The Foyer Federation - Community Upgrade Challenge

Grants of up to £25,000 are available for a project period of nine months.

Every funded project will be assigned a Coach from The Foyer Federation who will provide support and guidance throughout the project. SITA Trust will therefore fund the involvement of The Foyer Federation and groups will need to reflect this cost as a 'Foyer Federation Management Fee' in their application. The SITA Trust budget will automatically calculate the management fee and this should be included in the total amount of funding being requested from SITA Trust.

Not-for-profit organisations including youth groups, sports clubs, community groups, Parish Councils, charities and voluntary organisations are eligible to apply.

Community Upgrade Challenge projects must be developed and led by a Youth Steering Group consisting of 10 young people aged 14-25 years.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding is available for projects that will physically improve community facilities that bring tangible and sustainable benefits to the public. Examples of community facilities include museums, village greens, community halls, scout or guide huts, places of worship, monuments, structures, public parks, sports fields and facilities, activity centres, cycle paths, sports clubs, public playgrounds, public rights of way and footpaths, bridle ways, country parks, skate parks.

Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to the following:

• The creation of a disabled access route to a park or a community hall.
• Improvements to a community building for the groups who use it.
• The creation of a sculpture to be displayed in a public open space.
• The provision of play facilities for young children.
• The cutting of new pathways and installing information boards alongside a river.

Some examples of what can be supported include the following:

• Refurbishing community buildings.
• Replacing or upgrading equipment (as part of a wider improvement project).
• Improving access to a public leisure or recreation amenity to enable users to utilise the facility.
• Restoration or improvements of a public park.
• Creation of a community or public green space such as a garden.
• Refurbishing a club house.
• Creating or upgrading a play area.
• Creation and installation of sculptures, interpretation panels, benches, bat and bird boxes.
• Vegetation clearance (as part of a larger project)

For more information, please click here.