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Community grants and funding

Grant review 2023

A review of the council’s grant budget was agreed by the Executive on 8 March 2023. You can read about the proposal here:

Westhive

Please visit https://www.spacehive.com/movement/westhive/ to learn more about our new approach to funding community projects. Westhive is our new online community crowdfunding platform where residents, local businesses, the council and other organisations can all pledge money alongside each other to crowdfund projects that improve local places. The platform introduces more flexibility to support a wider range of projects that address local needs and aspirations. 

Service Level Agreements

Applications closed on 31 December 2023.

Three year Service Level Agreement for awards up to a maximum of £25,000 per annum were open to applications from:

  • Constituted voluntary and community groups
  • Registered and excepted charities
  • Community Interest Companies
  • Independent statutory bodies in appropriate circumstances
  • Commercial organisations and exempt charities will not be eligible to apply for SLA funding nor will town and parish councils, other statutory bodies, organisations providing a statutory service on behalf of a statutory body, education providers or unconstituted groups and associations.

Applications were invited across four Lots, which will help deliver the priorities in the Council Plan and these were informed by the hundreds of responses to the ‘Your Voice Counts’ consultation that led to its creation:

  1. Improving our natural environment and the access to it, so that we enable physical and mental wellbeing and cohesive, connected communities
  2. Taking action towards the climate and ecological emergencies, so that we reduce carbon footprints and encourage nature recovery.
  3. Increasing community resilience and amplifying the voice of the seldom heard, so that we take action on issues most important to our residents and their needs, such as access to food, supporting young people and cultural provision.
  4. Providing residents with high quality, independent housing advice, welfare and debt advice services, so that they are empowered to tackle their problems and we support those who are unable to deal with difficult circumstances on their own.

Contact: [email protected]