are
particularly interested in supporting projects or services which are responsive to
the City‘s diverse population.
Under the Investing in your City: Our City Investment programme we will be
seeking to improve access to cultural, arts and sporting activities. We wish to
support projects or services that extend and increase participation in cultural, arts
and sporting activities and which develop new audiences for these activities.
Under the Investing in your City: Improving and Protecting your Housing
and your Neighbourhood programme we are particularly interested in projects
that will improve homelessness prevention, assist in the prevention of crime or
nuisance on estates and improve quality of life for either council residents or
those placed in temporary accommodation by the Housing Department.
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Under the Cleaning and Greening your City programme we will be seeking to
maintain and increase the wildlife habitats within the City. We are particularly
interested in projects that will protect and enhance the environment and in those
which will broaden knowledge and understanding of urban wildlife.
Under the Promoting a Healthier Westminster programme we will be seeking
to promote the health and wellbeing of residents. We are particularly interested in
projects and services that will encourage greater involvement by individuals,
groups and communities in promoting good health and in those that support a
wide range of vulnerable families and individuals to live independently.
Under the Investing in your Education programme we will be seeking to
improve access to and participation in learning throughout life. We are
particularly interested in projects and services that support early learning and
community learning, and in those that offer opportunities for young people.
3.
Westminster Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy
The national strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal aims to ensure that within 1020 years no one should be disadvantaged by where they live.
Within the overarching context of the Westminster City Plan and based on a local
area study, a framework Westminster Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy (NRS)
has been developed which identifies priority neighbourhoods and communities
and sets out a strategic basis for action.
The highest priority neighbourhoods are Church Street and Queens Park, both
of which are among the 10% most disadvantaged wards in England. Other
priority areas in the north-west and south of the City that suffer from significant
disadvantage are Millbank, Churchill and Victoria wards in the South,
Westbourne and Harrow Road in the north-west and the Central area.
There is also a particular need to develop joined up services for priority
communities in Westminster. These are vulnerable families who have a range
of social and health needs; vulnerable children, young people, looked after
children and care leavers who are at risk of social exclusion; older people in
need, typically those on a limited income who often have health needs, and who
want to continue to live in their homes; recent arrivals, typically those whom
Westminster has accepted as homeless and the City Street Community.
There will be important links between the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and
the Westminster City Plan’s wider initiatives to improve the quality of life in the
area. Both will be the responsibility of the Westminster City Partnership and it is
likely that in future years the two will become one strategy.
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Civic Renewal
Civic Renewal is the framework for the delivery of the Council’s policies. It sets
the guiding principles and key policies for regenerating the City and continuing to
build a strong and vibrant community.
Westminster City Council is committed to working with and supporting a vibrant,
innovative and effective voluntary sector. It recognises and values the
independence of the voluntary sector and the unique role of voluntary and
community groups in enabling local people to articulate their needs and to
develop services to meet those needs. The Civic Renewal White Paper published
in April 2001noted that “local groups and organisations are often best placed to
understand local needs and deliver services” and that the City Council will, “look
to create new opportunities for mobilising active citizens as individuals and in
groups”. The White Paper also recognised that “ Many larger companies are
increasingly looking to contribute time, expertise and in some cases money to
their local communities” and that, “One proposal might be to support a Business
Brokering Service that would help match local businesses with voluntary groups
and community initiatives.”
Between March and September 2002, as part of the Civic Renewal programme,
Westminster City Council, in partnership with local communities and statutory
and voluntary sector stakeholders, will carry out an audit of ethnic minority needs.
The audit will address a number of different themes including identity, language
skills, education, health, disability, community safety, employment, and capacity
building. The audit will assist the Westminster City Partnership to better
