Making An Impact - Local Groups Receive Boost From Cost of Living Community Impact Fund

Community groups in the district are being given a key funding boost to help local people with the cost of living, as over £50,000 is awarded to 34 different groups for the summer round of a DDC funding scheme - and as the winter round opens today. 

DDC’s Cost of Living Community Impact Fund provides funding to help local charities, Community Interest Companies and community groups deliver their work in our communities.  

Funds are being allocated over two rounds, winter and summer, during 2024/25. Successful applicants for the summer round of the popular scheme were allocated a total of £51,340.11, as chosen by an Appraisal Panel at DDC in August. 

The winter round of the scheme launches today (19 August), and community groups are invited to apply for funding. The deadline for applications is Monday, 30 September. For more details, or to apply, please see the DDC website.

Groups can apply for a grant of between £100 and £2,500.  Applicants must highlight how the project will help bridge the cost of living gap for the benefit of the local community.

Successful applicants who are benefitting from the summer round of the fund include: Age Concern, Dover; 8th Deal Scout Group; Sandwich Social Supermarket Community Interest Company; Aylesham & District Community Workshop Trust; The Alkham Valley Community Project; and Home-Start Dover District. 

David Wood, one of the directors of Sandwich Social Supermarket CIC said: “As Sandwich Pantry enters its fourth year of operations, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Community Grants team at DDC without whom we would not be open. Since we started our work we have helped over 150 people and currently support over 25 households locally. The cost of living crisis is very real, it can affect anyone at anytime so we are here to help and to try to ease the burden if we can.” 

Cllr Charlotte Zosseder, DDC Cabinet Member for Community said: “We are very pleased to provide this financial support to the successful applicants of our Cost of Living Community Impact Fund, and to be able to support local groups providing help to those who need it the most.  Volunteers are essential to the well-being of our communities, and this funding will help them to bridge the cost of living gap for people.” 

For more information, please see the community grants pages on the DDC website at www.dover.gov.uk/communitygrants 

Notes to Editors 

Successful applications for summer round of DDC’s Cost of Living Community Impact Fund 2024/25: