Council opening hours throughout Christmas
Some Westmorland and Furness Council offices will be closed over the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays. Read the full list of Council opening hours during the festive period.
Community Fund
Funding is available for projects that demonstrate lasting community benefit.
Who can apply
Local and not-for-profit groups running community projects for residents should apply. Previous groups that have received funding include:
- village halls
- play groups
- community centres
- environmental groups
- residents and tenants’ associations
- parish councils
- local history groups
- sports groups
- youth groups
What we fund
Funding can go towards things like:
- start-up costs of a new group or community initiative
- refurbishment costs of community hubs, including village halls and community centres
- new equipment costs
Funding available
Your project can receive up to £5,000 if it meets the priorities of your Locality Board.
Locality Boards prefer to grant funding to projects that have applied for less than 100% of their costs.
If your group needs funding for all of your costs, you can search for other grants on our Grant Finder.
How to apply
Our Community Development Teams organise the Community Fund. There are three teams - Eden, Furness and South Lakeland.
Please contact your local team before making your application.
Find your locality area on our map (PDF , 3.5MB)
You’ll need to provide:
- copy of your group’s constitution
- recent bank statements
- annual accounts
- equal opportunities policy (or statement)
- a breakdown of all costs associated with your project, supported by at least two quotes or estimates from suppliers
- a child protection policy (if working with children or young people)
- a safeguarding vulnerable adults policy (if working with vulnerable adults)
- minutes of your annual general meeting (AGM), if applicable
Contact your Area Community Development Team
For advice about your application, supporting documents and policies, please contact us:
- Eden Community Development Team: Eden.AreaSupport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
- Furness Community Development Team: Barrow.AreaSupport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
- South Lakeland Community Development Team: Southlakeland.AreaSupport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Application form and resources
- Community Grant Application Form (PDF , 423KB) (23/05/2025)
- Community Grant Application Guide (PDF , 953KB) (23/05/2025)
- Community Grant Applications: Terms and Conditions of Funding, the Application Process and General Criteria (PDF , 128KB) (23/05/2025)
- Community Grant Project Achievement Report (PDF , 99KB) (23/05/2025)
- Community Grant Project Budget Planner (PDF , 127KB) (23/05/2025)
When to apply
Panels review applications before each Locality Board meeting at certain times. Each Board has their own approval process.
Once budgets are final, future dates will be confirmed.
If you need information about the application deadlines in your area, you should contact your local community development team.