The Spring funding round is now open with a deadline of the 23 April to have your project ready and to start your crowdfunding campaign. 

Register our upcoming workshop to find out more - Thursday 13 February at 12noon

The workshop will cover:

• Hear about funding available to help make your ideas happen.
• Get advice on creating your project and how to run an amazing crowdfunding campaign.
• Join interactive breakout rooms to access specialised support for your project

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The below process is relevant to all projects, regardless of which fund they are hoping to get a pledge from. 

1.    SHARE YOUR IDEA

Share your project idea as soon as possible so we can provide feedback and support you to get started. 

2.    CREATE YOUR PROJECT ON SPACEHIVE

Create your project page on Spacehive which will match you to the relevant funds. You are encouraged to create your project early, to unlock support from the Spacehive team. 

3.    GET YOUR PROJECT VERIFIED

The project costs and necessary permissions will be checked by Spacehive's verifiers before you begin crowdfunding. Submit early to ensure you’re verified before the deadline. Verification takes an average of four days when project creators have the relevant documents to hand. 

Before you submit for verification, make sure that you have:

• Proof of permission (e.g. event license, council agreement, landowner consent) - Read more about permissions.

• Evidence of costs (e.g. building work quotations, links to online shop listings)

• Relevant insurances, policies, or qualifications (e.g. organisation constitution, safeguarding policy, certifications)

• Evidence of any funds that you have received for this project that you would like to have shown on your campaign (e.g. grant agreement, scan of a cheque, bank statement).

4.    LAUNCH YOUR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN AND PITCH TO THE FUND

Once verified, launch your crowdfunding campaign. Ensure you have submitted your fund pitch by the deadline too, to be considered for a pledge from the council.

Please note: the council will not be the first organisation to pledge to your project and will first want to see community support and backing, in the form of pledges from local people towards your campaign.

Start by getting lots of small pledges from the community to show local support for your project. This will help unlock bigger pledges.

Please note: a typical crowdfunding campaign should not exceed three months.

5.    ASSESSMENT AND PLEDGE

The council will review all projects typically 6 weeks after the deadline and pledges will be made directly into the crowdfunding campaigns.

6. HIT YOUR TARGET AND DELIVER YOUR PROJECT 

You need to hit your target in order to receive the funds you raise. Please allow up to three weeks to receive funds once your campaign ends. Once you deliver your project, you can update your backers by completing a colourful impact report on Spacehive. 

To learn more about crowdfunding on Spacehive, visit the Help Centre. 

For any additional questions, please contact Spacehive at [email protected].

Some projects may be eligible for more than one fund. 

Projects interested in Woven in Kirklees or the Batley Community Events Fund, please see the separate tabs dedicated to these funds. 

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Kirklees Council through the Growing Great places programme are interested to hear about projects which make our local places even better – things that are good for local people and help your community to grow stronger. Think about how your project will include different people and will make the most of local energy, skills, assets and creativity.

We can support organisations who are either an Unincorporated Association, Charitable Trust, Charitable Incorporated Company, Community Interest Company, Community Benefit Society or Cooperative Society, with pledges of up to £5,000, up to 50% of your campaign target. 

Individuals and non-constituted community groups can apply for up to a £2,500 pledge to support their campaign. There are also new additional funds available for 2025 which projects can pitch to.

Whilst there are some specific criteria for being part of Growing Great Places, the most important thing is that your project will be good for people in your community.

We’re particularly interested in supporting projects that contribute to one or more of the shared outcomes in Our Council Plan 2025-2026.

Our shared outcomes are:

• Shaped by People - we make our places what they are.
  (this outcome is particularly important to us, because it was created by local people)
• Best start - children have the best start in life.
• Well - people are as well as possible for as long as possible.
• Independent - people live independently and have control over their lives.
• Aspire and achieve - people have aspiration to achieve their ambitions through education, training, employment, and lifelong learning.
• Sustainable economy - we have sustainable economic growth and provides good employment for and with communities and businesses.
• Safe and cohesive - people live in cohesive communities, feel safe and are protected from harm.
• Clean and green - people experience a high quality, clean, sustainable, and green environment.

For more detail on our outcomes please look at Our Council Plan 2025-2026.

