Community Grants
The Blaby District Council Community Grants scheme is open for 2026-27. The scheme supports the local voluntary and community sector (VCS) to develop and strengthen community facilities and activities for the benefit of Blaby district residents. We offer the following grants to suit different project types:
- Capital Green Grants - up to £5,000 (20% match funding required)
- Large Capital Grants - up to £5,000 (50% match funding required)
- Small Capital Grants - up to £500
- Revenue Grants - up to £500
- Everyone Active Grants - up to £500
Please read the information on this page carefully, including the guidance notes that are available to download below before you begin an application.
Application deadlines
We will hold four grant rounds during 2026-27. The deadlines for each round are:
- Friday 5 June 2026 at 5pm
- Friday 25 September 2026 at 5pm
- Friday 4 December 2026 at 5pm
- Friday 5 March 2027 at 5pm
The grant panel usually meets within two weeks of the grant deadline and applicants are notified within a further week.
Who can apply?
Our grants scheme is open to applications from a range of VCS organisations:
- Community groups, youth clubs and sports clubs
- Registered Charities
- Social Enterprises (such as Community Interest Companies)
- PTA/fundraising groups can apply for projects that are not deemed the statutory responsibility of the School/Academy/Trust
- Churches/Religious bodies can only apply for either capital grants relating to distinct community spaces/halls open to the whole community, or revenue grants that relate to community events open to all, irrespective of faith
- Food banks will be considered if the organisation is affiliated with a recognised national network, such as the Trussell Trust, or has formal affiliation with an appropriate national body or a Parish Council
Organisations can only apply for one grant at a time. Organisations are generally ineligible to receive funding more than once within a 24-month period. Exceptions to this rule include applications that align with special priority criteria set by the panel:
- Capital Green Grant applications
- Warm Space initiatives or other urgent cost-of-living support projects
- Support for organisations affected by significantly high energy or fuel costs
How to apply
The same application form is used for all of the different grants. You can apply to the grants scheme online on this webpage.
You will need to provide some supporting documents as listed below when you apply, so please have these ready to upload. If you apply online and you want to save your application as you go, you will need to log in using your My Account. We recommend that you do log in and save your work regularly when using the online application to avoid your session timing out. It also means we will be able to retrieve your application if you experience any problems. You may find it helpful to download the Application Questions document at the bottom of this webpage before you begin to prepare your responses. You will receive a confirmation email and reference number upon successful submission of an online application. For more information and to register for My Account visit the My Account webpage
If you would prefer to submit your application by email or post, please use the contact form at the bottom of this webpage to request an application pack. Completed forms should be sent to the Funding and Awards Officer, Council Offices, Desford Road, Narborough LE19 2EP or email grants@blaby.gov.uk.
If you do not receive an acknowledgement of your application within a few working days, please contact the Funding and Awards Officer on 0116 272 7566 to ensure receipt.
To be eligible, applicants must have the following in place and provide copies with their application:
- A governing document (for example, Constitution or Articles of Association)
- An equality policy/statement (if not included within the governing document)
- A child safeguarding policy and/or vulnerable adults’ policy (if applicable)
- A statement for each bank/savings account held in your organisation’s name (dated within the last three months)
- The organisation’s most recent set of accounts showing all income sources
- Three quotes for any single items or works over the value of £1,000 (if applicable)
- Evidence of any consents/permissions in order for the project to take place, for example, Planning Permission, Advertising Consent or Landowner Consent (if applicable). These must be secured before the application is submitted
- Where the project involves alterations to land or buildings, the applicant must provide evidence of ownership or a written agreement/lease with at least five years remaining (if applicable)
We expect all grant recipients to comply with periodic checks and complete our monitoring form at the end of a project, including providing copies of invoices showing the expenditure on the project as well as any evidence of the intended outcomes being achieved and acknowledgement of the grant. Our full standard terms and conditions can be found in the main community grants scheme guidance notes.
Here are some examples of projects that have received funding recently:
Countesthorpe Cricket Club was awarded a £5,000 Capital Green Grant to install a rainwater harvesting system to water their cricket ground. With climate change, water conservation is important in its own right. The system allows the club to reduce their water usage and become more environmentally and financially sustainable. James Popplewell - Director of the Club - says of the grants scheme: “(It’s) a very simple and easy to use system so I have nothing to add to improve (it) to be honest. In comparison to other grant applications and processes, it is brilliant!”
This village hall charity was awarded £1,156 to install more energy efficient LED lighting to help reduce energy use and costs. Laura Thirlby – Trustee of the charity – says: “Our utility bills were becoming unsustainable and with the help of grants we are on target to bring our facility up to energy efficiency standard. This allows us to keep our rates low and enable groups to remain within our rurally isolated village. The support means a lot to our community.”
The charity has since received further funding towards installing solar power to continue on their journey towards becoming net-zero.
The tennis club received £2,951 towards complete refurbishment of their dated clubhouse. Much of the work was completed by volunteers within the club. Dan Rawlings – Treasurer for the Club – says: “The tennis clubhouse refurbishment was very important for our club. The building was old, underused and unwelcoming. Since the redevelopment, the new clubhouse looks brand new and is a popular place for members and non-members to relax and socialise. We could not have done this without the support from Blaby District Community Grants team. Being awarded a grant was key to kickstart this project and the amount donated was vital for us to fully complete the project to a good standard."
A small capital grant was awarded to this special scouting branch that facilitates Duke of Edinburgh awards for young people in the district. The funding was to purchase tents and storm shelters. Rachael Thompson – Lead Volunteer for the group – says: “This funding has been important to us as we have been previously borrowing equipment, but having our own means we have access to it whenever we need and have the confidence in knowing the equipment will be functioning and ready for the young people when we do come to use it, which is not always guaranteed when sharing equipment.”
Cosby Older People’s Welfare Association was awarded £500 towards the costs of a Christmas lunch event for pensioners in the village of Cosby, particularly those who would otherwise be alone. The aim of the lunch was to provide fellowship and reduce loneliness. Martin Stevenson – Treasurer for the group – says: “This lunch was enjoyed by 80 people in the Blaby District. It was great to hear (that) people who are single and came to the lunch…were going to meet up for coffee on another day. I think you can always tell if an event has gone well when people say they hope it will happen again next year.”
Young Leicestershire was awarded £500 for their Rise-Up project – a group that supports 14-17 year olds with additional needs and disabilities. The funding went towards equipment, resources and trips. Deb Such - SENCo at Young Leicestershire – said: “All activities are carefully designed to build confidence, emotional regulation, social communication, independence and life skills… Having extra funding is always a bonus, as it allows us to provide the activities that the young people want to take part in, rather than just what we can afford. We are very conscious that we get as much longevity out of our funding as possible, which is why we choose resources that can be used many times over."
The Club was awarded a £500 Everyone Active grant towards specialist equipment and refreshments to run an open day for disabled people to try playing bowls. 70 people attended. Gary Toward – Chair of the Club – said: “This funding has and will change lives. Several people have benefitted instantly and many more will over coming months and years due to the increased awareness and new skills learned by local coaches."