Communities Community Impact Fund

The Fund is aimed at supporting the work of tenant and resident groups, local charities, voluntary and community groups, and organisations who operate in our areas to develop projects that deliver outcomes to benefit our customers and the communities we work in.

Fund priorities

The projects we fund need to benefit GreenSquareAccord customers. Our main priorities for the Fund are:

• Providing opportunities to access employment and develop relevant skills. For example, projects that help people into work through access to training, educational courses and volunteering opportunities.
• Developing financial capability. For example, projects that provide financial support and guidance to help people become financially independent, and projects addressing the cost of living crisis.
• Improving digital inclusion. For example, projects that develop peoples’ skills and confidence to get online or improve access to devices, and digital champions projects.
• Promoting health and wellbeing. For example, running clubs and activities for targeted groups such as young people or older, isolated adults, improving green spaces, projects that improve sense of community, connection and safety, food and nutrition projects, and projects that reduce health inequalities.

Projects previously awarded grants

• Create a garden for young people to develop gardening skills and grow food and ornamental plants
• Run a weekly glass decorating course for older adults at a day centre, and develop links with local GSA schemes so new residents can attend
• A community event bringing together local groups to showcase their services
• Deliver low-cost school holiday arts and crafts activities for young people
• Support to extend youth activity provision in areas where we are building new homes
• Funding for new kitchen equipment for a community club offering hot lunches, social activities and support for isolated older adults

Eligibility criteria

• Applicants must demonstrate how the grant will benefit the lives of GreenSquareAccord customers.
• Applicants must be constituted groups and will be required to provide their organisations’ latest accounts/annual report and insurance details. If a group or organisation is new, a draft or income and expenditure forecast will be sufficient.
• Applicants must have a bank account to receive grant payments. We cannot pay grants to individuals or crowdfunding/fundraising pages.
• Applicants must submit their safeguarding policy if their project involves work with vulnerable adults and/or people under 18.
• Applicants can receive up to £1000 in funding within a year. This can be a one-time award of £1000, or several smaller awards that add up to £1000.

Please note, we do not offer funding for party-political or religious activities, commercial ventures, retrospective funding, individuals or projects run by individuals, or activities excluding people by religion, ethnicity, gender or sexuality.

If you are not sure whether you are eligible to apply, or how to meet these criteria, please contact us at communities@greensquareaccord.co.uk.

How to apply

Please read the guidance on this page thoroughly, in particular, the eligibility criteria above. When you are sure you are eligible for a grant, please complete an application form.

The easiest way to apply is by filling out our online application form.

You can also download and complete a Word version of the application form. If you complete the Word version, please email your application to communities@greensquareaccord.co.uk.

We have tried to make the application form as easy as possible to fill in. If something is not clear, please contact the Community Involvement & Investment team by emailing communities@greensquareaccord.co.uk.

How we assess applications

Once your application has been received it will be reviewed by the Community Involvement & Investment team and the relevant Locality Management Board.

All eligible applications will then be assessed by our Customer Panel.

We will let you know the outcome of your application within 8 weeks.

Successful applications

If you are successful, we will send you an award letter detailing the conditions of your grant and your responsibilities. Payment will be made via a BACS transfer.

Conditions for funded projects

• The money must be used within one year of the date of the award.
• You will need to complete an evaluation form and provide information and photographs to demonstrate how your grant was spent. We will provide you with a template for this.
• You must be able to provide copies of all receipts and invoices associated with your grant.
• You will need to acknowledge GreenSquareAccord's financial support and use our approved logo in your publicity and promotional materials relating to the project (both printed and digital). We will share our logo with you and help if you are not sure how to include it in your publicity and promotional materials.