Community Library Support Fund

I am sorry to say that this grant has now reached it’s budgeted spend and we are closing the applications now. We will announce it here if we are able to increase the fund at a later date.

Thank you for your support.

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We are pleased to open this fund to support the creation and enhancement of community libraries across the county. The fund is in response to our commitment to rural areas following the decision to decommission the mobile library fleet to take place at the end of February 2024.

The aim of the fund is to provide more community spaces for local people to enjoy and expand their love of reading alongside existing activities providing access to social opportunities in your local area.

So, if you already have a corner or room that is used as a book swap\library or are looking to create one this fund is for you. You can apply for a grant of between £100 and £300 which can be used for a range of things including:

Shelving
Comfy seating
Books
Lighting etc.

All you need to do is fill in the form giving us some details about your organisation and what you would like to spend the money on. This fund closes on 31^st March 2024 or sooner if the funding has been spent.

Projects can:

link to already established work and add value
be new and in response to an identified need
use innovation to reach a wider range of people and improve provision

GUIDANCE:

This fund is available to groups that have an open and accessible space for readers to enjoy. We’d be really keen to receive applications from communities that are not near to a main library or access to such facilities are very limited or challenging.

We are unable to fund:

retrospective applications for projects or activities that have already been completed, or items that have been purchased
individuals or for-private-profit organisations
projects that are solely for the benefit of animals
projects that are in support of a single faith without wider community benefit.
projects or items that are the responsibility of another public body (for example, NHS, Local Authority)
projects that are delegating any acquired funds to third parties
on-going yearly commitments
projects to reinstate funding relating to a reduction in a County Council service or activity arising from an earlier policy decision of the County Council or other public body, with some exceptions
political activities
salaries, wages, or expenses of persons employed by a not-for-private-profit organisation unless these are finite, sessional charges and do not imply any ongoing commitment
projects that provide support to more than 25% of beneficiaries living outside of the Devon County Council administrative area
Projects around the Exmouth area as we are now above capacity here.

Who can apply?

Applications are accepted from constituted and not-for-private-profit voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector groups and organisations, town and parish councils, charities or businesses (who have an eligible sponsor), or a combination of such groups working together. Grants to schools are acceptable where they can support public access by other groups who may use the school rather than just the school library.

Non-constituted groups without their own, separate bank account, small local businesses and individuals may apply but they will need to do so with the support of an accountable constituted organisation acting on their behalf as sponsor or guarantor and as the recipient of the grant. If you fall into this category or are unsure, please do get in touch.

Applying organisations should have:

a governing document appropriate to the recognised status of the organisation and which outlines clear charitable purposes, for example, constitution, set of rules or articles of association
a management committee of at least 3 unconnected members
annual accounts or financial records
a bank account in the name of the organisation and a minimum of two unconnected bank signatories, or equivalent
up-to-date safeguarding policies in place to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults, where appropriate
up-to-date equality policies

How to apply

Please complete the online application form: Community Library Support Fund.

If you have any queries or are unsure about any of the process, please email corpor.communitygrants-mailbox@devon.gov.uk

If you are applying to us to part fund your activity, do make sure you tell us the total cost of the work and where the remaining balance will be coming from. The budget asks for a breakdown of different elements of your intended spend. It is often not necessary to explain the history of your organisation.

Give as much detail as you can and itemise your costs so that we understand how the totals have been arrived at and how our funding relates to other support you may receive.

Additional information

As part of our assessment of your application, and to gain an understanding of your work or to consider the governance of your organisation, we may look at:

your organisation’s records on Companies House or the Charity Commission
your website or social media or both to gain an understanding of your work
publicly available information about networks, partnerships or projects that you are part of

If you are successful in getting funding for your idea/initiative, you will be asked to submit a brief project report on how your project went. We will require:

details of approximately how many people benefited from the funding
what difference the funding has made to the organisation or beneficiaries or both
details of any challenges faced during the funded project or activity and how they were overcome
examples of positive stories that have occurred as a result of the funding – you can include any GDPR-compliant publicity

On occasion, we may request copies of related invoices and receipts so please retain these. Additionally, we reserve the right to request the return of part or all grant funding if the project has deviated from the aims of the fund without prior notification or is underspent.

Once you have completed your project, we would like to see a photograph of what the grant fund went towards.

Full terms and conditions

Full details of the specific Devon County Council terms and conditions relating to these grant schemes form part of the application process and require projects to accept them before any funds are released.

However, there are some generic conditions that apply to all the grant schemes, which your group or organisation project needs to be aware of. Read the full terms and conditions here. You can also read about the information we collect.

Please contact If you have any queries or are unsure about any of the process, please email corpor.communitygrants-mailbox@devon.gov.uk or call 01392 383379