Case studies for Your Fund Surrey

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Your Fund Surrey - exemplary projects

We have created some detailed case studies for common types of Your Fund Surrey Large Community Projects applications, and what factors made those projects a success:

Community sports facilities

Your Fund Surrey has recently awarded funding to some community sports facility projects. Your Fund Surrey particularly liked these projects because:

Pirbright community amateur sports pavilion

  • The project was not submitted by one club focussed on one sport but a group composed of cricket, football and tennis, meeting the needs of all three in the local community.
  • The community have reintroduced rounders, youth and adult cricket, youth and adult football and walking cricket developing local youth and older persons participation in sports.
  • Strong links with under-represented groups including the armed forces.
  • Designed for accessibility.

South Park sports association community 3G pitch3G Football Pitch at South Park Sports Association

  • The project has a strong focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion demonstrated through the diverse users for the proposed new facility and supporting under-represented groups including youth and women's football, refugees, disabilities and open access sessions offered through partnership with the local council.
  • Robust demonstration of the need for this type of facility in the local area supported by a Local Football Facility Plan produced by the Football Foundation in collaboration with the Football Association, Surrey Football Association, Reigate Borough Council and Active Surrey.
  • Strong support from the Football Foundation, including significant funding toward the total project costs .
  • The site is vested with Fields in Trust meaning it is safeguarded for recreational use.

Strong points of community sports facilities applications:

The purpose of Your Fund Surrey is to bring community-led place-making projects to life, with a focus on wider community benefit and ensuring that this investment leaves a real legacy within Surrey.

Your Fund Surrey is comprised of public money and it is essential that it is put to good use. Therefore, there is a set of criteria that we need Your Fund Surrey projects to meet. The community sports facility projects funded to date have scored well against the criteria in the following ways:

Criteria 1 - The project demonstrated it was deliverable

  • Planning permission already in place demonstrating compliance with the relevant sporting authority guidance.
  • Management team is in place and the project is ready to commence as soon as funding is achieved.
  • All other funding in place including significant funding from other sources, including a combination of fundraising, borough and parish council Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), Football Foundation, pledges and other grant funding, reducing the request from Your Fund Surrey to significantly less than 100%.
  • An experienced management committee in place with a constitution. A Management Advisory Committee representing a coalition of stakeholders to help advise on management and maintenance of the facilities, drawing on skills from volunteers from each of the stakeholder groups including marketing, catering, regulation, sports coaching and training and practical skills involved in maintenance and work programs.
  • Demonstration that the cost of sessions, facility hire and membership fees are maintained at rates affordable to all residents for the life of the facility.
  • Maintenance considered and costed.

Criteria 2 - The project demonstrated how it would be run

  • Do tell us about the volunteers on your project, what skills are they contributing, cost them up in our financial breakdown template – these are part of the project costs.
  • Do tell us about donations, for example, free use of facilities.
  • Do tell us about any advice you have received from professional organisations, whether free or paid for.
  • Do tell us about the experience and skills of your Trustees or management committee and what their roles will be on the project.
  • Costs are sustainable for at least 5 years.

Criteria 3 - The project demonstrated the community need and long-term benefits

  • The Reigate and Banstead Local Football Facility Plan identified the need for seven new 3G pitches in the borough to meet demand and the South Park Sports Association project is included as a priority – evidencing need.
  • The South Park project aims to increase the variety of football opportunities that are on offer for residents. Particularly the offer for women and girls and people living with disabilities will increase due to the inclusion of the Wildcats and YMCA East Surrey as regular users.
  • The Pirbright project aims to promote 'living locally' and developing community cohesion and support, which helps integrate all parts of the community, including state and special schools for those with learning difficulties and the wider community, including as part of the Armed Forces Covenant with the Army Training Camp Pirbright Barracks.
  • Significant investment already input to the sports pitches which are used by the sports clubs, the Army Training Camp Pirbright for annual fixtures and when their facilities are unavailable and by Knowle Hill school on a regular basis as well as a variety of training, fitness coaching and other activities will all benefit from having undercover changing and welfare facilities.

Criteria 4 - The project demonstrated the positive difference it would make to people's lives and the wider community support

  • The positivity felt for the projects in their areas was clear from the level of local fundraising achieved in Pirbright and the amount of successful grants achieved from South Park.
  • Several letters of support were received from the organisations referenced in the applications and proposed users of the new facilities.
  • Significant community support was evidenced by the 365 and 773 comments on the Your Fund Surrey Have Your Say website for Pirbright and South Park respectively.

