Midcounties Co-Operative Community Fund

The Fund supports a broad range of community activities, including dementia support events, gardening schemes, youth clubs, sports programmes, food banks, and wellbeing initiatives. These projects promote inclusion, health, education, and social connections. Grants can cover equipment, facility improvements, events, volunteer engagement, and direct service delivery. The Fund prioritises areas with a co-operative presence, particularly the West Midlands, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire, while also funding across England. It favours practical, sustainable benefits that make a tangible difference in defined locales.

Eligible applicants are typically small, resource-limited, constituted community groups and registered charities. The Fund has a strong preference for grassroots organisations that are volunteer-led and deeply rooted in their communities. It prioritises groups that serve local people in areas where the co-operative operates. Beneficiaries include a wide range of community members, with a focus on those experiencing disadvantage or isolation. Applicants should be able to demonstrate how their project aligns with co-operative values and brings local people together.

The Fund does not support large-scale capital projects or unrestricted core funding for large organisations. It also excludes applications from groups that are not constituted or that operate outside its geographic focus. The Fund is not intended for activities that do not directly benefit the local community or that duplicate existing provision.

The Fund provides grants sourced from the co-operative's trading surplus, with funding decisions made by members. It supports small-scale, volunteer-driven projects and activities. Grants are awarded for specific initiatives rather than ongoing core costs, and the Fund welcomes unsolicited applications from eligible groups.