Community Building Energy Efficiency Grants
Grant details
Grant size: | Up to £20,000 |
Who is it for?Organisations that run community buildings in Somerset for the benefit of local people. For example village halls, community centres, sports pavilions and other assets used by the whole community.
What is it for?To improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of community buildings.
What can we use this money for?
Lots of community buildings have told us that the increase in energy costs, which we have all experienced since the start of the cost of living crisis, has put their long term future in jeopardy. Many trustees of community buildings felt they had no choice but to pass some or all of these additional costs on to the many small community groups that rent their buildings. We believe this situation is unsustainable without investment to reduce ongoing costs.
The aims of this funding programme are to:
- support community buildings to install energy efficiency saving and decarbonisation measures
- ensure the long term sustainability of community buildings as essential neighbourhood assets.
If your project aligns with these aims you can use this grant for things such as:
- the installation of items such as low energy lighting
- solar panels
- insulation
- air-to-air source heat pumps.
These measures should be aimed at energy saving opportunities within a community building that provides a substantial benefit to the local community in which it is situated.
Grants are available of up to £20,000 for work to be completed within a period of 12 months from the grant award date.
What can’t a grant be awarded for?
We can’t consider applications that are:
- from individuals
- from groups without the required security of tenure (minimum 10-year lease or freehold)
- for work where the necessary permissions are not in place for the work to be carried out
- for work already underway or undertaken.
Who can apply?
We can only consider your group for a grant from this grant programme if your group meets our minimum standards.
Our minimum standards cover things like:
- the types of groups we can give a grant to and how we expect them to be run
- how we expect those groups to manage their finances
- how those groups keep people safe.
All of our minimum standards are on our FAQ page, where you can also find lots of information about applying for funding.
You can also use our eligibility checker which will help you understand if you can apply for a grant from us.
When do we have to apply?
This fund will be opening in February 2025 and the deadline for applications will be Monday 31 March 2025.
Decisions will be made and payments awarded in May 2025.
How likely are we to get a grant?
Sadly, we can’t provide funding to every group that applies to us.
We have around £200,000 to give out from the Fund. We may be able to fund all of the work that you are planning or we may ask you to contribute to the overall cost.
We’re more likely to give you some money if your group and community building:
- can demonstrate that the building is used for multiple purposes, bringing the local community together and that improvements will further increase its use
- can demonstrate the impact energy prices have recently had on the building and on the groups using the building
- can demonstrate the measures will achieve pay-back in terms of energy saved, in a relatively short period
- can demonstrate that the scale of saving will benefit the wider community
- is in an area of high deprivation or is in a remote rural location.
How are decisions made?
Your application will be assessed by one of our team. They’ll read through what you’ve written, look at your supporting documents, and check places like the Charity Commission and your website. We may contact you if we have any questions.
A recommendation will usually then be made and at a panel meeting all the applications received will be discussed. The panel will make the final decision. The panel will include a member of the Community Buildings team at the Community Council for Somerset and some of our trustees.
How do I apply to this programme?
You will be able to apply via our online application form once the Fund is opened in February 2025.
Along with the application form we will ask you to submit the documents that evidence you meet Somerset Community Foundation’s minimum standards (the group’s governing document, safeguarding policy and set of most recent financial accounts).
For this Fund we will also ask you to submit the following:
- a DIY Energy Check
- a Carbon Reduction Plan
- evidence of community consultation, undertaken in the last 2 years, around the current and future use of the community building.
Sources of support
If you have any questions relating to the proposed energy saving work you are hoping to carry out, the Community Buildings Advisor at The Community Council for Somerset (CCS), Robert Horn, robert@somersetrcc.org.uk may be able to assist you.
Get help with this fund
This fund is managed by Clare, our Programmes Manager. Clare can help if you:
- aren’t sure if you meet our standards.
- aren’t sure if this is the best fund to apply for.
- can’t use our online form.
- can’t attach the documents we’ve asked for.
Grant details
Grant size: | Up to £20,000 |
Who is it for?Organisations that run community buildings in Somerset for the benefit of local people. For example village halls, community centres, sports pavilions and other assets used by the whole community.
What is it for?To improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of community buildings.
FAQs
You can find our minimum standards and everything else you need to know about applying on our FAQs page.