Criteria 5 - The project demonstrated that environmental impacts had been considered

  • South Park demonstrated that the project would reduce travelling time and journeys for local residents; keep construction material on site in a bund to save landfill space and costs; reduce pesticide and water use on the artificial pitch.
  • Pirbright have included air source heat pumps and solar panels for a low carbon solution, along with LED lighting, insulation and responsibly sourced timber. Further benefits include a reduction in journeys further afield and ecological surveys and enhancements to protect and enhance habitats around the site.

Things to consider:

  • Have you consulted with local people to identify alternative opportunities and initiatives that your facility could provide? A strong Your Fund Surrey project can demonstrate they have a wide range of activities, groups and organisations lined up to use the facility.
  • Will your facility offer any free of charge or reduced rate activities and sessions for underrepresented groups? We'd strongly recommend getting in contact with your Borough or District Councils' Leisure Services team who may be able to support you in identifying opportunities.

Community swimming pools

Schools – what we can and can't fund

Your Fund Surrey has recently awarded funding to a project where the applicant is a Surrey school and the project is located on school grounds. There are strict regulations regarding the type of school projects that can be funded through Your Fund Surrey, to which this project adhered.

Schools are provided with a Delegated Budget which is based on a formula which must comply with the current School and Early Years Finance Regulations (these are updated every year). The purpose of the legislation is to ensure all schools are funded on a consistent basis and have a choice as to how to spend their budget. Delegated Budgets are provided to cover revenue expenditure associated with core education provision including textbooks and library books (and electronic equivalents), routine maintenance of building and grounds, internal redecoration and replacement of normal classroom furniture, equipment, and IT.

The Council (and therefore Your Fund Surrey funding) may only fund schools over and above the Delegated Budget share for purposes specifically listed in the regulations, for example, over and above that which most schools would normally be expected to need and to provide from their Delegated Budget. The fact that schools may choose to deliver the core curriculum in novel ways (or by using external speakers or external organisations) does not itself mean that the costs are not core curriculum costs. It does not matter whether the application is from the school, the Parent Teacher Association, or a third-party organisation, if it is for the benefit of the school and the wider community.

The school community swimming pool project received Your Fund Surrey funding on the basis that the project will benefit the school and also the wider community and meets the aims and published criteria of the fund.

Strong points of community pool application:

The purpose of Your Fund Surrey is to bring community-led place-making projects to life, with a focus on wider community benefit and ensuring that this investment leaves a real legacy within Surrey.

Your Fund Surrey is comprised of public money and it is essential that it is put to good use. Therefore, there is a set of criteria that we need Your Fund Surrey projects to meet. The school community swimming pool project scored well against the criteria in the following ways:

Criteria 1 - The project demonstrated it was deliverable

  • Planning permission already in place demonstrating compliance with Sport England Guidance.
  • Financially operated as a separate entity with a separate bank account.
  • A contractor already appointed through a thorough procurement process.
  • All other funding in place including substantial fundraising and grants, including borough and parish council Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), London Marathon Trust and Co-op.
  • An experienced management committee in place with a constitution, having built and funded the original pool some 45 years ago and maintained it since.
  • Project costs benchmarked and evidenced against other school run pools and other pools.
  • The cost of sessions, facility hire and membership fees are maintained at rates affordable to all residents for the life of the facility.
  • Access and egress for community separated from the school even though on school grounds to ensure long term safe operation of both facilities.
  • Usage has been planned with a structured pool timetable for income generation. Estimated operating income and expenditure based on potential usage and evidenced.
  • Maintenance considered and costed with a maintenance allowance and sinking fund.

Criteria 2 - The project demonstrated how it would be run

The school business manager manages the pool alongside the Community Pool Management Group, which is formed of volunteers to assist in the running of the pool. It will be formed by a cross section of the community, a parent representative, Headteacher, school Business Manager and Governors and must comprise of at least three members at all times. The Community Pool Management Group will report regularly to the school and governing body which retains ultimate responsibility.

Advice and feedback was received from regulated bodies such as Swim England and established local swimming clubs.

Criteria 3 - The project demonstrated the community need and long-term benefits

  • A recognised community need in the Borough Council's Leisure Facilities Strategy, which identifies the need for at least an additional two swimming lanes in publicly accessible, pay and play swimming pools. This increase is estimated to meet the growing population of the borough by 2035. The location of the project, to the south of the borough is also beneficial to residents, since the borough's own public pools are both located in the north.
  • The project has a positive impact on wider health determinants with specific reference to residents being encouraged to undertake physical activity to access the pool (walk/cycle) and in use of the pool for physical health and wellbeing and use of the community room/café as a meeting place to foster community cohesion. The accessible path to the pool will encourage greater use by the less able and for longer periods of the year.
  • Working with the local GP Surgery, local health providers and partners to identify and promote measures to tackle health inequalities including via social prescribing and through the provision of relevant swim, exercise, or trial sessions.

