Community projects in the City of London will benefit from a £5 million funding pot resulting from new development in the Square Mile.
The City of London Corporation is inviting applications from charity and voluntary groups, residents’ associations, businesses and other organisations for grants from its Neighbourhood Fund.
The cash comes from the Community Infrastructure Levy paid by developers and forms part of a wider pot of just under £50 million, the remainder of which is to be used for City infrastructure improvements.
Grants from the Neighbourhood Fund are available to any scheme which benefits the community, including improvements to buildings or open spaces, sports or cultural projects or revenue and staff costs.
Catherine McGuinness, City of London Corporation Policy Chair, said:
“The Neighbourhood Fund is a great example of how new developments in the City are not only bringing economic benefits but also community benefits for people who live and work in the Square Mile.
“The scope for these grants has deliberately been left quite broad as we felt it was important that our communities should decide for themselves what kind of projects they felt were important.
“Applications could include things like new play equipment or gardens, improving a building used by the public, running an arts or sports project or funding for a staff member to deliver a community scheme.
“I’d encourage organisations in the City to submit their application to ensure the projects that really matter to them benefit from the funding available.”
Applications for grants of between £1,000 – the minimum available – and £50,000 will be considered by a panel of officers while applications for grants over £50,000 will go before the City Corporation’s Resource Allocation Sub-Committee.
Organisations can apply for funding from the Neighbourhood Fund online at www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/neighbourhoodfund
