The Community Grants Scheme is one of the ways that the Council provides funding to the community and voluntary sector. Any group that has a constitution, a bank account, is not for profit and aims to bring benefits to the residents of East Dunbartonshire can apply to the grants scheme. You do not need to have charitable status to apply.
Applications for grants are assessed against the Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP) which sets out the priority outcomes for East Dunbartonshire and focuses on improving public services across the authority.
Community groups across East Dunbartonshire are being asked for their views on the Council’s Community Grants Scheme Please visit the Community Grant Consultation webpage
On this page you will find information on:
- These priority outcomes
- Grants Advisory Committee
- How to Apply
- Eligibility for Applying
- What we can fund
- How your application will be assessed
- Application Rounds
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Case Studies
- Projects Funded by Community Grants in Round 1, 2021-22
- Projects Funded by Community Grants in Round 2, 2021-22
- Community Grants success story
These priority outcomes are:
- East Dunbartonshire has an expanding economy with a competitive and diverse business and retail base
- Our people are equipped with knowledge, skills and training to enable them to employment
- Our children and young people are safe, healthy and ready to learn
- East Dunbartonshire is a safe and sustainable environment in which to live, work and visit
- Our people and communities enjoy increased physical and mental wellbeing and health inequalities are reduced
- Our older population are supported to enjoy a high quality of life and our more vulnerable citizens, their families and carers benefit from effective care and support services
Grants Advisory Committee
The Grants Advisory Committee or GAC, as the group is better known, was formed in 2003. The committee’s role is to assess grant applications made to the Community Grants Scheme run by East Dunbartonshire Council. The group of 25 volunteers provide extensive knowledge and experience to ensure that the decisions made regarding funding make the biggest difference to the communities of East Dunbartonshire.
Members of GAC represent community groups and organisations across East Dunbartonshire. Meetings are chaired by an elected chair or vice-chair and to consider and provide advice on projects submitted on each round. If you are a member of a local community group and are interested in joining the GAC please get in touch: communitygrants@eastdunbarton.gov.uk.
How to Apply
We recommend that applicants read the Community Grants Guidance Notes before they start and refer to the help notes while filling out the application form.
Your application must be submitted via the webform or alternatively you can fill out the pdf version at the bottom of this page that you can fill in and email to communitygrants@eastdunbarton.gov.uk.
Eligibility for Applying
- Be a voluntary/community group with a minimum of three members
- Have a group constitution
- Produce independently examined accounts annually (or be able to provide an estimate of income/expenditure for the first 12 months of operation)
- Have a bank account in your group’s name
We must receive all your enclosures (constitution, accounts, statements, quotes/estimates) by the grants deadline or we will not progress your application: communitygrants@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
What we can fund
You can apply for a grant for a wide range of purposes as long as it is not for profit and brings benefits to the residents of East Dunbartonshire. In your application, you can ask for funding for:
- start-up costs
- special projects
- equipment
- salaries
- running costs
How your application will be assessed
Applications are assessed by the Grants Advisory Committee who make recommendations to the Community Planning Partnership Board for approval of the grants which they believe should be awarded. The Grants Advisory Committee meets two times a year in line with the two rounds of the scheme.
Applications will be assessed on the following areas:
- The project should meet at least one of our 6 priority outcomes listed above
- What difference your project will make to people
- Who is your project targeting and how many people will benefit
- Previous funding awards have been spent / appropriately used
- The project is inventive – applications should consider Covid-19 restrictions when applying for funding to support activities
Please note arts related projects are required to apply to the East Dunbartonshire Arts Council in the first instance.
Application Rounds
This grant fund is currently closed. Opening and closing dates for the financial year 2023/24 will be updated in due course.
Monitoring and Evaluation
If successful in receiving a grant, at the end of the year when your project is completed you need to send us a monitoring form. You can use the form within the document section of the page or complete our online form.
Case Studies
Projects Funded by Community Grants in Round 1, 2021-22
| Name of group | Purpose grant | Final award | Target group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Lenzie Boys Brigade | Equipment for outdoor group activities | £2,002 | Young People |
| Auchinairn Parent and Toddler Group | Storage Shed for equipment | £1,400 | Pre-Fives |
| Babes in the Wood Bishopbriggs CIC | Running costs (rent and staff costs) | £3,000 | Pre-Fives |
| Baldernock Community Development Trust | Leaflet for Baldernock Community | £400 | Other |
| Bearsden in Bloom | Benches | £2,000 | Volunteers |
| Bishopbriggs Community Council | Christmas Lights for Auchinairn | £3,000 | Community Groups and Voluntary Organisations |
| Campsie Memorial Hall Trust | Running costs for premises | £2,560 | Other |
| Creative Care Scotland | Roof repairs | £1,500 | Older People |
| East Dunbartonshire Women's Aid | Emergency Household items and resources for children | £3,000 | Other |
