The Freshwater Foundation has been founded by Mark Robbins, an Ealing resident for more than 35 years. During that time, he has gained wide experience of charities and voluntary work, as a volunteer, as a manager within the sector and as a student.
Finding himself in a position to give away a substantial sum of money, he wanted not only to donate to the areas closest to his heart but also to use his experience and knowledge to support voluntary groups and charities in all aspects of management and governance, and to help them engage with each other and all other levels of public life. He was especially keen to help new groups start up and in general help to further the growth and significance of the voluntary and charitable sector in the public life of Ealing and Hounslow.
He also brings considerable experience as a teacher, having been a university lecturer for many years, and with it a passion to communicate the knowledge he has gained about charities and the voluntary sector, and the bold possibilities that are opening up for it.
How to Apply
- Fill out the small grant application form. It will need to clearly outline:
- What you will be delivering.
- How the residents/participants will benefit from the project.
- How the grant would be spent.
- Either mail the application to info@freshwaterfoundation.org.uk (with your governing document), or if you need to post it (in the case of informal groups), mail us and we will give you our postal address.
- Upon receipt, we will contact you by phone to discuss the application and possibly also to arrange a visit.
- A decision will be made shortly afterwards.
- If successful, you will be contacted by our treasurer to arrange for the transfer of the funds.
- After the completion of the project, you will need to fill out the monitoring form, which should also be accompanied by evidence of the delivery of the project. You will also need to send receipts.
- We may also possibly contact you to arrange a visit to discuss the project, either to look for evidence of delivery, or as part of our on-going efforts to find out about voluntary and community activities in the area.
- If you are constituted or incorporated (a CIO or a Registered Charity), you must supply your governing document.
- Groups and projects must be reasonably small; £100,000 maximum annual income and £30,000 maximum total project cost (these limits are flexible so get in touch at info@freshwaterfoundation.org.uk if you breach them but still feel yourself to be small).
- If the application is from an informal group of residents, then the application must be accompanied by the signatures and contact details of people from at least three different, unrelated households who are willing to support the project.
- All effort on the project must be voluntary. Fees and salaries will not be paid.
- The organisations themselves are responsible for all necessary policies and procedures being in place to complete the project, and that any relevant insurance has been taken out and any DBS checks made where children and young people are involved.
- The group must be based in the boroughs of Ealing or Hounslow and the project must take place in that borough.
- Part of the funds sought must be for projects; they cannot solely be for day-to-day running costs (although we consider all start-up costs as project costs).
- We are committed to maintaining the highest standards in public life, so will only consider organisations that conform not merely to the letter, but also the spirit of charity law.
- We cannot fund:
- Groups that have already received a grant from the fund.
- Projects or organisations that exclude beneficiaries on the grounds of religious or political beliefs or that do not adhere to our equal opportunities policy.
- Party political or religious activities (although we welcome applications from religious groups organising community projects).
- Arms-length public sector organisations that are controlled wholly or in part by, for example a local authority, Primary Care Trust or agencies of these
- Commercial ventures
- Organisations that are for the sole benefit of the relief of animals or plants
- Services to Asylum Seeker groups which are inconsistent with immigration laws or Home Office policy.