This year a total of £25,000 is available through our Community Fund. This is accessible to both individuals and new and existing groups and projects.
Our funding can be used to help with:
- Items of equipment
- Local events and one-off projects
- Training to improve your group / project’s effectiveness, eg. management, budgeting etc
- Printing and publicity
- Course costs, books and equipment
Funding available
There are four different levels of funding available:
-
Individual learning (up to £250)
To help Cottsway customers and their immediate family to learn new skills and increase job prospects. For example, training courses, sports coaching courses, qualifications and / or materials to support your learning.
- Download: Individual application form
-
Neighbourhood activities (up to £500)
To fund a particular project or activity which will be of benefit to your neighbourhood.
For example, activities and trips that involve or bring the neighbourhood together.
- Download: Community application form
-
Community projects (up to £2,500)
To help community groups with one-off and ongoing environmental, social or educational projects which are accessible to Cottsway customers.
For example, funding for equipment, printing and publicity and training to improve services.
- Download: Community application form
-
Environmental projects (up to £5,000)
To help community groups with one-off and ongoing environmental projects which will directly benefit Cottsway customers.
For example, community clear ups and improvements to communal areas.
- Download: Community application form
Eligibility criteria
Anyone within West Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire or Worcestershire can apply, provided the project meets one of the following aims:
- Encourages local people to get involved (contributing to an inclusive and active community)
- Supports learning and skills development (increasing employment prospects for our customers)
- Tackles rural exclusion or social isolation (increasing well-being)
- Provides financial advice (reducing poverty and preventing debt)
- Helps people get online (reducing digital exclusion)
How grants are decided
All applications which meet the eligibility criteria will be reviewed and assessed by our customers. This ensures that funding is used to support the most popular projects.
If you are one of our customers, and you would like to have your say on which projects should be funded, join our private Facebook group: Communities@Cottsway
Cottsway Community Fund: Annual report 2019-20
Our annual report highlights some of the great causes that we supported last year.
