Co-op Foundation – Space to Connect

Grants are available to help community organisations identify, improve and protect community spaces in England where people can connect and co-operate.

Space to Connect is a partnership between the Co-op Foundation and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DMCS). It builds on the commitment to unlock the potential of community spaces as part of the Government’s loneliness strategy. It also extends the Co-op Foundation’s existing support for organisations who are working to make community spaces sustainable.

There are two strands of funding:

• Enhance – grants for organisations that are already using a community space in an innovative and creative way, and that want to expand activities and embed sustainable ways of working to build a more secure future.
• Explore – grants for organisations that want to start exploring ways that local challenges could be addressed through better use of space, and/or identify potential spaces that could be opened up to community use.

Applications will be considered from UK-based charities, social enterprises and other voluntary and community organisations that do not mainly aim to generate profits for private distribution.

To be eligible, organisations must:

• Be constituted.
• Have a UK bank account in the organisation’s name.
• Have at least two unconnected people on the board or management committee.
• Already use or run a community space.

Applications are welcome from organisations working in partnership, including projects joining up with public and / or private sector organisations, provided they are led by a voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation.

For further information please click below:

https://www.coopfoundation.org.uk/funding_support/space-to-connect/