Criteria 4 - The project demonstrated the positive difference it would make to people's lives and the wider community support

  • The project is founded on a community consultation, started in 2019, which included local residents, community groups, third parties such as the borough council, swim schools, local care home, other local schools, local businesses, architects, and the Parish Council. Views were sought from the very outset of the project. The facility has been designed in consultation with local residents whose ideas have shaped the project. For example, the reduction of potential opening hours to allay concerns of neighbouring residents during the planning application undertaken in 2021.
  • The positivity felt for the project in the area was clear from the level of local fundraising achieved at over £90,000 from the school parent's association, community fundraising, business sponsorship and Gift Aid.
  • Several letters of support were received from the organisations referenced in the application and proposed users of the new facility, for example the local GP surgery, local church, local scouts group, local borough council leisure services and the parish council.
  • Broad engagement across the community with existing organisations. Significant community support was evidenced by the 350 plus comments on the Your Fund Surrey Have Your Say website.

Criteria 5 - The project demonstrated that environmental impacts had been considered

  • The project has sought to use all possible measures to increase sustainability and reduce environmental impact during construction and operation of the facility.
  • The project initially proposed a new gas boiler and through discussion with Surrey County Council Your Fund Surrey and Greener Futures teams, this was amended to a ground source heat pump and solar panels.
  • Reduced glazed areas to reduce heat loss.
  • Installing more planting as part of external landscaping.
  • Installing grey water re-use.
  • Encouraging walking or cycling to use as part of membership Terms and Conditions.
  • Significant reduction in water evaporation (up to 90%) and heat loss (up to 70%) as a result of enclosing the external pool.
  • Renewed more efficient mechanical pool equipment will also assist in more efficient chemical usage and heating.
  • Bicycle parking and accessible access paths.

Community halls/pavilions

Your Fund Surrey has received applications from many community hall projects, including Scouts and Guides, village halls and community centres. Here are some of the key features of these projects that Your Fund Surrey is looking for and that you may wish to consider:

Check out our helpful guidance documents:

It is common that a community organisation does not use all the space in a building all of the time. If Your Fund Surrey is going to fund a community building, we want to see it used to full capacity as much as possible for community benefit.

We want to see that the primary purpose of the building is for community use, that community use is the priority and is not impacted by using the building for other income generating activities.

A usage plan over a typical week for the existing facility and for the new facility, showing:

  • Do show the amount of usage currently and proposed
  • Do show the different types of users and user groups, particularly under-represented groups
  • Do show us the new and/or additional benefits that the funding will provide to the community
  • Do consider your charging policy / hire rates and provide evidence of where you have benchmarked these
  • Do consider a mix of 'chargeable' and free access/use – we want to see the widest possible community benefit that is accessible to all
  • Do consider a scale of 'chargeable' hire rates for different user categories to ensure breadth of use and accessibility
  • Do include letters of support from existing and proposed new users included on the usage plan

Have you considered the wider social value aspects of the community café element of the project, including the possibility of supported employment opportunities, apprenticeships and the use of local suppliers?

Have you considered working with local health providers including the GP surgery to identify and promote measures to tackle health inequalities through the use of the new facility, including via social prescribing and the provision of relevant classes, events or trial sessions?

Please also consider and provide a management policy for pricing for different user groups and how you intend to maintain hire rates at affordable rates to the community for the lifetime of the facility. Please tell us about any benchmarking you have undertaken or any assumptions made (this is also relevant to your cash flow projections). We would encourage you to consider all reasonable measures which could be undertaken to extend the reach of and use of the facility to harder to reach groups within the local community.

Can we see a usage plan for both to ensure they are nor competing or duplicating?

Can we see a booking and usage policy to understand how booking and priorities will be made to ensure equity and fair use?

Can we understand the charging policy for different user groups, for example a charity compared to a private business offering Pilates classes?

Do you propose any complete 'open access' sessions, how often/how publicised? Please indicate on usage plan and policy

Is there a policy in place on subsidies and how many, what instances these will be used to ensure those that cannot afford to join a club can participate?

Strong points of community hall applications:

The purpose of Your Fund Surrey is to bring community-led place-making projects to life, with a focus on wider community benefit and ensuring that this investment leaves a real legacy within Surrey.