understand the different needs of Westminster’s diverse ethnic minority
communities and its outcomes will inform policy and service delivery.
5.
Supporting the Voluntary Sector infrastructure in Westminster
The City Council is committed to supporting the development of Westminster’s
voluntary sector to enable it to deliver quality services, to work in partnership with
the Council and other stakeholders and to attract external funding.
Consultation with both voluntary groups and officers in the City Council has
indicated concerns about the large extent to which grant-aid funding has fallen
into a repetitive and historical pattern of allocation. The City Council supports an
independent sector and would not wish organisations to become too dependent
upon the authority for funding. It is therefore seeking to support the capacity of
infrastructure organisations to support self-help within the sector and to enable
organisations such as VAW to be as pro-active as possible in supporting other
voluntary organisations to achieve their potential.
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WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
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There are many ways in which the City Council can support the capacity of the
sector to sustain and develop its independence. The City Council will:
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5.
Support the capacity of key infrastructure organisations in Westminster to
help them support other local organisations (ie. Voluntary Action Westminster
(VAW), Westminster Volunteer Bureau (WVB), Community Accountancy Self
Help (CASH) and the emerging new Equalities Council)
Agree a framework or protocol (Compact) within which to develop the
effectiveness of the relationship between the City Council and voluntary
organisations. This protocol will outline the duties and responsibilities of both
partners within an effective and productive partnership.
Work with infrastructure organisations to encourage skilled people to sit on
the management committees of voluntary organisations.
Through Westminster Volunteer Bureau’s Time & Talents Programme, broker
links between the voluntary sector and businesses based in Westminster to
encourage involvement in local community and voluntary activity.
Provide training programmes and support to improve skills of staff, volunteers
and trustees, particularly in smaller less well-established groups to develop,
for example, legal, financial and personnel management skills. An element of
grant-aid funding could be retained to resource such a programme.
Work with other major partners in the City and particularly the Westminster
City Partnership, to ensure a coherent, strategic approach to levering external
funding into Westminster’s voluntary sector).
Review of Funding Priorities
The above strategies and plans will inform the funding priorities for grant-aid
awards for 2003-4, 2004-5 and 2005-6. Funding priorities will be reviewed at
least every three years. Detailed criteria for strategic funding priorities are
included at Annex 3.
In addition to items 2-4 above the following will be taken into account when they
become available:
The City Council's Ethnic Minority Needs Audit
Between March and September 2002 Westminster City Council, in partnership
with local communities and statutory and voluntary sector stakeholders, will carry
out an audit of ethnic minority needs. The audit will address a number of
different themes including identity, language skills, gender issues, education,
health, disability, community safety, employment and enterprise, young people,
seniors, community organisations, communication and capacity building. The
audit will assist the Westminster City Partnership to better understand the
different needs of Westminster's diverse ethnic minority communities and its
outcomes will inform policy and service delivery.
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The City Council will therefore give priority to grant-aiding services and projects
which meet needs identified by the Ethnic Minority Needs Audit. As the outcome
of the audit will not be known until December 2002, the priorities identified will
inform grant-aid awards made for 2004-2006.
The Westminster Community Legal Service Partnership's Strategic Plan
Between June 2002 and April 2003 Westminster City Council, in partnership with
the Legal Service Commission, local advice agencies and private solicitors will
through the Westminster Community Legal Service Partnership (CLSP) develop
a strategic plan for the provision of information and advice services in the
borough. To develop the plan the Partnership will carry out a needs audit for
information and advice services, map existing provision and identify where gaps
and duplication of services occur. The outcomes of this work will be used to
develop a strategic plan which will inform the future allocation of funding and
provision of information and advice services. The Partnership will also be looking
to develop a referral policy and improve the quality of advice through the
promotion of the Legal Service Commission's Quality Mark.
The City Council will therefore give priority to grant-aiding information and advice
services and projects which meet needs identified by the Westminster CLSP
