Community grants

We actively support and encourage our communities with a number of grant opportunities. The types of grant available are summarised below, to find out more and apply, follow the links provided.

Suffolk Community Restart Fund - apply now

Do you run, lead or host an organisation or activity which plays a key role in your community? Are you a voluntary sector club or venue which has been paused during the pandemic? Apply now for funds, training and support as part of Suffolk Community Restart

Find out more and apply for Suffolk Community Restart Fund

Locality budgets

Available to community groups for projects or activities that the whole local community can enjoy, to contact your local Families and Communities officer see the ward map. For more details on this and restrictions, read the West Suffolk Council Locality Budget Scheme.

  • To apply you will need to contact your local councillor. To find out who your councillor(s) are and how to contact them, please visit our Councillors and meetings page.
  • For information about which community groups have received locality budget payments in West Suffolk, see our Locality budgets page.

Community Chest grants

The Community Chest funding round for 2022-2023 is now open.

Community Chest funding supports voluntary and community groups who make a contribution to improving the quality of life for people in West Suffolk.

Funded activities must help deliver the Families and Communities Approach and Families and Communities Strategy and eligibility criteria apply. The minimum amount that can be applied for is £1,000. This funding can be for one off projects or revenue funds for services.

Before you apply please read West Suffolk Council Community Chest Grant 2022-23 Guidance for applicants

To view the content of the application ahead of completing it please view the West Suffolk Council Community Chest Grant Sample Application Form 2022-23

Elected members of the Grant Working Party have produced an application guide video offering details of key information outlining the Community Chest process:

  • Community Chest online application form
    Please note: Community Chest applications will only be accepted by online portal. Reminder - The PDF application template is designed to help organisations plan and prepare for submission.

To discuss your application prior to submission please contact families.communities@westsuffolk.gov.uk or call 01638 719235.

The deadline for applications closes at 11.59pm on Friday 29 October 2021.

Further information

You can see our approach to funding illustrated in our Families and Communities funding approach diagram

For more information read Our approach to working with families and communities

Other funding sources

Home assistance grants

Funding is available from West Suffolk Council to assist families/residents to make safe, repair and improve their homes and we would like your help to engage with our communities.

We can assist in different ways, through Warmer Homes Healthy People or through the Home Assistance grant (HAG) to help home owners carry out repairs and improvements to their homes to ensure that they are warm, weatherproof or watertight, safe and secure and have reasonably modern kitchen and bathroom facilities.

To find out more, or to see if one of our other grants could help, see our Housing grants page.

Energy grants

For a wide range of grants and other assistance with energy saving initiatives for businesses and community venues, see the Green Suffolk website

Funding 4 Suffolk

Funding 4 Suffolk is a website which lets you browse available funding by organisation type. There are also hints and tips for completing successful funding applications as well as a section specifically for local funds. You can access Funding 4 Suffolk at: Community Action Suffolk - Sustainability and funding advice