Community projects and funding
Here you will find resources which provides a range of useful information to help local people to actively participate in their communities. This includes individuals, residents who live in Worcestershire, as well as community groups who provide services for people in the county.
The Council has selected local and national resources to support individuals and groups setting up Community Projects across Worcestershire. Alongside this information, a dedicated place to go for local and national funding to help your Community Group get up and running or to support established groups already supporting the community.
Local resources and links to support community groups
We Can (Worcestershire Community Action Network)
Each district in Worcestershire has its own organisation dedicated to supporting grassroots community action, local groups and small charities. Their services are varied but may include – help with volunteer recruitment, applying for funding, policy writing, fundraising, networking and provide vital links into the local communities.
Who we are – We CAN – Worcestershire Community Action Network (we-can.today)
Community First
Community First is at the forefront of sustainable, robust community development in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, they specialise in providing high quality advice and support to community groups and organisations, to help them grow and meet the needs of the communities they serve.
Worcestershire Community Builders
Worcestershire Community Builders work locally in each of Worcestershire’s six districts.
A Community Builder is a unique role focused on supporting the development of strong, thriving, and welcoming communities. They develop an in-depth knowledge of local people, organisations, and resources, and can support residents to develop ideas they have for their neighbourhoods.
Community Builders can support residents by connecting people with shared interests, supporting people to find out more about what is already happening in their local area, or simply helping them to meet more people.
Community Builders can also support residents wishing to start new community groups or develop new initiatives in their community.
To find out if there is a Community Builder working in your area please access the document below.
Download: Community Builder Directory (PDF)
Worcestershire VCSE Alliance (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise)
The Alliance is a newly formed collective of 25 representative Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations with mission to build a stronger VCSE sector working together effectively to deliver excellent services aligned to need.
Worcestershire VCSE Alliance - Better done together (worcsalliance.org)
My Parish Pages
Visit our local Parish webpages to find out more information about what is happening in your local Parish, including events, Parish meetings and links to the Parish clerks.
Worcestershire Insights
Worcestershire Insights is a free and open website designed so that users can easily access local data relevant to Worcestershire. This site brings together a collection of data from local and national sources, across several themes to provide a full overview of Worcestershire and how it compares locally and nationally.
The data available could support both planning and research prior to any funding application. The data will form a base line of research which could be used to support your bid for funding or grants. An essential tool to support local charities or groups secure funding.
Cranfield Trust
The Cranfield Trust help charities unlock new levels of potential. Cranfield Trust is the leading provider of pro bono consultancy and management support for charities in the UK. The network of highly skilled volunteer consultants and advisers helps charities succeed and thrive by offering mentoring, management consultancy, peer support, advice, training and information.
Cranfield Trust provide useful guides and tools for charity fundraising including top tips for writing a successful tender bid.
Young Solutions
Young Solutions Worcestershire are a progressive infrastructure charity dedicated to keeping young people throughout Worcestershire safe and involved. Their work focuses on providing advice and training, supporting the work of their members, youth clubs, community groups, and other organisations with the well-being with children and young people at their core.
National resources and links to support community groups
Locality
Locality is the national membership network supporting local community organisations to be strong and successful. Locality provides specialist advice, peer-learning, resources and campaigns to help every community thrive by supporting communities to come together to transform lives and build a fairer society.
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO):
NCVO offer membership community for charities, voluntary organisations and community groups in England to champion voluntary action. NCVO has over 17,000 members, made up of all causes, shapes and sizes. From big charities to local sports clubs.
NCVO offer a range of training courses designed to help support charities, organisations and community groups. NCVO offer support, events, consultancy and corporate relations.
Setting up a charity
Government advice and guidance on the steps you need to take to setting up and running a charity. The guidance offers advice and information regarding the initial stages of set up and how to register.
Setting up and running a charity GOV.UK
Information sheets
Community Action: MK support charities and community groups with developing best practice and policies and procedures. They produce a range of information sheets and an advice service for further support.
Starting a group resource centre
The Resource Centre is a charity serving voluntary and community groups in the Brighton and Hove area. The Resource centre are used by around 800 different local groups every year, from playgroups to environmental campaigns, residents associations to arts organisations. The Resource Centre has a number of resources available online.
