Inclusive Communities Fund
A legacy of the Commonwealth Games
About the Fund
Please Note: The Fund is now closed.
As of January 2024, The Inclusive Communities Fund received over £57 million in funding requests since it was launched in November 2023 following an incredible response from organisations across the West Midlands.
The Fund, which will see £9 million awarded in total, is designed to support communities across the West Midlands to bring to life solutions to address the challenges in their neighbourhoods and local areas. This Fund is inspired by the momentum generated by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which provided support to community-based organisations across the West Midlands, enabling access to exciting opportunities and fresh funding streams.
Heart of England Community Foundation is now assessing over 800 applications and expects to make announcements to successful applicants from March 2024. A community panel will support the Community Foundation, helping to advise where the large, medium and small works grants will be directed.
You can read more about the Fund Closing Date here
The Fund aims to strengthen the achievements, prompted by the Games, offering community organisations access to new funding to make a difference for the people they work with. The Fund will serve as a catalyst to address inequalities, forging deeper connections between individuals and organisations to continue the legacy of the Games.
This Fund shares the four original core mission principles of the Commonwealth Games:
- Bringing people together
- Improving health and wellbeing
- Helping the region to grow
- Putting the region on the map
Grants were available for works, activities and services that will contribute to the four core missions, and which fall within one or more of the following three themes:
- Physical activity and sport
- Mental health and well-being
- Arts, culture and creativity
Where will we make awards?
The fund will be available to communities in the following Local Authority boundaries: • Birmingham • Cannock Chase • Coventry • Dudley • Redditch • Shropshire • Tamworth • Telford and Wrekin • Sandwell • Solihull • Walsall • Warwickshire • Wolverhampton
Grants Thresholds and Application Periods
All grants are now closed.
Guidance, Support and Information
Please download and read the latest application guidance before making an application this includes a list of FAQs – we will continue to update the FAQs as we continue through delivery so please check back for the most up to date FAQs. You may also wish to read through our existing support for applicants here.
*PLEASE NOTE* The Latest Guidance and FAQs is V9 dated 24 January 2024. This version was updated following the Fund’s closing date announcement, and to provide additional guidance for applicants seeking more than one grant from this programme.
We anticipate a high volume of queries and requests for support about this fund – please contact United By 2022 Legacy Charity via email at: info@unitedby2022.com, or Heart of England Community Foundation via email at: commonwealth@heartofenglandcf.co.uk to help us manage your request effectively.
Making an Application to the Fund
The Fund closed at 5pm on the 5th February 2024. For more information please contact our team via email: commonwealth@heartofenglandcf.co.uk
Organisations involved in delivering the Fund
The Inclusive Communities Fund has been made available by the UK Government through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are overseeing delivery of this investment to enable a significant programme of Legacy projects to take place until March 2025.
Heart of England Community Foundation are the administrators of the funding across the West Midlands. The Community Foundation is the leading, independent grant-making body in the West Midlands and Warwickshire. Since1995 they have awarded over £35million to over 7,000 goodcauses, supporting communities towards happier and healthierlives.
United By 2022 are the Games Official Legacy Charity.Created to push the Games legacy further, they support people and places in the West Midlands that have been traditionally overlooked and underserved. United By 2022 are partnering the Community Foundation to deliver community engagement activities and to support organisations to successfully apply to the Community Grants Fund.
Communicating About the Fund
Please download a copy of the Communications Toolkit for the Fund as well as a copy of the logo lock-up for the fund on any promotional materials, websites for all online and offline communications.
If you require any further information and support about communicating about the Inclusive Communities Fund please contact marketing@heartofenglandcf.co.uk
Acknowledging when you have been awarded a grant
If you have received a grant from the Inclusive Communities Fund, please download a copy of the Grantee Communication Toolkit for the Fund. Copies of the social media assets for award announcements are also free to download below.
You can also download a media/press release template here