Policy on Grants under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972
The Policy sets out the Parish Council’s position and procedure regarding the award of s137 grants. Adopted: 13th April 2026 (a pdf version opf this policy is available for download here)
In accordance with the Local Government Act 1972 section 137, Tintagel Parish Council sets aside a sum of money each year which can be applied for by local organisations for projects which will be of benefit to residents within the parish of Tintagel. This document sets out the Parish Council’s policy and procedure for grants and donations under Section 137 of the above Act with its aim of ensuring that all its award-making activity is open, transparent, fair and supports local organisations. The Parish Council’s awards are open to established voluntary or community groups, as well as new or informal groups of parishioners who are, or intend by the date of application to become formally constituted.
Who Is Eligible To Apply?
To be eligible for the award of a grant under Section 137 an organisation must:
- be established for charitable, benevolent, social, cultural, recreational, or philanthropic purposes;
- have a constitution, or set of rules, which define its aims, objectives, and operational procedures;
- be able to provide a copy of its latest annual accounts and be able to demonstrate that the accounts are checked and signed by a person independent of the group;
- have a bank account operated by a minimum of at least two joint signatories.
What Can Be Funded?
- the project should be something which makes the local community a better place in which to live, work or visit;
- it should benefit people who live in the parish;
- there must be clear evidence that local people support the project and are involved in carrying it out;
- each group may only make one application per financial year.
The Following Are Not Eligible
- support for individuals or private business projects;
- the running costs of any organisation;
- projects which are the prime statutory responsibility of other government bodies;
- projects which improve or benefit privately owned land or property;
- projects which have already been completed or will have been completed by the time the grant is made.
Conditions Of Support
The Parish Council may make the award of any grant subject to all or some of the following conditions. Required conditions will be at the discretion of the Parish Council and consider an organisation’s individual circumstances.
- To fully understand your project or activity, parish councillors may wish to visit your project or activity, prior to it commencing. They may also wish to conduct a site visit once your funded project is underway.
- As a minimum, you will write to confirm receipt of the cheque/bank transfer for audit purposes.
- Funding must only be used for the purpose agreed with the Parish Council and if the monies are not spent on the items agreed, they must be returned.
- Funding must be spent within the financial year awarded and cannot be added wholly or partly to your reserves.
- If your project costs are more than you anticipated on your application, any shortfall must be met by you.
- The Parish Council would ask that you acknowledge its support in your publications, publicity, and annual reports.
When To Apply
The Parish Council considers applications on an annual basis at its meeting in May which is held on the last Wednesday of May. All applications should be sent in writing to the Clerk by 12 noon on 8th May. Only application forms / letters received by these dates will be considered at the meeting. Awards will not exceed the agreed annual budget unless the Parish Council agrees to make an award under exceptional circumstances. All groups will be treated equally. If an organisation has had a grant previously, they are not guaranteed to receive financial support again but are not excluded from applying again in a different financial year. A fresh application will be required each time.
How Will Decisions Be Made?
All applications will be judged after the closing date. Decisions will be made by Tintagel Parish Council with its decision being final. Unfortunately, the Parish Council may not be able to fund all projects as there may be more applications than there is money available. However, all applications will be considered carefully. Due account will be taken of the extent to which funding has been sought or secured from other sources or the applicant’s own fund-raising activities.
Emergency Funding
In exceptional circumstances, the Council will consider applications outside of the stated timescale. This would normally be, but not limited to, an emergency time critical response that could not have been foreseen during the usual timescale e.g., breakdown of equipment. Applications should use the standard application form and will be discussed at the next council meeting.
How To Apply
Applications should be made in writing.
Please apply to the Clerk at clerk@tintagelparishcouncil.gov.uk for a standard application form or download directly from this link.