GrantRadar

Cumbria Community Foundation

Alston Moor Community Fund

Grants of up to £2,000 from Cumbria Community Foundation for charitable, not-for-profit groups working in the civil parish of Alston Moor, Cumbria. It funds initiatives that reduce poverty, improve health, tackle social inequality and help people reach their potential, or that nurture a sense of place or promote climate action - for example community events and festivals, community facility improvements and arts programmes. Applications go through the Foundation's general application form and quarterly panels.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £2,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Charitable, not-for-profit groups whose work benefits the civil parish of Alston Moor (which includes Alston, Nenthead and Garrigill) in the former Eden district, now Westmorland and Furness
  • Individuals cannot apply
  • You do not have to be a registered charity, but the work must be legally charitable
  • Cumbria Community Foundation's general requirements apply: voluntary groups, charities and CIOs need a management committee of at least three unrelated members, a bank account in the group's name with two unrelated signatories, a signed set of annual accounts (independently examined if income is over £25,000), charitable aims in the governing document, and Charity Commission registration if based in England or Wales with income over £5,000
  • CICs and other social enterprises need at least three unrelated directors (mostly unpaid, equal voting rights), an asset lock and full management accounts, and must meet trading-income tests (at least 30% of income from trading if under 5 years old, 50% if older, unless within the first two years of trading)
  • Groups should hold no more than 12 months' running costs in unrestricted reserves and have a registered address or local management committee in Cumbria
  • Previous grantees must have returned outstanding monitoring reports, and anyone with three or more successful applications in the last 12 months must speak to a Grants Officer first
  • Large UK-wide charities are not normally funded

What it funds

Initiatives in the civil parish of Alston Moor that reduce poverty, improve health, tackle social inequality and help people reach their potential, or projects that nurture a sense of place or promote climate action. Examples of projects supported:

  • Community events and festivals
  • Improvements to community facilities
  • Arts and culture programmes
  • Community development and sustainability

The Foundation's general rules also allow core costs and overheads, salaries, equipment and capital projects that meet the fund criteria.

What it will not fund

  • Individuals
  • Businesses and personal profit
  • Deficit funding
  • Activities that are normally the responsibility of central or local government
  • Repeat requests for the same project, service, activity or costs within 12 months
  • More than one award from the same fund in a 12-month period
  • Projects that duplicate an existing service in the area
  • Research-related costs, including activity mainly to gather information, evidence or feedback
  • Retrospective funding (activities that have already started)
  • General large appeals, fundraisers, fundraising events and fundraising consultants
  • Animal welfare
  • Contact boxing
  • Medical equipment
  • Purchase of a vehicle
  • Beautification projects
  • Theatre production costs, unless donor-advised
  • Advancement of religion, including buildings solely for religious purposes, except where donor-advised
  • Party political activities
  • Gifts for participants
  • Youth organised trips and expeditions
  • National organisations without a local presence in Cumbria
  • Statutory bodies such as schools (PTAs and friends-of groups can apply)
  • Groups that have not returned a monitoring form from a previous grant

How to apply

  1. Read the fund page and Cumbria Community Foundation's 'Am I Eligible?' criteria; call the grants team on 01900 825760 if unsure
  2. View the general group application questions in advance (Word document linked from the How to Apply page)
  3. Create an account on (or log in to) the Foundation's online applicant portal (https://cumbriacommunityfoundation.my.site.com/s/) and complete the general group application form - the Foundation matches it to the best-fitting fund
  4. Upload the supporting documents listed in the form and submit before the relevant grants panel closing date

Applications can be made at any time but are decided at quarterly panels. Projects in the former Carlisle, Eden and South Lakeland districts go to the Main Grants Committee: next closing date 30 October 2026 (committee 1 December 2026), then early February 2027 (committee 2 March 2027), 30 April 2027 and 6 August 2027.

Apply at least three months before your project starts - the Foundation cannot fund activities that have already started.

A paper application form can be requested by calling 01900 825760.

Have ready

  • Constitution or rules of the organisation (not needed for registered charities that give their charity number, exempt faith groups, or listed uniformed groups)
  • Most recent annual accounts (or an income and expenditure spreadsheet if running for less than a year)
  • Last month's bank statement for every account in the organisation's name
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures that meet the Foundation's standards
  • Quotes from at least two suppliers for items to be bought (one if there is a unique supplier)
  • Job description or contract, if applicable
  • Digital photos of the project, if applicable
  • Evidence of planning permission or consent, if applicable

CICs must also supply Articles of Association, a community benefit statement, their CIC 34 report if available, and a business plan or evidence of how they will generate income.

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