Your Councillor Community Fund

Your Councillor Community Fund update

Please note that the application deadline has now closed and will reopen in the next financial year.

Contact your local county councillor to apply and read the information below.

Page contents:

Introduction

Each county councillor has funding to help residents, voluntary and community organisations deliver activities that benefit local people in their neighbourhoods. This funding is known as Your Councillor Community Fund (YCCF), previously known as Members' Community Allocation.

Your Councillor Community Fund (YCCF) funding can be used for one-off activities that cost just a few pounds, alternatively it can contribute to projects that cost much more. The funding is flexibly designed to help with costs that can range from purchasing sports equipment for local clubs, to the creation of websites to reach more residents.

Online applications for funding are now closed.

Click on your local area to find out how much funding your County Councillors have remaining:

Our funding criteria

For your application to be considered, your project must support the residents in the County Councillor's division. The project must also demonstrate how it helps us to meet one or more of our eight focus areas:

  • Tackling inequality: Working with Surrey's residents to identify and address causes of inequality, especially in life expectancy.
  • Supporting independence: Helping residents help themselves and each other within their communities.
  • More joined up health and social care: Helping integrate health and council services so they're more effective, efficient and seamless for residents.
  • Creating a greener future: Tackling the causes of climate change to help Surrey become a carbon neutral county as soon as possible.
  • Embracing Surrey's diversity: Recognising the benefits of a diverse workforce and population to ensure Surrey is a place full of opportunity for everyone.
  • Partnership: Working with residents, businesses, partners and communities to collectively meet challenges and grasp opportunities.
  • Supporting the local economy: Investing in the infrastructure Surrey needs to build a strong and resilient economy.
  • Digital revolution: Making the most of new technology to innovate and improve local services, and how we work together, to help Surrey and residents thrive.

What we cannot fund

There are some legal and other organisational considerations that limit how YCCF funding can be used.

If your project involves the following, then funding cannot be awarded:

  • funding political organisations and/or political activities
  • teaching national curriculum subjects and/or learning-related activities contained in the annual School and Early Years Finance Regulations
  • supporting contentious planning matters or disputes
  • activities causing reputational damage and conflicts of interest for the council, including campaigns against the council or its statutory partners
  • Ongoing staffing costs
  • Projects that contravene any of Surrey County Council's agreed policies or priorities, including Surrey's net zero ambitions. For example, we won't fund any non-electric vehicles or any fossil fuel based energy solutions.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for the Your Councillor Community Fund, here's how to do it:

  1. Make sure that your project fits within one or more of our 8 areas of focus, above. You will need to demonstrate this.
  2. Contact your local county councillor to discuss your project and see if it is something that they would consider supporting. Remember that councillors often get requests that exceed the amount they have to spend but they may be able to advise about other funding sources that could help you.
  3. If your county councillor is happy to support your project, they will send you a link to the online application form and instructions on how to complete it.
  4. Before starting your application, please watch the guidance video on how to complete the application form. We also recommend that you look at the sample application form to prepare your answers and additional documents that you may be required to submit.
  5. Once you have completed the online application form and all the mandatory information is included, it is automatically sent to the Community Funding Team for processing and ultimate approval.
  6. If you need support during your application, our team can help. You can email us at yccf@surreycc.gov.uk or take a look at our video of hints and tips on filling out your application form.
  7. If your application is successfully submitted, you will receive an email confirming receipt. You will be given a unique reference number during the application process which you should note down and quote whenever you contact us about your application.
  8. The Community Funding Team may contact you to request further supporting information or to ask for clarification about some of the details contained in your application.
  9. If your application is approved, you will receive a confirmation email. If your application is rejected, you will similarly receive an email advising you of the outcome.
  10. Once funding is approved, it is likely to take up to two weeks before the money is paid into your organisation's bank account.

We require all successful organisations to provide us with evidence that the project has been completed. This helps us to account for how we have used our funding. It also provides images and information that we can use on our website and in our social media activities to share the benefit and impact of your project with the community.

Good luck with your project.

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