Starting a group Resource Centre
NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action)
NAVCA is the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action. Members are local VCS infrastructure organisations, who support local charities and community groups with volunteering, capacity building, partnerships and more. NAVCA support local social action, brings members together and shares insight, knowledge and intelligence
Office of National Statistics: Create a custom dataset
This is a unique innovation for official statistics and will allow users to look for interactions between topics which are important to them as well as to build their own Census 2021 datasets.
To use the tool, simply select a population to get started. From there, you can change the geography of your dataset and filter the data by sex and age, and add as many variables as you want. You can also access pre-built flexible datasets, which you can customise with additional variables.
Create a custom dataset - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
Local funding
Funding finder (Open 4 Community)
Open 4 community provides access to a searchable database of funding opportunities from government, lottery, EU, non-government, and charitable trusts locally and nationally. This service is currently provided free through Worcestershire County Council.
Crowdfund Worcestershire #CrowdfundWorcs
Enabling everyone to imagine, fund and launch local projects that bring Worcestershire to life.
Crowdfund Worcestershire is a crowdfunding initiative that provides groups countywide with a platform to share their project ideas and raise funds to bring it to life. The programme provides a springboard for locally led ideas to attract funding more easily, while enabling everyone who cares about their community to contribute.
Although the programme is now closed for this year, Worcestershire County Council has funding to support crowdfunding activities in the next financial year.
If you would like to have a look at previous projects and the support pledged, please Crowdfund Worcestershire.
Worcestershire Community Foundation:
Worcestershire Community Foundation is an independent charitable hub for the whole county – dedicated to helping to ensure that Worcestershire is a place to thrive by supporting and providing a voice for the voluntary and community sector. Worcestershire Community Foundation is part of a national network of 47 Community Foundations and the UK’s fourth-largest funding body.
Worcestershire Community Foundation
Councillors' Divisional Fund (WCDF)
A Worcestershire Councillors' Divisional Fund (WCDF) has been created to enable local members to access money to help local initiatives and support 'good works' which play an important role in promoting the economic, social and environmental well-being of communities within Worcestershire. Each of the 57 members of the Council have an allocation of £10,000 (per financial year), to spend on locally-determined initiatives within their Divisions. They have reasonable discretion as to how to spend their allocation, as long as they are lawful for the Council, rational and are properly recorded.
Councillors' Divisional Fund Scheme
Together Fund
Together Funding from Sport England and The National Lottery, to help reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 and the widening of the inequalities in sport, physical activity and exercise.
Active Herefordshire & Worcestershire - Together Fund (activehw.co.uk)
The Eveson Trust
The Eveson Trust provides local charities grants to support the community.
National funding opportunities
There are a number of organisations who can support local charities and community groups by providing funding. In much the same way you can search for different funds and grants using Funding Finder or apply to some of the national funds listed below:
Funding finder (Open 4 Community)
Open 4 community provides access to a searchable database of funding opportunities from government, lottery, EU, non-government, and charitable trusts locally and nationally. This service is currently provided free through Worcestershire County Council.
The National Lottery Community Fund
There are a range of funding opportunities available through the National Lottery
Sport England
Sport England offers different funding programmes which are open to a wide range of organisations. Funding is available for sports clubs, voluntary and community organisations, local authorities, schools, colleges and universities.
Arts Council
The Arts Council England is a government-funded body dedicated to promoting the performing, visual and literary arts in England. Since 1994, Arts Council England has been responsible for distributing lottery funding. This investment has helped to transform the building stock of arts organisations and to create much additional high-quality arts activity.
The Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund sustains and transforms a wide range of heritages through innovative investment in projects with a lasting impact on people and places. Funding can be used for museums, parks, historic places, archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions. There are a range of different grant programmes, with grants from £3,000 to over £5million.
‘Find a Grant’ digital service
The Cabinet Office has launched a ‘Find a Grant’ digital service, a single place for eligible individuals and organisations to find and apply for government grants and gain access to financial support.
Become a volunteer
Worcestershire Community Action Network (We CAN)
Is a group of locally based organisations with strong links to the grassroots voluntary sector. The six voluntary organisations that have come together as We CAN cover all the localities of Worcestershire. Among us there are Volunteer Centres, Councils for Voluntary Service, community transport providers and community action charities.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, there are lots of fantastic opportunities around Worcestershire.