The Bishop Stamer Fund is available to community groups, voluntary groups and in some cases statutory agencies.  Applications may be submitted at any time, but the panel meets only twice a year, usually in January and July.  Grants from this scheme are available to organisations in North Staffordshire, (including Stoke on Trent, the borough of Newcastle under Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands district), although applications from the northern part of Stafford borough may be considered, (those parts north of Stone).  The panel of donor advisors may, at their discretion, consider applications from outside of this area.

About Grants from the Bishop Stamer Fund
You can apply for a grant of up to £10,000.
These grants will be awarded to organisations who provide facilities or services for older people, (with a preference towards the elderly and infirm).  The aim is to enhance the provision of service and to help make organisations more efficient or to improve the scope of their provision.  This might include extending provision to older people, or providing facilities that make the use of a building easier.

We would prefer to fund capital projects, (work on buildings and equipment), as opposed to revenue expenses and running costs, unless your project involves an extension to a pre-existing service.  We would also expect to see that you have secured at least 25% of the total cost of the project already, (this could be through your own fundraising, or by securing grants, even if the funding has not yet been released).

What We Will Fund

Types of Organisation

We will support the following types of organisation;

  • Constituted community groups
  • Constituted voluntary groups
  • Registered Charities
  • Social Enterprises
  • Statutory Agencies
Geographic Reach

We will support organisations based in, or working for the benefit of people in the following local authority areas;

  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Newcastle-under-Lyme
  • Staffordshire Moorlands
  • Part of Stafford Borough, but only those areas north of Stone
Beneficiaries

In order to qualify for a grant from this scheme your project must be supporting the following types of beneficiary;

  • Older People
  • Disabled People
Project Aims
  • Your project must meet one of the following criteria;
  • Increase or enhance your current service provision
  • Make your organisation more efficient, more sustainable or more resilient
  • Be used to improve facilities for your service users
Eligible Costs
  • Equipment costs
  • Capital costs
  • Training costs

What We Will Not Fund

Types of Organisation

This fund will not offer funding to the following organisations;

  • Non-constituted community groups
  • Non constituted voluntary groups
  • Organisations that have been established less than 12 months
  • Organisations that do not have a proven track record of service delivery
  • Limited companies, sole traders or partnerships without charitable aims
Geographic Reach

This fund cannot support organisations who are based in, or working in the following local authority areas;

  • Part of Stafford Borough, (those areas south of Stone)
  • Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, South Staffordshire or Tamworth
  • Any area outside Staffordshire
Beneficiaries

This fund cannot support any organisation whose primary beneficiaries are

  • Younger than 50 years old
  • In good health
Ineligible Costs

This fund will not offer support for the following costs;

  • General running costs
  • Core costs
  • Event costs
  • More than 75% of the whole project cost
  • Funding towards religious projects or projects that promote religion, (although religious organisations can be funded for non-religious projects)
  • Party political activities, (where one particular political party is promoted above another)

Documents You Must Submit With Your Application

The following documents must be provided with your application form.  If you fail to provide these documents your application will not be considered for funding.  All documents should be submitted at the time of application.

  • A copy of your governing document, (constitution or Memorandum and Articles of Association)
  • A copy of your most recent accounts, (audited or independently examined)
  • A recent bank statement, (dated within the last three months clearly showing account number and sort code)
  • A copy of your safeguarding policy
  • At least three quotes for any capital items

Closing Dates & Submission Deadlines

The following dates are submission dates and panel dates for 2019.

  • Applications submitted before 24th February 2019 will go to the panel on 6th March 2019
  • Applications submitted after 24th February 2019, but before 14th July 2019 will go to the panel on 31st July 2019
  • Applications submitted after 14th July 2019 will go to the panel in January 2020
How To Apply

To apply for a grant of up to £10,000 please submit an application using our online application facility.  You can attach your supporting documents to the application.