£1,000 grant

The Community Grant can be used to help and support our communities, this can include:

• Supporting activities that encourage social integration, develop sustainable communities and start-up projects for not-for-profit groups
• Set up of classes, sessions, activities and events for the community or buying equipment for community-based activities.
• Funding short term coaching, training or sessional worker costs
• Projects with an element of fixed capital costs up to 60% of the grant.
• Activities that support people to develop new skills, gain a qualification or to access work experience leading to increased employability.
• Projects that increase levels of health and wellbeing such as a healthy eating workshop, events or fitness activities or provide refreshments, snacks and meals as part of an activity.
• Art and craft events and activities leading to improved mental wellbeing or reduced isolation.
• Activities that reduce anti-social behaviour and enable people to feel safe in their communities creating an increased sense of belonging.
• Contributing towards marketing and promotional costs to increase participation in activities up to the value of £200
• Contributing towards venue hire and rent up to up to a maximum of 50%of the project cost.
• We can consider some smaller essential repair works that are integral to the project.
• Travel costs that are integral to an activity.

We welcome applications from:

• Registered and exempt charities
• Community groups
• Schools
• Social enterprises
• Voluntary groups
• Community Interest Companies
• Town, Parish or Community Councils
• Faith groups/venues

• Individuals
• Private companies or ‘for-profit’ organisations
• Party political groups
• Those whose objectives and ethos do not meet believe housing’s charitable objectives.

Grants must start within two months of a project being awarded. We will consider one off activities as well as project running for up to a maximum of one year.

A group can be awarded up to £1000 in a financial year. If your project only requires you to apply for £500 and this is awarded. You can apply for a further grant of £500 after providing all receipts and a project report at the end of the first grant( in that financial year which runs form the 1^st April to 31^st March) Once a group has been awarded £1000 in that financial year you will not be able to apply again until the next financial year, and all receipts and a report has been provided.

We are unable to accept applications for the community grant to support:

• Requests to buy goods and/or services on behalf of another organisation.
• Applications to develop the financial reserves of the organisation, this will include purchasing items for fund raising purposes such as for raffles.
• Religious, party political or lobbying activities (non-religious and multi-faith activities may be funded).
• Loans or debt repayments.
• Paying taxi fares to allow people to attend meetings/events.
• core funding which is ongoing running costs of an organisation (including staffing costs for permanent or fixed term employees) day-to-day organisational running costs, like utility bills and insurance.
• Maintenance costs.
• Projects and activities for personal profit.
• Purchase of vehicles.
• Individuals requesting funding.
• Referee fees.

After an application is received, the Community Investment Co-ordinator will contact the applicant if further information is required. When all information is supplied, a grant panel meeting will be arranged. The panel will be made up of believe housing tenants, supported by the Community Investment Coordinator’s. If the tenant grant panel cannot meet the panel will then be made up of the Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility Manager and Community Investment Performance Team Leader.

We aim to inform applicants of the decision within four weeks from the date the application is submitted. Where possible, we will provide feedback and support to help you develop an application that meets the criteria.

Please make sure you allow enough time for the panel to consider your application when setting out project timescales as we are unable to fund projects retrospectively.

If believe housing agree to award a grant to help fund your project or activity, then you will be required to agree to terms and conditions.

To read the full terms and conditions, please click here.

Before completing the application, please make sure your project will be of benefit to one or more of the areas believe housing operates in, you have a bank account with two unrelated signatories, and you can provide us with two named contacts for your project; otherwise, your application will not be considered.