Your Fund Surrey is comprised of public money and it is essential that it is put to good use. Therefore, there is a set of criteria that we need projects to meet. Typical points that we are looking for when assessing community hall projects include:

Criteria 1 - The project demonstrated it was deliverable

  • Established organisation with a constitution.
  • Planning permission granted.
  • Lease and landowner permissions in place.
  • An experienced management committee in place and the project ready to commence as soon as funding is achieved.
  • All other funding in place including significant funding from other sources, consider:
    • County Councillor Community Allocation (CCCA)
    • Fundraising
    • Sponsorship
    • Community share offers
    • Borough and parish council Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or Section 106
    • Sports governing bodies funding and grants
    • Other grant funders
  • Projects costs evidenced through quotes and competitive tenders if applicable for the size and scale of the project.
  • Maintenance considered and costed.
  • Risks considered during construction and operation of the project.

Criteria 2 - The project demonstrated how it would be run

  • Do tell us about the volunteers on your project – what skills are they contributing, cost them up in our financial breakdown template – these are part of the project costs.
  • Do tell us about donations – for example, free use of meeting rooms.
  • Do tell us about any advice you have received from professional organisations, whether free or paid for.
  • Do tell us about the experience and skills of your Trustees or management committee and what their roles will be on the project.
  • Costs are sustainable for at least 5 years.

Criteria 3 - The project demonstrated the community need and long-term benefits

  • Do provide evidence of the needs in the community, this could be:
    • From surveys that you have undertaken
    • From social media surveys, comments
    • From local council documents such as Local Plans and Football Facility Plans
    • Letters of support
    • Comments on Have Your Say
  • Do tell us how you have consulted in the community and with whom to very the community needs.
  • How has the consultation shaped the project to deliver the benefits to the community.
  • Do consider and tell us about other buildings and facilities within your community and provide reasoning why they do not meet the need and why your project is required.

Criteria 4 - The project demonstrated the positive difference it would make to people's lives and the wider community support

Examples can include videos, letters of support.

Criteria 5 - The project demonstrated that environmental impacts had been considered

  • This can be demonstrated through planning permission and building regulations requirements such as conditions to include bicycle storage.
  • Consider enhancements and innovations.
  • We want to see what you are committing to for example if its air source heat pumps – show us quotes for these and include in your project costs, not 'we will'…as this cannot be substantiated.
  • Consider materials being used, could they be recycled materials.
  • Consider the environment and sustainability during construction, operation and use.

Small projects – big difference

Your Fund Surrey has received applications from many small projects (between £10,000 to £100,000). Small projects can make a big difference to the community. Here are some of how small projects are making a big difference:

Examples of small projects funded to date:

  • Weybridge Men's Shed (£30,000)
  • Claygate Recreation Ground family garden(£35,000)
  • Limpsfield Way walk and cycle route (£44,000)
  • Tatsfield picnic benches (£10,000)
  • Elstead irrigation system (£17,000)
  • Thorpe Green outdoor exercise area and improved access (£68,000)

Weybridge Men's Sheds – additional benefits being achieved:

  • Been approached by both police and hospital requesting our assistance in some client/patient rehabilitation projects.
  • The shed can now be used by other groups in the evenings.
  • Information about prostate cancer experiences have been shared.
  • An early stage dementia sufferer has found a "new" connection.
  • Time out from a challenging domestic situation is taken.
  • Surrey Choices bring their clients to learn new skills.
  • Social confidences have been rebuilt.
  • Referrals by police and medical doctors.

Claygate Recreation Ground – benefits:Picnic benched in Claygate Recreation Ground

  • The project is benefitting all those who visit the recreation ground.
  • The family garden has become a real honeypot for parents who use it after school closes.
  • Sporting team spectators can spend time here.
  • General café and recreation ground users.

Limpsfield Way walk and cycle route – benefits:Limpsfield Way opening ceremony

  • Limpsfield residents and visitors able to enjoy the rest and play area.
  • Easy access pathways already, but the walking route will be fully appreciated after the rest of the paths and waymarking, maps are complete.
  • With the immediate population being over 3,500 in Limpsfield and 11,500 in Oxted, we expect the project to benefit thousands of immediate residents and also the thousands of visitors Limpsfield Common, Limpsfield chart and Limpsfield village receives on an annual basis.

Tatsfield picnic benches – benefits:

  • Tatsfield residents able to enjoy the village green and experience the various social and mental health benefits of spending time in outside spaces.
  • Providing space to sit and relax for ramblers and cyclists who pass through the area.
  • Help to support the local businesses surrounding the green.
  • Encourage more community and social interaction.

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