Arvon Grants for Writers 2011

Grant Application Pack 2017 2 ARVON GRANTS FOR WRITERS 2017

Arvon’s grant programme exists to support writers who are unable to afford our course fees, and enables them to benefit from an Arvon week. If you cannot afford the full course fee, you are encouraged to apply.

We raise funds to run the programme and grants are limited in number – though we normally offer grants to around a fifth of our students each year. The amount we can award is limited and, in order to ensure that these funds benefit as many writers as possible, we aim to give the minimum amount needed, and to prioritise those who have never attended one of our courses before.

We offer grants for those on low incomes plus grants for practising teachers of English in state schools. You may apply for any or all of these if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Grants are administered by staff at our centres and one application form covers all schemes: your completed application should be sent to the centre hosting your chosen course.

The 2017 Grants Scheme is generously supported by: Arts Council England, the late David Attwooll, Elizabeth and Gordon Bloor Charitable Trust, Barbara and Philip Denny Charitable Trust, Chris Gill, Mark Haddon and Sos Eltis, Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, and other generous Trusts, Foundations and Individuals.

OUR GRANT SCHEMES

1. Grants for those on low incomes

Grants are awarded on the basis of financial need and commitment to benefit from the course, not writing style or ability.

You may apply for any amount up to the full course fee, though we will normally only give higher amounts in exceptional cases. The vast majority of our awards are between £100 and £400.

To help us support as many people as possible, please only apply if you would be unable to attend the course without a grant, and only ask for the minimum amount you need.

Note that we can only offer one grant per person in any given year and priority is given to those who have not received a grant before. Individuals may receive a maximum of three grants in total and each successive grant will normally be significantly smaller than the last. All successful applicants will be expected to pay a minimum deposit of £100 on acceptance of their grant award. (In exceptional cases where the award exceeds the balance of the fee (net of the grant) this will be returned upon completion of the course and return of a post-course report.)

3 Supporting information and documentation: To apply, you must send documentary evidence to fully illustrate your household’s financial situation and thereby demonstrate that you do not have the financial means to cover the full cost of an Arvon course. Please also provide a short personal statement (no more than 500 words) describing your reasons for applying for a grant, your financial situation and explaining how you hope to gain from attending your chosen course.

We will take into account factors such as:  Your household income (not just your personal income)  Student and employment status  Your family situation (e.g. children and other dependents)  Receipt of state benefits  Whether you have any savings  The cost of living in your part of the country  Any other circumstances affecting your ability to afford the fees

We need to have as much information as possible from you clearly indicating income and outgoings and any other factors that might be relevant. Where possible you should send us photocopied documentary evidence from an official body or organisation, e.g. the benefits agency or your bank.

As evidence of your financial situation we suggest you provide some or all of the following –

If you are in receipt of state benefits:  Proof of means-tested state benefits (such as housing benefit, council tax benefit, income support, pension credit, job seeker’s allowance, or other similar benefits)  Proof of Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment

If you are not in receipt of state benefits:  Three months of wage slips  Bank statements showing income and outgoings for the past three months  Savings statements showing amounts currently held, and income from savings

Please note:  Documents should where possible include recent information no more than three months old  Send us copies – do not send originals: we cannot return your documents  We suggest that you obscure any sensitive information, such as bank account numbers, but please make sure we are able to identify the documentation as yours  All documents will be kept confidentially and will then be destroyed

2. Teachers’ grants

Arvon supports the professional development of practising teachers in UK primary and secondary schools or further education colleges, with a special fixed grant of £200 towards a course fee.

Supporting information and documentation:

You will need to send evidence that you are a practising Teacher at a UK primary or secondary school, or F.E. College. This could be a letter from your employer or recent wage slip.

A teachers’ grant application can be in addition to the general grant scheme, if you require further financial assistance. Teachers’ grants are limited in number.

HOW TO APPLY

1. Please fully read the above information and the Terms & Conditions, ensuring you meet the eligibility criteria.

2. If you are making a grant application, you should reserve a place on your chosen course; you can do this for seven days without paying a deposit, giving you time to send your application. (Alternatively, a place can be booked with a deposit.) Contact the relevant centre directly to make this reservation, or book online and select the option to apply for a grant.

3. Complete the enclosed application form, writing a short personal statement (no more than 500 words), explaining why you wish to attend your chosen course and what benefits you hope to obtain from participation.

4. Collect supporting information and documentation for your application, as specified above and on the grant application form. Please send photocopies of documents, as we cannot return originals. Applicants are welcome to blank out sensitive information such as account numbers and sort codes if they wish, so long as it is clear that the documentation refers to them personally.

5. All applicants must complete an equal opportunities form and include this with their application. This will be separated from the application before consideration.

6. Ensure you have read the terms and conditions of the grant scheme and indicate your agreement.

7. You should send your completed application to the centre where your chosen course will take place.

5 FOR QUESTIONS AND QUERIES If you have any questions about applying for a grant or would like to discuss your application in confidence, please contact the Administrator at the centre where your course will be taking place:

The Hurst Contact: Dan Pavitt Tel: 01588 640658 Lumb Bank Contact: Becky Liddell Tel: 01422 843714 Totleigh Barton Contact: Sue Walker Tel: 01409 231338

If you are applying for a low income grant or a teachers’ grant, you will normally receive a decision from us within seven days of applying, as long as you provide all the necessary documentation. Note that if you do not provide sufficient documentation, your application will be delayed and we may have to release your provisional booking.

