Community Grants

Borough-wide and local community grants

Annual Community Grant (borough-wide)

The borough-wide scheme offers grants of up to £1000, and priority is given to groups whose aims reflect the Council’s priorities of promoting health, prosperity, the environment, community development and community involvement.

Who can apply

Non-profit making community groups, voluntary organisations, trusts, friendly societies, social enterprises and community interest companies can apply provided that, in all cases, their objectives are charitable as defined by the Charity Act 2006. They can provide a service directly, offer advice/information or promote self-help and must have a wide community benefit and be open to anyone.

The group will need to have a constitution (set of rules), a bank account in its own name (which requires at least two signatures on each cheque) and a set of accounts. The group will also need to have adequate insurance and ensure that appropriate checks are carried out on staff and volunteers if they work with vulnerable groups.

What can the grant be used for?

Purchase of equipment or materials
Contribution towards running costs
Funding specific projects
Development of the organisation.

How much are the grants?

There is a maximum of £1,000 per organisation for borough-wide groups.

When to apply

The annual borough-wide community grants will be open for applications later in the year for approximately six weeks.

How to apply

Details on how to apply will be available soon.

Local grant scheme

The following Local Areas Committees also distribute local grants of up to £500:

Bursledon, Hamble-le-Rice & Hound (open all year round)
Chandler's Ford & Hiltingbury (open all year round)
Hedge End, West End & Botley (opens Friday 7 September until Wednesday 31 October 2018)

Applications for a Bursledon, Hamble-le-Rice & Hound community grant can be made at any time although applications will only be considered quarterly.

If you are applying for a Chandler’s Ford & Hiltingbury community grant, groups should not to apply if they hold more than one years running costs within their reserves. Groups will also need to explain why a grant is being sought and reserves are not being used, especially if reserves are significant.

Who deals with the local grants?

Once your application form has been submitted, the appropriate Local Area Committee will consider your application and you will be informed of their decision.

If you are applying for a Chandler’s Ford & Hiltingbury community grant, you will be informed of the Local Area Committee’s decision following their next available Working Group meeting (they are on average every 6 weeks). Funding will only be received following the next Local Area Committee’s formal approval to release funding.

How to apply

To apply you will need to print out and complete an application form for the area in which your group operates. Please ensure that the form has been signed before submitting it.

We have produced some guidance notes to help you complete your application.

Equality Act 2010
In order to ensure the Council is complying with the Equality Act 2010, we are now seeking monitoring information from organisations who apply for our grants. Please could you complete a monitoring information form and send it with your application.

Please note: The information gathered will not be part of the application process.

The information will be used to develop a profile of the organisations which apply for grant funding. You do not need to supply this information but we will be grateful if you do.