Wealden Community Grant Programme 2025-2028
Wealden’s Community Grants 2025-2028 were awarded by Wealden District Council. A total of 25 grants* have been awarded to support services and community activities between April 2025 – March 2028.
A total fund of £1,107,000 is allocated across the three years. See below grants awarded.
Awards are subject to eligibility and financial checks*
Infrastructure support across the third sector, including strengthening groups and networks, volunteering, Town and Parish Councils, training and governance.
Resource to deliver community network meetings, one-to-one support to VCSE groups and cost-of-living support.
Grant Awarded: £18,500 (per annum)
Additional Award given from Wealden District Council’s cost of living fund for 2025/2026 only: £5000
Provide expert support for trustees and managers of community halls and rural venues to effectively fulfil their roles, enabling them to provide welcoming, safe, accessible, greener community spaces that meet the needs of their communities, (particularly those most in need), whilst being financially viable and compliant with legislative and other requirements.
Funding a new Wealden District advisor to help attract and train new trustees/volunteers, support buildings in greatest need e.g. smaller struggling groups, buildings unaware of our support e.g. Scout huts, sports clubs, finding funding e.g. improving facilities, mediation e.g. between halls and communities, inclusion e.g. new housing estates. (often located on locality fringes), disadvantaged and marginalised residents and more complex queries (e.g. building alterations, renewable energy, community consultations, setting up new groups to address local needs).
Grant Awarded: £10,000 (per annum)
Provides free, volunteer-led support services to unpaid Carers in East Sussex.
Funding towards one Carer’s Community Worker (CCW) roles to provide weekly or fortnightly respite care for unpaid Carers in Wealden.
Grant Awarded: £11,000 (per annum)
Service offers advice and support to young people between ages of 11 and 25 in Wealden.
Resource to provide information, advice and support on issues including – Housing, Money Matters, Mental, Physical and Sexual Health, Family and Relationships, Law and Rights, Drugs, Employment, Training, Education, Sport, Travel and Leisure. Services for young women- ‘Wednesday Girls’ and a group for members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as ‘It’s Ok to Talk’ service, safe space where young people are offered the opportunity to drop in for a casual chat or make an appointment.
Grant Awarded: £14,000 (per annum)
Providing a safe, reliable and courteous local bus, serving those rural and urban communities.
Grant Awarded: £6,000 (per annum)
To help increase the independence, confidence and well-being of blind and partially sighted people and also work to promote the understanding of sight loss and its challenges in local communities, businesses, schools and organisations.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
Supporting East Sussex residents who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or deafblind.
Funding to support independence of people in East Sussex who are deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or deafblind, support those with hearing impairment, provide information and advice to those affected by hearing impairments and provide learning opportunities to those affected by hearing loss.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
To help families in Wealden to overcome their difficulties and prevent crisis. To support families struggling with issues such as poverty, ill health, learning difficulties, bereavement, family break-up and domestic abuse.
Funding to provide home-visit support, hardship food provision, group activities and signposting, as well as to provide leisure opportunities for children and young people who otherwise would not have the opportunity to access.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
Additional Award given from Wealden District Council’s cost of living fund for 2025/2026 only: £2,500
To deliver a ‘Greening Herstmonceux’ community forum, adult learning workshops, carbon literacy training and wellbeing workshop and family/Community days.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
Supporting young people to engage with nature and green spaces within the Wealden area. This project will teach these young people valuable green skills but impart knowledge through fun and engaging nature-based activities co-produced with them based on their interest.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
Aims to provide young people in the local area with opportunities to develop social, physical, emotional and political awareness.
To deliver ‘on track Hailsham’ sessions to support and help young people with educational needs. The fund will further provide high quality services whilst being inclusive and forward thinking.
Grant Awarded: £12,000 (per annum)
Provide music and arts engagement with young people and adults.
Funding for Soundworks SEN music club, which is a term time weekly afterschool club that supports SEN/D children 5-11 years old and their parents and carers to engage in music making for wellbeing activities.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
A women-centred, independent local charity, specialising in the prevention and recovery of abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG).
