Community Grants Fund

We are inviting community groups and voluntary organisations from across Chesterfield to apply for support from our Community Grants Fund. 

The Community Grants Fund aims to support local projects that help to build resilient, healthy, and safe neighbourhoods, as well as initiatives which will help reduce the borough’s impact on the climate and wider environment by promoting greener choices.

Funding can also be used by community projects to develop volunteering opportunities, help people prepare to get in to work, and to support organisations to expand their reach into different areas of the borough.

Here are some examples of community groups and voluntary organisations that have used grant funding:

• outdoor learning supporting nursery children and families
• community hub projects providing free food and social activities
• Recovery Bike Workshops supporting recovering addicts
• one to one and group support for vulnerable adults
• gardening project introducing families to green spaces and home grown food
• dementia support project reducing social isolation and general wellbeing
• accessibility project providing online information on key venues and facilities
• renewal projects supporting community hubs with updated facilities 

Community group 'green' projects

We also welcome applications from community groups who have a project that could help promote greener choices across Chesterfield and reduce the impact on climate change in our borough such as:

• reducing reliance on car use; promoting and supporting walking, cycling and low carbon travel
• developing community gardens with a focus on growing your own fruit and vegetables
• waste minimisation, improving recycling rates, reduction of food waste, or facilitating item repair / reuse / upcycling
• installation of energy efficiency measures or renewable energy technologies at community buildings or facilities
• projects intended to reduce material consumption through lending schemes, or support for redistributing old items 

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from organisation if they:

• were a not-for-profit organisation
• had a constitution or written set of rules for the organisation
• had a bank account in your group’s name and at least two people (not related to one another) were required to sign any cheque or withdrawal from the account 
• had a set of accounts and make these available for inspection
• the group or activity was open to everyone
• the proposed activity was based in Chesterfield borough 

How to apply

Please read the guidance below, and discuss your application with a Community Development Worker before applying - they will give you a reference number to use as part of your application.

When you are ready you can apply to the Community Grants Fund online. 

There are two funding rounds this year:

Tranche six: open from 19 May to 20 June 2025, decisions announced by 25 July 2025.

Tranche seven: open from 29 September to 24 October 2025, decisions announced by 28 November 2025.

Community Grants Fund Guidance	(PDF 341 KB)
Budget and outputs table	(Word 18 KB)

Contact

If you have any queries, or want to speak to a Community Development Worker please get in touch.

Email: communitygrants@chesterfield.gov.uk

Phone: 01246 959657 or 07790 977317

UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) information

The council secured funding for the scheme from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), together with money raised through the Community Infrastructure Levy Neighbourhood Portion (CIL).

Chesterfield Borough Council has been awarded a further £1.1m through the UKSPF, to deliver a range of projects until March 2026. The funding was allocated to the council by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).