This fund is about levelling up opportunity and prosperity and overcoming deep-seated geographical inequalities that have held some areas back for too long.
About UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Burnley Community Grants Programme
Opportunity Details
This fund is about levelling up opportunity and prosperity and overcoming deep-seated geographical inequalities that have held some areas back for too long.
It is also, fundamentally, about improving people’s pride in the places they love and seeing that reflected back in empowered local leaders and communities, a stronger social fabric and better life chances.
This money is going straight to local places right across the U.K. to invest in three local priorities: communities and place, support for local businesses and people and skills. Local leaders can focus spend on what works best for their communities, unshackled by previous restrictions.
This approach to investment and the empowerment of local communities will make a real difference on the ground and change lives. Burnley Council is looking forward to seeing the creative, ambitious choices that communities make as they take charge of their destinies.
For 2025-26, they have mapped previous interventions into Mission-led themes across the three priority areas: Communities and Place; Support for Local Business; and People and Skills.
The Fund’s mix of revenue and capital funding will ensure places deliver directly on the government’s foremost Mission to kickstart economic growth. Alongside this, it will support the four remaining Missions, helping those at risk of being left behind and boost community cohesion.
The Burnley Community Grants 25-26 will deliver activity focussing on the Priority ‘Communities and Place’.
Aims
The UKSPF will support restoring a sense of community, local pride and belonging, especially in those places where they have been lost.
The primary goal of the UKSPF is to build pride in place and increase life chances. People’s lives are shaped by the social and physical fabric of their communities. The local mix of social and physical capital gives local areas their unique character and shapes where people choose to live, work and invest. This Fund will improve the places people live in, and support communities. It will drive noticeable improvements that matter to local communities, foster local pride in place and increase life chances including health outcomes.
Applications which tackle/support the following key priorities will be considered favourably though applications which do not tackle these priorities will not be excluded:
- Support for older people: isolation, confidence building, befriending
- Young people: mental health, isolation, confidence building, counselling
- Hard to reach/under-represented communities e.g. BAME, women, LGBTQ+, refugees, etc
- Increasing opportunities to participate in physical activity
Applications should support one or more of the following Outputs:
- Number of amenities/facilities improved. (Number of community facilities and venues developed or improved to include but not limited to: energy efficiencies e.g. solar panels, LED lighting; improved access e.g. ramps, lifts; redecorating; new roof; protection from flooding.)
- Number of tourism or heritage assets created or improved.
- Number of local events or activities supported. (Community events bringing people together.)
- Number of tournaments/teams supported. (Increased levels of participation in physical activity e.g. new tournaments, development of teams etc.)
- Number of organisations receiving grants.
- Number of organisations receiving non-financial support.
- Number of volunteering opportunities supported.
Outcomes
- Projects which include the Outputs detailed above will result in:
- Increased users of facilities/amenities. (from baseline)
- Increased visitor numbers. (from baseline)
- Number of premises with improved digital connectivity as a result of support.
- Improved engagement numbers (from baseline). (People will have increased levels of social contact, awareness of skills, training, activities and behaviours that improve wellbeing. Increased level of improvements to neighbourhood e.g., creation of community gardens, tree planting area development etc.)
- Number of community led arts, cultural, heritage and creative programmes as a result of support.
- Number of volunteering opportunities created as a result of support
Applications should also demonstrate a contribution to these Outputs and Outcomes by supporting an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach.
ABCD Criteria:
- Improving the health and wellbeing of local people
- Backing real people’s dreams and ideas
- Working alongside people and trusting them to shape their own futures.
- Bringing energy and creativity to kick-start change.
- Tapping into existing assets, resources, talents, and skills
- Building new connection and relationships
- Working with social entrepreneurs and businesses to create new enterprises and jobs.
- Sparking community-centred investment and regeneration
- Working with communities to shape more effective health, care, and welfare services.
- Creating a culture which, wherever possible, says ‘yes’, rather than ‘no’
- Using language, which is positive, concise and cuts out jargon.
- Boosting confidence through creative and inspiring activities involving everyone
- Creating culture change, enterprise and inspiration in communities which lasts long after we’ve gone.
- Empowering and improving access to arts.
Applications would also be welcome that support needs and priorities in the following key areas:
- Increasing resilience and improving mental wellbeing, enabling individuals and families to cope well, overcome barriers to achieving their potential and increase their skills.
- Support residents who are more vulnerable, such as those with a long-term health condition, who are frail and/or have complex needs.
- Promotes greater partnership working between the community and statutory services, and other VCF organisations.
- Encourage the involvement of residents in the development of services.
- Reduce social isolation, with a positive impact on health and wellbeing.
- Supports and contributes to activities helping people because of the impact of Covid19 on their health and wellbeing.
- Supporting people in the use of digital technology.
Benefits of UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Burnley Community Grants Programme
- Awards from £5,000 up to £20,000 will be considered.
- There will be no appeals or deferred applications. Applications will be either successful or unsuccessful. Unsuccessful applications will receive feedback. If unsuccessful you may apply again in further rounds (subject to available funds).
- Activity and spend must be completed by 31st March 2026.
- Monitoring will be proportionate to the amount approved and at intervals on an agreed schedule
UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Burnley Community Grants Programme Requirements
- This fund is being made available to community projects across Burnley and Padiham.
- There is a strong focus for small groups, quality, single locality delivery.
Application Date and Process
Applications are invited that match the strategic aims and objectives and fulfill one or more of the outputs outlined above.
- Please also ensure that your project clearly addresses one or more of the outcomes and ABCD criteria outline above.
- Your project must submit a contingency plan – there may be disruption to ‘normal’ service delivery due to health or adverse weather conditions etc, during the life of your project. Your group must submit a plan of how you will deliver your project or an alternative project which supports the same aims and outcomes as the original project as part of this application. If a contingency plan is not submitted your application will not be considered.
- Applicants must be a constituted voluntary community faith group; a registered Charity or not for profit organisation and have appropriate governance in place, including the policies and procedures required to deliver the service being offered. If your organisation is not constituted, please do contact BPRCVS for support and guidance.
- Applicants must have their own bank account with a minimum of two unrelated signatories.
- BPRCVS may visit the group to monitor the policies in place and ensure appropriate governance structure.
- BPRCVS can help support groups through the application process
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Application Deadline
27 June, 2025
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UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Burnley Community Grants Programme
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