Grassroots organisations that help to support people to live well and independently in their own communities are being invited to apply for council funding to further enhance the work they do.
Oxfordshire County Council will relaunch its community capacity grants and connected communities fund for 2024/25 on Monday, September 16, with the overall pot now standing at £525,000.
Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, said: “Community groups in Oxfordshire are one of our most valuable assets that support people to live well and independently in their own community.
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“On the surface, they offer an enjoyable hobby or place to get together and socialise. But underneath they’re providing day to day support for people who might otherwise suffer from isolation and poor health.
"The simple activity of going to these groups can make a huge difference for someone, enabling them to live happily and independently at home."
The funding is split into two areas. The connected communities fund offers groups faster access to grants of up to £5,000 and is administered by Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action and Community First Oxfordshire.
The second is the larger community capacity grant fund that will consider applications from organisations looking for £5,000 to £20,000. Administered by Oxfordshire Community Foundation, this programme is for more established organisations to enable them to significantly enhance the work they do.
Due to the sizeable sums of money involved in the community capacity grants scheme and the high number of applicants, requests are subject to an assessment panel and generally have a lower chance of receiving funding compared to the connected community’s fund.
Community groups may only apply for one grant. Simultaneous requests to both funds will not be accepted.
Last year, Charlbury community workshop received £2,750 through the connected communities fund, helping it to officially launch the centre and budget for its running costs for the next 12 months.
Last year, 62 groups benefited from the connected communities fund, each receiving a share of £175,000.
The application window for the connected communities fund will open on Monday 16 September and will remain open until all the money has been distributed.
Alternatively, organisations looking for more than £5,000 can apply to the larger community capacity grants fund, offering access to up to £20,000 of the total £341,250 pot.
Last year, 24 organisations received a share of £325,000 from the community capacity fund. Around 100 eligible organisations applied. Oxfordshire Community Foundation was able to find a further £83,000 from other generous donors to fund an additional six organisations.
The application process for these larger grants takes more time, with proposals being considered by a panel from Oxfordshire Community Foundation in November.
Details of the fund are now available, with organisations being asked to submit their application between Monday, September 16 and Monday, October 14, when they will then be assessed.
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