To cover core costs in 2025-28.
Grant Awarded: £6,000 (per annum)
A community support charity where the main objectives are to alleviate loneliness and isolation by providing a range of activities for all ages, to offer support for everyone within their community, and to signpost and promote other organisations and service.
Contribution towards salary costs to deliver 16 different regular social activities/hobby groups, plus monthly trips. The grant will contribute to the overheads of running community support through the rental costs of their central office and some of the utility costs, ensuring that there’s a warm welcome throughout the year whenever needed.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
To provide accessible, safe and affordable transport for those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged through appropriate transport, from all sections of the community across rural North Wealden and beyond, in order to combat social exclusion and increase independence.
Funding towards door-to-door shopping service for residents within seven parishes across North Wealden that can’t access regular bus services.
Grant Awarded: £5,500 (per annum)
Reduce energy demand to enable local decarbonisation and be a trusted source of advice.
Help to advise Wealden residents on options for cheaper, greener heating, and to improve energy efficiency in households. Continue work in helping those in (and facing) fuel poverty of which there continues to be a demand for.
Grant Awarded: £15,000 (per annum)
Provide quality information, advice and guidance and practical help to those seeking employment Wealden and surrounding areas.
To provide a Wealden focused intensive adviser offering free careers information, advice and guidance and tailored one-to-one support.
Grant Awarded: £8,000 (per annum)
Rotherfield based organisation to support local community.
To run a full service of friendship, advice and support alongside activities for both mental and physical wellbeing throughout the week in accessible spaces. The grant would be used for rent and insurance over the three community buildings , as well as funding towards lunch clubs, social clubs and community garden sessions.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
A safe and comfortable community space that provides a varied menu of activities and support within the Uckfield area, focusing on people living with dementia and carers.
The grant will be used to continue and develop the participatory arts project “Victoria Pavilion Arts’. Extend Arts Development Coordinator hours from 16 to 30 hours per week.
Grant Awarded: £7,500 (per annum)
To look after Ashdown Forest – To protect, conserve and enhance the nature and culture of Ashdown Forest as the largest biodiverse heathland and open space in Sussex for the enjoyment, education, health and recreation of all.
Activities include promotion and assistance to those who visit the forest, a five day a week visitor centre, managing health and safety across a large countryside location, providing onsite information, managing forest events, delivery of free walks and managing the volunteer programme.
Grant Awarded: £10,000 (per annum)
Establishing a thriving hub for people of all ages to get together in a creative, safe environment to build and repair things, assist other residents, and form new connections and friendships.
The project is to secure the premises for future years as well as using the funding for running costs. The primary aim is to promote social inclusion and alleviate loneliness by preventing people from becoming socially excluded and to make their workshops easy to access.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
Offers confidential advice on a range of issues for individuals experiencing mental and physical health difficulties, including welfare benefits, debt advice, housing support, and more.
Funding towards additional resource towards information and advice service, as well as the direct costs of their expert money advice caseworker service.
Grant Awarded: £175,000 (per annum)
Additional Award given from Wealden District Council’s cost of living fund for 2025/2026 only: £15,000
Aims to inspire and empower individuals to make a meaningful impact in their communities through volunteering.
Resource to run and expand Wealden Volunteering, due to increase in organisation membership and need for volunteers.
Grant Awarded: £8,000 (per annum)
Organisation that gives opportunities for young people aged 16-24 in the Wealden area each year, to take an important step on their personal journey into employment.
Supporting core costs for the programme that participants will receive a mix of both personal and work skills training, gain accredited qualifications and attend work, college and apprenticeship trials, enabling participants to benefit from both business contacts and exposure to the world of work.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)
Offering emotional & mental health support to families that have lost loved ones between the ages of 16 & 25.
The project is to provide one to one counselling sessions to families following the death of a young person aged 16-25.
Grant Awarded: £5,000 (per annum)