As a charity, we have to determine and be clear who benefits from the charity. Some criteria, like the residence within the “City of Nottingham” boundary and the support of education, have been in existence since the charity was established in the C19th.
You can be any age, as long as it is under 21 years. However, Trustees do not normally give a full bursary to Primary age young people, so that there is opportunity to return for further funding in later years.
You need to have been resident for, normally, at least five years within the City of Nottingham boundary.
The Trustees welcome applications for all sorts of activities, providing they have an educational (in its widest sense) benefit to the individual applying. Trustees are keen to know what the applicant is likely to gain in terms of their personal development, and/or learn, from pursuing the activity. The only restriction is that it should not be part of mainstream education, whether school, college or university.
The current limit for any one individual is £800. This need not be in just one application. It may be that you wish to progress to a higher level of expertise in an activity or are looking to pursue something that is different.
If the application is successful, the maximum time would be about 12 weeks. However, sometimes, it may be possible to consider applications in between normal meetings, which are held four times a year.
Given the charity is about education, the Trustees want to encourage young people to pursue their chosen activity independently by raising funds wherever they can. Part-time jobs, sponsored events, exploring other funders, all help to contribute to a sense of purpose.
There could be a number of reasons. First and foremost is related to the funding available for distribution. TNET is, relatively-speaking, a very small charity, operated entirely by volunteers, in order to ensure that as much of the funding that is available, is spent on bursaries for as many young people as possible. It may be that bursaries for certain popular activities, such as the different levels of Duke of Edinburgh Award have in the past been fixed to reflect the relative needs. Often, it is the quality of the application, that limits the award. For example, Trustees like to see that the applicant has an awareness of precise costs for an activity and a plan for achieving those funds. Trustees also like to see some self-awareness of how you might personally benefit, what you might learn about yourself, from pursuit of this activity.
Similarly, they are also interested in how you contribute to the culture and society as a citizen of Nottingham. This is an educational charity and the Trustees always have this uppermost in their minds when considering the applications. Just asking for funding without making a thoughtful effort in your application is not likely to reap rewards.
If successful, the bursary funding is transferred by BACS to the applicant’s account.
Yes, the account must be in the applicant’s name. This is not just a requirement to keep our accounts transparent, but, again in an educational sense, Trustees want to see that having asked for funding, the applicant is learning how to manage their finances.
No, unfortunately we cannot issue a bursary in cash.
No, our independent examiner of accounts on behalf of the Charity Commission, insists that all funding must go directly to the qualifying approved individual.
The awarding of bursaries is entirely in the gift of the Trustees who consider the anonymised applications entirely on their merit and with a view to available funding. Their decision is final.
This requirement again grows from the educational intention of the charity. The Trustees want to encourage young people to be able to speak up for themselves, be able to explain, not only what they did with the bursary funding, but also what they have learnt about themselves, other people and the wider world. The attendance at a meeting is not intended as an “inquisition”, but a time when those awarded funding can meet those who have helped them to pursue their activity and Trustees can meet the young people who have benefitted from the charity.
No, as long as you're living within Nottingham city limits.
Yes, if you have grown up within the City of Nottingham, you can apply whilst studying elsewhere.
No, you are unlikely to meet the residence criteria and Trustees are focussed on benefitting young people from within the City itself.
Yes, up to the current individual limit of £800. Usually this would be to develop an activity or pursue something entirely different.
Trustees would be very pleased to see that your fund-raising efforts elsewhere have meant you do not need all the bursary awarded. They would be happy to have some of the bursary returned, that you may seek to apply for at a later date.
We would expect you to return the bursary so that the funding can be used by another.
Providing you have met the charity’s criteria and have been awarded a bursary, then the Trustees would honour that award. However, they would still expect you to report back to them on how the money had been used.