Agenda item

The SK Community Fund was introduced by the Deputy Leader of the Council.

The fund was currently allocated across two schemes:

• Small Grants Scheme: £100 - £2,000

This was available to smaller groups with a maximum financial resource of £10,000. Groups could apply for 100% of project costs to the maximum £2,000

• Projects and Events Fund: £500 - £5,000

Groups could apply for up to 80% of project/event costs to a maximum of £5,000. A minimum of 10% match funding was required, and the remaining 10% contribution could be in-kind contribution and volunteer time if relevant to the project or event.

At the time of the report’s publication, £855,651 of grants had been provided to Parish and Town Councils, voluntary, community, faith and sports-related groups across South Kesteven.  The SK Community Fund was often used by groups to secure match funding for larger projects.

A growth bid of £100k was agreed by Full Council on 26 February 2026 increasing the SK Community Fund to a total of £200,000.

It was also timely to refresh the governance arrangements around the SK Community Fund given that these have been in place since 2015. It was therefore proposed that the Small Grants Fund remains in place, continuing to operate in the same manner save for two changes:

• To be eligible for support the maximum financial resource held by a voluntary or community group should be reduced to £5,000.  This would ensure that funding is targeted to those community groups that have a genuine need and that newly established groups can be supported.

• The eligibility criteria be amended to include items requiring revenue funding. Small, newly formed groups often require financial assistance with basic running costs until they are established, e.g. utility bills, venue hire, office supplies, insurance premiums, volunteer training costs etc. Funding provided would be for one-off support and groups would be required to become self-sufficient as they become established.

It was proposed that a Large Grants Fund be introduced to replace the existing Projects and Events Fund with the maximum grant value being increased. It is further proposed that the groups and organisations eligible to apply should have financial resources of no more than £100,000.  The minimum grant available would be £2,000 and the maximum £10,000 for community events and £20,000 for projects which support parish and community assets.  Match funding of a minimum of 10% would be required against all large grants.

During discussions, the following comments were made:

-       Members expressed pride in the fund and its impact on the district.

-       It was reiterated that a new cap was proposed for funding eligibility depending on the level of an applicant group’s bank reserves.

-       It was queried if there was a contingency plan should the community fund run out. It was confirmed that this had not happened before and officers were actively seeking to promote the relevant administrative dates to applicants via workshops and the Communications Officer.

-       It was confirmed that the funding was only available to charities and causes that worked within and benefited South Kesteven.

Following discussions, it was proposed, seconded, and AGREED to:

1.    Review the proposed changes to the SK Community Fund and provide comment.

2.    Recommend to Cabinet that the delegation for decision making by the Chairs and, where necessary,  Vice-Chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees be provided and that the proposed changes to the Fund’s criteria were approved to allow for re-launch of the Fund for the 2026/27 financial year.