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Application for Funding Support
The Highland Cross Organising
Committee calls on registered charities that provide medical or
social services for the benefit of the people of Highland to
apply for funding.
Highland Cross can only provide capital funds and cannot support
revenue or staff costs. Applications must be with Highland Cross
by 31 October 2011.
Previous applicants to Highland Cross, whether successful or
unsuccessful, are welcome to apply.
Applications to be a major
beneficiary from Highland Cross 2012
Charities that provide medical or social services for the
benefit of the people of Highland can apply to become a major
beneficiary from Highland Cross 2012 which will take place on
23rd June 2012. A potential major beneficiary will usually be
seeking a sum in the region of £20,000 to £40,000, and
exceptionally for higher amounts.
Major beneficiaries are expected to contribute to the successful
organisation of the event by: contributing £1,000 towards
the costs AND providing 20 appropriate people to act as
marshals.
Normally Highland Cross will have three or four major
beneficiaries each year.
Applications must be with Highland Cross by 31 October 2011.
Applications for smaller amounts of assistance
Applications for smaller amounts of assistance should also be
made by 31 October 2011, and if surplus funds are available from
the 2012 event, a distribution may be made thereafter. The
smallest grant ever given was for just under £60.
Applicants for smaller sums are not required to pledge finance
or personnel but Highland Cross could benefit from “hands on”
assistance on the day to help with marshalling duties.
Application process
Whether charities are looking for funding for a small project,
or to be a major beneficiary, applications must be made on the
funding application form.
The charity application form can be downloaded here.
Alternatively, a copy of the application form can be requested
from Highland Cross Organisers, Redwood, 19 Culduthel Road,
Inverness, IV2 4AA or by e-mail to
info@highlandcross.co.uk.
The completed form together with the required supporting
documents must be delivered to the Highland Cross Organisers at
the above address before the closing date for applications.
Charity Selection Process
All applications undergo an initial screening. If successful at
that stage, applications to be one of the principal charities
will have the opportunity to present their case to a selection
panel in Inverness. The Organising Committee do not select the
charities as a number of the Organisers are professionally
involved with charity work in the Highlands.
Major Beneficiaries
Charities are chosen by an Independent Charity Selection Panel
of three members who are quite separate from the Organising
Committee. The Charity Selection Panel normally selects up to 6
potential major beneficiaries for interview and then informs the
Organisers of the nominated causes.
The Independent Charity Selection Panel takes a number of
criteria into consideration.
A copy of the Panel Guidance can be
obtained here.
Smaller Grants
Grants for smaller amounts are assessed on the basis of the
application form. Where they consider it necessary the
Independent Charity Selection Panel may seek additional
information from applicants. |
The following are statements from charities benefiting from Highland
Cross 2011 fundraising
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The
Shirlie Project
The Shirlie Project is a supported employment agency based
throughout the Highlands experienced at helping with
additional support needs connected with the job market.
Over the past 16 years we have
supported people with learning disabilities, autistic
spectrum disorder, people experiencing mental ill health,
those with physical and sensory impairments, people
returning to the labour market following illness or
disability and those with specific learning disabilities (dyspraxia,
dyslexia). We also work extensively with young people
aged 15-20 and have also work assisted those who have
suffered traumatic brain injuries including a number of
people who are ex armed forces.
We support approximately 300
people a year and on average each client gaining employment
will be approximately £250 per month better off, one client
we recently supported is now a staggering £600 a month
better off working.
Over the years the Shirlie
Project has invested al their resources into providing
quality services for clients and as a result the provision
and upgrading of IT equipment was always seen as a lesser
priority. This funding from Highland Cross will enable
the Shirlie Project to significantly upgrade its IT
infrastructure and equipment to a suitable specification and
standard, it would allow us to purchase equipment to further
improve our service to clients and would allow us to install
VC equipment enabling us to link more readily to our
outreach staff without the cost, time and environmental
issues which accompany regular travel. |
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ILM (Highland)
The Handyperson service
delivered by ILM (Highland) is a valuable service for frail
elderly people and those with a disability in Sutherland and
Ross and Cromarty. The service helps some of the most
vulnerable people in the area with jobs they would otherwise
find difficult, if not impossible to do. Additional
services delivered include the fitting of temporary ramps to
enable people to return home after hospitalisation, the
fitting of sensory equipment for the Telecare service, as
well as the delivery and repair of wheelchairs for NHS
Highland.
The service began in August 2004. Each year some 3,500
people benefit from the service. In May 2010, the
service completed its 30,000th job. There is no
comparable service that can replace this provision.