Strategic Plan. As the Strategic Plan will not be ready until April 2003, the
priorities identified will inform grant-aid awards made for 2004-2006.
Westminster Local Cultural Strategy
Between June and December 2002 Westminster City Council will be working in
partnership with cultural sector stakeholders to put in place Local Cultural
Strategy for Westminster. The strategy will set out an overarching vision for
culture in Westminster for 2003 - 2008, which will lead to setting new objectives
for the cultural services provided and supported by the City Council.
The City Council will therefore give priority to grant-aiding activities and projects
which meet needs identified in the Westminster Local Cultural Strategy. As the
Cultural Strategy will not be ready until January 2003, the priorities identified will
inform grant-aid awards made for 2004-2006.
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Annex 3
Objectives, Priorities and Criteria for Grant-Aid 2003/06
The planned grant-aid expenditure for 2002/03 is £5.6million. The grant-aid
supports a wide range of services and activities provided by the voluntary and
community organisations and includes services which are either complementary
to those provided by the City Council or are required under statute. These
services include information, advice and advocacy, arts activities, projects
supporting disabled people and carers, nursery and pre-school services,
community learning, youth work as well as services and projects that provide
support to voluntary and community organisations and the voluntary sector as a
whole. The City Council wishes to continue to fund a range of services and
activities and is seeking to ensure that its investment in the voluntary sector is
well targeted, provides value for money and leads to specific, measurable
outcomes of benefit to Westminster residents.
Key objectives 2003-06
During the period 2003-2006, the City Council will be seeking to support activity
which:
1. Supports and encourages the infrastructure of Westminster’s voluntary
sector and enables the sector to work independently with and on behalf
of Westminster residents.
2. Meets the shared aims and priorities of the Westminster City
Partnership.
And which:
 Targets users in the most vulnerable neighbourhoods and those in the
most vulnerable communities as defined by the Neighbourhood Renewal
Strategy and the ethnic minority needs audit
 Promotes and develops self help and active citizenship
Further details of the aims and priorities of the Westminster City Partnership, the
framework Westminster Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and the City Council's
Civic Renewal programme are contained in Annex 2.
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Cross-cutting applications
The City Council is aware that some funding objectives could be delivered
through more than one strand of activity and therefore cross-cutting applications
are welcome. Organisations wishing to make a cross-cutting application will
need to ensure that they give consideration to all the relevant funding criteria.
Assessment of applications for grant-aid
Each year the total number of applications and requests for funding the City
Council receives far exceeds the available grant-aid. In addition, the City Council
supports through its grant-aid programme a number of services and activities that
are part of its statutory service provision. These services and activities are
priorities as they enable the City Council to meet its corporate aims and
objectives and statutory obligations. To enable the City Council to determine
how it will allocate the available grant-aid, objectives, priorities and criteria
have been developed under 7 funding categories described below.
Applications for funding will be assessed within each funding category against
the relevant objectives, priorities and criteria. The criteria are weighted to reflect
their relevant importance and priority. It is therefore absolutely essential that
applicants carefully consider these objectives, criteria and priorities and address
them as fully as possible in their applications. Failure to do so is likely to result in
an unsuccessful application.
During October and November 2002 each application will be assessed by two
officers and will be scored against the relevant criteria including how the service
or activity targets users in the most vulnerable neighbourhood and communities
and promotes and develops self-help and active citizenship. On the basis of the
scoring the Corporate Voluntary Sector Steering Group (CVSSG) will determine
which applications will go through to stage 2 of the assessment taking into
account the available grant-aid budget. Applicant organisations that do not go
through to stage 2 will be informed of this decision in December 2002.
The second stage of the assessment will be undertaken in dialogue with the
applying organisation, and will assess funding proposals in detail, including
specific outputs and outcomes, prior to any final recommendations or decisions
to award or not to award funding.
The objectives, priorities and criteria that will inform funding decisions are
detailed below.
Conditions of Funding
The standard Conditions of Grant Aid must be met in order to qualify for funding
(Annex 4).
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1. SUPPORTING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF WESTMINSTER’S
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
The City Council is committed to supporting the development of Westminster’s
voluntary sector to enable it to deliver quality services, to work in partnership with
the Council and other stakeholders and to attract external funding.
Objectives
 To support the capacity of infrastructure organisations to enable self-help
within the voluntary sector.
 To enable infrastructure organisations to deliver quality services, to work
effectively with the Council and other stakeholders and to attract external
funding.
 To enable infrastructure organisations be as pro-active as possible in
supporting other voluntary organisations to achieve their potential.
Priorities
Under this category we will consider funding services and projects of
intermediary/infrastructure* organisations that support sustainability and
improve quality within Westminster's voluntary and community sector in
accordance with the following criteria:
*Intermediary/Infrastructure is the term used to denote organisations that perform
a development or service function to other voluntary and community sector
organisations.
Criteria
Intermediary/Infrastructure services
Priority will be given to services or projects that:
Demonstrate how activities will increase the sustainability and independence
of individual organisations and/or the sector as a whole.
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Demonstrate how the services add value to the voluntary groups they serve.
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Demonstrate how services or projects will enable voluntary organisations to
improve the quality of their service provision and/or improve the management
and financial skills within the organisation.
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Demonstrate how services or activities will promote collaborative working
between individual organisations and/or the voluntary and community sector
as a whole.
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Demonstrate a clear need or demand for the service or activity they are
seeking to provide.
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Target voluntary and community groups that are providing services and
activities:
 to vulnerable neighbourhoods and communities as defined by the
Neighbourhood Strategy
and/or
 to Black and minority ethnic communities
and/or
 which promote and develop self-help and active citizenship
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2. CITY PARTNERSHIP FUNDING OBJECTIVES, PRIORITIES
AND CRITERIA
The City Council is committed to supporting the delivery of effective and efficient
voluntary sector services to local people that will help meet the shared aims and
priorities of the Westminster City Partnership.
CUSTOMER FIRST PROGRAMME
Objectives
 To improve access to high quality information and advice in the community.
 To promote equality of opportunity and to help tackle social exclusion and
deprivation.
 To empower people to help themselves to address life problems.
Priorities
Under this category we will consider funding for the provision of information and
advice services in accordance with the following criteria:
Criteria
Information and advice services
Priority will be given to services which:
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Demonstrate a clear need or demand for the information, advice or support
service they are seeking to provide.
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Have the capacity to provide accurate and effective advice to all, based on an
understanding of individuals’ circumstances and needs.
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Demonstrate how their services add value to the groups or the communities
they serve.
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Provide services that are accessible taking account of the need to be
inclusive and the requirements of disadvantaged members of the community
who may otherwise find it difficult to access services (e.g. Black and minority
ethnic communities, people with disabilities, older people).
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INVESTING IN YOUR CITY; CITY INVESTMENT
Objectives
 To promote, maintain and develop Westminster’s position as an important
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centre for arts, sports and cultural activities.
To promote the contribution that arts, cultural and sporting activities can make
to raising educational achievement and lifelong learning.
To improve access to and participation in cultural, sporting and arts activities.
To tackle social exclusion and promote equality of opportunity through
provision of arts, sports and cultural activities.
To expand the experience and knowledge of individuals and communities.
Priorities
Under this category we will consider funding applications for the provision of arts
and cultural services and sporting activities in accordance with the following
criteria:
Criteria
Arts and cultural services
Priority will be given to services or projects which:
Encourage new audiences to participate in cultural activities that otherwise
would not do so.

