Community funding

£170,000 grant funding awarded to dozens of Chesterfield organisations

Over £170,000 worth of funding has now been awarded to community groups and local voluntary organisations in Chesterfield – with a further £140,000 set to be awarded to groups by the end of the year.

A total of 50 community groups and voluntary organisations have been awarded funding through Chesterfield Borough Council’s Community Grants Fund, and applications have now reopened, meaning even more groups could access funding support.

Funding for the grants scheme has been successfully secured from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), together with money raised through the Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Portion (CIL).

The Community Grants Fund scheme was launched last year to help organisations deliver grassroots projects that will improve life for local people.

The grants are already being used to support local groups deliver projects that support resilient, healthy, and safe neighbourhoods, as well as initiatives which will help to tackle food poverty and social isolation, or support people to get in to work.

It is also supporting projects that will reduce the borough’s impact on the climate and wider environment by promoting greener choices.

The latest round of funding, tranche three, has seen the following groups awarded funding:

• The Volunteer Centre
• Pathways of Chesterfield
• Duckmanton Miners Welfare
• AshGate Heritage Arts
• Compassionate Voices
• Chesterfield in Bloom Community Committee
• Mindscapes
• ChitChat
• Inspiring Inkersall
• 1st Brimington Brownies
• Inclusive Pedals
• Chesterfield Foodbank
• Community Development Chesterfield
• Chesterfield Cricket Club
• Cycle Chesterfield
• Newbold Community Association
• Ashgate Hospice

Applications for the fourth round of funding are now open – with a total of £105,000 available to groups who apply by the deadline on Friday 28 June 2024. The latest round allows even more eligible organisations to apply for grant funding and with grants ranging from £500 to £50,000 this time, it can help local group fund larger capital projects to benefit local communities.

Full details on funding, eligibility criteria and details of how to apply can be found at: https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/business-and-economic-growth/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-ukspf/community-grants-fund.aspx

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We’re lucky to have so many community groups and voluntary organisations here in Chesterfield that support our communities,
“I’m pleased that, through external funding schemes, we are able to support those who work tirelessly to deliver projects and initiatives that make a real difference to the lives of local people.

“We’ve already awarded over £170,000 of grant funding to 50 different groups and organisations across out community through the Community Grants Scheme and it’s been great to watch the progress they are making so far. I’m sure the latest round of funding will help even more local groups deliver vital projects that will help our communities continue to thrive.”

Alongside the Community Grants Fund, the council is running a community development project which will provide support to organisations wanting to apply for the grant. If you would like any help or guidance with submitting a bid, please contact the team on:

  • Email: communitygrants@chesterfield.gov.uk
  • Phone: 01246 959657 or 07790 977317
  • Post: Community Grants Fund, c/o Wendy Blunt,
    Health and Wellbeing Officer,
    Chesterfield Borough Council,
    Town Hall,
    Chesterfield,
    S40 1LP

Applications will reopen again later in the year to support even more community groups and local voluntary organisations.

The community grants are just one initiative which is benefiting from funding through the UKSPF, after the council was successful in securing £2.6m from the Government. It will fund initiatives up to April 2025, which are designed to improve life for local people and support local businesses.

 

 

Female leader of Chesterfield Borough Council in red jacket on Town Hall balcony

Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council

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Derbyshire companies invited to bid for funding to boost the local economy

Organisations in Derbyshire are being invited to bid for funding to deliver projects that will get people back into work and boost the local economy.

Derbyshire County Council has been identified by government as the lead authority in the county to deliver the new national Community Renewal Fund which has been set up to support people and communities most in need, tackle disadvantage and break down the barriers to employment and better skills.

Derbyshire Dales and High Peak have been identified by government as 2 of the 100 areas prioritised for access to the fund, based on an index of economic measures around productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density – although other places can apply. Applications from other areas that demonstrate a good fit with the grant criteria and links to the priority areas may also receive funding.

From April 2021 to March 2022, up to £3 million has been targeted by government for projects in each of Derbyshire’s priority areas with bids being welcomed from a range of organisations including local authorities, public sector organisations, higher and further education institutions, private sector organisations and registered charities.