Kirklees Council are unlikely to pledge towards projects that:

• Help only one individual or a very limited number of people.
• Have, in the current financial year, already received a grant from Kirklees Council for the same project costs that you’re crowdfunding for via Growing Great Places.
• Happen each year and have been funded previously through Growing Great Places.
• Other funding from Kirklees Council, for different items or project costs to those that the pledge will fund, would be viewed as match funding (or complementary funding).
• Do not promote community cohesion.
• Are to be managed by a group or individual who received a previous grant that was not managed satisfactorily.
• Are raising funds for works or equipment already committed, bought or completed.
• Solely or predominantly benefit people who live outside the Kirklees area.
• Overtly or exclusively promote a Political agenda.
• Overtly or exclusively promote a religious agenda.
• Interfere with Kirklees Council business or would be a reputational risk.
• Have unauthorised or significant financial implications for the council, including increased maintenance or resource costs.
• Organisations can only come forward up to a maximum of three times with the same project (this includes projects with multiple phases of the same project).

* For projects who receive a pledge  from the Growing Great Places fund as well as the Batley Events Community Fund, the pledge from the Growing Great Places fund is capped at £3,500 (this is the same as the Batley Community Events fund maximum pledge) with the combined value of the pledges being no more than 70% of the total campaign target. 

** For projects who receive a pledge from Woven in Kirklees as well as Growing Great Places, the pledge from Growing Great Places is capped at £5,000, up to 50% of campaign target. 

*** If an events project in Batley is eligible for all three funds, the contribution is the same as outlined above, but the overall amount from all three funds is capped at 70% of the campaign target. 

Some projects may be eligible for more than one fund. 

Projects interested in the Growing Great Places or the Batley Community Events Fund, please see the separate tabs dedicated to these funds. 
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The deadline for the Woven in Kirklees programme is the 2nd of April (three weeks before the deadline for the wider community). 

Woven in Kirklees have joined the Growing Great Places programme for the Spring round. WOVEN’s 2025 theme is Connecting Communities. The festival as a whole celebrates  generations of innovators, connecting a strong heritage with today’s innovative developments in industry, university research, a strong arts and crafts scene and the creative expression of the district’s rich and diverse communities.
For more information visit https://woveninkirklees.co.uk/

We will be holding two specific Woven in Kirklees online workshops for groups with an idea for a textile project, who want to hear more:

• 12th February at 6pm - Register for free
• 13th February at 12noon - Register for free 

WOVEN seed fund can provide £500 (capped at 50% of project costs) towards communities wishing to realise small textiles projects within the WOVEN festival 2025. Please note this is a revenue only fund.

Woven projects can also receive up to £5,000 (capped at 50% of project costs) from the Growing Great Places fund. See below for more information on this. 

Projects we are interested in funding:

Textiles projects that will be running in June 2025 as part of WOVEN in Kirklees. These could be workshops, exhibitions, talks, tours, yarn bombs, etc. The project can start before June, but the final outcome must be in June 2025. WOVEN is a month-long biennial festival that began in 2019, with the next big event in summer 2025. Please note this is a revenue only fund. 

Woven in Kirklees is initiated and funded by Kirklees Council, but is owned by everyone, including community groups, textile businesses, cultural and educational organisations, artists and heritage sites across the district. 

Who can apply:
Individuals, community groups - both constituted and non constituted, and small organisations can apply. Sole trader artists can also apply once they are applying with a community project.

Questions?

Please reach out to the team at Woven if you have any questions [email protected]

* For projects who receive a pledge from Woven in Kirklees as well as Growing Great Places, the pledge from Growing Great Places is capped at £5,000, up to 50% of campaign target. 

** If an events project in Batley is eligible for all three funds, the contribution from the Batley Community Events Fund and the Growing Great Places fund is capped at £3,500 each, and the overall amount from all three funds is capped at 70% of  campaign target. 

Some projects may be eligible for more than one fund. 

Projects interested in the Growing Great Places or the Woven in Kirklees fund, please see the separate tabs dedicated to these funds. 

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Fund overview

People told us they want fun and recreational events, to celebrate local culture and heritage, arts, history and Batley’s multi-faith community – they want events that bring people together and celebrate the local area.

To support people’s ambitions, Batley East and Batley West ward councillors have created the Batley Community Events Fund. This funding pot of £35,000 will contribute to crowdfunded events, with a maximum pledge of £3,500 available for each project, up to a maximum of 70% of the overall crowdfunding target. 