| FACT | Christmas activities | £800 | Other |
| Gavin's Mill Community Project | Electrical upgrades for premises | £1,240 | Community Groups and Voluntary Organisations |
| Lenzie After School Club | Rainwear for children | £200 | Sports / Young People |
| Lenzie Community Development Trust | Volunteer expenses and gardening equipment | £755 | Volunteers / People with Support Needs |
| Lenzie Parent and Toddler Group | Venue hire and playleader fees | £1,500 | Pre-Fives |
| Lenzie Woodhead Gymnastics Club SCIO | Gymnastics equipment | £1,810 | Sports / Young People |
| Love Lenzie Association | Website development | £600 | Other |
| Milngavie and Bearsden Swimming Club | Swimming equipment | £1,500 | Sports / Young People |
| Milngavie Old People’s Welfare Committee | Catering and Utilities costs | £1,100 | Older people |
| Milton of Campsie Scottish Women’s Institute | Running costs for premises | £500 | Older people |
| Monday OAP Club | Christmas Outing and Meal | £300 | Older people |
| More than Fibro (SCIO) | Support to East Dunbartonshire residents | £300 | People with support needs |
| Open Water Rescue | Box trailer | £2,000 | Other |
| Speech Language Communication Company | Set up costs | £3,000 | Young People |
| St Andrew’s First Aid | Equipment including first aid manuals | £2,000 | Young People / Volunteers |
| Stitch-ED (Stitch East Dunbartonshire) | Set up costs | £451 | Older People |
| Sunshine Wishes Children's Charity | Emergency household goods | £3,000 | People with no or low income |
| The Giant Red Phonebox Ltd | Concept Design Plan | £2,000 | Other |
| The Glasgow Group of the Riding for the Disabled Association | Equine therapy sessions for ED residents | £2,800 | People with Support Needs |
| The Woman’s Group 2021 | 'This is Me’ Project | £700 | People with Support Needs |
| Torrance Pre-fives | Running costs including arts and crafts supplies | £500 | Pre-Fives |
Projects Funded by Community Grants in Round 2, 2021-22
| Name of group | Purpose Grant | Final Award | Target group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 175th Glasgow (1st Bishopbriggs) Scout Group | Camping equipment | £2,134 | Young People |
| 1st Auchinairn Brownies | Running costs including badgework subscription | £400 | Young People |
| 1st Auchinairn Rainbows | Running costs including badgework subscription | £400 | Young People |
| 1st Lenzie Girl Guides | Guiding activities | £325 | Young People |
| 1st Lenzie Girls Brigade | Crafting equipment | £300 | Young People |
| 1st Torrance Rainbows | Group outings | £150 | Young People |
| Antonine Theatre Group | Fort Theatre refurbishment works (painting and wifi) | £1,900 | Arts / Young People |
| Auchinairn After School Care Ltd – Forest School | Forest School Open Days | £2,394 | Pre-Fives |
| Auchinairn Parent and Toddler Group | Outdoor play equipment | £1,500 | Pre-Fives |
| Bearsden in Bloom | Planters | £500 | Other |
| BetterBriggs | Sessional Caretaker costs | £2,000 | Community Groups and Voluntary Organisations |
| Bishopbriggs Tennis Club | Refurbishment of Clay Courts | £1,300 | Sports / Young People |
| Bishopsgate Residents Association | Outings | £200 | Older People |
| Caldwell Halls Trust | Storage room conversion and Utilities costs | £1,000 | Community Groups and Voluntary Organisations |
| Contact Point in East Dunbartonshire | Running costs for premises | £2,000 | People with Support Needs |
| Creative Care Scotland | Running costs including heating and lighting | £1,800 | Older People |
| Creative Spark Theatre Arts | Percussion Project Sessions | £2,000 | Arts / Young People |
| Creatovators CIC | Christmas Playscheme (Dekko Workshop and Gifts) | £800 | People with Support Needs |
| Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland | Support for ED Clients | £3,000 | Other |
| Daybreak | Chair Aerobics Sessions | £300 | People with Support Needs |
| EDICT | Art Therapy Sessions | £2,300 | Young People |
| FACT SCIO | Outdoor Play Equipment | £2,300 | Young People |
| Fresh Start in East Dunbartonshire | Essential home items (women exiting refuge) | £700 | Young People |
| G61-G62 Community Response | Gardening supplies | £757 | Older People |
| G64 Community Support | Volunteer Costs / Events | £1,300 | People with Support Needs |
| Kirkintilloch & Kilsyth ASC | Professional water polo coaching including equipment | £2,300 | Sports / Young People |
| Kirkintilloch Camera Club | New Fire Door | £620 | Older People |
| Kirkintilloch Men’s Shed | Running costs including utilities | £2,000 | Older People |
| Kirkintilloch Skate Park Initiative | Mobile Skate Park including equipment | £2,500 | Young People |
| Lenzie Woodhead Gymnastics Club | Gymnastics equipment | £1,000 | Sports / Young People |
| Lenzie Youth Club | Equipment and Coaching courses including First Aid | £800 | Sports / Young People |
| Milngavie Community Development Trust (MCDT) | Milngavie Week (printing costs) | £750 | Other |
| Milngavie Football Club | Equipment | £1,500 | Sports / Young People |
| Milngavie Old People’s Welfare Committee | Aluminium tables | £2,500 | Older People |
| Milngavie Pipe Band | Travel for Pipe Band Competitions | £1,900 | Arts / Young People |
| Monday OAP Club | Summer outing | £499 | Older People |
| Mother’s Union St Cyprian’s Branch | Women’s Refuge Residential Break | £500 | Volunteers |
| Rookie Rockstars | Staffing costs | £2,000 | Young People |
| Scotia ASC | Head Coach costs | £1,800 | Sports / Young People |
| Scottish Families affected by Alcohol & Drugs | Group activities including transport | £1,152 | Young People |
| St Mary’s Nursery | Outdoor soft play flooring | £2,500 | Pre-Fives |
| Stitch the GAP SIC | Sewing class sessions | £2,000 | People with Support Needs |
| Twechar Allotment Gardens Association | Feasibility Study | £2,000 | Community Groups and Voluntary Organisations |
| Twechar Senior Citizens Club | Outing including kitchen equipment | £800 | Older People |
| Westerton Over Sixties Club | Summer outing including running costs | £200 | Older People |