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Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank

Spirit of the Community Awards 2013Only Insert Heading Here

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Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have a strong tradition of supporting the communities in which we operate and in which our employees live and work. To continue this legacy we are introducing The Yorkshire & Clydesdale Bank Foundation, “Spirit of the Community Awards”. We are keen to support projects thatadvance financial education, improve employability and promote environmental protection or improvement. Awards will be available to projects benefitting communities in the areas of England and Scotland where the Bank operates.

The Spirit of the Community Awards will run annually. For 2013 only, and in recognition of Clydesdale Bank’s 175th anniversary, additional awards will be made for projects benefitting communities in Scotland.

If you think your project could benefit from an award and you are committed to making a difference, please read on.

Who can apply?

We will accept applications from:

  • Registered charities;
  • Community organisations and constituted voluntary groups. Please note we will require evidence of not-for-profit status;
  • The Awards will be open to projects benefitting communities in the areas of England and Scotland where the Bank operates.

What are the award categories?

Awards will be considered for projects in one of the following three categories:

  • Education - This category will focus on initiatives that advance financial education including initiatives that promote accessibility to both financial education and financial services;
  • Employability - This category will focus on initiatives that build on and develop skills in individuals to equip them for the workplace and help them become ready for work;
  • Environment – This category will focus on projects seeking to protect or improve the environment.

What are the awards you can apply for?

England - In each category, one project will receive an award of £10,000 and three projects will receive £5,000.

Scotland- In recognition of Clydesdale Bank’s 175th Anniversary in 2013, three projects in each category will receive an award of £10,000 and fiveprojects in each category will receive £5,000. In addition a further £10,000 will be awarded to one winning project bringing the total awards to £175,000.

How to apply

Applications for funding can be made by completing an application form available for download from our websites - or The closing date for applications is 31 March 2013. The completed application form, together with supporting documents, should be posted to:

Yorkshire & Clydesdale Bank Foundation

Spirit of the Community Awards

Level 3

20 Merrion Way

Leeds

LS2 8NZ

Advice for applicants

  • Only one application can be submitted from each charity/community group.
  • One category only per application.
  • Awards will be given to projects that are located in, and are of benefit to, communities in which the Bank operates.
  • The judges’ decision is final and there will be no right of appeal should an application be declined.
  • We may contact you to arrange a meeting to further assess your application.
  • We may contact Award recipients for the purposes of assessing the impact of the Award and for reasonable publicity purposes.
  • Previously successful applicants to the Yorkshire and Clydesdale Bank Foundation can apply for a Spirit of the Community Award.
  • Failure to enclose all the requested information will result in the rejection of your application.

Entrants will be expected to demonstrate:

  • The need/demand for the project and how the project will effectively respond to /meet the need;
  • An innovative approach to addressing the issue which should be unique in the community i.e. not delivered by another organisation;
  • Positive and practical benefits for the wider community;
  • Evidence of appropriate and effective partnership engagement;
  • A practical vision for the longer term sustainability of the work of the project.

Guidance for completing your application form (Numbers correspond with question numbers on the application form).

  1. The official name of your organisation.
  2. We are interested in how long you have been meeting continuously as an organisation.
  3. You do not have to be a Registered Charity to apply to us but, if you are, we need to know your registration number. If you are a not-for-profit organisation please provide evidence of your not-for-profit status for example Constitution, Memorandum & Articles of Association.
  4. The full name of the person who will act as our contact with your organisation.
  5. Their position e.g. Treasurer, Secretary, Chairman.
  6. This should be an address where you receive correspondence.
  7. Please give a telephone number where you can be contacted during the working day.
  8. Please give a brief description of the purpose of your organisation.
  9. Your project
  10. Tell us about the project for which you are applying for funding.
  11. Please tell us how you will use the money and give us a breakdown of the costs involved.

We require your Annual Reports and Accounts oran Income and ExpenditureStatementfor the last 12 months. Failure to include these documents will prevent your application being considered. Your group must have its own bank account.

The main contact in question 4 shouldsign the declaration.

What happens next?

When we receive your application we will acknowledge receipt of it by email, as soon as possible. Preliminary assessments will take place in April with the Awards being made in June/July 2013.

If we agree to fund your projectthen we will contact you to advise you that you have been chosen for an award in June 2013.

While we welcome and will acknowledge receipt of all applications, due to the number of entries we receive, we regret that we will not be able to provide feedback on projects that are unsuccessful.

Project changes

Funds are given for the specific purposes outlined in your application. You must therefore contact us as soon as possible where, for any reason, your project changes significantly since application. Any proposed change to your project must be agreed with us beforehand. If the project does not go ahead, or significantly changes purpose or timeline, we reserve the right to cancel the award and reclaim any funds which remain unspent.

For queriesplease contact