Community Spaces programme opens

Community Spaces, a £50 million lottery-funded grants scheme providing funding and support to community groups in England, has opened for business. The scheme will help groups create or improve green and open spaces to improve the quality of local life. Funding is available for a variety of local projects to improve green and open space, including play areas, community gardens, parks, wildlife areas, ponds, courts and village greens, kick-about areas and pathways. 

FCFCG was part of the consortium which helped Community Spaces come to fruition. The programme will now be managed by Groundwork UK, one of our reciprocal members. Groundwork UK will still be utilising the consortiums skills and knowledge throughout the scheme's duration.

The scheme opens for applications on 19 March 2008. All community groups across England can apply. Community Spaces is providing a network of trained Facilitators to help groups turn ideas into reality. Facilitators will advise successful groups on issues like biodiversity and other specialist knowledge.

Community Spaces will make grants of between £10k and £50k. In addition it will make a small number of larger grants of up to £450k.

Further information and application packs will be available to download from the Community Spaces website at www.community-spaces.org.uk.