Our annual report, value for money summary and full audited financial statements for 2023-24 are now published. Find out more and give your feedback online

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Home > Your community > Community Fund

Community Fund

This year a total of £30,000 is available through our Community Fund. This is accessible to both individuals and new and existing groups and projects. 

We help local charities and voluntary groups improve local communities by offering grants of up to £5,000.

If you live in a Cottsway home you, or family members who live with you, can apply for a grant of up to £250 to support your education, learning and skills development.

Our funding can be used to help with:

  • Items of equipment
  • Local events and one-off projects
  • Training to improve your group / project’s effectiveness, eg. management, budgeting etc
  • Printing and publicity
  • Course costs, books and equipment

Funding available

There are four different levels of funding available:

Individual learning (up to £250)

Neighbourhood activities (up to £500)

Community projects (up to £2,500)

Environmental projects (up to £5,000)

Individual learning (up to £250)

To help Cottsway customers and their immediate family to learn new skills and increase job prospects. For example, training courses, sports coaching courses, qualifications and / or materials to support your learning.

Neighbourhood activities (up to £500)

To fund a particular project or activity which will be of benefit to your neighbourhood.

For example, activities and trips that involve or bring the neighbourhood together.

Community projects (up to £2,500)

To help community groups with one-off and ongoing environmental, social or educational projects which are accessible to Cottsway customers.

For example, funding for equipment, printing and publicity and training to improve services.

Environmental projects (up to £5,000)

To help community groups with one-off and ongoing environmental projects which will directly benefit Cottsway customers.

For example, community clear ups and improvements to communal areas.

Eligibility criteria

Anyone within West Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire or Worcestershire can apply, provided the project meets one of the following aims:

  • Encourages local people to get involved (contributing to an inclusive and active community)
  • Supports learning and skills development (increasing employment prospects for our customers)
  • Tackles rural exclusion or social isolation (increasing well-being)
  • Provides financial advice (reducing poverty and preventing debt)
  • Helps people get online (reducing digital exclusion)

How grants are decided

All applications which meet the eligibility criteria will be reviewed and assessed by our customers. This ensures that funding is used to support the most popular projects.

If you are one of our customers, and you would like to have your say on which projects should be funded, join our private Facebook group: Communities@Cottsway

Cottsway Community Fund: Annual report 2023-24

Our annual report highlights some of the great causes that we supported last year: Read our latest Community Fund Annual Report

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