Fund available to community groups
The next round of funding to help community groups deliver positive change is now open for applications.
The Communities and Place Fund – part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – has already boosted local groups with over £760,000 awarded in previous years.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) supports the UK Government’s Mission of pushing power out to communities everywhere with a specific focus to help kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.
The Fund provided £2.6bn across the UK between 2022/23 and 2024/25. The UK Government’s Autumn Budget announced a further £900 million of funding for local investment by March 2026, through which a total of £2,697,397 was awarded to North Ayrshire.
North Ayrshire Council’s Cabinet gave the green light for the next stage of the Communities and Place Fund, which aims to help communities deliver projects that will support local priorities and help them to thrive and grow.
Now the third round of the fund is open, with organisations able to apply for a share of the pot. This will see a total of £250,000 available for groups.
Grants between £5,000 and £25,000 are available for projects that deliver at least on one of the themes of the fund:
- improve health and wellbeing
- reduce crime and the fear of crime
- bring communities together and tackle homelessness
- development of the visitor economy, and
- high streets and town centres improvements
Quote: We have delivered a range of initiatives using the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and are pleased to offer a third round of our popular Communities and Place Fund. We hope the funding will help many residents and will support a series of projects which will help bring about positive change to our communities.”
Quote from: Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy at North Ayrshire Council
The fund is open for applications until 1 August 2025 and awards must be spent in full by 31 March 2026. Further details and application process are available on the Council’s website.
Published: 23 June 2025