Trust alters annual grant aid timetable

Greenham Common Trust has announced important changes to its annual grant aid programme to help the financial planning of the charities and social organisations it supports.

Since it was established in 1997 the Trust has worked to a timetable that required applications to be submitted in the springtime, with an announcement of successful applications being made in the early summer.

The Trust noted that as many local charity and voluntary sector organisations work to a financial year that commences on the 1st April, budgets were being set before the end of March. To assist organisations applying for grant aid in their financial planning, the Trust has decided to bring forward its timetable for applications.

For the Trust's 2004 grant aid awards applications will need to be submitted by Friday December 12th for the standard awards (up to £10,000) and Friday January 16th for the major awards (£10,000 and over).

Stuart Tagg, chief executive of Greenham Common Trust says: “Our previous timetable meant that decisions on grant aid were coming too late for funds to be properly incorporated into the annual budgets of some of our applicants. The new timetable will allow local charities and social projects who make successful applications to plan ahead with greater certainty.”

Greenham Common Trust's grants for 2004 will total £135,000, with a further £15,000 being given to the Berkshire Community Foundation. The Trust's grant aid will be allocated as follows:

The standard awards include £10,000 to be allocated by the Trust's Youth Distribution Committee, drawn from teenagers from local secondary schools.

For more information about Greenham Common Trust's Grant Aid contact Melissa Elliott on 01635 817445 or e-mail melissa@greenham-common-trust.co.uk