Believe Housing offers grants to County Durham groups

Believe Housing is offering grants of up to £1,000 to not-for-profit organisations that work in areas where it has homes.

The funding can be used for a wide range of community-focused projects including volunteer schemes, training programmes, income-boosting activities and wellbeing support.

Blackhall WI tapestry – believe housing awarded a £1,000 community grant to the Blackhall Women’s Institute(WI) to fund a tapestry project (Image: believe housing)

Damian Pearson, community investment team leader at believe housing, said: “We know that small grants can make a big difference to local groups with good ideas for their communities.

“This funding is there to help organisations bring people together, support wellbeing, build skills and respond to the issues residents are facing day to day.

“We encourage any group looking to start or build on a project that could make a positive difference in their community to get in touch and see how this support could help.”

Groups can apply for one grant of £1,000 or two grants of £500 during the financial year.

The funding can cover capital or revenue expenses including equipment, venue hire, activities and training.

To be eligible, projects must support at least one of Believe Housing’s community investment themes.

These include bringing communities together, health and wellbeing, employability and training, increasing household income, a greener, fairer future, and tackling inequalities including challenges caused by the cost-of-living crisis.

Applications are open to groups working in central, east or south-west County Durham in areas where believe housing owns homes.

The grants form part of believe housing’s wider commitment to creating healthy homes and sustainable places, supporting community-led projects that help residents build brighter futures and stronger neighbourhoods.

Details of the scheme, including full eligibility criteria and an online application form, are available at https://www.believehousing.co.uk/community-funding.