We focus our work on areas of deprivation and disadvantaged communities and on projects which are:

• part of an overall approach to the development of a community;
• initiated by local people and supported by other community groups in the area;
• actively committed to community participation in the planning, development and management of the project;
• contribute to equality of opportunity and equitable access to development and facilities.

Our criteria also include ensuring that we work with rural and urban projects across the region.

To help us decide whether we can provide suitable assistance for your project we need some information. You can give us this information in writing, by 'phone, by email or we can meet with you.

• How and when your group was set up, its activities and its contact with other groups in your community.
  
• The levels of deprivation and disadvantage in your community (this can come from your own sources of information or from official bodies, eg BRO, IFI, Rural Development Council, Census).
  
• What your project is about, what you have done so far in planning and preparing it and how the community is involved in the project.
  
• What type of assistance you want from us.
  
• What other help or support you are getting with the project.
  
• How your project contributes to the overall development of your community, what other groups you have discussed it with (eg forums or umbrella bodies) and their response.
  
• What contact, if any, you have had with any agencies or funders who might be involved at some stage of the project.

If your project involves the preparation of a community strategy or plan, responding to proposed plans for your area or developing a major new community facility we will want to know how the community and other groups are participating in the projct and the level of community support to sustain it in the future. Often these projects will have wider implications for regeneration, planning and development issues and will thus be of particular interest to us.

When we recieve this information from you we decide if the project meets our criteria. If it does we will then decide how we can best assist and which of our workers will be your main contact. We discuss this with you and between us agree on how we will work together.

If the project does not meet our criteria (or if we are not able to help as soon as you need), we will try to suggest other sources of help you can approach.