*APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR SUPPORTING COMMUNITY WELLBEING 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 the borough to respond to the needs of their beneficiaries through intervention, advice and support.

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

• To allow organisations to recruit, co-ordinate and train volunteers who are supporting vulnerable residents to stay in their own homes, in the community, that will in turn reduce health inequalities and the demand in social care. 
• To increase the number of organisations that can match volunteers to vulnerable people needing support in their communities.
• To support vulnerable individuals that are discharged from hospital to rehabilitate in their own home.
• To provide accessible and affordable transport to services and appointments for vulnerable people, across all areas of Cheshire East that creates a diverse community transport offer that gives options for individuals with different circumstances. 
• 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.

Applications for up to £500 will be considered from organisations for support with organisational governance, meeting the objective below;

• To allow organisations to manage their basic governance, risk and compliance processes, utilising software licences and/or systems 

Examples of costs supported by the Supporting Community Wellbeing fund;

• Volunteer expenses, room hires for services, food and food preparation costs, driver training, digital equipment, software licences, advertising and marketing, vehicle maintenance, safeguarding training, volunteer specific training, DBS checks and more!

Please note, applications can be accepted for both categories above, making the total application amount available, £10,500. If you have recently applied into the Flourish Fund or/and Cost of Living Community Response fund, application must demonstrate additionality if applying for the same project (for example, longer opening times, costs to cover more volunteers, extension of timeframe that services are available for).

The deadlines for applications are as follows:

5pm, 22^nd November 2024

5pm, 29^th November 2024

Visit our Community Grants web page to apply Community Grants.

If you have any questions about making an application to the Supporting Community Wellbeing Fund, please contact communitygrants2@cheshireeast.gov.uk