Community Grants Fund

Community Grants Fund

We are inviting community groups and voluntary organisations from across Chesterfield to apply for support from our Community Grants Fund.

More than £118,000 is available to eligible local groups in this financial year (2023/24) – with awards ranging from £500 to £6,000 – to help boost grassroots projects that will improve life for local people.

The Community Grants Fund aims to support local projects that will help to build resilient, healthy, and safe neighbourhoods, as well as initiatives which will help reduce the borough’s impact on the climate and wider environment by promoting greener choices.

Funding can also be used by community projects to develop volunteering opportunities, help people prepare to get in to work, and to support organisations to expand their reach into different areas of the borough.

Further details on the types of projects that can be funded via the grant scheme can be found in the Community Funding Grant Guidance. Please take some time to read this document before completing your application.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from your organisations if:

• you are a not-for-profit organisation
• you have a constitution or written set of rules for the organisation
• you have a bank account in your group’s name and at least two people (not related to one another) are required to sign any cheque or withdrawal from the account (please contact communitygrants@chesterfield.gov.ukif you do not have a bank account but would like to apply)
• you have a set of accounts and make these available for inspection
• your group can run the activity and complete the application form, even if you get some help with this; the contact for the grant and the person signing the form must be a member of the group or its management committee
• your activities begin and costs are incurred after receipt of the grant. You must also spend the entire grant and complete activities we have funded within 12 months of receipt of the grant; if you are successful with an application to the Community Grants Fund, you may apply again at a later stage but for different/additional reasons
• your group or activity is open to everyone; if your activity is not open to everyone, you need to tell us why and the assessment panel will decide if your application is eligible
• the proposed activity is based in Chesterfield borough

Applying to the Community Grants Fund

Applications have now opened for the second phase of this scheme.

We strongly encourage all applicants to discuss their project with their Community Development Worker before completing an application.

Further funding of at least £145,000 will also be available in 2024/25 – further details and guidance for 2024 on this will be available by March 2024.

Apply online here. The deadline for applications is Friday 27 October 2023.

Contact and support

Alongside the Community Grants Fund, the council is running a community development project which will provide support to organisations wanting to apply for the grant. If you would like any help or guidance with submitting a bid, please contact us.

Email: communitygrants@chesterfield.gov.uk

Phone: 01246 959657

Post:

Community Grants Fund, c/o Wendy Blunt,
Health and Wellbeing Officer,
Chesterfield Borough Council,
Town Hall,
Chesterfield,
S40 1LP