Kirklees Council

'The Growing Great Places fund for organisations' can support campaigns from Charities and Community and Voluntary organisations, including not-for profit organisations.

We want everyone to be able to take part in making the places where they live, work and play better. Our towns, villages and communities are the strength of Kirklees. Local people have asked us to do more to recognise this. So we’re celebrating our places by encouraging more great ideas. You might have a little idea that can have a big impact by bringing a place together. Or you might need some help growing support for an ambitious project that’s just getting started. Growing Great Places is all about helping you to get your great ideas off the ground. It’s part of our work to grow a stronger local democracy here in Kirklees, from the ground up.

Need some feedback on your idea? Tell us about it via this form and we'll feed back with guidance on how to get started.

We are interested in hearing about projects which bring people together to get involved in making your community better. Tell us how your project will involve and include a wide range of local people and will also tap into local energy, skills, assets and creativity.

We are interested in supporting projects that can show how they will contribute to one, or preferably more than one, of the shared outcomes in the Kirklees Council corporate plan.

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 to 2026.

We want to make the process of getting a pledge from us as simple and straightforward as possible. 

If you are a constituted group you can apply for a pledge from Kirklees Council of up to 50% of your target, or up to a maximum of £5,000.

As part of your pitch we ask you a number of additional questions that will help us to assess your application against the criteria we have set for our Fund. 

We have two funding rounds a year in the Spring and Autumn. See the About page for the latest deadlines. 

Our assessment will be based on your overall project pitch, your answers to our additional questions, plus the level of community support and backing in the form of smaller pledges from local people. 

If you are successful, then we will pledge to your project, usually a month after your campaign starts.  

Kirklees Council is unlikely to pledge towards projects that:

1. Help only one individual or a very limited number of people.
2. Have in the current financial year, already received a grant of funding from the Council for the same costs of the project as the funding from the Growing Great Places pledge funding will support/pay for.  Other funding/grants from the Council for different items/project costs to those that the pledge will fund,   would be viewed as match or complementary funding.
3. Are annually recurring and have been funded previously through the Growing Great Places Programme.  
4. Do not promote community cohesion.
5. Are to be managed by a group or individual that received a previous grant that was not managed satisfactorily.
6. Are raising funds for works or equipment already committed, bought or completed.
7. Solely or predominantly benefit people who live outside the Kirklees Council authority boundary.
8. Overtly or exclusively promote a Political agenda.
9. Overtly or exclusively promote a religious agenda.
10. Interfere with Council business or would be a reputational risk.
11. Have unauthorised or significant financial implications for the council including increased maintenance or resource costs

We want everyone to be able to take part in making the places where they live, work and play better. Our towns, villages and communities are the strength of Kirklees. Local people have asked us to do more to recognise this. So we’re celebrating our places by encouraging more great ideas. You might have a little idea that can have a big impact by bringing a place together. Or you might need some help growing support for an ambitious project that’s just getting started. Growing Great Places is all about helping you to get your great ideas off the ground. It’s part of our work to grow a stronger local democracy here in Kirklees, from the ground up.

We are interested in hearing about projects which bring people together to get involved in making your community better. Tell us how your project will involve and include a wide range of local people and will also tap into local energy, skills, assets and creativity.

We are interested in supporting projects that can show how they will contribute to one, or preferably more than one, of the shared outcomes in the Kirklees Council corporate plan.

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 details on our outcomes please look at Our Council Plan 2025-2026.

We want to make the process of getting a pledge from us as simple and straightforward as possible. 

If you are a non-constituted group or an individual you can apply for a pledge from Kirklees Council of up to 50% of your target, or up to a maximum of £2,500.

As part of your pitch we ask you a number of additional questions that will help us to assess your application against the criteria we have set for our Fund. 

We have two funding rounds a year in the Spring and Autumn. See the About page for the latest deadlines. 

Our assessment will be based on your overall project pitch, your answers to our additional questions, plus the level of community support and backing in the form of smaller pledges from local people. 

If you are successful, then we will pledge to your project, usually a month after your campaign starts.  

Kirklees Council is unlikely to pledge towards projects that:

1. Help only one individual or a very limited number of people.
2. Have in the current financial year, already received a grant of funding from the Council for the same costs of the project as the funding from the Growing Great Places pledge funding will support/pay for.  Other funding/grants from the Council for different items/project costs to those that the pledge will fund,   would be viewed as match or complementary funding.
3. Are annually recurring and have been funded previously through the Growing Great Places Programme.  
4. Do not promote community cohesion.
5. Are to be managed by a group or individual that received a previous grant that was not managed satisfactorily.
6. Are raising funds for works or equipment already committed, bought or completed.
7. Solely or predominantly benefit people who live outside the Kirklees Council authority boundary.
8. Overtly or exclusively promote a Political agenda.
9. Overtly or exclusively promote a religious agenda.
10. Interfere with Council business or would be a reputational risk.
11. Have unauthorised or significant financial implications for the council including increased maintenance or resource costs

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.

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/

Please note the deadline to get involved for the Woven in Kirklees programme is the 2nd of April. 
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1.    SHARE YOUR PROJECT IDEA

Share your project idea on our create a project section at your earliest convenience. A member of the team will be in touch to provide you with the necessary information and support you may need to help get your project started.  

2.    PROJECT PAGE AND PITCH

Create your online project page which will match you to the WOVEN in Kirklees fund where we will ask you some additional questions about your project. 

3.    VERIFICATION

The project costs and necessary permissions will be checked and verified. This involves checking quotes for all the major items and if you have landowner permission for your project.

4.    CROWDFUNDING

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

5.    PLEDGE

Woven and the council will review all project campaigns roughly 3 weeks after each deadline and successful projects can expect to receive a pledge shortly afterwards.

6. HIT YOUR TARGET AND DELIVER YOUR PROJECT

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

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. 

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.

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 feed back with guidance on how to get started. Please email Ashley.fothergill.gov.uk

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. 

The next funding round

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 workshops to find out more. 

Thursday 13 February at 12noon

The workshops 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

See below for how to get involved.

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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 fund name. 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 licence, 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 successful projects can expect to receive a pledge of up to £5,000 (max 50% of target) during their live campaign. For example, a £5,000 campaign could get up to £2,500. 

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 on [email protected].

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.

If you have questions, please discuss with Ashley.fothergill.gov.uk