Who can apply?

• This funding is available to any constituted groups including Charities, CICs, CIOs and social enterprises (where there are governance arrangements in place, and they can demonstrate community interest delivery).
• Individuals and non-constituted groups can apply for a maximum of £1,500
• Both revenue and capital costs can be included.
• All projects must have a wider social benefit and cannot be for profit projects.
• Schools and religious organisations can apply, but the project will have to demonstrate a benefit to the wider community and not just the immediate students or congregation. 
• Projects cannot form part of a political affiliation or cause.

We would prefer to fund open to all/free to access events in Batley East and West, but paid for events will also be considered.

What kind of projects?

Batley Community Events Fund is aimed at giving local groups and organisations the opportunity to take forward fun and recreational events and projects that celebrate local culture and heritage, arts, history and Batley’s multi-faith community within the Batley East and Batley West wards. We want to fund ideas and events that bring people together and celebrate the local area. 

The funding can help groups and networks strengthen local connections, community spirit and pride through celebrations, festivals, carnivals, performances, fayres, through storytelling, history and sharing memories. 

Projects should be accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds and neighbourhoods in Batley.

The aim of the fund 

The aim of the fund is to deliver outcomes that people have told us they want to see – events that bring people together and celebrate the local area.

Project proposals should consider how they enable:

• Engagement and empowerment of local groups or organisations to be part of delivering a broad, creative event or a series of events in Batley.
• Creating a welcoming community environment for children and families in Batley.
• Creating a town centre that looks and feels attractive to residents and visitors.
• Development of a regular programme of cultural events and family-friendly activities to help revitalise Batley town centre. 

If you have questions, or if you have an idea and would like support to get it off the ground, let us know and we'll feedback with guidance on how to get started. Please email [email protected] 

* For projects who are eligible for the Growing Great Places fund as well as the Batley Events Community Fund, the contribution from the Batley Community Events Fund and the Growing Great Places fund is capped at £3,500 each, with the combined value of the pledges being no more than 70% of the total campaign target. 

** If an events project in Batley is eligible for all three funds, the overall contribution is the same as outlined above, with Woven in Kirklees being able to offer a maximum of £500, but the overall amount from all three funds is capped at 70% of  campaign target. 

We’re interested to hear about projects which positively influence local people and places, helping your community grow stronger. If you have a good sense that your project will benefit people in your community, then it’s probably a project worth pursuing.

Crowdfunding could work well for you if:

• You have a clear idea of what your project is, what it will achieve for your community and a solid plan to make it work.
• You have a story to tell that helps people see why your project will be good for the community and the people it is designed to reach.
• You know from local knowledge and your existing networks that people in your community may well contribute to your project, either by pledging money or spreading the word about it.
• You know how much your project will cost and are clear what the funds raised will be spent on – people like transparency.
• You are being realistic about the amount of funding you’re trying to raise and have given this considerable thought – don’t let over-reaching be your downfall.
• You have a team of no less than three people who can offer different skills – people who can organise, motivate, plan, ‘doers’, someone who understands social media and how to make it work for you. Look at our ‘Tips, tricks and skills’ section below for more on this.
• You and your team have the time to drive the project forward and keep momentum – sitting back and hoping it will just happen, won’t work.

If you can answer “yes” to these points, then crowdfunding is probably right for your project.

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Tips, tricks and skills

You’re running an online crowdfunding campaign, so online promotion and networks are really key.

Dedicate time to learn how social media works – social media will be important to the success of your project. You might be lucky enough that a member of your team is already social media savvy, but what if you don’t? Look out for local opportunities where you can sign-up to learn the basics.

Sharing to your online networks – if you’ve already got a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account, then you’re likely to already have a network of people you can share your project with. Once your project is live on the Growing Great Places website, share it on social media.

• At launch, talk proudly about your project and what you’re trying to achieve.
• Ask people to visit your project webpage to find out more.
• Tell people how they can make a pledge to back the project (even £2 will do!)
• Ask them if they will share your post on their own social media.
• Post regular updates of how your project is going.
• Photos or short videos can be powerful for encouraging people to take a closer look at your project.

Hashtags – that’s one of these # - hashtags are a great way of categorising your project on social media, so that they don’t immediately get lost among lots of other posts. You can use more than one hashtag in a single post if you have the space. Including hashtags that other local people are already using means that more people are likely to see your post.

