The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have just published a list of successful applicants to Round 2 Window 2 of the Community6 Ownership Fund.
The UK Community Ownership Fund, which has a total budget of £150 million over 4 years, provides grants to voluntary, community and charitable organisations in the UK to support them in taking ownership of local assets at risk of being lost to the community, such as
o Cinemas.
o Community Centres.
o Galleries.
o Museums
o Music Venues.
o Parks.
o Post Offices.
o Public Houses.
o Shops.
o Sport and leisure facilities, and
o Theatres.
Grants of up to £250,000 are available to enable communities across the UK to purchase community assets and amenities and run them as sustainable community businesses. The Fund will contribute up to 50% of the total capital required. Applicants are not required to have all match funding sources secured at the time of project application.
The Fund runs until 2025 and further bidding rounds will be announced on a regular basis.
Successful bidders to Round2 Window 2 of the programme include:
o The Portland Inn Project, Stoke-on-Trent (grant: £299,900).
o East Bouldre Community Stores Limited, Hampshire (grant: £299,500).
o Groundlings Theatre Trust, Portsmouth (£156,000), and
o Healthy Me Healthy Communities CIC, Gorton, Greater Manchester (£150,000).
The Community Ownership Fund has awarded £23.9 million to 98 projects across the UK, with £17.5 million allocated to 67 projects across England, £3.1 million allocated to 15 projects in Scotland, £1.8 million to 9 projects in Wales and £1.5 million to 7 projects in Northern Ireland. The full list of successful bids so far can be found on the GOV.UK website.
The prospectus for the Community Ownership Fund can also be found on the GOV.UK website.
The 3rd bidding window of Round 2 opened on Wednesday 15th February 2023 and will close on Friday 14th April 2023 at 11.59am. Applicants are expected to be notified in July or August 2023.
Please note that organisations planning to apply in this application round will need to submit an Expression of Interest by Friday 24th March 2023.
Further information, guidance and details about how to submit an Expression of Interest is available on the GOV.UK website.
Image: The Portland Inn Project CIC is a creative arts project for a community in Stoke On Trent with an aim to achieve community cohesion, economic, social and cultural development by involving the community in development of a pioneering community space, cultural hub and social enterprise.