The Village
Retail Services Association in partnership with Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and
Co-operative and Community Finance have funding available to support the start
up of new Community owned shops in rural areas of England or to save
an existing shop by transfer to community ownership. The funding which will be
available over the next three years will provide up to £40,000 per shop. This
will be made up of a grant of £20,000 together with a loan of £20,000 from
Co-operative and Community Finance.
Eligible
applicants will include community based organisations located in rural
communities of not less than 300 residents. The community is required to raise
match funding through community contributions, which could take the form of
share capital, donations raised through community fundraising events and grants
obtained from other sources to the same or greater value than the grant
requested from the Village CORE Programme. At least some of the funds raised
should have been provided by the community itself and not solely through
external grants.
The
application process commences with a telephone interview with one of the
programme managers. If the community appear to meet the criteria within the
programme timeframe and if Village Core funds are available, application forms
are sent electronically where possible to the main contact person on the
committee. The forms must be returned within 6 weeks of the telephone
interview.
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