Involve audiences and participants in research and development of services
and activities and use the findings to further improve arts practice.

Exploit and develop opportunities for joint working and partnerships with other
agencies and communities.

Provide services and projects that are accessible taking account of the need
to be inclusive and the requirements of disadvantaged members of the
community who may otherwise find it difficult to access services (e.g. Black
and minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities, older people).
In addition, for arts in education projects (for example, those proposing
work with schools or youth clubs), the following criterion will also
apply:

Identify, monitor and evaluate specific learning outcomes for the target group.
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Sport
Priority will be given to activities or projects which:
Engage new audiences in sporting activities that otherwise would not
participate, eg. older people, people with disabilities, people from black and
minority communities.
 Support and promote the development of healthy living/lifestyles.
 Exploit and develop opportunities for collaborative projects or partnerships.
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Provide activities and projects that are accessible taking account of the need
to be inclusive and the requirements of disadvantaged members of the
community who may otherwise find it difficult to access services (e.g. Black
and minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities, older people).
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INVESTING IN YOUR CITY; IMPROVING AND PROTECTING YOUR
HOUSING AND YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
Objectives
 To support the development of sustainable, local neighbourhoods.
 To improve the prevention of homelessness.
 To develop and increase access to community facilities linked to lifelong
learning.
Priorities
Under this category we will consider funding to support the provision of services
that will improve homelessness prevention and those that will improve the
quality of life for either council residents or those placed in temporary
accommodation by the Housing Department.
Criteria
Homelessness prevention
Priority will be given to services or projects which:

Support people to live as independently as possible
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Help people access accommodation and/or sustain tenancies

Help homeless households who are not entitled to be provided with
accommodation by the authority

Target vulnerable groups such as young people, people with mental health
problems and demonstrate that they have the capacity to provide effective
support to these vulnerable people, based on an understanding of individuals’
circumstances and needs.

Demonstrate a clear need or demand for the information, advice or support
service they are seeking to provide.
 Exploit and develop opportunities for collaborative projects or partnerships
with other agencies and/or complement existing services.

Provide services and projects that are accessible taking account of the need
to be inclusive and the requirements of disadvantaged members of the
community who may otherwise find it difficult to access services (e.g. Black
and minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities, older people).
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Improve the quality of life for either council residents or those placed in
temporary accommodation
Priority will be given to activities or projects which:
 Involve residents and/or those placed in temporary accommodation in
developing, planning, delivering and reviewing the service/project.

Demonstrate how their services add value to the groups or the communities
they serve.
 Exploit and develop opportunities for joint working and partnerships with other
agencies.

Provide activities and projects that are accessible taking account of the need
to be inclusive and the requirements of disadvantaged members of the
community who may otherwise find it difficult to access services (e.g. Black
and minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities, older people).
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WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
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CLEANING AND GREENING YOUR CITY
Objectives
 To protect and enhance the environment to secure the standard of living of
current and future residents.
 To increase access to and participation in environmental education for all.
Priorities
Under this category we will consider funding the provision of services to protect
and enhance the environment in accordance with following criteria:
Criteria
Priority will be given to activities or projects which:
 Increase awareness, knowledge and understanding of environmental issues.
 Encourage and promote the notion of sustainable living.
 Encourage and promote the City Council’s Green Promise to reduce, reuse
and recycle and / or support the Westminster Biodiversity Action Plan to
preserve and protect the 4 priority habitats and 8 species that are particularly
important to Westminster.
 Exploit and develop opportunities for collaborative projects or partnerships.
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WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
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HEALTHIER WESTMINSTER
Objectives
 To promote the health, well being and independence of individuals and
communities.
 To reduce health inequalities by the encouraging the greater involvement of
individuals and communities in the promotion of all aspects of good health.
 To support vulnerable individuals and families to live independently in the
community.
Priorities
Under this category we will consider funding the provision of services to support
vulnerable children and families, to support older people and people with
disabilities and to support people with mental health problems in accordance
with the following criteria:
Criteria
Priority will be given to services or projects which:
 Identify and protect those at risk of significant harm.
 Support people to live as independently as possible within their homes or within
a family.
 Ensure that consultation is carried out with existing and potential users and
their carers in planning, delivering and reviewing the service/project.
 Exploit and develop opportunities for joint working and partnership for the wellbeing of service users.
 Demonstrate innovation and the need for imagination in the delivery of
services.

