Local Community Fund

We are anticipating that the 2026/27 Local Community Fund will open for nominations on Friday 12 June 2026.

Please contact Locality.Fund@essex.gov.uk with any queries or if you would like to discuss a potential project.

You can find the decision and guidance for the Fund here. (Guidance can be found from page 7 onwards).

Each Member will have £5,000 to allocate. Funding must be spent on one of the following five areas, and officers are happy to discuss prospective projects with you:

Youth Provision - Glenn Crickmore (glenn.crickmore@essex.gov.uk)
- Projects must benefit young people aged between 11 and 19 (or up to 25 for those with special educational needs)
- Projects should not be for a building project or renovations
- Projects must not duplicate existing provisions
Levelling Up in the Community - Avjeet Grewal (avjeet.grewal@essex.gov.uk)
- Projects must benefit one of the Levelling Up cohorts:
  - People with SEND, learning disabilities, or mental health conditions (children and adults).
  - Children on free school meals.
  - Working families on low incomes.
  - Young adults (16-25) who have not been in education, training, or employment for more than six months
Community Safety - Caroline Ellis (caroline.ellis@essex.gov.uk)
- Projects must focus on preventing crime, reducing anti-social behaviour and making people feel safer, with a particular focus on:
  - Improving home & personal safety.
  - Improving safety in the night-time economy.
  - Tackling crime in rural areas.
  - Physical improvements to areas known for criminal activities or anti-social behaviour.
  - Diversionary activities that work directly with at risk groups.
Improving the Environment - Sam Kennedy (sam.kennedy@essex.gov.uk)
Supporting Community Events that have a minimum of 2000 attendees - please contact the Locality Fund team to discuss possible projects (locality.fund@essex.gov.uk)

You can find guidance on the scheme here (page 9 onwards).