Get the Valley Growing Grant
UPDATE APRIL 2025
The funds for this grant scheme have now been fully allocated for this financial year so the scheme is currently CLOSED.
Residents will be advised when it reopens later this year.
Update:
The grants group has decided not to fund garden maintenance items such as lawnmowers and hedgetrimmers unless there are particular reasons, e.g enabling an older resident to obtain lighter weight tools and continue gardening.
The aim of this grant is to support more residents to start or expand their growing capacity. Growing fruit and vegetables at home is also a great way to encourage children to learn about where their food comes from.
We are all aware of the food miles involved in supermarket food and how growing your own is not only healthier but supports our aim of reducing our environmental impact.
What can be funded:
The Get the Valley Growing Grant has two levels of funding that residents can apply for. The amount of grant is dependent on what is being applied for.
Larger grant up to £500
This grant can be used to support the costs of any semi-permanent structure such as polytunnel, greenhouse, raised beds, potting shed, composting set up or similar.
Smaller Grant up to £250
This grant can be used for any items used to support food growing such as; –
Seeds
Gardening Tools (see above,)
Fruit Trees
Plants
Compost
Resources to get children growing
Who is eligible:
We welcome applications from permanent residents of the Carron Valley and District Area.
How do I apply:
The application process is easy. As long as your project meets one of the following aims you will qualify for a grant.
Applications should do at least one of the following:
- Allow residents to start growing their own fruit and vegetables
- Introduce young children to food growing
- Help residents to expand their own food growing capacity
- Support residents to continue gardening if age/disability is a barrier. This might be through supporting raised beds, lighter tools, different aids or other support.
Tell us in your application what your project involves and what you anticipate the costs to be of each element. Once approved you will be paid your grant upfront on the quote if required or on submission of receipts.
The Grants Sub-Group, supported by the VRG administrator will assess each application anonymously. For this grant we aim to respond within 2 – 4 weeks of receipt.
Funding cycles
Following discussion at the Board it has been decided that grants will now run with VRG’s financial year July – June. A resident may apply for one grant in each category in each financial year.
Please note that a grant scheme may be closed if the funds are spent early, applicants will then have to wait until July.
Grants are discretionary and the Board’s decision is final.
If you require any support with your application or would like to discuss a possible application, please contact us.
Update June 2024:
Grant applications should be made PRIOR to work being done or items purchased. Retrospective applications can only be approved in exceptional circumstances.
The grants group has decided not to fund garden maintenance items such as lawnmowers or hedgetrimmers unless there are particular reasons, e.g. enabling an older resident to obtain lighter-weight tools to continue gardening.
The Get the Valley Growing grant can provide two levels of grant funding to support residents to grow their own food and support our aims of:
- Allow residents to start growing their own fruit and vegetables
- Introduce young children to food growing
- Help residents to expand their own food growing capacity
- Support residents to continue gardening if age/disability is a barrier. This might be through supporting raised beds, lighter tools, different aids or other support.
There are two levels of grants available. Households either apply for the larger or smaller grant in any financial year (July to June, i.e. not both.
Grants are discretionary and the Board’s decision is final.
Larger grant up to £500
This grant can be used to support the costs of any semi-permanent structure such as polytunnel, greenhouse, raised beds, potting shed, composting set up or similar.
Smaller Grant up to £250
This grant can be used for any items used to support food growing such as; –
Gardening Tools (see above.)
Fruit Trees (not fruit bushes)
Compost
Resources to get children growing
Payment can be made upfront if a quote is supplied. Receipts have to be supplied on completion of the project.
Otherwise payment is on submission of receipts/proof of payment.
Eligibility Criteria. Applications must:
- Be from a permanent resident living in the Carron Valley & District Area
- Be signed by someone 16 years of age or over
- Deliver against at least one or more of the aims
Funding cycles update June 2024
Following discussion at the Board it has been decided that grants will now run with VRG’s financial year July – June. A resident may apply for one grant in each category in each financial year.
Please note that a grant scheme may be closed if the funds are spent early, applicants will then have to wait until July. It is first come, first served.
The procedure for making a grant application is as follows:
You should receive an acknowledgement of your application within a few days. If you do not receive this please email the Admin Officer, see above, to confirm it has arrived safely.
The Administrator, in association with the Grants Sub-committee will review applications as and when they are submitted and distributed, with a response typically provided to the applicant within two to four weeks for this grant. This timeline is for guidance since the VRG is run by unpaid volunteers who give their time voluntarily to the group.
In making grants the Administrator and Sub-Committee will be guided by how well the project will address the aims. The Board reserves the right to decline to support an application which they consider does not address these or is ineligible. Applicants refused a grant will be entitled to receive an explanation for the decision and the Board’s decision will be final. The guidelines specify the upper limit of any award to be made. Should you not be happy with any part of the process please inform us as soon as possible in writing to Secretary.
For approved grants, VRG will ear-mark the grant sum for 12 months for the applicant to complete the project or purchase. On production of valid receipt(s) the grant will be paid out. If a receipt is not provided within 12 months the earmarking will cease.
VRG Grant Conditions
Any award made will be subject to the following conditions:
- Except in exceptional circumstances no work or purchase for which a grant is sought should take place until notification of an award has been made in writing. A retrospective application may be considered provided the purchase has been within the period of the preceding 3 months and the applicant accepts the risk that the application may not be successful. Such an application must explain the reason for the purchase being retrospective.
- Awards will only be made to permanent residents operating within the Carron Valley Community Council area.
- Valley Renewables shall be entitled to reclaim any funds that it considers to have been used inappropriately, or where spend is not evidenced.
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