Provide services and projects that are accessible taking account of the need
to be inclusive and the requirements of disadvantaged members of the
community who may otherwise find it difficult to access services (e.g. Black
and minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities, older people).
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WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
WORKING WITH THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR 2002-2006
INVESTING IN YOUR EDUCATION
Objectives
 To improve access to and participation in learning throughout life.
 To promote equality of opportunity, tackle social exclusion, deprivation and
underachievement.
 To help children, young people and adults to fulfil their potential, providing
them with the skills to make positive contributions to family life, the economy
and society.
 To promote high quality programmes of formal, informal or experiential
learning.
Priorities
Under this category we will consider funding the provision of services to support
childcare and play activities, youth work, community learning particularly
for older people and people with disabilities and mental health problems, in
accordance with the following criteria:
Criteria
Early Childhood Services (i.e. pre-school nursery provision, childcare and
play services, toy libraries)
Priority will be given to services or projects which:
 Provide high quality early years education, childcare and play services for
children 0-14 years in line with the National Childcare Strategy.
 Target families with low income parents, parents seeking work and/or in training
to increase their employability.
 Support the development of integrated services including wrap-around care or
on-site family support services i.e. bringing together social services and
education provisions and linking with the local Primary Care Trusts and other
agencies.
 Are members of the Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership, and
contribute to the achievement of the objectives and targets of the Westminster
Early Years Development & Childcare Plan
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WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
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Early Childhood Services (continued)
 Are within the Westminster Sure Start areas.

Provide services and projects that are accessible taking account of the need
to be inclusive and the requirements of disadvantaged members of the
community who may otherwise find it difficult to access services (e.g. Black
and minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities, older people).
Youth Work
Priority will be given to projects or activities that: work with the 13-19 age group.
 support work with priority groups. These include the disadvantaged, the
disaffected (excluded or self excluding from school); those involved with, or at
risk of becoming involved in crime; minority ethnic communities; young people
with disabilities; looked after children; refugees and asylum seekers; homeless
young people; young people abusing drugs and alcohol.
 support the Westminster Youth Service's Mission Statement and curriculum
framework.
 support provision at times requested by young people. This includes:
 Directly after school
 Evenings – with the exception of specialist activities like sailing or
canoeing, evening provision should be in the later part of the evening,
reflecting the age range of the client group
 Weekends
 provide generic youth work where:
 there is a clear educational content to the programme with identified and
monitored learning outcomes;
 school holiday provision is offered. This work needs to be included in the
revenue funding application as no additional funding will be available.
 provide specialist youth work where:
 the work does not only consist of developing skills, but includes an
element of social education and personal development;
 school holiday provision is offered. This work needs to be included in the
revenue funding application as no additional funding will be available.
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WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
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Community Learning
Priority will be given to projects or activities that: Improve access to learning opportunities, taking account of the needs and
characteristics of the target audience in terms of:
 Venue/location;
 Times that provision is available;
 Qualified/experienced staff;
 Appropriate learning materials.
 Identify, monitor and evaluate specific learning outcomes appropriate for the
target group.
 Demonstrate support to the progress of individual learners.
 Demonstrate that the learning activity enhances and improves the quality of
the individual learners.

Exploit and develop opportunities for joint working and partnerships with other
agencies and communities.