If you are awarded a grant, you will have seven days from receiving notification in which to pay your deposit to confirm your booking.

Post-course report

It is a requirement of receiving an Arvon grant award that you send a written report (either by email or post) within two weeks of completing the course, telling us the benefits you gained and what the course meant to you. This is essential to help us secure further funding to ensure the future of our grants scheme.

Arvon Grant Scheme – Terms and Conditions

1. Arvon’s grant scheme is for writers who cannot afford the full course fee. Grants are awarded on the basis of meeting the specific eligibility criteria of the relevant scheme or financial need, and not writing ability. 2. Arvon grants are only available to writers living permanently in the UK. We are unable to offer grants to citizens of the UK living abroad. 3. An Arvon grant will cover some or all of the full cost of one Arvon course, which includes all tuition, food and accommodation. 4. Travel to and from the course must be arranged by the grant recipient, and all travel costs must be paid by the grant recipient. Arvon cannot provide financial assistance with travel.

6 5. We can only offer one grant per person in any given year and will not be able to consider applications from those attending more than one course in that year. Priority is given to those who have not received a grant or attended an Arvon course before. Individuals may receive a maximum of three grants in total and each successive grant will normally be significantly smaller than the last. 6. Grants are connected to a specific course and applicants may reserve a place prior to making a grant application. A place can be reserved for seven days, giving time to complete a grant application. 7. After receiving notification that they have been awarded a grant, the recipient must confirm their booking by paying a minimum deposit of £100 within seven days. 8. If a grant award is not confirmed by payment of deposit within seven days of notification, the award will be withdrawn and the provisional booking cancelled. Grant awards may only be used within the calendar year in which they are awarded. 9. It is a condition of the award that grant recipients must submit a short written report (either by email or post) within two weeks of the end of their chosen course, describing their experience and the impact it will have on their writing. 10. In exceptional cases where the grant award exceeds the balance of the fee (net of the grant), all or part of the deposit paid will be refunded on receipt of the post-course report. The deposit will not be refunded if the recipient fails to submit a report within two weeks of the end of their course, or fails to attend the course with less than six weeks’ notice. If the applicant receives funds from grant programmes other than the main grant programme, he/she must also comply with any specific conditions of that grant. 11. Decisions will be made by Arvon staff. Grants will be awarded solely on the basis of the financial information and personal statements supplied in the application forms. 12. Applicants will be notified of the decision regarding their application promptly, whether or not they have been successful. 13. Arvon reserves the right to award applicants a lesser amount than they applied for or to not award a grant, or to withdraw the grants scheme in whole or in part at any time. 14. Should a grant recipient need to transfer a course booking in line with Arvon’s Terms and Conditions of Booking (please see brochure or website), the grant award will be transferred to the new course if the applicant’s circumstances remain the same. 15. Should a grant recipient need to cancel a booking, the grant award will be withdrawn but a fresh application can be made in the future. 16. Our decisions on grant awards are final and we will not enter into any correspondence about them. 17. Arvon grants cannot be exchanged in whole or in part for any cash equivalent, nor transferred to another person. 18. Applications from previous Arvon grant recipients who have failed to attend a course without notice or good reason will not be considered. 19. Arvon reserves the right to withdraw any offer of a grant if the conditions of the award are not met.

7 Grant Application Form

Name Address

Telephone Email

Have you attended a public Arvon course before? Yes / No (please note that if you have attended a course, but only as part of a school or partnership group, please answer ‘no’)

Have you ever received a grant from Arvon before? Yes / No If ‘yes’, please tell us when and how much you received:

Course Details: Please give the name, number and start date of the course you hope to attend:

Course title Course number Course dates Centre

Please state your room choice (subject to Single Shared availability)

Which type of grant(s) are you applying for? (Please tick)

Low Income Grant Please tell us how much you are applying for: £100 £150 £200 £250 (please only apply for the minimum amount you need) Please confirm that you have included evidence of your financial situation Next complete the ‘Supporting Financial Information’ section and write a personal statement.

Teacher’s Grant (£200) Please confirm that you have included proof of current status as practicing English teacher in a state school or FE College

1 Supporting Financial Information This section will help us to understand your financial position and your need for a grant. Please provide as much information as possible.

Annual household income (Total joint income if you have a partner. Please enclose copies of last three months bank statements.) Amount held in savings (Please enclose copies of recent bank statements showing account balances.) Number of dependents (Include children or dependent adults) Employment status (e.g. full-time / part-time / permanent / temporary / self- employed / unemployed / student. Please enclose copies of your most recent pay slips or proof of earnings, if applicable.) Are you receiving any state benefits? Yes / No (If so, please give details and enclose copies of benefit letters.) Are you collecting a state pension? Yes / No Do you have a disability, or specific access Yes / No requirements? (If so, please give details below.)

Please give any other information that would help us to understand your financial position better:

2 3 Personal Statement

Please use this section to tell us why you want to do an Arvon course. You should describe how attending the course will help you as a writer, and what you hope to achieve through the experience. If you are applying for a Teachers’ Grant, please explain how you hope the course will help you. 500 words max

4 I confirm that: Tick I agree to the terms and conditions of Arvon’s grant scheme I am a permanent resident of the UK

Signature

Please return your completed application form, supporting documents and Equal Opportunities form to the centre where your chosen course is taking place.

Arvon use only: G-

5 Arvon Equal Opportunities