People, Places & Communities Grant Programme

About The Fund

Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation has announced a stream of funding for groups and clubs amidst the cost-of-living crisis.  

Voluntary and community organisations with charitable aims can apply for grants up to £3,000 to provide activities and shelter for Letchworth residents during the cost issues that are arising. 

To meet these concerns we are introducing the People, Places & Community grant programme which has 2 core aims: 

  • To enable activities to take place in the community that mitigate against the effects that are being caused by the rise in the cost of living 
  • To support groups to continue to provide their valuable community-based activities and services that may be affected by increased inflation.  

We recognize that groups and communities are diverse and may be experiencing different effects and groups have different local resources available to them. As a result, there are likely to be many different ideas for activities that enable residents to come together to connect and mitigate the effects of the rise in the cost of living.

Equally, there is likely to be a variety of needs to continue to offer regular community-based activities. Groups know their needs best, however, it is important the activity is meeting one or more of the following objectives: 

  • Creates a warm and welcoming space 

  • Encourages social interaction between residents 

  • Provides opportunities to learn new skills that will help to alleviate the effects of the rise in the cost of living  

  • Provides practical solutions to challenges associated with the increased cost of living 

  • Helps to enhance skills and knowledge  

  • Enables access to food  

  • Enables access to support or information that will help to alleviate the effects of the rise in the cost of living  

  • Improvements to buildings or systems enabling a group to be more efficient and in turn reduce running costs. 

What type of projects will the fund support 

We have a broad range of groups and organisations in the town and as such we anticipate the ideas and requests will mirror this breadth. The list shown below is offered to prompt thinking rather than as a guide to activities eligible for funding: 

  • Enabling community spaces to continue to stay open to deliver regular activities reduces risks of loneliness and isolation 

  • Funding additional costs to enable community spaces to be open for longer periods of time 

  • Providing additional offers when open to encourage social opportunities and reduce isolation such as refreshments or food  

  • Activities or events hosted by community groups to support new skills such as food preparation to enable residents to reduce food shopping bills 

  • Purchasing items that can be incorporated into activities that are aimed at reducing household costs and can be given to participants 

  • Providing access to food for residents and using this time to offer information 

  • Providing access to online information to help residents gain knowledge and information that will mitigate the effects of the cost of living.  

  • Providing mechanisms to network with more vulnerable residents to reduce loneliness and isolation 

  • Replacing electrical fittings to support LED lighting or similar 

  • Activities taking place in Letchworth Garden City

What can the grant be used for? 

Eligible costs include: 

  • Utility costs (we will ask for a copy of a recent bill to understand the tariff) 

  • Volunteer expenses 

  • Hire of equipment 

  • Materials and equipment needed for the event or activity 

  • Food and non-alcoholic refreshments* 

  • Marketing costs and promotion of the event 

  • Wider costs such as insurance  

  • Cost of making your event accessible to all such as BSL interpreters, translation, signage 

What will not be eligible for funding: 

  • Activities that have already taken place or on goods or services before a decision has been made on the application 

  • Activity that takes place after 31st May 2023 

  • Costs of routine activity that regularly takes place and is not adapted or enhanced as part of this event other than utilities 

  • Contributions to appeals 

  • Activity promoting political or social beliefs 

  • Activity that should be provided by statutory services 

  • The mitigation of losses and/or debt mitigation 

*The grant cannot be used to subsidise food that will be sold at the event or activity.  

When an expression of interest form is received, we may be in touch to discuss your proposals and determine if an award can be made. 

We will let the group know and the group will need to agree to accept the funding, the funding will then be paid into the group's account. From receiving an application to reaching a decision and making a grant payment will take around 7 working days. 

Groups will have to complete an evaluation form to share the benefit of the activity or event. 

An aspect of the event or activity should be captured digitally to support the social history of the town – this could be a picture of the activity, an interview, a short clip of the event etc. Please include the hashtag #lgchffunded .