Swimathon 2013 April 26-28

These guidance notes are created to answer many of your questions about the grants scheme. If you need to know more please email info@swimathonfoundation.org or call 0845 459 9016.

The Swimathon Community Grants is funded by the Swimathon Foundation and administered by the Swimming Trust and ASA.  

Awards made through the Swimathon Community Grants aim to encourage and support organisations which increase access to swimming and provide activities aimed at helping individuals and communities enjoy the benefits of swimming throughout their lives.

Our grant policy will be reviewed annually and we will invite applications for grant aid from community groups including swimming clubs, older people's organisations, youth groups, disability groups and other charities.

Awards will be made on a competitive basis to Applicants who demonstrate that they meet the criteria set for each round of grant giving and are supported by a Swimathon pool. By competitive we mean that we will be assessing all eligible projects and identifying those which score highest against our assessment criteria, as opposed to working on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. 

The Swimathon Community Grants are based on this approach because we have limited funds available to invest and we wish to achieve the best outcomes with our investment, therefore it is unfortunate yet inevitable that applications which fulfill all criteria may still not receive funding. The decision on whether funding is awarded will depend on the detail given in the application and the availability of funds. Applicants must be a representative of, or have the support of, a pool participating in Swimathon 2013. The decision of the Swimathon Community Grants Panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to any such decision.

Application Criteria   

Grants from £300 to a maximum of £2,500 are available to organisations including swimming pools, operators, clubs, community organisations and charities ("Applicants”) who can demonstrate how funding will allow them to help more people participate in and enjoy swimming and to make swimming more accessible.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate how funding will allow them to:

- Introduce people to swimming who would otherwise not swim, or

- Increase the frequency that existing swimmers go to the pool, or 

- Improve the swimming experience for new or existing swimmers

• Applicants must be a representative of, or have the support of, a pool participating in Swimathon 2013. To find details of your local Swimathon pool please click here.

• Applications must be submitted by a representative who is over 18 years of age and a resident in the United Kingdom (UK).    

• All applications must be submitted using the online form. Applications received by post, fax or email will not be considered.  

• Applicants may only ask for between £300 and £2,500 and need to provide a clear breakdown of cost and how the requested amount has been reached.  

• If an Applicant is successful in receiving a grant they cannot apply again within one calendar year.    

• Pools or community groups which have received a grant from the Swimathon Foundation in the last 12 months are not eligible. 

• If an Applicant is unsuccessful, they may apply again for the next round of grants.    

• Hydrotherapy pools are not eligible to apply for a Swimathon Community Grant if they are not a Swimathon 2013 participating pool.    

• Grants will not be provided to cover basic running or maintenance costs or to fund projects other than that detailed in the application form.

• Applications are welcomed from religious organisations that carry out work which benefits members of the community, regardless of their religion or belief. Organisations that exist to promote religion itself, and groups where the community must participate in religious services in order to benefit, are not eligible to apply.    

• Organisations that promote a political party or activity are not eligible to apply.

• In the event of a successful application, should the circumstances of the project delivery change, the Swimathon Community Grants Panel must be informed immediately and the Panel withholds the right to approve or decline any new or revised project.

• Applications must be completed and submitted electronically using the online application form only.

• All Applicants MUST complete the declaration at the end of the form.

• Forms that are incomplete may not be considered; if it has been misunderstood and can be easily rectified by a short enquiry to the Applicant, the assessor may find out the necessary information. If entire sections have been omitted or insufficient information provided repeatedly, the application will not be considered.

• All applications need to be received by the stated submission deadline. No application will be accepted or considered if received after the deadline. 

• Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within four weeks of the Grants Panel meeting date. 

• Successful Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of eligibility to receive funds (such as a working bank account) and any other information the Panel requires. 

• Upon satisfaction of these criteria, successful Applicants will be awarded 50% of their grant up front, on receipt of a completed Grant Acceptance Form. 

• Halfway through the project, the Applicant will be required to complete a brief monitoring report. 

• On completion of the project, Applicants will be required to submit a full monitoring and evaluation report, reconciliation of funding used with an invoice for the balance of the remaining grant used.

• On satisfactory receipt of this information, reconciliation and invoice, the remaining agreed balance will be paid. 

• If no report is received within 60 days of the stated project completion date, the remaining grant payment will not be released.