Groundwork Northamptonshire

Charity Number: 1114205

Geographic Focus: Northamptonshire

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Not disclosed (distributes grants on behalf of funders)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Applications reviewed monthly (approx. 2-3 weeks)
  • Grant Range: £500 - £3,000 (Grow Cook Eat programme)
  • Geographic Focus: Northamptonshire (primarily North Northamptonshire)

Contact Details

Main Contact:

  • Website: www.groundwork.org.uk/northamptonshire
  • Email: gwknorthants@groundwork.org.uk
  • Phone: 01536 526453
  • Address: Unit 3, The Business Exchange, Rockingham Road, Kettering, Northants NN16 8JX

Grow Cook Eat Programme:

  • Email: growcookeat@groundwork.org.uk
  • Phone: 07595 710050

Overview

Groundwork Northamptonshire (Charity No. 1114205) is an environmental and regeneration charity established to encourage community involvement in promoting and enhancing the physical environment and social welfare across Northamptonshire. The organization operates as part of the wider Groundwork Federation network. While not a traditional grant-making trust, Groundwork Northamptonshire administers significant grant programmes on behalf of local funders, most notably the Grow Cook Eat programme funded by Public Health North Northamptonshire. The charity has built a strong reputation for grant management services, supporting funders through all stages of scheme design, application processing, shortlisting, training, monitoring, and evaluation. CEO Kate Williams emphasizes that working with young people and improving community health are key priorities for the organization, which manages green spaces and delivers programmes focused on food growing, cooking confidence, energy advice, and youth engagement.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Grow Cook Eat Programme (£500 - £3,000)

  • Rolling grants programme for community groups and not-for-profit organisations
  • Funded by Public Health North Northamptonshire
  • Focuses on projects related to growing food, cooking skills, and healthy eating
  • Applications reviewed monthly on rolling basis
  • First launched in 2022, extended through 2026

Grassroots Grants (£500 - £2,000)

  • Part of national Groundwork programme
  • For organisations with annual income under £25,000
  • Unrestricted funding for various community purposes

Priority Areas

The Grow Cook Eat programme particularly supports:

  • Food Growing Projects: Community gardens, allotments, school gardens
  • Cooking Skills Development: Community cooking classes, nutrition education
  • Healthy Eating Initiatives: Projects tackling childhood obesity and improving nutrition
  • Green Space Access: Creating and enhancing community green spaces
  • Community Wellbeing: Projects reducing social isolation and improving mental health
  • Youth Engagement: Activities involving children and young people in growing and cooking
  • Intergenerational Projects: Activities bringing different age groups together around food

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not explicitly stated, but the Grow Cook Eat programme focuses exclusively on projects related to growing, cooking, and eating healthy food in North Northamptonshire.

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Governance and Leadership

CEO: Kate Williams

  • Executive Director with extensive experience in community development
  • Key quotes on priorities:
  • “At Groundwork, working with young people is a key priority. We want this investment to offer new and exciting support for young people to try new interests and access youth work support with wider issues.”
  • “Now, more than ever, the key roles that the VCSE play are crucial, but we recognize and understand the vulnerabilities and strains the sector faces.”
  • On the Grow Cook Eat programme: “We want to improve North Northamptonshire residents physical and mental health and supporting them to grow their own food.”

Chair of Trustees: Stuart

  • Background in corporate finance and commercial management
  • Former Senior Vice President of European Operations for First Data
  • Williams notes: “A strong, skilled and committed board of trustees is at the heart of our governance”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Grow Cook Eat Programme:

  1. Applications submitted by the second Friday of every month
  2. Panel review meetings held on the last Thursday of every month
  3. Download guidance pack from website or contact programme team for support
  4. Support available via email (growcookeat@groundwork.org.uk) or phone (07595 710050)
  5. Previous recipients describe the process as “refreshingly straightforward and very quick”

Application Support:

The team emphasizes that the application process should not be a barrier and actively encourages applicants to reach out for help with applications.

Decision Timeline

  • Submission deadline: Second Friday of each month
  • Review meeting: Last Thursday of each month
  • Approximate decision time: 2-3 weeks from submission to decision
  • Successful applicants contacted directly after panel meetings

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. The organization does not publish statistics on total applications received versus grants awarded.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policy not explicitly stated. Contact the programme team directly for guidance on reapplying after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Recent Successful Projects

Examples of funded projects demonstrate what impresses the panel:

  • KHL Community Workshop (Corby): Project to reduce social isolation and improve conditions for local residents by providing creative facilities and opportunities to learn new skills
  • Playmates Day Nursery (Wellingborough): Garden transformation including planting vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers with children
  • Serve Day Centre (Higham Ferrers): Garden revamp to grow fresh produce for daily kitchen use and cookery classes for service users
  • Marlow House (Desborough): Community day care centre garden for older people and those with dementia

Key Success Factors

  1. Community Focus: Projects that demonstrate clear community benefit and reduce social isolation
  2. Practical Food Growing: Tangible plans for growing vegetables, herbs, or edible plants
  3. Skills Development: Clear approach to teaching cooking skills or nutrition education
  4. Sustainability: Projects showing how activities will continue beyond initial funding
  5. Target Populations: Work with vulnerable groups (elderly, young people, families, those with specific health needs)
  6. Multi-purpose Benefits: Projects combining health, wellbeing, environmental, and social goals

Application Tips

  • Don't let the application process be a barrier - reach out for support
  • Be specific about how your project relates to growing, cooking, and eating
  • Demonstrate understanding of local community health priorities
  • Show how the project will engage the community actively
  • Include clear outcomes related to health and wellbeing improvements
  • Applications are assessed for their alignment with healthy eating and community engagement goals

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Rolling Monthly Deadlines: Plan submissions around the second Friday deadline for monthly panel reviews
  • Support is Available: Contact the team for help with applications - they actively want to assist
  • Focus on Food: Ensure your project clearly connects to growing, cooking, and/or healthy eating
  • Community Health Angle: Emphasize health and wellbeing benefits, particularly for vulnerable groups
  • Practical Outputs: Show tangible activities like garden creation, cooking classes, or food distribution
  • North Northamptonshire Location: Grants are specifically for North Northamptonshire organizations
  • Quick Turnaround: Decisions made within 2-3 weeks, making this a relatively fast funding source

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