James Medler's Magic Money Tree
Who wants to be a (half) millionaire? Half a million pounds is up for grabs for Imperial's clubs and societies
The Deputy President (Clubs & Societies) and the Harlington Grants Fund Committee call for proposals from clubs and societies for a £500,000 grant.
The deadline for applications is Monday 8th October 2018. However, clubs and societies must get in contact with James Medler, the Deputy President (Clubs & Societies), by Monday 1st October 2018 to accurately cost any proposals.
The Harlington Grants Fund Committee, which oversees the allocation of grants on behalf of the Harlington Trust, has made £500,000 of the current fund surplus available for the funding of a small number of “clearly defined and fully costed” large scale projects that will “improve the experience of students at Imperial”. This represents an opportunity to “think big” and “develop an idea well beyond the usual scope of funding which is available”. Ordinarily, the Committee has a maximum of £50,000 to allocate in a financial year (1st August to 31st July) and grants normally amount to between a few hundred and a few thousand pounds.
James Medler, the Deputy President (Clubs & Societies), encouraged “blue sky thinking” and “creative” proposals. When approached for comment, he had this to say: “We’ve finally got a rare opportunity to spend a huge fund to better student experience across campus. This pot is larger than our CSP funding pot so we’re encouraging the most creative proposals you can give us. Rockets? Drone delivery? Expanded facilities? The proposals are flying in, make sure yours is one of them!”
The minimum application amount is £25,000. To increase chances of successfully obtaining funding, applicants are advised to ensure their proposals do not exceed £300,000. Applicants whose bids exceed £300,000 should contact James as soon as possible.
Proposals will be evaluated by the Harlington Grant Fund Committee by 19th October 2018 and successful applicants will be informed by 20th October 2018. Proposals which are evaluated as feasible by the Committee will be presented to the President’s Executive Group on 30th October 2018 and, after refinement, successful proposals will form the basis of the Committee’s application to the College Council on 23rd November 2018.
The Harlington Trust was established in 1989 to manage money received from the gravel extraction operation at the Harlington playing fields, for the benefit of Imperial College students. The members of the Harlington Grant Fund Committee are the Vice-Provost (Education) who acts as the Chair of the Committee, a Past President of Imperial College Union and the current President of Imperial College Union. The College Secretary & Registrar is the Secretary of the Trust.
If your club or society is considering an application, please get in touch with the Deputy President (Clubs & Societies), James Medler, via e-mail at: dpcs@imperial.ac.uk.
