Guidance For Community Groups

See below for guidance and support for getting started as a Community Group on the Community Benefits Hub.

 

What is the website and how does it work?

The Community Benefits Hub brings together our local Communities with Businesses delivering contracts for participating councils and organisations across Glasgow City Region.

Community Groups and eligible not-for-profit organisations can post Requests for specific goods, services or resource that can then be met by Suppliers delivering public sector contracts. 

Community Groups and Businesses need to register to join the website and meet certain conditions. 

 

Eligibility: Who can make a request?

Requests can be made by not-for-profit organisations such as schools and constituted Community Groups providing services within one of the following council areas across Glasgow City Region:

  • East Renfrewshire Council
  • Glasgow City Council
  • North Lanarkshire Council
  • South Lanarkshire Council

You can find which local council you are based by inputting your postcode on the GOV.UK website.

If your Community Group operates across more than one council area, visit our guidance page for Community Groups operating in more than one Council Area. 

Community Groups must have a Constitution or a formal Governing Document to be registered on the system. Non-constituted Community Groups will be able to apply by going through a Constituted Group or will be directed to help to develop a Constitution. 

For more information or help with a Constitution, please visit our Help with a Constitution page.

Requests will not be considered from political parties or Groups involved in party-political activities.

 

Eligibility: What type of Requests can you ask for? 

Requests can be made for donations of equipment, labour or material, sponsorship or financial contributions[1],skills, development or training[2].

Individual Councils approving requests may apply a cap on the value of financial contributions which can be requested.    

Community Requests must deliver direct benefit within one or more of the Region’s participating council areas and be aligned to local or Regional priorities.

A maximum of three requests can be made at one time. 

[1]Individual Councils may apply a cap on the amount of financial contribution which can be requested.   

[2] Political parties or party-political activities, foreign travel and organisations based overseas will not be supported.

 

What is excluded?

Political parties or party-political activities, foreign travel and organisations based overseas will not be supported.

Additionally, Requests must not:

  • Be or be perceived to be defamatory;
  • Bring the participating councils or Glasgow City Region into disrepute;
  • Be construed as offensive;
  • Be in relation to the donation of or money to purchase alcohol;
  • Involve the breach of Intellectual Property.

 

How does it work? 

  1. Register and set up your Community Group’s account.
  2. Provide the details of your Community Group and indicate which council area you are based within.
  3. You can then submit a Request on behalf of your Community Group.
  4. Once your details are reviewed, your registration and first Request will be approved.
  5. Once your Request has been approved, it will go live, and eligible Businesses registered on the system can select to deliver your Request.
  6. When a Business selects to match your Request and is then approved to go ahead, you will be notified by email. The Business will then reach out to you directly to organise delivering your Request, and you will also be given the Business’ contact details.
  7. Once your Request is delivered, mark it as Delivered on the website, and then provide us with some information about how it all went and how this benefited your group.

 

What information do we need from you and why? 

To register on the system, you will need to provide contact details, including name, email address and phone number, for at least one contact within your organisation.

For more information about how this information will be used please see our Privacy Policy.

We will also ask for details about your Community Group, including in which council area your Group is located. If you are unsure, there is a link to help you check this. 

These details are important as they help us to provide credibility to your group and to the posts you put up, making Businesses more likely to pick up your requests.

This information will also be shown to Businesses to provide them with information about the good that your organisation is doing in the local community, and why your group needs support.

We will also ask you to upload a copy of your Group’s Constitution or formal Governing Document. If you don’t have a Constitution, you can find guidance on our Help for Non-Constituted Groups page.

 

Additional Resources