Support and Opportunity Fund

Support and Opportunities Fund 2025 

 

The primary aim of this fund is to financially support groups across the County to deliver excellent, engaging and exciting scouting programmes and activities to retain existing members and to recruit and grow our youth and adult membership further. 


This fund is made up of five elements: 


  1. Groups can apply if they have less than £15 per youth member per term to deliver a quality programme after overheads/operating costs have been met or provision has been made for the up-coming 6 months. Monies will be provided where required as a “top up” grant. For clarity, a term is defined as approximately 12 weeks, with three terms in a year. Groups who have large cash balances are unlikely to receive funding. This does vary however dependent on the group and the equipment they do and do not have. Therefore, it has been decided not to vary the amount per section but permit groups to make a decision if they wish to redistribute any monies internally as long as they are confident they are delivering a balanced and exciting programme for young people. 
  2. Any group not eligible for section 1 can submit a business case for a grant of £250, where they are proposing to fund additional activities/events/actions to recruit new adult and youth members to re-grow our membership and/or for those aged 18-25 to gain activity permits. 
  3.  County/District activity teams will be able to apply for a grant to reduce adventurous activity and event costs for all sections and groups in the County by 50% (75% for Groups in areas of deprivation, IMD category 1-3). This fund will top up the difference created by the discounted cost so Activity teams are not negatively affected. The maximum grant under this option per event is £2,000. 
  4. Where there are very exceptional hardship circumstances not covered by the above then this can be discussed with County on a case-by-case basis, supported by a short-written business case. 
  5. District/County teams can apply for funding to develop new activities provision and/or to extend the provision of existing activities. There must be evidence that this will meet a current unmet need and be available to a significant volume of young people, with the intent to make it available to wider than just one District. 

 

Conditions to Note: Grants will only be awarded to groups that are actively providing scouting. Activities must have risk assessments and all leaders involved in providing the activities must have up to date safeguarding and safety ongoing learning before the application is approved. 


Completed application forms and any required supporting information to be submitted to secretary@lincolnshirescouts.org.uk or posted to the County Offices. Line Managers/DLVs need to be copied for information. Application reviews are scheduled to take place fortnight as required, enabling a swift response. Please ensure application forms are completed to the fullest.