Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Hi, Just interested to know if anyone has received a reply from the capital grant applications that they have made. I am still trying to work out my needs but here in herefordshire, I know from a meeting recently that child minders have put their applications in ready to be assessed. I am wanting to take the gravel away on my patio area and make it more child friendly and add sensory areas and add wheelchair access. What does everyone else think about it all. I have been child minding for 18 months and am finding it the best job in the world! I have never earned this much in my life and now they are offering us this opportunity, do i need to pinch myself?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I have spent half term spending mine Decided on the outdoor area. I was going to have a fenced in covered area, but the school has decided they'd fund that, so I've bought storage sheds and equipment to bring the indoor classroom outdoors. Although there is so much to choose from, it's taken me ages to decide what to buy as these opportuities don't come around very often A sensory area sounds like a lovely idea jackie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I have mine sat in the bank account, have decided roughly what to buy its just finding the time now to do the ordering!! We are mainly buying for the outdoor area but ours was a joint application between nursery, private nursery, reception and year one. The sensory garden sounds nice x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I'm just waiting for the council to come and sign the contract before they release the money. I don't think it was available to child minders here though I could be wrong. We are extending the preschool garden and having an upstairs toilet put in. I have 2 staff going on the ICT training next week with our wish list in hand. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvet Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Hi wyetots What area are you in if you don't mind me asking as I'm in Kent and when ever I have phoned up about funding grants I'm always told they are not availble to child minders! I have not heard of this one though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alison Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 we're a preschool and we had the early years advisors come and do an audit then we had to go and sit with them for an hour long appointment to list the items we wanted, to be told "you can only have things we(the advisors) feel you need as identifide by the audit" I felt like a child asking permission to buy stuff, ok I understand that they dont want to give money out here there and everywhere but when we where looking at stuff we could buy as identified by the audit we were then told "dont look at the price order want you want" its annoying there seems to be such different rules in each area about how they are allocating the money. we cannt have the cash in the bank we have to submit a list of items for approval and they(the advisors) will order them but at least they can have the headache of ordering. one group where looking at bikes and side "we'll order those bikes on special offer" and they were told not to look for special offers, why not? if one group can save a bit of money buying special offers then there is more money to go round Id hat to think I'm missing out because another group spent it all buying the most expencive equipment. I could make the money spread alot further if I was allowed to be a little bit more frugal with the money did others have to be audited by their early years or have they been allowed to think for themselves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 did others have to be audited by their early years or have they been allowed to think for themselves? Not sure - we're still waiting! We've been told the areas covered by the pots of money that are available, and have been asked to complete an ICT audit of our existing computer equipment etc so that the Borough can come up with a suitable package for us. We're waiting to find out about the process for submitting bids etc, but we're all busily making our 'wish lists'. Given how close the end of the financial year is coming, my guess is that when we do hear, there won't be much time to get them in for approval! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 I'm just waiting for the council to come and sign the contract before they release the money. I don't think it was available to child minders here though I could be wrong. We are extending the preschool garden and having an upstairs toilet put in. I have 2 staff going on the ICT training next week with our wish list in hand. Al Yes, it available to all settings including child minders which is really nice for a change! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Hi wyetots What area are you in if you don't mind me asking as I'm in Kent and when ever I have phoned up about funding grants I'm always told they are not availble to child minders! I have not heard of this one though! I am in Herefordshire but it is a governement grant available to all settings including child minders. We have had information evening, q and a sessions with the relevent people in our area and as a child minding assoccation, we are providing help also. The first sitting for the board is on monday in our area so i will be interested to see if everything on wish lists are granted. Contact your EYES and ask them about the early years capital grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 We have had a surveyor come and look at our buildings and assess them. We are now waiting for the LA to make the decision on what we will get. on the ICT front we have all been given a laptop and a dongle for a year and a video camera. after the year we can renew the dongle contract. The buildings are being looked at for there outside areas and also to make sure the basics are in place like heating and light. We await to see how much. Can I ask how other LA's have decided on the amount? Our LA has looked at every setting and it will be split between us depending on our needs. So we don't know how much we are getting. Steph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Ooh can I rant about how ours has been allocated? I got really excited about this money after reading about it in Nursery World, so I rang up the LA. "Sorry we don't know anything about it" was the reply. Eventually found someone who did and I explained about the case studies in NW and how I would like to put in a bid for funding for replacement resources as a setting featured in the article had done. I also really wanted to improve the storage and shelving for them but didn't immediately mention that. The reply - no only for ICT and outdoors. Which leaves me with a problem as over the last 5-6 years I have chivvied our parents into fundraising for just these areas after being told by LA there was no funding available for it. Now we have about as much as we can reasonably store and use but other resources are in desperate need of updating and we don't have the budget for it. The LA have said that is our problem and so we cannot get any money from the fund at all. I can't help feeling it would have been better to talk to all the settings about what might be of most use and then decide how to allocate the money as the NW article seemed to imply there were allocation decisions to be made at LA level. I appreciate that the LA would not have known this money was coming but at the same time we were being pushed to do fundraising for these areas by our advisors as we lacked them and we did this at the expense of other resources, as they didn't need replacing immediately. Looks like we shot ourselves in the foot. OK rant over. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 we're a preschool and we had the early years advisors come and do an audit then we had to go and sit with them for an hour long appointment to list the items we wanted, to be told "you can only have things we(the advisors) feel you need as identifide by the audit" I felt like a child asking permission to buy stuff, ok I understand that they dont want to give money out here there and everywhere but when we where looking at stuff we could buy as identified by the audit we were then told "dont look at the price order want you want" its annoying there seems to be such different rules in each area about how they are allocating the money. we cannt have the cash in the bank we have to submit a list of items for approval and they(the advisors) will order them but at least they can have the headache of ordering. one group where looking at bikes and side "we'll order those bikes on special offer" and they were told not to look for special offers, why not? if one group can save a bit of money buying special offers then there is more money to go round Id hat to think I'm missing out because another group spent it all buying the most expencive equipment. I could make the money spread alot further if I was allowed to be a little bit more frugal with the money did others have to be audited by their early years or have they been allowed to think for themselves? hi we had to write a wish list and itemise every thing, think mine came came to at least 40K including 22k for redisigning out doors!!!! have been allocated 8k for oos and 14 K for nursery!!! not had funds yet and with the end of the tax year looming panicing about spending it sensibly!! outdoors has been deferred to next tax year so dont how much we getting yet! there is talk of allowing longer to spend it though , so hopefully we will be sensible, we dont have to stick to original list just have to have a clear audit trail!!! cant wait!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k@ren Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I am a network childminder and we were invited to apply for capital grant at end of last year. We were given info at the end of November and had to submit our application by 31st December. I have applied but have to wait until the end of this month to see whether I have been successful-really hope so as my outside area is in desperate need of levelling to make it safer for the children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I have applied but have to wait until the end of this month to see whether I have been successful-really hope so as my outside area is in desperate need of levelling to make it safer for the children. Did they come out to look at your outdoor area, k@ren? Or did you have to submit photos of the area and so on? I'm just wondering how they'll decide which projects to fund and which to turn down? Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k@ren Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I sent in photos with my application, although it didnt't say they were needed I thought it might help as they can then see all my steps! As yet, haven't had any communication at all to say whether I have been lucky enough to be awarded any of the grant or that anyone wants to see the area to be improved. Keep waiting for the postman every day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 We've been awarded ours - it's to pay for doors to be installed in our 3-5's room to allow free flow - can't wait!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hi Just wondering -did any childminders who applied for this funding get any money? I so which areas are you from please? We asked our development worker to ask the powers that be and the answer came back - theres no money its gone into different pots for various things !! I d not even heard of this until I found it on here and would be interested to know if any one had had success Thanks janice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cathy m Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I have heard that a childminder in Calderdale has been given the good news about her grant application. As yet my local Authority haven't even mentined it to childminders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 We had to put in a form with an estimate about how much money we would need but only had a couple of weeks to do this.(had to be in beg March) We had to designate an area for improvement, could not just spend it on general updating of toys. So we are going for outdoor area, but as yet no proper plans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strud40 Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 (edited) is there any funding for this in Northamptonshire for childminders? Edited May 4, 2009 by strud40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NIKI74L Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 hi there i am a childminder in kent and would really like to know more about this grant you are talking about and how and who i phone to find out about it. what sort of thing can it be used for????? thanks nikki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I don't know if the funding is available to childminders although I think I have read somewhere that it is (possibly Nursery World?). The local authorities are administering the funds but some are further ahead with this than others I would ring and ask to speak to someone who has responsibility for administering the Capital Grant Funding and failing that get someone who supports you at the LA to find out who it is! Different authorities are allocating it differently but common themes do seem to be for ICT an outdoor play. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 Has anyone heard from their LA that the application for funding has been oversubscribed and that some settings may not get any funding at all and others will be given an amount toward their project? I am in West Sussex and applied for funding to make an outdoor play area with fencing and extra for carpets, storage and ICT equipment. I have had ECERS and as I don't have a secure outside area, was marked down on that aspect. We desperately need funding so that the children can go outside to play safely. I am in a church hall and have been told i can have a small piece of land so all's going well - except for the possibility of no grant. Anyone else from West Sussex received a letter? Sue J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 our authority did capital grant for outside building work etc, we failed in our bid, we are small and wanted to extend our outside play at present we have a very small enclosed yard. This would have made a big difference to us we could never afford to do this ourselves we are not for profit. we will be able to re-apply next year. In our area most of the larger pvi settings got theirs, quite a few of the smaller preschools didn't Like myself they made a minor mistake in the paper work for the bid, also like me they are often not versed in the filling in of grants nor have anyone who does the admin.I do feel a little aggrieved that the 60 place one of a chain with a huge outside area got quite a huge chunk as did their other settings . I will try again, we have also been allocated £3,000 for equipment to bring us in-line with the eyfs as has each of the other settings in our authority we are more or less guaranteed this and they set the amount for each setting. sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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