We understand community initiatives come in all shapes and sizes as they are tailor made to suit their specific community. Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West offered two different funding opportunities: the Community Initiative Fund and the Community Enterprise Fund.
The Community Initiative Fund supported rural community groups wishing to develop existing or new voluntary initiatives that improve service provision in the local area, where the primary goal of these groups is not to make money from the service but to ensure that the service is available.
Projects had to:
- Be a voluntary organisation, community group, charity or even a parish council wishing to advance service provision in their community
- Be a group with a defined social purpose
- Be located in a targeted rural area as specified by the programme
- Contribute towards community sustainability, supporting the economic and/or social environment of the community to ensure its future
- Evidence local need for the service (e.g. through community planning, parish plan or another consultation process)
- Have individuals who possess the skills and expertise to implement the project successfully, or they are able to indicate how they will acquire or develop them
The Community Enterprise Fund supported community groups wishing to establish or expand community enterprises which contribute to the rural services and economic improvement in their local communities.
Projects had to:
- Be either an established or prospective social enterprise or an established voluntary organisation wishing to develop an enterprise-based activity
- Be either an incorporated and socially-owned legal entity or intending to incorporate as such as part of the project
- Be a group with a defined social purpose
Be located in a targeted rural area specified by the programme - Have the potential to achieve economic viability, even if this is with the benefit of some minor grant support or voluntary contributions
- Evidence local need for the service (e.g. through community consultation, market research, feasibility studies)
- Have individuals who possess the skills and expertise to implement the project successfully, or they are able to indicate how they will acquire or develop them
