About community funds
Town Teams have developed a community-led fund – a pot of money – to spend on projects that support each town’s priority, chosen by local people.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, hundreds of people across the borough shared their ideas about what improvements they’d like to see in their town. Together, we’ve listened, talked, and voted on the things that really need attention. Find out what local people voted for.
The council has set aside £480,000 for these projects, and every town has been given an amount, based on how many people live there.
The fund will also demonstrate how local people and the council can work together to support change.
£480,000
Set aside for projects
2,500
Another Stat
What local people voted for
Want to see what your town is planning? Select your town below to see what projects are being funded.
The decision making process
The community fund application window was different for each town but ranged from October 2025 to January 2026. The process was created and managed by each Town Team, with support from the council. Anyone could apply, as long as their idea supported their
town’s priority and they live, work or study in the borough.
To find out more about the process, visit your town’s page.
Promoting the fund
Town Teams promoted the community fund in their local areas, on AroundEaling.com, and the council’s social media channels.
Reviewing applications
Town Teams assessed all applications using their own scoring process that considered how well the idea supports their town priority, it’s benefit to the community, value for money and deliverability.
Council support
The council provided oversight to make sure decisions were fair and transparent, and before funds are awarded a senior council officer approves the funding.
Due diligence (before funding)
Before funding is awarded, we carry out checks to make sure organisations can deliver the work. These checks reflect the size of the grant, the type of organisation and the project. For registered charities, this includes checks on their public profile, registration and accounts.
Ensuring money is spent well
All funded projects must sign a grant agreement, which sets out how the money should be used and the conditions under which funds could be recovered.
Projects must report on their work and clearly show how funding has been spent.
For larger grants, funding is released in stages based on risk. The Town Team will also visit projects to see the work in action.
Projects are expected to be accountable to their local community and show progress on the change they want to achieve.
After funding is awarded
Town Team members recommend projects for funding, with final approval made by a senior council officer. Once agreements are in place, funding is awarded. Projects are asked to share a short blog so residents can learn about their work and how to get involved.
Updates will be shared by Town Teams in their local communities, as well as on this website, AroundEaling.com and the council’s social media channels. At the end of the project, groups share what they achieved and how the funding was spent.
How to get involved
In each town there may be events or activities to get involved in, including community celebrations and information sessions. Find out more on each town’s page.
Town Teams are also thinking about other ways to address local priorities. They want to find new ways to involve more people in setting goals and taking action.