In this programme, you can apply for funding of up to £2,500 to help your small, grassroots project deliver work against the areas below. You must be able to tell us which area your work aligns with, and how you’ll know you’ve been successful with the work you want to do.
At panel, we will always prioritise applications for work which supports people who live in more deprived areas of Cheshire and Warrington according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Timelines:
This programme is open to applications on a rolling basis but the last deadline for a 2025 decision is 12th October. You can apply at any time during that window, and you’ll find the deadline dates for each decision panel below. You can expect to receive the outcome of your application within three weeks once the panel has met to consider your application, and payment within two weeks of accepting the terms and conditions of any grant, as long as you’ve fully met any conditions the panel has asked you to meet.
Dates and deadlines 2025:
Apply by: March 9th 2025, for decision date: April 23rd 2025
Apply by: May 18th 2025, for decision date: July 2nd 2025
Apply by: August 10th 2025, for decision date: September 24th 2025
Apply by: October 12th 2025, for decision date: November 26th 2025
Work you can apply for:
- helps people improve their financial skills and resilience, if they’re in a vulnerable financial position
- builds awareness of how to access financial support to which you may be entitled, or responsible sources of finance to turn to
- helps people build skills for work, or to gain experience which will help them move closer to a job
- helps create equal access to services which can help people save money.
- Builds awareness of and access to sources of affordable, healthy food across Cheshire and Warrington for those who are financially vulnerable
- Helps people access emergency food support when they need it
- Helps to build cooking and growing skills where people feel this will help them to eat well with the resources they have.
- empowers and promotes inclusion and equity for everyone in Cheshire and Warrington.
- helps people experiencing or supporting those are living in addiction
- helps people living with long-term health conditions to cope with the challenges their condition creates for accessing services, finding support or taking part in activities to improve a sense of wellbeing
- helps unpaid carers of any age
- supports people experiencing mental health challenges
- helps to remove barriers which may be facing children and young people when it comes to being ready for school, accessing their education and being in a fit state to learn
- helps young people grow their sense of aspiration for the future
- helps to grow skills for employment and entrepreneurship in Cheshire and Warrington.
- helps grassroots community organisations use nature to support better wellbeing.
Why are we prioritising these areas?
Our 2023 report Making a local difference as global citizens: evolving our grantmaking explored how our grantmaking priorities align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and how they are reflected in available data on needs across Cheshire and Warrington.
We’ve sense-checked those findings with you and, using your feedback, our small grants in 2024 are focused on reducing the impact of disadvantage for people against the Sustainable Development Goals above.
Accessibility
At Cheshire Community Foundation, we believe that everyone should be able to access our funding opportunities fairly. We recognise that some people may experience barriers when applying to us. If you need any additional support applying for any of our grant programmes, for whatever reason, please contact us at grants@cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk, or by calling 01606 330607. A member of our team will be happy to support you on your application journey, or to find alternative ways (such as paper, video, verbal, online, face-to-face or other methods) for you to get us the information we need to assess your application.