The service is worthy of support because it clearly improves
the quality of peoples lives, particularly those most
vulnerable. It enables people to remain in their homes
and communities for longer, while at the same time leading
more independent lives. It helps reduce hazards,
thereby improving the safety of people in their homes.
The fitting of ramps enable terminally ill people to return
home, where otherwise they would not be able to do so.
Funds from the Highland Cross would enable the purchase of
two vehicles, which are necessary for the longer term
delivery of the Handyperson service. In order to cover
such a wide and often remote area, the service requires
reliable transport for carrying staff, tools, materials and
other equipment. |
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Highland
Blindcraft
Highland BlindCraft’s
objectives are to provide training and employment for
disabled people within the Highlands.
The factory has operated for 150 years, when the Society was
formed to teach blind people to read. We now
manufacture high quality beds, and mattresses, which we
supply at competitive prices to the Councils, residential
establishments, nursing homes as well as hotels and numerous
individuals throughout the Highlands.
The beds that are produced bares testament that disability
has proved no barrier in being able to provide genuine
employment to disadvantaged people who pride themselves in
the quality of product that is produced.
Highland Blindcraft wish to purchase a liveried delivery van
as, three years ago we took our delivery van off the road
due to its age and the ongoing cost of repairs. Since
then we hire a van on a weekly basis, at an annual cost of
over £6,000.
A new delivery vehicle would allow us to be more
competitive, promote the business and obviously reduce the
overall cost. The vehicle is critical, recognisable,
and integral part of our service to the customer, and
without a replacement could result in the loss of jobs for
disabled employees.
It is essential we secure the future of our factory so our
employees can continue to support themselves and their
families by being economically active. Remaining
competitive during this recession will ensure that, as the
market picks up we will be able to provide additional
opportunities for disabled people to enter meaningful
employment. |
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Children's Hospice Association Scotland
Children’s Hospice Association
Scotland (CHAS) is a charity that provides the only hospice
services in Scotland for children and young people with
life-shortening conditions.
CHAS runs two children’s hospices, Rachel House in Kinross
and Robin House in Balloch. The hospices support the
whole family by offering short planned breaks, emergency
support, end of life care and a range of bereavement
services. CHAS also provides a home care service,
called CHAS at Home, staffed from both hospices and with a
dedicated team in Inverness.
The money raised for CHAS through the Highland Cross will be
used to buy a wheelchair accessible vehicle for CHAS at Home
in Inverness.
Caring for a child or young person with a life-shortening
condition can place extreme demands on a family, physically
and emotionally. Families can feel isolated by their
child’s condition, a feeling frequently heightened for those
living in remote communities. CHAS at Home supports 12
such families in the Highlands for whom the journey to the
CHAS hospices is not always possible.
Currently, CHAS relies on parent transport or taxis when
taking wheelchair dependent children out. This can
mean additional costs for CHAS and families, as well as
limiting the respite care available.
A wheelchair accessible vehicle will allow CHAS to take
children and young people on trips to visit places and
experience greater freedom. Something as simple as going for
lunch with friends or to the cinema can be incredibly
difficult without transport and would be made possible with
the adapted vehicle. |
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Lochaber
Action on Disability
Lochaber Action on Disability
is a small charity whose aim is to enable disabled and
elderly people in Lochaber to have equal opportunities in
life and help tackle the problems of inequality, social
exclusion and isolation.
We operate a very busy Drop-in Centre, Community Café and
Craft Workshop, supported garden project, Bric a Brac shop
and a fully accessible community minibus enabling elderly /
disabled people to access essential services, social and
leisure opportunities and to reduce social isolation all
under one roof.
The community minibus provides transport for 6 disabled
volunteers per day, 139 service users weekly and support 7
community groups, LAD’s own Bingo Group and various other
trips. These journeys consist of supported shopping,
disabled sports, medical appointments, respite care and
trips outings for both wheelchair users and ambulant
disabled people. Through networking with Community
Groups, Community Car Scheme and Social Services, we are
able to connect with even more potential service users. As
more local services are stretched our accessible transport
service will increase to meet the demand.
Our community minibus is an irreplaceable item within our
organisation. Our present minibus is 6 years old and
has been reliable to date, its body work is in good
condition and mechanically sound but with an additional
10-15,000 mile accumulated this year will have an impact on
its condition / reliability.
We feel it is time to start looking towards a replacement
minibus to ensure a continued reliable quality service,
which we strive to maintain at all times. |
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