Community grants

Cheshire East Council prides itself on supporting the Voluntary Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector. Having a responsive grants process, a good relationship with the sector and a shared understanding of meeting either existing or emerging needs of the community, allows for systematic partnership working. The needs of our communities can change and the need to pilot and test service delivery to sense check what works in what areas is important and we aim to do this through grant allocation.

Enabling Communities Community Grants Programme 2025 - 2026

The Enabling Communities Programme is a significant part of the Council’s transformation plan. It is focused on embedding community-approaches, to provide early support for individuals to lead an ordinary life, and to create healthy neighbourhoods.

Our intention, through these funds, is to work collaboratively, and alongside statutory partners, to intervene as early as possible to build resilience in our communities. 

Cost of Living Community Response Fund funded by the Household Support Fund

Grants are available to support the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in the borough to respond to the needs of their beneficiaries through interventions, advice and support to help to alleviate the Cost-of Living Crisis. The grants will be funded by the Household Support Fund. The Household Support Fund provides crisis support to financially vulnerable households most in need. 

Applications for up to £10,000 will be considered from organisations for local projects, meeting local need and fund objectives.

The objectives of the Cost-of-Living Response grant are to:

• Building local resilience, preventing poverty, and establishing sustainable community infrastructure. Creating a lasting impact within communities by addressing immediate needs and contributions to long-term stability.
• Support the VCFSE sector to develop sustainable food solutions and long-term support to reduce the dependence on food banks.
• Enable those adversely impacted by the Cost of Living to access the right help and support at the right time.

Please refer to the Cost of Living Community Response Fund supporting document (PDF, 192KB)  for full fund details, eligibility criteria and project examples. 

Apply for a Cost of Living community fund grant

Digital Communities Fund funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund 

Grants are currently available to improve, digital connectivity through the Digital Connectivity Fund, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Funding (capital grants) will be awarded by Cheshire East Council towards projects which demonstrate investment and support for digital infrastructure for local community facilities.

Applications for up to £7,000 will be considered from organisations for local projects, meeting local need and fund objectives. 

The objectives of the Digital Connectivity fund is:

• Demonstrate investment and support for digital infrastructure for local community facilities.
• Building resilient, safe and healthy neighbourhoods, through investment in quality places that people want to live, work, play and learn in, through targeted improvements to the built environment and innovative approaches to crime prevention.

To apply for funding we will be looking for projects that can demonstrate the need in improvement of digital connectivity. 

Please refer to the Digital Communities Fund supporting document (PDF, 260KB) for full fund details, eligibility criteria and project examples. 

Apply for the Digital Communities Fund

Enabling Prosperity and Wellbeing in Cheshire East Fund funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Cheshire East Council is offering grants that will support the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in building thriving, connected communities. The funding will help strengthen partnerships, improve health and wellbeing, and unlock new opportunities for adults, families, and children across the borough.

Applications for up to £10,000 will be considered from organisations for local projects, meeting local need and fund objectives.

The objectives of the Enabling Prosperity and Wellbeing in Cheshire East grant are:

• Communities connected through an improved, accessible rural and urban transport network including active travel
• Carbon reduction and green energy production
• Gap in health equalities is reduced across our diverse borough through a targeted approach
• Improved independence, health and wellbeing through early intervention and prevention
• Everyone feels safe and secure, difference is celebrated, and abuse and exploitation not tolerated
• Communities build their capacity, with support to access information, guidance and funding
• Lasting solutions are delivered through strong and committed partnerships

Please refer to the Enabling Prosperity and Wellbeing in Cheshire East supporting document (PDF, 175KB) for full fund details, eligibility criteria and project examples. 

Apply for the Enabling Prosperity and Wellbeing in Cheshire East Fund

Healthy Neighbourhoods Fund funded by the Integrated Care Board 

 

System Partners (ICB, Primary Care, Acute trusts, Local Authority, VCFSE reps) are working together to create healthier neighbourhoods in Cheshire East creating a blueprint of what we want to achieve as a system by 2030. As part of these developments, system leaders understand that to support good health and wellbeing there needs to be the right services in the right places that create healthy neighbourhoods. 

The Healthy Neighbourhoods grants will be funded by the Better Care Fund, Integrated Care Board (ICB). The Healthy Neighbourhoods Fund has been developed in Cheshire East to help reduce health inequalities and to support the creation of a sustainable health and care system. This fund will build on work undertaken by Care Communities, supporting those that are frail and high intensity users of primary care services.  To ensure geographical balance we aim to support at least 1 organisation per care community area. 

Applications for up to £15,000 will be considered from organisations for local projects, meeting local need and fund objectives. 

The objectives of the Healthy Neighbourhoods fund are:

• Support for integrated care and community-based interventions
• Reducing avoidable hospital admissions or escalation of care
• Improving quality of life and independence for people living with frailty and those identified as high-intensity service users
• Building on or enhancing existing local initiatives

Please refer to the Healthy Neighbourhoods supporting document (PDF, 217KB) for full fund details, eligibility criteria and project examples. 

Apply for a Healthy Neighbourhoods fund grant

Previous grants

Visit our Grant funded projects web page to see what has been funded previously and how you can access these funded services. 

GrantFinder

Does your organisation need funding? Would you like support searching for funding opportunities for your organisation?

GrantFinder is one of the largest and most comprehensively supported databases of its type. It offers users a user-friendly, accurate and continuously updated package that has helped to facilitate the securing of millions of pounds’ worth of funding support. We have a licence to use the GrantFinder service, providing VCFSE organisations with bespoke funding searches for their organisation or for specific projects.

Request a funding search or contact the Communities team

For further information or to request a funding search, contact communitygrants2@cheshireeast.gov.uk

South Cheshire Funders Forum

Have you got a project you require funding for? Submit your expression of interest to the South Cheshire Funders Forum!

The forum consists of a group of funders committed to working together for the benefit of charities, people and groups in Crewe and South Cheshire. Our forum includes Cheshire Community Foundation, who host and provide administrative support, The Julia Rausing Trust, and The Steve Morgan Foundation. Although there is likely to be greater demand than funds available, as Funders working together, we are committed to doing as much as we can and making the process simpler for charities.

Visit the South Cheshire Funders and Cheshire Community Foundation websites for further information.