£9 Million Legacy Fund Launches Uniting Communities Across West Midlands

The Inclusive Communities Fund is set to ignite communities across the West Midlands to imagine, propose, and bring to life solutions that directly address the challenges in their neighbourhoods and local areas. This Fund is inspired by the momentum generated by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which provided support to community-based organisations across the West Midlands, enabling access to exciting opportunities and fresh funding streams. 

The Fund aims to strengthen the achievements, prompted by the Games, offering community organisations access to new funding to make a difference for the people they work with. The Fund will serve as a catalyst to address inequalities, forging deeper connections between individuals and organisations to continue the legacy of the Games. 

This Fund shares the four original core mission principles of the Commonwealth Games: 

• Bringing people together 
• Improving health and wellbeing 
• Helping the region to grow 
• Putting the region on the map 

Grants will be available for works, activities and services that will contribute to the four core missions, and which fall within one or more of the following three themes: 

• Physical activity and sport 
• Mental health and well-being 
• Arts, culture and creativity

Where?

The fund will be available to communities in the following Local Authority boundaries: • Birmingham • Cannock Chase • Coventry • Dudley • Redditch • Shropshire • Tamworth • Telford and Wrekin • Sandwell • Solihull • Walsall • Warwickshire • Wolverhampton

Grants Thresholds and Application Periods

• All grant thresholds open on 6th November 2023.
• Small Works and Refurbishment Grants close on 4th January 2024 (up to £100,000).
• Small Grants (up to £15,000) and Medium Grants (£15,000 to £75,000) will have varying closing dates in throughout 2023 – 2024.
• Large Grants (£75,000 to £300,000) will close on 4th January 2024.

Guidance, Support and Information

For more information and application guidance visit:

https://www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk/icfund/

Organisations involved in delivering the Fund

The Inclusive Communities Fund has been made available by the UK Government through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). 

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are overseeing delivery of this investment to enable a significant programme of Legacy projects to take place until March 2025.

Heart of England Community Foundation  are the administrators of the funding across the West Midlands. The Community Foundation is the leading, independent grant-making body in the West Midlands and Warwickshire. Since 1995 they have awarded over £35million to over 7,000 good causes, supporting communities towards happier and healthier lives.

United By 2022  are the Games Official Legacy Charity. Created to push the Games legacy further, they support people and places in the West Midlands that have been traditionally overlooked and underserved. United By 2022 are partnering the Community Foundation to deliver community engagement activities and to support organisations to successfully apply to the Community Grants Fund.

To apply visit:

https://www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk/icfund/