GrantRadar

Wealden District Council

Councillor Ward Budgets Scheme 2026/27

Grants of £250 to £5,000 from Wealden ward councillors' £10,000 budgets for locally focussed community projects run by small non-profit community and voluntary organisations that benefit residents of the ward and support the Council Strategy. Each councillor decides on applications for their ward, often first come, first served. The 2026/27 scheme closes to applications on 28 February 2027.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£250 – £5,000
Deadline
133 days left
28 February
Effort
Light
short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

  • Small, non-profit, non-governmental, community and voluntary organisations whose primary purpose is to benefit the residents of Wealden, for a project in (or of significant benefit to) the ward applied to
  • Not eligible: other local authorities, public sector bodies, parish and town councils, NHS bodies and schools (associated charitable trusts, PTAs, village hall committees or similar with a separate bank account may be considered case by case, with Leader/Portfolio Holder approval); organisations that have received £20,000 or more from Wealden District Council in the previous two financial years, or are approved for £20,000 in the next two; organisations that run their own grant scheme or budget for giving grants or donations; groups raising funds for, or whose project benefits, ineligible organisations; individuals; for-profit entities; political, lobbying and campaigning groups; and nationwide organisations unless there is a branch in the ward or district and the activity solely benefits that area
  • Only one successful application per organisation, up to £5,000 in total even across several wards
  • Payment is by BACS to an account in the organisation's name, never a personal account

What it funds

Locally focussed community projects and initiatives that aim to improve outcomes for residents of the ward and contribute to the Council Strategy, which:

  • Enhance services or facilities at the local ward level
  • Provide a source of funding for small initiatives within local communities
  • Encourage and enable local groups and organisations to achieve positive and timely outcomes in a local area
  • Enhance the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of the community as a whole

projects must support at least one of the Council's strategic priorities, be in the ward or of significant benefit to its residents, and be completed within 12 months of receiving the grant.

What it will not fund

  • Retrospective costs, e.g. to replace money already spent, or to cover items, services or events that have already been purchased or occurred
  • Regular, recurring core costs such as permanent staff salaries, utility bills etc
  • Recoverable VAT
  • Finance charges including bank, finance or audit charges, loans and interest costs or endowments
  • Statutory obligations of the organisation
  • Match funding for other grant schemes administered by Wealden District Council
  • Contingency costs
  • Political activities, lobbying or campaigning
  • Projects that are contrary to the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty
  • The purchase of alcohol, medication or drugs
  • Projects, initiatives and activities that directly promote a religious belief (faith-based groups delivering community projects with a clear wider benefit can apply)
  • Teaching national curriculum subjects and/or learning-related activities contained in the annual School and Early Years Finance Regulations
  • Supporting any contentious matters or disputes
  • Activities causing reputational damage and conflicts of interest for the Council, including campaigns against the Council or its statutory partners
  • Projects which could directly or indirectly have a negative impact on supporting the Council to achieve its Council Strategy
  • The purchase of items to then be gifted to individuals or resold to generate income for a project (e.g. buying raffle prizes)

How to apply

  1. Contact your local ward councillor(s) to discuss your project
  2. Complete and sign the online application form, which is sent automatically to the relevant ward councillor(s); for a project covering several wards, use a single form supported by all the councillors involved
  3. The ward councillor(s) review the form and, if they support it, pass it to the Finance Team for financial checks
  4. If the project is eligible and checks are complete, payment is processed, normally within 4 weeks, and you receive confirmation by email with a project evaluation form
  5. On completion, submit a Project Evaluation using the online form, or by email, letter, short video or other approved method

apply well before 28 February 2027, as many councillors decide on a first-come-first-served basis; ward councillors have discretion over whether and when to support an eligible application.

Have ready

  • Details of your organisation, including business bank account details
  • Details about your project: start date, estimated completion date, the Wealden ward(s) it falls within, the total cost and how much you are applying for

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.

Taken from the funder’s own published information. View the original listing

Always check the funder’s site before applying — criteria and deadlines change.