GrantRadar

Worthing Community Chest

Worthing Community Chest Grants Programme

Small grants of up to £1,500 from Worthing Community Chest, a local charity funded mainly by textile recycling, for constituted community groups and small registered charities whose projects benefit people living in Worthing borough. There are three strands on one form: Seed Grants (up to £250, for new groups or emergencies) and Grass Roots Grants (up to £750, for small or newly formed groups), both rolling with monthly decisions and paid up front; and Grants for Growth (up to £1,500, for established groups), paid as reimbursement and decided by a panel of past grantees in three funding rounds a year (next deadline 31 October 2026). Applicant income should be under £100,000, and successful groups must sit on the appraisal panel.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £1,500
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Constituted community groups and small registered charities operating in, and primarily benefiting residents of, Worthing (Worthing Borough Council wards only)
  • Community Interest Companies and Charitable Incorporated Organisations are considered only in exceptional circumstances, after all other applications, and with extra financial scrutiny; businesses cannot apply
  • Applicants need a constitution or set of rules and a clear management structure (WCC can advise new groups), a bank or building society account in the organisation's (or project's) name with two unrelated people authorising payments, annual income under £100,000 (above that you must explain why you need funding) and reserves under 12 months' operating costs, and must not receive direct statutory funding
  • Seed and Grass Roots grants suit new and small groups; Grants for Growth are for existing groups
  • Successful applicants cannot reapply for two years (the grants page applies this to all grants, the criteria to Grants for Growth), and a group can have at most two Grants for Growth

What it funds

Projects and activities that enrich the Worthing community and enable social and economic wellbeing, meeting one or more of these aims:

  • Improving the community
  • Promoting social cohesion
  • Improving quality of life for underprivileged and disadvantaged people
  • Promoting inclusion and drawing excluded people into community engagement
  • A new or innovative idea for Worthing
  • Improving or enhancing an existing service

Three strands: Seed Grants up to £250 for new groups getting started or emergency situations; Grass Roots Grants up to £750 for smaller, newly formed groups and projects; Grants for Growth up to £1,500 for established groups looking to expand and develop.

Grants up to £750 are paid in advance (receipts required); Grants for Growth are paid as reimbursement against invoices/receipts and must be claimed within 12 months.

Matched funding of at least 50% (other funding or volunteer time at £10 an hour) makes success more likely.

What it will not fund

  • Groups or projects that do not primarily benefit residents of Worthing (Worthing council wards only)
  • Businesses, even for not-for-profit or social-aim projects
  • Salaries
  • Professional fees such as accountancy, auditing or legal fees
  • Projects, events or expenditure that have already happened (no claims for spend before the award date)
  • Activities that are primarily political or religious
  • Groups or projects funded by statutory bodies (applicants must not receive direct funding from statutory authorities)
  • Organisations with annual income over £100,000 or reserves over 12 months' operating costs (unlikely to be funded)
  • Building maintenance or general upkeep of property (less likely)
  • Rent, insurance or office expenditure (less likely; exceptional cases only)
  • Groups awarded a Grant for Growth in the previous two years

How to apply

  1. Read the Grant Application Guide and the Funding Criteria (last updated 26 Feb 2026) and choose Seed (up to £250), Grass Roots (up to £750) or Grants for Growth (up to £1,500)
  2. Optionally contact the Grants Administrator (grants@worthingcommunitychest.org) to discuss the project; WCC welcomes this, especially for first-time applicants
  3. Complete the single online application form (Apply for Funding page); you can save and return, and receive a copy by email on submission
  4. Seed and Grass Roots applications are reviewed monthly by the Grants Committee of three trustees, who may ask further questions
  5. Grants for Growth applications are checked by the Grants Committee and, once complete with all documents, go to the Appraisal Panel of the funding round in effect; 2026 round deadlines are 28 Feb, 30 Jun and 31 Oct (panel around 25 Nov 2026)
  6. If successful, spend the grant (Seed/Grass Roots paid in advance, receipts required) or buy the items and claim reimbursement (Grants for Growth) within 12 months; complete a monitoring form (often a video) after 12 months

Successful groups become WCC members for two years and must provide a representative for the Appraisal Panel (one training session and at least three panel meetings), promote the award and support WCC fundraising.

Incomplete Grants for Growth applications are deferred to a later round; missing information is the most common cause.

Have ready

  • Constitution, articles of association or other governing document
  • Group financial accounts and recent bank statements (bank account in the group's or project's name)
  • Itemised and costed project budget
  • Quotes or estimates for items requested (ideally two per item)
  • Project summary (aims, who benefits, how)
  • Information on other support (other funding, volunteer numbers and hours)

The website lists the minimum as constitution, accounts or project budget, and quotes; the Application Guide gives the fuller list above.

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