Warwickshire County Council
Social Fabric Fund

The Social Fabric Fund is a blended £2.5million fund, comprising £1.5 million capital and £1 million revenue elements, focusing primarily (but not exclusively) on the 22 Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) identified in the Countywide Approach to Levelling Up. The Fund will run for two years up to the end of March 2025.

The objective of the Fund is to invest in “social infrastructure” to develop and strengthen Warwickshire’s most deprived communities and, in so doing so, improve residents’ life chances and reduce inequalities.

The Fund will deliver a blend of investment to enable communities to access both capital funding to build “social fabric” through physical community infrastructure, as well as time limited start-up revenue funding for community development that delivers on local priorities and demonstrates sustainability.

The aim of the fund is to fill a gap in funding available to communities by being flexible and starting with the communities’ strengths and priorities.

Expressions of Interest will need to be visibly led or demonstrate strong support from local communities.

We do not want to see Expressions of Interest that take the approach of ‘doing to’ communities, we would like to see ‘working with’ communities.

There is no lower or upper grant limit. Your Expression of Interest should explain why you are requesting the amount of money you need for your project.

WCAVA will provide support: Alison Thompson – alison@wcava.org.uk

The fund will be complemented by dedicated community worker capacity, provided by Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action (WCAVA), focusing primarily on the 22 priority LSOAs and with responsibilities around supporting funding proposals. More specifically, the community workers will:

1. Increase community power in target areas.
2. Lead in-depth community powered engagement to understand local priorities.
3. Scope, shape, and support proposals to address local priorities.
4. Take the lead to help the community/communities develop proposals working as appropriate with officers from the County Council, the relevant Borough or District Council, and the Integrated Care System to co-produce proposals.
5. Liaise with the County Council and other agencies regarding potential supplementary contributions in terms of time, skills, money, and assets

We will support:

• Start-up costs for a new project or organisation
• To extend or develop an existing project – including staff costs
• To purchase equipment or resources
• Capital expenditure is buying or enhancing big investments in assets, such as
property or enabling an asset transfer.

We expect the projects to be completed within two years. Payments will be paid in instalments.

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