GrantScape is succssfully managing The Oxfordshire Stronger Communities Fund in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxfordshire Stronger Communities Alliance.
The aim of the Fund is to support local voluntary and community groups in Oxfordshire to develop local solutions to local issues, provide new solutions to ongoing problems, and/or reduce inequalities and break the cycle of deprivation.
The £220,000 grant programme is being delivered through the Oxfordshire Stronger Communities Alliance (OSCA), with GrantScape managing the Fund.
The groups applied via an online application form, created by GrantScape, for grants of between £3,000 and £20,000 to cover both capital and revenue costs.
The Oxfordshire Stronger Communities Fund closed for applications on 11 January 2011. 145 eligible applications were received requesting grants totalling almost £2 million for projects with a combined total project cost value of over £5.7 million. 20 groups were awarded a grant.
Gwenllian Davies, Voluntary Sector Development Manager, Oxfordshire County Council says:
'Commissioning GrantScape to manage the OSCA grant fund has proved to be a good decision and they are clearly market leaders in their field. Without their expertise we would not have made the progress we did in getting the OSCA grant scheme for Oxfordshire up and running. The fund was affected by Government cuts shortly before the launch and GrantScape took a positive, 'can do' approach working extremely hard to revamp the whole scheme at short notice.
Feedback from applicants, partner organisations and elected members has been overwhelmingly positive and complimentary. They have the professionalism and technical skills needed for all parts of the grant management process - from designing the scheme through to developing online tools and managing the decision-making . They also have that lightness of touch and approachability which is so important when working with such a wide range of groups and issues. As someone with experience in running grant schemes I have learned a great deal and it has certainly helped sharpen my own skills.
My expectations of GrantScape have been completely fulfilled and I have been really impressed at their expertise and commitment in helping us in a whole host of ways. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with GrantScape, their grace under pressure, unlimited optimism and humour has been greatly appreciated.'
Contact us
To discuss, in more detail, how GrantScape can help, please contact our Chief Executive, Steven Hargreaves or our Grant Director, Matt Young:
