Community First

Community First is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 288117).

Community First is an independent charity working to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of people in Wiltshire and Swindon. It provides technical advice, practical support and grant aid for community-based projects. It administers grants through the Landfill Communities Fund, the Bradenstoke Solar Park Community Benefit Fund and the Household Support Fund. Its annual report records 56 grants to help community groups and voluntary organisations improve their local environment, and 8 grants of less than £10,000 to provide transport and other services to local people in need.

Priority Areas

Community First administers grants through the Landfill Communities Fund, Bradenstoke Solar Park Community Benefit Fund and Household Support Fund. It says these programmes help enhance community facilities, provide cost-of-living support, reduce fuel poverty, and support sustainability and environmental priorities. The Landfill Communities Fund offers capital funding for local community, heritage and environmental projects in specific areas where landfill operators have sites or depots. It invites not-for-profit organisations in Wiltshire with capital community projects needing match funding; applicants may be charities, community organisations, parish or town councils. Funded projects must be accessible to the general public for at least 104 days each year.

Themes

• Community facilities
• Cost-of-living support
• Fuel poverty
• Sustainability
• Heritage projects
• Environmental projects

Geographic Focus

Wiltshire.

Submit an Expression of Interest by email. The Grants team then discusses eligibility and an appropriate time to apply if the organisation is in the correct area and funds are available.

Who can apply:

• Landfill Communities Fund
  • Applicants may be charities, community organisations, parish or town councils. Individuals and private companies are not normally eligible for LCF funding.
  • Are you a not-for-profit organisation in Wiltshire?

What to send:

• Landfill Communities Fund
  • Have you planning permission (if needed) and 3 quotes for the work you need doing ready to apply?
  • An Expression of Interest
  • Evidence of other fundraising efforts, and appropriate contributions from an organisation’s free reserves.

What the charity says:

• Projects must meet the basic Entrust criteria to be considered for Landfill Communities Fund support.
• For Crapper & Sons applications, the team normally wants evidence of other fundraising efforts and appropriate contributions from an organisation’s free reserves.