Provide projects and activities that are accessible taking account of the need
to be inclusive and the requirements of disadvantaged members of the
community who may otherwise find it difficult to access services (e.g. Black
and minority ethnic communities, people with disabilities, older people).
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WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
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Annex 4
Conditions of Grant Aid
The City Council offers grant aid to voluntary organisations in acknowledgement
of the value of the service they offer to the residents of the City. All organisations
accepting grant aid from the City of Westminster are expected to comply with the
following conditions. The conditions are intended to ensure that organisations
are offering a quality service to Westminster residents and in all cases of concern
the Council will liaise with the organisation to ensure that any potential difficulties
are identified and resolved at the earliest possible stage.
The organisation must:1.
Conduct its affairs (both general and financial) to the satisfaction of the Council and
comply with all statutory obligations with regard to the employment of staff, salaries and
wages, premises, health and safety at work and any others that are particular to the work
undertaken by the organisation and have adequate insurance to cover such liabilities as
may arise;
2.
Adopt an equal opportunities policy covering users, staff and volunteers and which
ensures appropriate and accessible services to Westminster’s diverse communities;
3.
Keep records showing how it has used the financial assistance given by the Council and
where the financial assistance provided by the Council exceeds £2,000, provide the
Council with a written statement setting out how that amount was used within 12 months
of the financial assistance being given, if this is not included in a subsequent application;
4.
Provide the Council as requested with documents and reports on its activities and comply
with any specified monitoring requirements;
5.
Provide the Council with a copy of the organisation’s constitution*, details of the
membership of any committee of management indicating whether members are
appointed or elected, and a copy of the organisation’s latest annual report;
6.
Have its accounts audited to the Council’s satisfaction. Grant will not be paid for
2003/2004 until the audited accounts for 2001/2002 have been received;
7.
Recognise that financial assistance given by the Council in one year does not commit the
Council to give, nor entitle the organisation to receive, funding from the Council in
subsequent years;
8.
Seek, where possible, to raise funds other than from the local authority and maximise
self-help and voluntary effort;
9.
Be willing to seek registration as a charitable organisation, friendly society or limited
company if appropriate;
10.
Be seen to be politically neutral and not engage in party political activity. Activities which
show a party political bias or involve party political propaganda will not therefore be
approved for financial assistance (see guidelines enclosed);
11.
Be able to demonstrate that it has adequate expertise to carry out the activities it
proposes and have access to suitable premises with appropriate planning permission to
carry out the work identified;
Be prepared to co-operate with any other grant-aided organisation or department of the
Council providing similar services;
12.
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WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL’S DRAFT STRATEGY FOR
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13.
Acknowledge the Council’s support in any literature or publicity (see guidelines enclosed);
14.
Permit attendance at any of its management committee meetings by an elected member
and/or an appropriate officer in an observer capacity only as required by the Council,
unless there is a justifiable reason to the contrary;
15.
Not fly-post advertisements for events, exhibitions, publications or recordings, and take
all reasonable steps to ensure that fly-posting connected with its events does not take
place;
16.
Notify the Council in writing of any material change in its circumstances which affect its
grant entitlement or significantly impacts on its finances and operations;
17.
Be aware that in extreme circumstances an approved grant may be suspended by the
Council at any time during the year, in which event the organisation will be notified of the
reason for this in writing. The reason will normally be for failing to accept one or more of
the Standard Conditions of Grant Aid, or if the organisation ceases to operate or function.
18.
Ensure that any subsidiary body complies with these conditions.
* or Memorandum & Articles if a limited company, or trust deed
The declaration below must by signed by two people, one of whom must be the
Chairman of your organisation;
On behalf of:........................................................................................................................
(name of the organisation)
We declare that the details provided in this application form and accompanying
documents are a full and accurate response to the Council’s requirement for
information to support this grant application.
We understand that any grant given to our organisation by Westminster City
Council is subject to the above conditions and accept that the failure to comply
with these conditions may mean withdrawal of grant.
1.
Signed:....................................................................……………...................
Name:........................................................................................…………….
Position with organisation:........................................................……………..
Address:.....................................................................................……………
...................................................................................................……………
Telephone:.................................................................................……………
2.
Signed:.......................................................................................……………
Name:.........................................................................................……………
Position with organisation:.........................................................…………….
Address:.....................................................................................……………
...................................................................................................……………
Telephone:.................................................................................……………
26