Almost twenty years ago, we set up the Community Chest to give a helping hand to local people in supporting and strengthening their community. Through our Community Chest, charity and community interest companies can apply for a grant to go towards improving their local area— to help the youth, elderly, disabled, arts, environment and more.
We believe in working together to improve both the facilities and the lives of residents in our communities. We seek to promote, encourage and support community involvement by offering funds to local voluntary groups with clearly identified needs.
The Community Chest in 2020 is evolving. It still includes a pool of funds totalling £50,000 pledged by Hall and Woodhouse, but this year the Community Chest is also seeking applications to become a ‘Pub Charity Partner’ with one or more of our 53 managed house pubs. Throughout the year, each pub will fundraise on your behalf for a specific project or activity. For a full list of the 53 pubs taking part in this activity please click on the link below:
H&W list of 53 houses seeking Pub Charity Partner Applications
Hall & Woodhouse is supported by Blackmore Vale Media and the Dorset Community Foundation, which provide the scheme in the western area with publicity, advice and local knowledge. Covering the eastern area, our partners are Sussex Newspapers and the Sussex Community Foundation.
Applications are welcome from any voluntary or community organisation that is based, or works in, our trading area across the south of England, from Devon to Kent and north to Bristol, Swindon, Bracknell and London.
Grants or funds raised could be used to support the following:
Please note: Applications will not be considered from national organisations or those that are profit making or political.
Applications for 2020 open on 1st February and close on the 31st March 2020.
The new application form can be downloaded here:
2020 Community Chest Application Form
Completed applications should then be emailed to:
Groups can apply for grants or fundraising support ranging from £500 and £5,000 to help achieve their aims. These grants or fundraising commitments could be used towards things such as equipment and furniture, training, transport, professional assistance, specific project resources or operational costs that will help your cause.
Top Tips for a Community Chest Application:
Each judge has their own criteria, but organisations should ask themselves the following questions:
Need
Is there a real need for this project?
Does your project or organisation really improve the lives of local residents or is it nice to have?
Own Efforts
What efforts have you made to help your own organisation?
How much money have you raised for your project or organisation?
Difference
How much more money is needed to make the project a reality?
Will a contribution of up to £5,000 enable the project to happen?
Completed applications to be a Pub Charity Partner will be distributed to our managed house pubs for the General Manager and their teams to vote who their pub will fundraise for. This partnership will be for a minimum of one year. General Managers will confirm their selections in May, successful applications will be notified in June, fundraising partnerships will commence in July 2020.
Applications for a Community Chest grant will then be reviewed by a team of judges during July and August. With around 200 applications to assess, judges will be looking for organisations that have demonstrated that they have a real need, have begun to fundraise themselves and that any money awarded will make a difference. The judges will focus on small awards of £1,500 and under, with a handful of large awards. The large awards will be shortlisted for a judges’ visit and the small awards will be judged on the merit of their application form only.
All Pub Charity Partner applications will be notified by 8th June 2020 as to whether they have been successful in securing a fundraising partnership.
All Community Chest grant applications will be notified of the outcome of their application by the end of September 2020 and cheques will be presented to the successful organisations at an awards evening held in Dorset and West Sussex in October 2020.
