Oxford City Council

Ward Member Budget (funding from your local ward councillor)

Each Oxford City councillor has an annual Ward Member Budget of £1,500 to spend in their ward on projects that bring economic, social or environmental benefit to the local community. Community and voluntary groups, charities, schools and other community organisations can ask their ward councillor for a small contribution. Awarding is at the councillor's discretion; councillors can pool budgets across adjoining wards. Recent 2024-25 awards range from £100 to £1,000, for festivals, community days, youth theatre and school playground equipment.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: Amount not specified; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Light; short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

Projects and events run by local community and voluntary groups, charities, schools and other community interest organisations in Oxford city, backed by the ward councillor for the area where the project takes place
The organisation must be able to show that the project benefits a wide and diverse cross-section of the local community
No income limits or governance requirements are published
The budget is held by the councillor, so the group needs that councillor's support

What it funds

Projects and events in the councillor's ward that provide economic, social and environmental benefit to the local community. The council's April 2026 Cabinet report lists examples:

Improving, refurbishing or cleaning up parts of the local area
New street furniture or signage
Supporting local groups, events or newsletters

Recent 2024-25 awards include contributions to community festivals and events (e.g.

Headington Festival, Celebrate Northway, Oxford Afrobeats Festival), a youth theatre festival, Northway Community Days and school playground equipment.

What it will not fund

Projects that do not benefit the councillor's own ward (councillors can pool budgets to benefit adjoining wards)

Organisations must show how the project will benefit a wide and diverse cross-section of the local community. Applications are not processed during pre-election periods, and there is no appeal process

How to apply

Find which ward your project is in using the council's ward boundary map, then identify your ward councillor(s)
Contact your local ward councillor about your project and ask for a contribution
If the councillor supports it, they submit an application to spend their Ward Member Budget; officers review it and it is approved (see note on the decision-making route)

Spending is at the discretion of individual councillors; there is no appeal process

Past awards are published as Ward Member Budget spend data (https://www.oxford.gov.uk/grants/ward-member-budget-spend-data), useful for seeing what your councillor has funded

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.