Grants

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Grants Programme Guidelines

Accessible London

Aims of the Programme
Although legislation has done much to bring about positive change for disabled people, there remain significant barriers, physical or otherwise, that prevent disabled people from leading lives that are as independent or fulfilling as they would like.

We want to support work that will help to remove those barriers and enable disabled people to participate fully in society.  We believe that artistic and sporting activities play an important part in opening up opportunities for disabled people.  We also recognise that accessible transport and improving access to community buildings are essential in helping disabled Londoners make the most of what the capital has to offer.

Our definition of disability is that contained in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

What will we fund?

Accessible transport

• Up to 50% of the capital cost of new accessible vehicles.

Requests will usually only be considered for one vehicle at a time.

Third sector organisations seeking funding for an accessible vehicle must take out membership of the Community Transport Association for the life of the vehicle, to ensure that they are aware of best practice guidance.

You will need to demonstrate how many disabled people or those with limited mobility will benefit from an accessible vehicle.

• Work seeking to generate new business and develop new income streams for community transport schemes, improving their longer-term financial sustainability.

Accessible buildings

• Access audits, disability equalities training and related consultancy up to a maximum of £5,000.
• Work which improves access to buildings in the third sector.  This may include both the capital cost of the works and/or the associated project management costs.

Appeals for major venues will usually be subject to a limit of £50,000, whether for capital costs, revenue or both. Local projects can, at the Trust’s discretion, be considered for grants of more than £50,000.  Please contact the Trust for guidance on this.

Applicants must show that an independent access audit has been undertaken.

If you are considering applying under this priority, we strongly recommend that you contact the Access and Sustainability Adviser we fund at the Centre for Accessible Environments, telephone 020 7840 0125 or email asas@cae.org.uk

You are also recommended to download our publication “Opening Doors Across London” which highlights the experiences of others who have made access improvements to their buildings.

Accessible Arts & Sports

• Work which increases disabled people’s participation in arts and sporting opportunities

Please specify on your application form which of these three themes you are addressing.

Making a Difference
We want to fund projects that really make a difference to people’s lives. We would like to know how our funding has helped achieve positive changes or “outcomes”. We want you to tell us how your work will contribute to our overall programme outcomes. You will need to demonstrate that your project can contribute one or more of these and that you have systems in place to collect information on numbers of people who have benefited, and how you will measure the changes your work has brought about.

Our Programme Outcomes
We want to fund projects which will achieve one or more of the following:

• third sector organisations make their buildings and services more accessible
  
• buildings within the third sector are better designed, constructed and equipped to meet the needs of disabled people
  
• disabled people and others with limited mobility have access to transport services
  
• community transport schemes can demonstrate they are more sustainable and financially independent
  
• disabled people access new opportunities or report improved well-being as a result of participation in arts or sporting activities.

If your application is successful, we will ask you to report regularly on your progress in reaching these outcomes although we recognise that some of these will be long-term. In addition, we will be interested to hear about other outcomes that you may have achieved as well as any unexpected issues that have added to your learning.

Please contact us if you are unclear on what an ‘outcome’ means in your area of work.

Good Practice
Please show how you:

• involve disabled people in the planning, management and running of projects
• welcome people of all backgrounds and value diversity
• value and support volunteers
• are taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint, for example by considering the use of energy efficient / alternative fuel vehicles or by using environmentally sustainable building materials and design.