New Thriving Communities Fund opens for applications

17 Jul 2024

A new look community grant scheme for initiatives that will support the health and wellbeing of residents across West Suffolk, has now opened for applications.

Community groups, charities and voluntary organisations can now apply to West Suffolk Council’s Thriving Communities Fund. Grants are available toward initiatives that will benefit the health and wellbeing of residents from April 2025.

West Suffolk Council’s strategic priority for thriving communities, includes ensuring residents can access services, benefits, and support, as well as enabling them to improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing through a wide range of community activities. Much of this is through the council’s support for projects and initiatives delivered by community groups, charities, and voluntary organisations across West Suffolk.

The Thriving Communities Fund replaces Community Chest. The application process for the Thriving Communities Fund has been streamlined to encourage smaller community organisations to apply while two levels of grants are now available:

• Community grants of between £2,000 and £8,000 are available for one-off projects by community groups, that will support residents in a small part of the district such as an estate or village.
• Larger grants of between £8,001 and £20,000 – will fund work to support residents across the whole of West Suffolk or big parts of the district such as a town. Although organisations can apply for this level of funding, the council retains its discretion to take each application on its merits and may grant a smaller amount.

Smaller grants of £100 to £2,800 are available throughout the year from West Suffolk councillor locality budgets. 

The same project cannot receive funding from both the Thriving Communities Fund and locality budgets.

Cllr Donna Higgins, Cabinet Member for Families and Communities at West Suffolk Council, said: “I am delighted to open applications to The Thriving Communities Fund which will support community initiatives large and small to help the health and wellbeing of residents in West Suffolk.

“We have made it easier for community groups to apply particularly for those one-off projects that will benefit residents in their area such as a village or a housing estate.

“We will also continue to make funding available to those larger projects such as those run by charities and voluntary organisations to support residents either in a town or across the whole of the district.

“All of this will also contribute to the delivery of our strategic priority for Thriving Communities, ensuring residents can access services and support as well as activities to improve their health and wellbeing.”

The new Thriving Communities Fund is part of a package of close to £650,000 of community support funding for 2025-26 agreed by West Suffolk Council’s Cabinet in May and following input from members of the council’s Grant Working Party. 

That package includes: 

• £266,733 available under the Thriving Communities Fund for 2025-26
• £200,000 a year for Citizen’s Advice West Suffolk. The grant agreement which is for three years is towards its day-to-day costs. Previously Citizen’s Advice had to apply through Community Chest competing with other good causes for limited funds with no guarantee over what to expect.
• £179,200 under the councillor locality budget scheme. Each of West Suffolk’s 64 councillors has a locality budget of £2,800 a year to support community initiatives that will benefit residents in their ward area. 

Applications for the Thriving Communities Fund can now be made through the form at our community grants webpage where community groups can also find details about how to apply for support from councillor locality budgets.  The deadline for applications to the Thriving Communities Fund is noon on Friday 27 September 2024. Applications will be considered by the council’s Grant Working Party and decided by the council’s Cabinet in February before being paid in April 2025.

Community groups, charities and voluntary organisations can also join one of our two webinars to discuss the new fund.

These will also be on Teams on 23 July from 10.30am to 12noon – people can book online through the Network Event booking form 23 July. (link to form removed as no longer live)

And on 12 September from 1.30pm to 3pm – people can book online through the Network Event Booking Form - 12 September. (link to form removed as no longer live)

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