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Funding applications - where to start?

20/07/2010

A beautifully greened, gated alleyway

If you’ve ever read of a local community group getting funding for something and thought “I wish we could get funding” then carry on reading!

There are lots of grants that you can apply for, so - if you and your neighbours want to make improvements to your local environment, start growing your own vegetables on a shared piece of land, or even plant some fruit trees in your street - there’s a very good chance that there’ll be a grant that you can apply for.

Chris Ricard, who lives in Whalley Range, recently entered a national competition for funding from The Big Lottery Fund, and was delighted when her idea of “Celebrate Your Alleygates” won! The result is an incredible £35,000 worth of funding, which will be spent on creating green spaces in the gated alleyways between the narrow, terraced streets of Whalley Range; a project that will bring neighbours together, growing plants and getting to know one another much better.

Her advice is to just “go for it” and apply. If you’ve never applied for anything like this before, here are Chris’s top tips to help you through the application process:

1. Your idea doesn’t have to be grand – often, the very simplest projects are the ones that have a really big impact on your community.

2. Make sure that everyone in the neighbourhood is involved in the project.

3. If you’re not sure how to fill the form in, don’t be nervous of asking for help with it – there are always contact details on the form.

4. If you’ve got an idea but aren’t sure what funding might be available, try typing the words “community grants” into an internet search and see what comes up!

5. Take inspiration from other local success stories: if you hear of a project that you think would work well in your street or neighbourhood, don’t be shy of asking how it was done. Other groups are often very pleased to pass on ideas and advice.

6. If your group hasn’t got an official ‘constituted’ group status or group bank account, you can usually have the grant or funding paid into another group’s account instead. A local school, church or temple, for example, or a residents’ association with its own constitution can be nominated as your banker.


Follow the links below to find out about two of the regular grants that you can apply for from Manchester City Council.

Related Link(s)