Government funding now available for community organisations helping people with cost of living
On 24 July, Government announced the launch of the £76m Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund (CCLF). This is part of a package of over £100 million for charities and community organisations as set out in the 2023 Spring Budget, to support charities and community organisations in England at the frontline of dealing with the cost of living.
Delivered in partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund, the CCLF will support organisations across England to deliver critical frontline services. Organisations will be able to apply for between £10,000 and £75,000 funding to maintain or expand critical cost of living services from now until the end of March 2024.
The deadline for applications is 16 October 2023 at 12 noon.
Applicants to CCLF must be:
- offering at least one of: food and emergency supplies, emergency shelter, safe spaces, warmth and financial or housing advice;
- able to demonstrate increased demand and increased costs for those critical services;
- registered with the Charity Commission or an incorporated not-for-profit company;
- providing services to a local community in England - with a focus on small and medium organisations, although national organisations can apply where they can demonstrate local impact.
Find out more about the Fund’s eligibility criteria and apply here
We ran a joint webinar with The National Lottery Community Fund team on 3 August, where we found out the details on exactly who is eligible and provided guidance on what will make a good application. Locality members with Essentials, Membership Plus, Partner and Partnership Plus packages have been sent the video - if you missed it contact us and we will send it. If you don't have one of these packages you can find out more about becoming a Locality member here.
This funding follows campaigning by Locality and other organisations, and Locality's separate cost of living grants funded by the Guardian and Observer charity appeal (which are now closed).
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Locality, said:
“We are delighted by the new funding for community organisations - it shows the community sector’s call for targeted support to deal with the cost-of-living crisis has been listened to in Westminster.
This support will help alleviate the growing pressure on many frontline community organisations – the very organisations who are providing food banks, warm hubs and welfare support to those worst hit by the cost-of-living crisis. Many of these organisations have been struggling to survive, creaking under the weight of growing demand and soaring bills."
