Ward pots aim to support stronger, successful communities by making grants available to local voluntary and community groups.
If your organisation can contribute to your local area, you may be eligible for funding.
Who is eligible to apply
You don't need to be a registered charity or have a constitution to apply. You may apply if:
- your group is not for profit
- you have a bank account in your group’s name and at least two people (not related to one another) must sign any cheque or withdrawal from the account
- your group can run the activity and complete the form, even if you get some help with this – the contact for the grant and the person signing the form must be a member of the group or its management committee
- your activities begin and costs are incurred after receipt of a grant – you must also spend the entire grant and complete activities we have funded by 31 March 2026 or before unless this is an activity for Easter 2026, in which case this will be extended to the end of April 2026
- your group or activity is open to everyone – if your activity is not open to everyone, you need to tell us why and Councillors will decide if it is eligible
- your activities are for the benefit of people who live in the ward(s)
- your application should contribute to the relevant Local Area Committee’s priorities
Who is not eligible to apply
We will not consider applications from:
- other Council departments, Parish or Town Councils
- public bodies such as hospitals or health bodies
- education establishments including schools, universities or colleges – we' will accept applications from school PTAs and Friends group as long as applicants demonstrate that the application is for not for mainstream educational activity
- private businesses
- individuals, including consultants, tutors or instructors
We will not consider applications for:
- activities which do not benefit the specific ward you have applied to
- multiple wards for a single activity (such as a city wide event)
- activities for which there is no evidence of need or demand
- costs for which funding is already in place, for example for staffing or core costs for which other funding has already been received
- costs that have already been incurred before the grant has been awarded
- activities primarily aimed at promoting religious or political beliefs
- loans, debts or endowments
- flat rate volunteer expenses (as opposed to actual out-of-pocket expenses)
- anything that might bring us into disrepute
- costs that you would reasonably expect to fund yourself or costs for the benefit of individuals
Before you apply
Use the map on our Electoral wards page to find out what ward you're in before you start your application.
How to apply
Once you know what ward you're applying for, download and complete the application form. You can also read our application guide to help you.
You'll also need to refer to our Ward Priorities document when filling out the application form for the area that's relevant to you.
What happens next
Application forms will be checked against the requirements in our guidance document and eligible applications will be considered by Councillors in each Ward.
We will contact you by email (or post if you don't provide an email address) to let you know the results of your application. On some occasions, we may decide to award you a grant for less than the amount you applied for. You will have the opportunity to decline this award if your activity will not be viable.