The Lewisham Community Fund is a borough-wide, resident-led initiative that supports grassroots projects to strengthen communities, activate local spaces and improve the wellbeing of residents across Lewisham.
The fund is delivered by Lewisham Giving, Lewisham’s place-based giving scheme, and sits within Lewisham Local, a local charity dedicated to strengthening community power and resilience through infrastructure support, giving and capacity building. It brings together residents, businesses and community organisations to invest in local ideas, encourage collaboration and create lasting positive change.
Purpose of the fund
The Lewisham Community Fund aims to improve the wellbeing and quality of life of residents across Lewisham by supporting community-led initiatives that respond to local needs, challenges and opportunities.
The fund has been raised through income generated by the Lewisham Local Card Scheme and Lewisham Community Lottery. We are grateful to the Lewisham Council, residents, local businesses such as Regular Cleaning and community organisations that have supported these. The funding generated has also been supplemented by generous contributions from L&Q Group and Axis.
Who can apply?
This funding programme is aimed at Lewisham-based organisations within the voluntary,
community and faith sector.
Criteria for organisations to apply are as follows:
- A constituted group with a volunteer management comittee with a minumum of three unrelated members that meets regularly (at least three times per year)
- Registered charity with a board of trustees
- Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
- Community Benefit Society
- Company Limited by Guarantee
- Community Interest Company (CIC) with a minimumof three unrelated directors and with no one director with more than 50% control
- Organisations with annual turnover of less than £100,000 in the last financial year
The fund aims to support projects that:
- Promote resident-led action and community participation by empowering local people to shape and deliver initiatives that respond to community needs.
- Activate community spaces to foster belonging and inclusion by creating welcoming, accessible environments where residents can connect, participate and engage in community activities.
- Create skills development and employment pathways by providing opportunities for residents to develop skills, gain experience and improve their access to education, training and employment
The fund will prioritise projects which focus on the following:
Young People: Projects that support residents aged 16–25, with a focus on improving their wellbeing, participation, skills development and access to opportunities.
Intergenerational Activities: Projects that create, develop or activate community spaces and activities that encourage interaction, collaboration and relationship-building between people of different generations.
How to apply?
Please download the funding guideline here. You can either apply online or download the Microsoft Word Document using the link provided.
Once completed, please email your application to funding@lewishamlocal.com.