Page 7 - NAS Members Guide to Funding

xt few slides in the deck.
Revidge Allotment Association before
Congratulations:You have created a Budget Sheet detailing the budget for your association’s plan!
Expect the budget sheet for your association’s plan to include:
• Goods and Materials: This might be small items such as nails and hinges through to more expensive items such as metal fencing panels, chippings for
paths (and delivery costs), solar panels, a toilet, or an entire water system. Your association might be buying items directly from a supplier or if you are appointing a company to do work for you, they might be purchasing the materials for the job. Unsure? Check now in the early stages to avoid confusion later about who is paying for what to reduce unexpected costs later – this is good budget management.
• Services: If you require paid labour for a service, check whether you will be paying by the hour, or per task, or for one amount that covers everything. This might include obtaining a building company, or plans/ drawings from an architect or a solicitor for advice on a planning application, or an installer for solar panels or groundwater pump.
For allotment associations, the budget sheet usually includes “non-monetary” items too. Start thinking of these items as a key part of your budget because if you go on to decide to apply for grant funding then this list
Revidge Allotment Association after
is vital for “Match Funding” [see Part 7].
Record the following items on a separate sheet and call it “non-monetary budget sheet”:
• ‘In kind’ donations such as when a local firm gives your association materials for free. Note how much each item is worth in real money at current prices with a grand total.
• Volunteer time such as plot holders and/or local people or employees from a company giving up their time to e.g. lay paths or paint a new communal building or draw up plans. Record this both in hours and the type of work.
Estimates and quotes should accompany your budget sheet. A general rule of thumb is to obtain three written quotes for each piece of work. Cheapest is not always best. Shop around and ask as many questions as you need. Ask to see examples of previous work undertaken: a reputable company will not mind. If
you are still unsure, obtain more quotes until your association is happy with both the company and the quote. Ask how long the quote lasts for (in case your plans become delayed by e.g. 6-9 months) and how long materials/work are guaranteed for. Ask for these to be written into the quote. Consider sustainability too: if this turns out to be more expensive it is justifiable.
e