GrantRadar

Copeland Community Fund (hosted by Cumberland Council)

Community Resilience Fund

Emergency funding from Copeland Community Fund for projects responding to a community emergency in South Cumberland and Whitehaven & Coastal (the former Copeland borough area). Small grants are up to £30,000 and large grants £30,001 and over, with no upper limit published. Projects must address local need in the fund's four priority areas (digital; food and finance; health and wellbeing; thriving communities) and align with Cumberland Council's Strategic Plan and the NDA Local Social Impact & Communities Strategy 2024. No match funding is needed; talk to the fund team before applying.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £30,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Voluntary or community organisations, registered charities, constituted groups or clubs, not-for-profit companies and social enterprises, and public sector bodies (for non-statutory activity only), for projects benefiting the Copeland area of West Cumbria (the former Copeland borough, now within Cumberland Council; the fund's localities are North East, Mid, South and West Copeland, Whitehaven, and Howgate & Distington)
  • Social enterprises must have at least 3 non-related directors, no one or two directors with significant control, and an asset lock; companies limited by shares that distribute profit, and for-profit businesses, are not eligible
  • Organisations based outside the UK cannot apply
  • Projects must respond to a community emergency in South Cumberland or Whitehaven & Coastal (the former area of Copeland)
  • Organisations can apply individually or collaboratively

What it funds

Projects that address local need in response to a community emergency and deliver benefits in one or more of the fund's four priority areas:

  • Digital
  • Food & Finance
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Thriving Communities

Small grants up to £30,000 and large grants of £30,001 and above.

Projects must align with both the Cumberland Council Strategic Plan and the NDA Local Social Impact & Communities Strategy 2024, and outputs should be agreed with the Fund Development Officers.

Match funding is not required, though the team can help identify other funding.

Collaborative projects are viewed favourably.

What it will not fund

  • Faith-based activities (unless there is broader community use)
  • Residential activities outside Cumbria, including expeditions and overseas trips
  • Direct replacement of activities which are a statutory obligation
  • Commercial (for-profit) businesses
  • Social enterprises that do not have 3 non-related directors
  • Social enterprises where one or two directors have significant control over the organisation
  • Social enterprises limited by shares that distribute profit to directors or shareholders
  • Social enterprises with no asset lock in their charitable objectives
  • Continuation funding for a social enterprise's core costs and/or existing activities (unless it can demonstrate significant social value)
  • Refurbishments or new builds that only benefit one user group (unless they can demonstrate significant social value)
  • Activities that benefit individuals rather than the wider community
  • Political activities
  • Retrospective costs
  • Loan repayments
  • Purchase of buildings and vehicles
  • Organisations based outside the UK

How to apply

  1. Contact the Copeland Community Fund team (07833048986, info@copelandcommunityfund.co.uk) to discuss your project and confirm eligibility
  2. Work with a Fund Development Officer to agree outputs that align with the Cumberland Council Strategic Plan and the NDA Local Social Impact & Communities Strategy 2024
  3. Download and complete the Funding and Expenditure (budget) spreadsheet and gather any supporting documents
  4. Submit the online application form, selecting 'Community Resilience Grants'

Rolling programme, listed as open from February 2026 with no closing date; notification dates are given only as 'Ongoing'.

Have ready

  • Funding and Expenditure (budget) spreadsheet, downloadable from the fund's Application Support Documents page

If another organisation is acting as accountable body for your project, it must complete and sign the Accountable Body Declaration and supply copies of its bank statements for the last three months. The fund's development team confirms any other supporting documents needed before you submit.

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.