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.
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 page Open data and transparency, locality budgets
Community Chest grants
The Community Chest funding round for 2021/2022 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.
Guidance and application documents
Please note, the Community Chest online application includes a ‘Save’ function, to allow groups to plan and complete the application process. To view the content of the application ahead of completing it please see Community Chest sample application form
Community Chest applications will only be accepted online. 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 is 4pm on Friday 30 October 2020.
Previous Community Chest Grant allocations
- West Suffolk Community Chest grant allocations 2018-19
- West Suffolk Community Chest grant allocations 2017-18
Previous Rural Initiatives Grants Scheme (RIGS) grant allocations
- St Edmundsbury Borough Council RIGS grant allocation 2018-19
- St Edmundsbury Borough Council RIGS grant allocations 2017-18
- St Edmundsbury Borough Council RIGS grant allocations 2016-17
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 in the Members Area of Community Action Suffolk (CAS)