Building Communities Trust

Quick Stats

• Initial Endowment: £16 million (National Lottery)
• Grant Range: £150,000 - £1,000,000 (programme dependent)
• Geographic Focus: Wales (specifically disadvantaged communities)
• Annual Income (2023): £275,844
• Total Expenditure (2023): £2,048,902
• Application Method: Closed/invitation-only programmes

Contact Details

Phone: 029 2120 2280

Email: info@bct.wales

Website: www.bct.wales

Address: Invest Local Trust, Britannia House, Caerphilly Business Park, Van Road, Caerphilly, CF83 3GG

Overview

Building Communities Trust (BCT) is a Welsh charity established in 2014 by the National Lottery Community Fund (formerly Big Lottery Fund) with a £16 million endowment to tackle poverty in Wales' most deprived communities. As an independent trust, BCT operates three main closed funding programmes: Invest Local (13 communities, £1m each over 10 years since 2016), Community Anchor Development Programme (11 organisations, £150,000 each over 4 years launched 2024), and Community Networks Programme (5 networks, multi-year funding launched 2024). BCT takes a distinctive community-led, asset-based development approach, supporting local people to build on community strengths rather than imposing external solutions. Beyond grant-making, BCT serves as an advocacy and umbrella organisation supporting over 120 community-based organisations across Wales, conducting research and influencing policy on community assets, empowerment, and wealth building.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Invest Local Programme (Closed to new communities)

• Amount: £1,000,000 per community over 10 years
• Status: Running since 2016; 13 pre-selected communities
• Approach: Each community decides priorities, spending plans, and partners
• Total invested: Over £6.7 million distributed as of recent reports
• Communities include: Clase (Swansea), Hubberston and Hakin (Pembrokeshire), Cefn Golau (Tredegar), Llwynhendy (Carmarthenshire), Maesgeirchen (Bangor), Glyn (Colwyn Bay), St Mellons and Trowbridge (Cardiff), Penywaun, Pill, and others

Community Anchor Development Programme (Recipients selected)

• Amount: £150,000 per organisation over 4 years
• Launch: April 2024, running until summer 2028
• Recipients: 11 organisations selected through competitive process in 2024
• Focus: Organisations in areas with low levels of community assets
• Includes: Flexible funding, structured networking, professional support and training
• Recipients include: Blaen-y-Maes Drop In Centre, Green Squirrel (Cardiff), Gwynfi Miners Community Hall (Neath Port Talbot), Lee Gardens Pool, Llanhilleth Institute, Cwmni Bro Ffestiniog, FAN (Fabian and Frederick's Action Network)

Community Networks Programme (Networks selected)

• Launch: 2024, running for 3 years
• Recipients: 5 pre-selected community networks
• Networks include: Medrwn Môn (Anglesey), Caia Park Partnership (Wrexham), Neath Port Talbot CVS (Upper Afan Valley), C3SC and ACE (Cardiff), IAITH Cyf and Cymunedoli Cyf (Rhwyd network)
• Focus: Facilitating connections, learning, and collaboration among network members
• Reach: Almost 100 member groups across five networks

Priority Areas

BCT focuses on:

• Community-led development in Wales' most disadvantaged communities
• Prevention and relief of poverty
• Urban and rural regeneration in areas of social and economic deprivation
• Capacity building for socially and economically disadvantaged communities
• Community asset development - buildings, spaces, and local infrastructure
• Social inclusion and cohesion through community action
• Community ownership of buildings and land
• Income generation for community organisations
• Volunteer development and support
• Governance strengthening for community groups

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, BCT's approach indicates they do not:

• Fund individual applicants (focus is on community organisations and networks)
• Support communities or organisations outside Wales
• Make grants outside their three established programmes
• Fund areas not identified as having significant deprivation or low community assets

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Governance and Leadership

Chair and Trustees

Graham Benfield - Founding Chair (stepped down 2022), former Chief Executive of Wales Council for Voluntary Action (started 1989). Benfield stated: "One of the roles of a national body that looks after its members is to look ahead, even if your members can't." He also commented on the Trust's establishment: "I'm fortunate to have such a tenacious and experienced team of Directors whose combined experiences will be invaluable as the work of the Trust gets underway."

Current Trustees: Derith Powell MBE, Graham Benfield, Joanne Oak, Carol Green (Director of Swansea Council for Voluntary Service, experienced in tackling social deprivation through the Deprived Area Fund), Lindsey Williams, Dewi Llwyd Evans, Kent Matthews, Martin Blakebrough, Eva Elliott, and David Dallimore.

Senior Leadership

Chris Johnes - Chief Executive. Previously served seven years as national Coordinator of the Communities First Support Network (CFSN), leading a partnership of eight organisations providing support to Communities First partnerships and social enterprises across Wales. Johnes has emphasized “the importance of putting people at the heart of levelling-up” and ensuring community support through economic challenges.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

BCT does not currently operate open grant application rounds. All three major funding programmes have already selected their recipients:

• Invest Local: 13 communities were pre-selected when the programme launched in 2016 using specific deprivation indices and criteria. The programme is not accepting new community applications.

• Community Anchor Development Programme: 11 organisations were selected through a competitive process in 2024. This cohort has been chosen and the programme is not currently open to new applications.

• Community Networks Programme: 5 networks were selected in 2024. This programme is not open to new network applications.

BCT operates as a closed trust managing specific community development programmes funded by its National Lottery endowment. Rather than running rolling grant rounds, BCT focuses on long-term relationships with pre-selected communities and organisations.

Future Opportunities

For organisations interested in BCT's work:

• Monitor the BCT website (www.bct.wales) and subscribe to updates for any announcements of new programmes
• Contact BCT directly at info@bct.wales to express interest in future funding opportunities
• Join BCT's network of over 120 community-based organisations in Wales for support, learning, and advocacy

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• BCT operates closed programmes - they do not have open grant rounds. Current programmes have pre-selected recipients.

• Long-term relationships - BCT's model is based on 3-10 year funding relationships with significant amounts (£150k-£1m), rather than small grants to many organisations.

• Community-led philosophy - BCT trusts communities to set their own priorities and make their own decisions about how funding is spent, rather than prescribing activities.

• Asset-based focus - Priority given to communities and organisations developing physical assets (buildings, spaces) and community ownership models.

• Disadvantaged areas - Selection focuses on areas with high deprivation indices and low existing community assets.

• Welsh focus - All funding is focused exclusively on Wales, with particular attention to ex-mining communities and areas of economic decline.

• Contact for future opportunities - While current programmes are closed, organisations interested in BCT's approach should contact them directly and monitor for any future programme launches.

References

1. Building Communities Trust website - www.bct.wales
2. Charity Commission Register - Building Communities Trustee Limited, Charity No. 1164509
3. Building Communities Trust - Community Anchor Development Programme page: https://www.bct.wales/cadp
4. Building Communities Trust - Community Networks Programme page: https://www.bct.wales/communitynetworks
5. Building Communities Trust Submission to Inquiry into Community Assets, Welsh Parliament/Senedd (2024)
6. National Lottery Community Fund - Building Communities Programme: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/building-communities
7. “Trustees Appointed to Start Work on Building Communities” - Big Lottery Fund press release
8. Institute of Welsh Affairs - “What happened when Welsh communities were given £1m of Lottery funding?”
9. Third Sector Magazine - “Interview: Graham Benfield” (2012)
10. Various BCT organisational pages including contact information and programme descriptions