The people
We fund projects led by and for people living in neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of disadvantage, which are the most affected by health inequalities. This can be groups of people living very close together, or groups of people who have a shared identity or experience. Find out more about where we fund.
A neighbourhood-based project is small and local. For example, involving residents living in a few streets, an estate, a small village and working in one or more of our fundable neighbourhoods.
A community of interest is a group of people who have a shared identity or experiences and wish to come together to address issues that are important to them. They may live across a wider area but they must live close enough to each other to meet up regularly. Find out more about Communities of Interest.
Examples of communities of interest:
- Young people with mental health issues from east Dundee who want to produce a magazine to raise awareness of and promote activities around mental health issues
- Parents of children with autism from Pontypridd, who want to build upon an existing support group to create even stronger relationships with each other, and to promote local activities and share information
- A group of women experiencing domestic violence in and around Newark who want to establish a safe peer support network to help them feel more confident
- Young carers from north Wakefield, who feel isolated and want to expand upon the recreational activities available to them locally as a way to meet other young carers
- A traveller community based in Kent which aims to address economic disadvantage by encouraging women to set up small businesses
It is important to know that we only support communities of interest which experience social and economic disadvantage and you will be asked to demonstrate this in your application.
You can currently only apply online if you are a neighbourhood-based project. This is because the application process is slightly different for communities of interest.
If you want to apply as a community of interest, please contact us.
The organisation
To apply for Active Communities you must be part of an organisation that:
● is a not for profit organisation or group
● has been set up for at least three months
● supports people in creating or shaping local projects that will help their community or neighbourhood to become even better.
Your organisation must have:
● income of less than £350,000 a year (or an average of £350,000 or less over the last two years)
● less than six months’ annual running costs in savings (with no restrictions on the money). This does not include the grant you are requesting from us.
Find out more about our eligibility criteria in the application guidance.