• Always use #GrowingGreatPlaces in your posts
• Use a relevant geographic place such as #Dewsbury or #Honley
• Use a very local place name such as #LongleyWoods or #NewsomeMill
• Use something descriptive that hints at what your project is about, such as #NatureTrail or #CommunityAllotment

Local groups and organisations near to you – if you’re aware of other groups or organisations in your local place, get in touch with them and let them know about your project. If they’re on social media, they might be happy to share your updates with their own network. Encouraging others to get involved also helps to grow your local partnerships, which might bear fruit in other ways.

We want everyone to have a real stake in the places we live, work or visit. Growing Great Places has been supporting crowdfunding projects led by people in local places across Kirklees since June 2019.

By running a crowdfunding campaign with Growing Great Places, you’ll have the opportunity to involve backers in your project, spread the word and connect with others who care about your local place.

Since launching, 40 projects have been successfully funded through Growing Great Places thanks to nearly 2,300 backers, raising a collective £432,193.

Crowdfunding through Growing Great Places is an opportunity for local groups like yours to take a small idea, engage local people and together influence your community’s future for the better.

Successful projects have included restoration and development of natural spaces, creating opportunities for people to access and enjoy the living environment around them. Some projects have encouraged local people to plant, grow, fix and mend. Others have redeveloped facilities to encourage more people to get involved with their local clubs and community groups.

Is it time to find out how your local group can crowdfund and have a growing impact and influence on your community?

Examples of successful projects

Friends of Caulms Wood in Dewsbury wanted young people and others to be able to learn within the park. Their new crowdfunded outdoor classroom will give people a space to enjoy nature, learn about the environment and spend more time outdoors.
RAISED: £2,955 from 25 backers.

Holmfirth Repair Café is a monthly repair café set up through crowdfunding by Holmfirth Transition Town (HoTT). The café will people repair their own items by sitting alongside ‘fixers’. Repairs can include clothes, bags and small electrical items.
RAISED: £2,310 from 61 backers.

East Bierley Cricket Club crowdfunded for their Junior Cricket Training Ground, to install all weather cricket practice strips for 5 to 17 year olds. This meant young people could spend more time being engaged and active, even when it wasn’t sunny.
RAISED: £5,857 from 90 backers.

Growing Communities in Golcar helps people (including asylum seekers and refugees) connect with each other and the land by growing vegetables, plants and trees. Sanctuary Kirklees grew support for the project and for a Wildlife Pond through two crowdfunding campaigns.
RAISED: £14,958 from 115 backers

Give… a few words is spreading a little cheer through the power of writing letters. This volunteer run project helps to reduce isolation through words, art and kindness. Sharron’s campaign shows how individuals can get others involved in their project through crowdfunding.
RAISED: £1,632 from 38 backers.
 

You can find lots of other great examples on our Projects page.

Here are some of the most common questions below. If your question is not included here, please visit the Spacehive help centre at https://help.spacehive.com/ or email Spacehive on [email protected] or Kirklees Council on [email protected]

What is Spacehive?

Spacehive is a crowdfunding platform for ideas that bring local places to life, support and empower communities: everything from sprucing up an allotment, investing in equipment to run a befriending service, to putting on a street party. Kirklees Council have partnered with Spacehive for this programme because of their expertise in civic crowdfunding. 

When will we get the money we raise?

If you receive a pledge from Kirklees Council, then you must hit your funding target in order to receive it. Our funding is tied to the specific outcomes of the project so if you don’t hit your target, our pledge will be removed and you will receive the remaining amount. Once you hit your target funds will take up to 2 weeks to arrive in your bank account.

How do people pledge to my project?

People can pledge by visiting your project page on Spacehive.com and clicking the “Back this project” button. You will be able to pledge to campaigns via debit/credit card, BACS or Direct Debit.

If people give me cash does this count towards my target?

Only funds raised online count towards your target as we have no visibility of any other funds collected. Ask your supporters to donate online via your Spacehive page rather than sending the money directly to the organisation’s bank account! 

Are there any fees to use Spacehive?
Spacehive do not charge a fee to register your project, however, Spacehive does charge a success fee if projects successfully reach their fundraising target. There are also transactions fees. All fees are included within the project budget and clearly displayed. These can be viewed here.