Woking Council Community Fund

Applying for a community grant will get easier as Woking Borough Council is joining forces with the Community Foundation for Surrey to support the voluntary sector and vulnerable people from across the borough.

Purpose

The new partnership will take effect for grants in 2023/24 where the Community Foundation for Surrey (CFS) will take overall responsibility for receiving and processing community grant applications on behalf of Woking Borough Council. We are delighted to announce that this new fund will be called the Woking Council Community Fund.

This collaborative approach will be more efficient in enabling community groups to apply for funding through one single expression of interest, without the need for multiple applications. It will also enable groups to access wider funds that are not restricted solely to the council’s grants scheme.

On top of the partnership with CFS, Woking Borough Council will directly commission some charities that provide an essential service to local people using a Service Level Agreement (SLA) arrangement. Those charities will still be able to apply directly to CFS for our other funding but will not be eligible for this fund. As in past years, the Council will consider the level of grant funding available to be set aside in its Budget during the Autumn, which will be agreed formally at the Full Council meeting in February. It is anticipated that the available funding for the 2023/24 financial year will be in the order of between £100,000 and £200,000.

Woking Borough Council will set the annual budget for this Fund and agree the funding criteria to meet its strategic priorities.

A link to the Council’s press release is available here and includes an introductory video by Councillor Will Forster, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for the Voluntary Sector.

Eligibility

The Community Foundation for Surrey Eligibility criteria apply – click here for details
Organisations benefitting residents of Woking Borough will be eligible to apply.

What we will fund – our strategic priorities

Healthier Communities

e.g. projects which support improving health outcomes in our communities in particular addressing health inequalities in our borough (Priorities: Mental Health, Living independently, carers, isolation and loneliness, obesity)
e.g. projects that encourage and increase active lifestyles and participation through the provision of varied cultural and sporting opportunities and amenities
e.g. projects supporting safer communities
e.g. projects to provide early support to improve residents health and wellbeing, or support residents to be more proactive about their health.
e.g. Support improved engagement in active lifestyles, in particular by under-represented groups/ages

Engaged Communities

e.g. projects which support the ability of communities to develop solutions to local needs and support those most disadvantaged in our communities
e.g. projects supporting older, vulnerable and disabled people in our community
e.g. projects supporting engagement in areas of the borough highlighted by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, particularly with children, younger people and older people.

Greener Communities

e.g. projects which support access to green space for members of the community who wouldn’t normally be able to access.
e.g. projects which support the Borough in tackling climate change, noting the Council’s target of the Borough becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

Prospering Communities

e.g. projects which support our communities to improve skills and raise aspirations
e.g. projects which improve signposting of career opportunities to those seeking employment and training

What this fund will not support

Large capital projects such as buildings or purchase of vehicles.
Projects with beneficiaries not resident in Woking (if your work benefits a wider area, please tell us what percentage of your beneficiaries are resident in Woking).

Size of grants

The level of funding offered would normally be up to £10,000 for 1 year in the first instance, although this could vary depending on the grant award currently being received from the Council, the level of service provided in the Borough and any exceptional circumstance.

Download the priorities here

How to apply to the Woking Council Community Fund

Application to the Woking Borough Council Fund will now come through the normal Community Foundation’s application process. This is a two-stage process which in the first instance involves a short, online Expression of Interest (EOI) form. The Expression of Interest Form has been carefully designed to be as easy as possible to complete and will just need a high-level outline of what you would like funding for. You can submit an EOI at any time and this process gives applicants access to all 89 of the Community Foundation’s funds as well as the Woking Council Community Fund.

The EOIs are reviewed on a rolling basis and if eligible you will be invited to submit a full application.

The deadline for full applications will be 23^rd January 2023 and the Fund will make awards in May 2023.

Applications will be assessed against the strategic priorities set by the Council as set out in the Woking for All strategy, which informs the Fund priorities.

Woking Borough Council Members and Officers will sit on the grants panel along with Community Foundation for Surrey representatives.

Meet our Grants Team

We will be holding two Q&A session over Zoom where there will be the opportunity to meet representatives from the Foundation and the Council, receive further information about the process and ask any questions you might have. The sessions will be held on:

11am, Tuesday 6^th September
10am, Thursday 8^th December

You can register for the sessions on the Community Foundation for Surrey website