Greening Our Communities

The Greening Our Communities Fund supports communities in Norfolk to take action to improve their local environment while providing people with the benefits of connecting with nature. The Fund can also support energy efficiency measures in community buildings.

What the Fund can support

Please note: Your application must demonstrate that the funded project will lead to clear environmental benefits.

Some examples of what the Fund can support include:

Developing/maintaining a community orchard, community garden or community woodland;
Improving a publicly accessible site, or one that is closed to avoid habitat disturbance, to make it more attractive to wildlife and native plants;
Establishing children’s nature clubs in the community;
Events that engage the community with maintaining green spaces e.g. bulb planting, outdoor workshops and working groups;
Community initiatives to tackle litter in green spaces in urban areas, the countryside or on beaches;
Developing community allotments/food growing schemes;
Community composting schemes;
Improving the energy efficiency of a community building, for example by improving insulation or installing a green energy source.

What the Fund cannot support

Projects that do not demonstrate improvements to the environment;
Village/town beautification initiatives such as ‘In Bloom’ competitions;
Outdoor play/sports facilities;
Animal rescue charities e.g. seal rescue charities;
Walking groups;
Applications from schools, or from associated charities eg. PTAs that would fund activities/improvements on school sites or take place during normal school hours;
Providing accessible pathways, signage or information boards;
Nature talks and similar events that do not involve practical action to improve the environment.

Please note: Applications to improve land that the applicant does not have a legal interest in will be considered on a case by case basis and may be supported if there will be strong benefits to the environment. We would expect the landowner to also be contributing to the project financially or in other ways.

Who can apply

Applications are invited from new applicants and previous recipients of the Fund, provided that the aims of any previous funding have been achieved.

Groups eligible to apply are listed below. Applicants should check that they meet NCF general eligibility criteria.

How much is available?

The fund aims to award £45,000 per year in grants of between £500 and £5,000.

How to apply

To apply, complete the online application form linked below.

Call for Applications

Closed

Maximum Grant

£5,000

Deadline

17 July 2023 – 12:00pm

Who can apply?

Charity, Faith organisation, Parish/Town Council, School, Social Enterprise/CIC, and Voluntary/Community Group

Eligible Area

Breckland, Broadland, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, North Norfolk, Norwich, and South Norfolk

Find Out More & Apply