Community Grants

Stowmarket Town Council is committed to supporting and strengthening the many networks and community groups that help to make a positive difference to Stowmarket as a place to live, work and visit for everyone. The Town Council aims to keep in touch with local community groups and organisations which are open to the public and support the health and wellbeing of Stowmarket residents.

We keep a list of local community groups which you can access via our website.  To keep this updated we rely on community groups to keep us up-to-date with their details.  Please tell us about your group if it is not on our list.

Community Grants

Stowmarket Town Council offer grant funding support to local community groups and organisations; supporting projects and initiatives which will directly benefit the residents of Stowmarket Town.

Three types of grant applications are able to be considered by the Town Council:

Stowmarket Communities Grant Scheme opens for applications every September and provides small grants of up to £500 for a range of community activities and events in the Stowmarket area, that will be of benefit to local residents. The grant funding is available for one-off funding which can be used to:

• Improve services or provision for children and young people;
• Improve services or provision for people with disabilities;
• Improve services or provision for elderly people;
• Improve services or provision for people from a low income household;
• Improve services or provision for other vulnerable people; and/or
• A significant benefit for the community in general (such as a community event or service).

StowFund is an ongoing, open grant scheme designed to support projects and initiatives that benefit Stowmarket. Applicants may request up to £1,000 for new projects and up to £500 for existing activities, ongoing projects or equipment purchases. The Town Council has a broad range of objectives to support and improve Stowmarket, and StowFund helps local organisations to deliver initiatives that contribute to these goals.

• To promote civic pride and attract investment or development to the town.
• To support volunteering opportunities which help the local community.
• To support activities that help to meet an identified need in the town.
• To support the health and wellbeing of the residents in Stowmarket.
• To support community safety work and safer neighbourhood schemes, in collaboration with the police and/or other community safety partnerships.

Stowmarket “Think Global, Act Local” Environment Fund provides a source of grant funding or sponsorship for local groups and volunteers who want to take action to improve or safeguard the environment of Stowmarket, raise environmental awareness within the town, or implement measures that will support carbon reduction. Examples of projects that could attract funding include:

• Re-wilding and biodiversity;
• Recycling;
• Community litter picks;
• Thermal efficiency of community buildings;
• School environmental projects;
• Tree planting.

This list is not exhaustive and other ideas are welcomed.

The Environment Fund accepts applications which are up to £500. There is no deadline for these applications and they are assessed on a rolling basis until all the funds are allocated.

For more information about grants or community support please contact us, on 01449 612060 or email communities@stowmarket.org