Small grants of up to £2,000 available for community projects

Got an idea for a project that will bring people in Blackburn with Darwen together?

A new grants fund is available for local groups and organisations that want to deliver projects to help make a stronger borough.

Through Blackburn with Darwen’s government-funded social integration programme, Our Community, Our Future grants are on offer, and groups can bid for as little or as much as they need to make their projects happen – from under £100 up to a maximum of £2,000.

Eligible projects will help to build more resilient and inclusive communities in a number of ways, for example through bringing adults together to address health and wellbeing, or involving young people in projects to improve their local environment. The more innovative, the better!

It’s important that bidders demonstrate how their proposed project can support integration by bringing people from diverse backgrounds together, and how it can be sustainable without further funding.

Groups and organisations from the voluntary, community and faith sector can apply, as well as charities, groups such as scouts and guides, and schools.

Joint applications from groups working together are welcomed. Individuals with ideas for projects should approach a group to submit a bid together, or contact the Our Community, Our Future team for help.

Successful applicants will be paired up with other groups from different parts of the borough who are also awarded Our Community, Our Future grants, to support one another and share learning throughout their projects.

All projects must be delivered by 31 March 2020.

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said:

Small projects in neighbourhoods can have a huge impact and are a very valuable part of our social integration work to engage people right across the borough and get them working together.

We recognise that groups and organisations play a key leadership role in their local neighbourhoods. By providing a funding stream, we can support them to develop and nurture new ideas for activities that will support long term social integration. We’re looking for innovative ideas – new things that haven’t been tried before – or an expansion of existing, successful projects that help to strengthen relationships between the borough’s diverse communities.

Applications for funding must be submitted by groups, but if someone not connected to a local group has a good idea, we’ll do what we can to put them in touch with a suitable group and support them to work up a bid together.

The Our Community, Our Future grants are provided through the Our Community, Our Future social integration programme for Blackburn with Darwen, which is funded by the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG).

You can find details of the grants and apply online through the new Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council website.

Groups and organisations have until Friday 6 September to submit applications for Our Community, Our Future grants.

All applications will be considered in mid September, and successful groups and organisations will be contacted by the end of September.

Anyone with questions about the Our Community, Our Future grants fund, or who needs help completing their application, can contact the Council’s social integration programme team on 01254 304597 or integration@blackburn.gov.uk.

Hard copies of the application form and supporting documents can be requested through the social integration programme team.

Blackburn with Darwen is one of five national Integration Areas, places working closely with MHCLG on a programme to address social integration challenges through innovation. Find out more on the Council website.