We enjoyed working alongside Locality and Birmingham City Council’s Neighbourhood Develop Support Unit (NDSU) to support Birmingham groups in applying for these grants.
Once all the grants were allocated, we began supporting successful applicants to get started with their projects.
Resources for successful applicants:
You will find all event recordings and supporting materials in this Google folder.
You can go to YouTube to watch a recording of the ‘Use of parks and green spaces’ session to help you get everything right when using a Birmingham City Council outdoor space for your event.
You can also go to YouTube to watch a recording of the ‘Completing your COGA (conditions of grant aid) form’ session.
You can download this document: Help to fill in the current ‘Use of Parks’ form.
You can also read Locality’s ‘Top tips for community engagement’ leaflet.
About Celebrating Communities
Celebrating Communities grants are funding community projects under one of three themes:
- Getting Active
- Ready, Steady, Fun
- Celebrating Culture.
Round 2 closed on Tuesday 30 November 2021.
Grants are being awarded of between:
- £100 and £1,000
- £1,001 and £5,000
- £5,001 and £10,000.
They were allocated by ward – with a funding limit per ward – and are designed to help small groups with their celebratory projects and activities.
(For bigger projects, groups have been advised to seek additional funding.)
We were pleased to help with application guidance [PDF]:
Celebrating Communities_application guidance_version 1_September 2021.
Here’s a PDF pamphlet – ‘Developing your community project’ – created especially for Celebrating Communities.
Grants briefing and application support sessions
We held application support sessions with Locality and NDSU.
Here are the most recent slides.
Here are the most recent presentation recordings.
‘Creating and presenting your funding pitch’
For groups who applied for a grant in Round 1, we held several sessions called ‘Creating and presenting your funding pitch’, hosted with Locality.
There we discussed what would happen at the ward forum stage when local communities voted for the projects that get funded. We explored what makes a good pitch, shared tips for presenting, and practised talking about proposed projects in front of a small group of peers.
We have a recording of this session: ‘Creating and presenting your funding pitch’.
Application forms
Please note that the fund is no longer open for applications.
Celebrating Communities_application guidance_version 1_September 2021.
> Celebrating Communities application form (up to £1000)
> Celebrating Communities application form (£1001 – £5000)
> Celebrating Communities application form (over £5001)
About Locality
Locality is the national membership network supporting local community organisations to be strong and successful. Its member network of over 1200 organisations across England creates the services each community needs most, in spaces where everyone belongs.
Locality runs the My Community website, which shares brilliant resources for community organisations, including several which may give you inspiration for your Celebrating Communities project. Check out this ‘Top tips for community engagement’ leaflet.
This page was last updated in July 2022.