Communities and Cultures Committee

CC(3) 04-07(p1): 24th October 2007

Inquiry into the Funding of Voluntary Sector Organisations in Wales

Purpose

Merched y Wawr were asked to prepare this paper to outline how we source funding to sustain our voluntary organisation and which difficulties we encounter. As an organisation with a very small number of employed staff it is a constant battle to find the time to search for funding and grants.

The timetable for funding applications is also difficult due to work pressure with the main national events being held during the summer and many applications due to be submitted in early September. With regards to our regular applications we receive funding from The Welsh Language Board and occasional funding from the National Lottery.

It is extremely difficult if you do not have specialist people within the organisation to read the numerous booklets, e-mails and documents that raise awareness of the funding sources and their significance to the voluntary organisations.

It is difficult to find appropriate funding for our projects/activities from the Welsh Assembly Government and other National Funding Appropriate Bodies. Having said that, the Welsh Language Board funding structure has improved significantly since guaranteed funding for three years has been undertaken.

As an organisation we value greatly the work undertaken by the Welsh Language Board to organise and co-ordinate regular partnership meetings so that we can work together effectively as partners.

We would say that it is an equitable system as far as agreeing to the restrictions and funding conditions that apply. One problem however that prevails is the need for duplication in the need of yearly submission of documenting evidence. We would hope that documents such as a constitution should be asked for only if changes have occurred during the previous year.

We appreciate that it is difficult to envisage the exact budget that will be available for prevailing years, but ideally a three year funding guarantee should be undertaken to assist organisations with forward planning.

As a voluntary organisation that works through the medium of Welsh we often find it difficult to discuss our needs or worries with someone through the medium of Welsh - there are many discrepancies!

Firstly we would ask the committee to ensure fairness for both the Welsh and English languages and that both are treated equally in the process of grant applications. Secondly we would ask for certain norms in the way funding is advertised as available for the voluntary sector, giving plenty of time to prepare an application. Thirdly we would ask that the timimgs for submitting a grant application are undertaken with careful consideration.

Background

MERCHED Y WAWR was established as a charity 40 years ago. We have over 250 branches and gwawr clubs in Wales and girls and women of all ages including numerous Welsh learners are becoming members.

Yearly we organise and hold over 3,000 events and activities.

Our members undertake all sorts of activities including educational and cultural trips, cooking and healthy eating, health and fitness, sports, assisting other charitable causes and receiving four copies of our popular magazine 'Y Wawr’ yearly.

We are a patriotic charitable organisation and we lobby to ensure the Welsh language prevails, as well as services and much more.

Financing the Organisation

Our main funding source is the grant obtained from the Welsh Language Board and secondly membership fees with many of our activities attracting funds to sustain and develop the organisation further. We receive funding for smaller activities from sources such as Welsh Assembly Government Grant - International Women’s day 2007 promoting our members to partake in fitness activities and to have fun whilst promoting their health through healthy eating.

We receive regular assistance from the Welsh Books Council towards expenditure costs of our magazine "Y Wawr” to publish and enhance and improve this popular magazine.

Presently we are not taking advantage of the funding sources available within the County Council structures - this again is due to the fact that we are under-resourced and the difficulty involved in pursing funding as applications have to be presented to all County Councils individually. Presently we are receiving funding from Carmarthenshire County Council, Communities First (£5000 towards promotion of the Gwawr Clubs).

Although as a national organisation we have invested in broad band and we have a website and constant access to the internet, the majority of our members and the numerous voluntary officers do not have the luxury of internet access, and we feel that these numerous people in this situation should not be disregarded, nor the voluntary organisations that do not have access to the web. A negative example of this was our task of submitting our grant application to the Welsh Language Board by means of an e-mail application only.

As an organisation we would appreciate local meetings that promote funding sources that become available by the Welsh Assembly Government. We believe that it is far better to have direct contact with the main funding body rather than intermedietary organisation such as the Wales Council for Voluntary Action to act as an agent administering the funding. We ask you not to neglect Mid and North Wales, as it is easy to do this from the perspective that there are so many more resources and funding opportunities available in South Wales.