Councillors Community Funding now open

Surrey residents can now apply for cash grants to improve their local area through the re-launched Your Councillor Community Fund.

Last year the Fund (previously known as the Members Community Allocation) funded over £390,000 of grants to community groups via Surrey County Councillors.

This community fund provides financial support to community groups and projects that improve the quality of life in Surrey.

The fund is distributed every year by each of Surrey County Council’s 81 councillors in their local areas.  With their deep understanding of the needs and priorities of their communities they can ensure that the funding is targeted to areas where it is most needed and where it can make the biggest impact. It can be used across a variety of projects that help promote the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of their communities.

Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities Denise Turner-Stewart said : “The Your Councillor Community Fund is a great example of how even a small amount of funding can make a big difference in the communities we serve.

“Not only does it provide funding for these community projects, but it encourages community engagement and participation, which we know helps to build stronger and more resilient communities.

“This fund is just one of the many ways we at Surrey County Council are empowering communities with greater access to community funding in towns, villages and neighbourhoods”.

Residents are also able to apply for community funding to help deliver small (£1,000 – £50,000) or large (£10,000 – £2m) projects through Your Fund Surrey, with £60m of funding available, to deliver real benefits in towns and villages across Surrey.

The Your Councillor Community Fund is open now and closes in January 2024.

To apply for money from this year’s Your Councillor Community Fund you should contact your local county councillor.

More information can be found here Your Councillor Community Fund – Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk).

The examples below show the breadth of the types of projects that can be funded, from health and wellbeing initiatives, to ensuring brighter futures for young people, to reducing food waste.

Runnymede: Community Workshops and Gardens at Holme Farm. £1,000 funding towards their current IT setup.

The Community Workshop and Gardens at Holme Farm provides an accessible community hub with green space to enhance people’s well-being.

The centre is recognised by health professionals as being a first class choice for social and green prescribing.

Elmbridge: Eikon School Transition Programme, £3,900 funding towards their project activities.

Eikon’s schools transition programme provides bespoke and intensive support for 25 young people in high expulsion rate areas of Surrey, transitioning from primary to secondary school.

Support is offered through a series of one-to-one sessions, summer holiday workshops and parent support over a 10-month period in Elmbridge.

The aim of the programme is to boost the self-esteem, resilience, and confidence of these young people so that they can start school with a positive mindset. Providing them with skills and strategies if they face challenges with their school journey.

The overall ambition is that the young people remain in school. If they drop out of school their vulnerabilities increase significantly including to county lines, safeguarding issues and criminalisation.

Woking: Canalside Community Fridge, £400 funding put towards storage equipment, crates, and signage etc.

The Community Fridge collects surplus food from local supermarkets and shops helping them with zero waste and thus reducing their costs and then gives it out to the local community free of charge, with no referrals.

The organisation collects fresh fruit and veg helping the local community eat more healthily.

They make sure that all visitors realise they are helping stop food go to landfill and have had visits from local schools who offer breakfast free of charge.

They also help local community groups with their surplus such as York Road Project, the Foodbank.