Volunteering and the voluntary sector

Wandsworth Big Society Fund

Big Society fund: how to apply

The Wandsworth Big Society Fund is a community grants scheme established by the council to help communities help themselves.

Round 6 for applications is now open. Applications, together with local ward councillor endorsement, must be received by Monday 13 May.

Round 6 guidance has been updated.

Please note that projects undertaking capital improvements must provide evidence that building or land owners support their proposals.

View the list of organisations awarded grants in previous rounds.

What can the grant be used for?

It aims to help projects that will make a real difference, but that need small amounts of funding up to £5,000. Examples could include

community composting schemes
projects to prevent anti-social behaviour and
volunteer programmes in libraries and parks

We are open to ideas but our Community Strategy, Our Wandsworth 2018, provides a good guide to local needs.

The fund is worth £169,000 in 2013-14 and will be available to support grassroots organisations that carry out schemes that enhance people's quality of life, take greater responsibility for the fabric of their neighbourhoods or improve local services by devising new and better ways of delivering them.

How to apply

We want to make applying as simple as possible. You can apply for funding if you are a small community group with income of less than £50,000 a year or if you are an unconstituted community group.

In its simplest form this could be any informal group of residents, but also includes more formal groups such as a

residents' or tenants' association
business association, cultural group
sports organisation
scouts, cubs and guide troops
parent/teacher associations

All applications will need to address a local need and have local support, demonstrated by the endorsement of your local ward councillor.

Ward councillor support

It is important that you contact the ward councillor and secure their support prior to the application deadline. Applications received without confirmed ward councillor support will be deemed as ineligible.

Grants above £1,000

For grants above £1,000, the Council will be seeking some form of contribution from other sources which may be in the form of cash, donations or voluntary time.

Application guidance and form

All applicants should read the Wandsworth Big Society Fund application guidance.

You can apply by downloading the application form.

You can complete this and send in as a hard copy or email. Please refer to the guidance note for how to do this.

Alternatively you will soon be able to apply directly using an online form.

We have worked two sample applications to provide an example of what you might be able to apply for and how this would meet the Fund criteria. You can view two sample applications.