The SLCC Educational Trust continue to work towards charitable status but in the meantime, it is operating as a committee of the SLCC so that it can begin awarding grants.

Their ambition is that, as a consequence of the Trust’s grants:

  • More local council officers will be equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to serve their councils and their local communities for the public benefit
  • The general public will have a better understanding of local councils, their staff and their role in local communities

Applications for the 2024 Community Governance Bursary (for the 2025 qualification) are now closed.

A decision will be made on opening the 2025 bursary (for study in 2026) in due course. Please check back in summer 2025.

Criteria

As an illustration, a grant can be used to support the following:

  • Course fees and the fees for qualifications
  • The costs of attendance at training events, conferences and seminars (both in-person and remote) and including travel costs, childcare or other caring costs
  • Books or equipment to facilitate study

They ask applicants to explain how the grant enables them, as an individual representing a specific organisation, to act for the benefit of local communities served by a local council. Applicants will also be expected to show how a lack of funding presents an obstacle to learning. This includes providing information on current budgets and costings showing how the grant will be spent. In the first instance, priority will be given to applications from people who work for a council with an annual turnover of less than £25,000.

Objectives & Process

The objectives of are:

  • To advance, for the public benefit, education within the local council sector
  • To promote, for the public benefit, knowledge of and participation in local government

Applicants are asked to complete an application form with links to supporting documents. Meeting dates and deadlines for applications are published on the Trust’s webpage where you will find the grant awarding policy and other relevant information.

Click here to find out more and visit their website.