Online Session: School Holiday Food and Activities Fund

The 2023 Summer School Holiday Food and Activities Fund (previously referred to as the Get Into Summer Fund) is now open for applications, with funding of up to £5,000 available for projects.

Due to changes to this year’s fund, Falkirk Council’s Fairer Falkirk team have organised 2 online drop-in sessions to answer questions from local groups and organisations, taking place on:

• Tuesday 23^rd May from 12pm
• Thursday 25^th May from 5:30pm

To book your place at either session, please contact the Fairer Falkirk team at the email addresses below:

• Tatjana Sandon, Fairer Falkirk Development Officer:  tatjana.sandon@falkirk.gov.uk
• Fairer Falkirk team: fairerfalkirk@falkirk.gov.uk

The team also encourages applicants to “request only the necessary funding to cover the expenses of the proposed activities”, in order to increase the amount of grants which can be made.

The fund aims to support local organisations delivering activities and food to children and young people from low-income families during the summer school holiday. The funding is aimed at those most likely to be experiencing disadvantage due to continued poverty.

Who is the Funding Intended to Reach?

The funding for the 2023 Summer School Holiday Food and Activities Fund targets school-aged children and young people, with a particular emphasis on those who are likely to face disadvantages due to ongoing poverty.

The priority groups identified by Fairer Falkirk’s analysis of national and local data include:

• school-aged children (aged 5 – 14 years old)
• young people (aged 14 – 19 years old)
• large families (with 3 or more children)
• lone parent families
• care-experienced young people
• kinship care families
• priority areas

Fairer Falkirk places a specific focus on the Falkirk North ward (ward 6), which their analysis states has the highest proportion of children living in households experiencing relative poverty compared to other areas in Falkirk. However, project proposals from all areas within Falkirk District will be considered, as it is acknowledged that children living in poverty can be found across the entire district.

Criteria

Fairer Falkirk anticipate that applications may exceed the available funding, and as a result have committed to prioritising applications which deliver against the below points (in addition to the existing criteria (linked for your convenience)):

• The project must represent good value for money, with a balance between costs and the quality of activities.
• The project must have activities that cover a minimum number of 5 days throughout the summer holiday.
• The project must have a structured schedule of activities, with a priority given to projects that include regular activities.
• The project should be open to external participants.

Fairer Falkirk will give more consideration to applications which demonstrate a strong capacity in terms of resources, such as the staff involved and venue, and from groups which have prior experience in long-term initiatives.

How to Apply and Deadline

• Deadline and Timelines

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 31^st May, to ensure funding is process in time for the school summer holidays.

The panel will review submitted projects after this date. Applicants will be notified of their project’s outcome during the week commencing Monday 12^th June. Payments will be processed that week and the following week.

• Applying

To apply, please download and complete the application form, along with the application guidance (both linked for your convenience). All completed application forms and supporting documents should be returned by email to the Fairer Falkirk team: fairerfalkirk@falkirk.gov.uk

Please note that this new application form has some slight differences compared to the previous version. It includes specific questions which require detailed answers. This updated approach aims to facilitate the completion of the form by applicants, and streamline the project review process for the panel. By minimising the need for extensive email communication, Fairer Falkirk anticipates a faster process which will help avoid delays in the panel’s decision-making.

Support Available

For help with the application form, or any questions about the application or the process, please contact Tatjana Sandon, Fairer Falkirk Development Officer, by email:  tatjana.sandon@falkirk.gov.uk

For support around applying for this or any other fund, or capacity building and governance support, please contact our team at CVS Falkirk by email: info@cvsfalkirk.org.uk

Support on completing your application (including how you can promote food and activities towards the target groups) is also available from the Fairer Falkirk team, via email: fairerfalkirk@falkirk.gov.uk

Alternatively, for advice on how to organise activities for children and young people, contact Cameron Reid by email: cameron.reid@falkirk.gov.uk

Menu ideas, portion guidance, resources, and training to support the fund’s food provision element are available via the NHS Forth Valley website, or by contacting the Community Nutrition team: fv.fvcommunitynutrition@nhs.scot