Piloting new approaches and innovative ideas at a local level will be a key part of the projects to be funded.

The bidding process is now open and the authority is inviting applications for funding for projects that will secure:

  • Investment in skills – work-based training; retraining, upskilling/reskilling; and promoting digital skills and inclusion
  • Investment for local business – supporting entrepreneurs to create more job opportunities; encouraging businesses to develop their innovation potential; and supporting decarbonisation measures
  • Investment in communities and place – feasibility studies for delivering net-zero/local energy projects; promoting culture-led regeneration and community development; improving green spaces and preserving important local assets; and promoting rural connectivity.
  • Support people into employment – supporting people on their journey towards employment; identifying/addressing barriers to employment/moving closer to the labour market; raising aspirations / supporting individual to access employment support; supporting people to develop basic skills for sustainable work; testing what works in helping people move towards work.

Tim Gregory,  Director of Economy, Transport and Environment for Derbyshire County Council, said:

“We welcome this opportunity to bring more government funding into Derbyshire to boost skills and employment, improve quality of life, aid regeneration and support our ambition to cut emissions from the Derbyshire economy to net zero by 2050.”

The closing date for sending applications is midnight on 10 May 2021. All applications will be assessed and a proposed list of projects submitted to government by 18 June 2021.

Government will announce which projects have been successful in late July. All projects must be delivered and complete by 31 March 2022.

Find out more information about the Community Renewal Fund here

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Vital funding confirmed for community groups in Chesterfield

Community groups in Chesterfield are set to benefit from more than £30,000 of funding that has been provided through the Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhoods Fund.

The Chesterfield Borough Council funding is being provided to a wide range of community groups for a variety of different projects, all of which have important benefits to local communities and support the objectives outlined in the Council Plan.

Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This funding ensures that much needed projects for our community can be supported and delivered for the benefit our residents. This funding is a result of new developments in the borough and demonstrates how we can leverage new developments to ensure they can help meet the needs of our residents in as many ways as possible.

“In the last few months, we have provided well over £100,000 to community groups through this fund. We have further application deadlines coming up, and I would encourage all eligible community groups that are in need of funding in Chesterfield to apply through this scheme.”

This latest round of funding has been provided to six different projects including money for the Cosy Hub to purchase laptops and provide support to residents when creating CVs and for children to complete their homework on. It has also provided funds for the Friends of Hasland Community Hub to improve facilities in the Working Men’s Club to allow several groups to meet at the same time.

The Friends of Stand Road Park has received funding to help provide further improvements to the park and ensure it has excellent facilities for local residents.

Graham King, Chair of Friends of Stand Road Park, said: “The group is delighted to have been awarded the CIL funding for our project. Our community consultation, for which we undertook an extensive opinions survey, has shown that the community’s next priority for improving the park is to install a network of paths with benches at appropriate intervals. The CIL award will allow us to put in eight park benches. We shall site them at locations to suit the route of the future paths. We aim to put in the paths later once we have raised the required funding”.

Another group that received funding are Derbyshire LGBT+ which works to support Chesterfield’s LGBT+ community. The money will help ensure they can continue to provide their services to local residents.

Ian Robson, Chief Executive Officer of Derbyshire LGBT+, said: “Derbyshire LGBT+ is very grateful to Chesterfield Borough Council for supporting us with a grant from the Community Infrastructure Levy fund. This money will allow us to continue operating our Chesterfield community centre, supporting Chesterfield’s LGBT+ communities of all ages in dealing with issues of general health, mental health, sexual health, loneliness and isolation. Our centre provides many support groups and drop-in sessions each week.”

The Community Infrastructure Levy is a charge that councils can place on new developments in their area through the planning process. It is used primarily to fund infrastructure around the new developments, it can include but is not limited to roads, schools, parks and flood defences. Chesterfield is the only borough in Derbyshire currently using the levy to fund infrastructure and projects.

Funding for community groups comes from the Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Fund. Of the total funding 15% is provided to the neighbourhoods fund. In Brimington and Staveley this money is given directly to the respective town and parish councils to allocate, and Chesterfield Borough Council is responsible for this funding in the rest of the borough.

Find out more about how to apply for the next round of funding on the council’s website: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/cil-funding

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