Citizen Local Fund
✨ Applications for the Citizen Local Fund Will Open Soon! ✨
📅 Important Dates
The Citizen Local Fund will be open for applications from 7th April 2025 an will close 23rd May 2025 at 5pm.
💸 About the Citizen Local Fund
The Citizen Local Fund offers £50,000 in funding, available to local groups and projects within areas where Citizen has properties. There will be two rounds within the year. Our goal is to help residents and communities thrive by supporting initiatives that:
- 🏋️♀️ Promote mental and physical wellbeing
- 🤝 Reduce social isolation
- 🏘️ Bring communities together
- 🌳 Enhance local areas
You can get up to £3,000 for projects that fit these rules. Applying is easy – just follow the steps!
🖥️ How to Apply
Remember, the Citizen Local Fund applications won't open until April 7th. Any forms sent before that date won't be accepted. Once applications are open, you can go to our Citizen website to apply online.
📍 Eligibility
To be eligible, your project must be in an area where Citizen has properties. Please refer to the map on the right to ensure your project qualifies.
💡 What We Fund
We’re looking for projects that make a meaningful difference in at least one of the following areas:
- 🧠 Improving physical health and mental wellbeing (e.g., exercise classes, wellbeing workshops, food poverty initiatives)
- ☕ Reducing social isolation and loneliness (e.g., coffee mornings, friendship groups, educational classes)
- 🤗 Supporting community togetherness (e.g., community events, activities that bring people together)
- 🌍 Enhancing local areas (e.g., gardening projects, environmental improvements, safer neighbourhood initiatives)
🎥 Webinars Coming Soon
We’re excited to announce the launch of webinars designed to guide you through the process of applying for our Citizen Local Fund. These webinars will provide you with helpful videos on how to complete the application form, tips for addressing common issues, and other valuable insights to support your application.
📋 Survey
At the bottom of this page, you'll also find a survey where you can provide feedback on how we can improve the application process. See Survey Below 👇
📂 Past Projects
For a full list of projects we've supported in the past, please see the Newsfeed Below 👇
We look forward to receiving your applications and supporting the amazing work happening in our communities! 🤝
If you need help completing the application form contact: engagement@citizenhousing.org.uk
Important Information about the Citizen Local Fund
We will not fund profit making businesses
- We will not provide funding to pay salaries
- All projects need to benefit Citizen customers and communities. ‘Citizen’ relates to the housing association. If your project falls outside of areas we operate in (across the West Midlands) your application will not be considered
- Projects must promote at least one of the following: improving mental and physical wellbeing, reducing social isolation, bringing communities together and enhancing local areas.
- Once funds have been allocated you will be required to update us with the progress of your project and spending
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Visiting Citizen Local Fund Projects This Month!
This month, we’re excited to begin visiting the Round 2 Citizen Local Fund projects! 🎉
These visits will give us the opportunity to see firsthand how the projects are progressing, the positive impact they’ve had on the community, and how they’re shaping local lives.
We’re eager to share inspiring stories, photos, and updates along the way! 📸
We hope these stories will highlight the power of community-led initiatives and how the Citizen Local Fund is helping to make a real difference.
Please keep an eye on our page for regular updates as we showcase the amazing work being done across the area!
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Canley Community Church - Inspiring Women Events
Canley Community Church - Inspiring Women Events:
Canley Community Church received funding from the first round of the Citizen Local Fund 2024 to create the Inspiring Women Events, with three events planned between June 2024 and May 2025. These events aim to raise awareness of the fantastic work happening in the community and encourage more women to get involved.
The Engagement Team was fortunate to attend one of these events, and we were truly inspired by the experience.
It was an uplifting day, celebrating and empowering women in the community. Each guest received a goody bag and positive affirmations, while the event organiser spoke about the importance of supporting each other and promoting community wellbeing.
The events will offer a range of activities led by local women, including cultural and social events, talks, creative workshops, and activities like knitting, crochet, and more. They will provide women with the chance to learn new skills, form new friendships, and strengthen community connections.
We will also introduce women to volunteering opportunities and local support services, all aimed at making Canley an even better place to live through active community involvement.
It was a wonderful opportunity to see how the Citizen Local Fund is helping projects like this come to life.
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Adullam Social Enterprise
Adullam Social Enterprise
Read about one of our most recent projects that has been supported by the Citizen Local Fund.
“Food and Wellbeing Garden”
Adullam Social Enterprises (ASE) are extremely excited about developing their “Food and Wellbeing Garden” in the community in the West Midlands following the funding we received from the Citizen Local Fund.
On the 20 December 2023 their National Volunteer Co-ordinator Poonam Bains, inducted their first group of volunteers who signed up to support the development of the project. In January, the staff and volunteers will support the local residents to design their community garden, in order for them to purchase the garden materials they need so that their project is ready for spring .
The residents are very excited about the project and can’t wait to get involved. The project will be teaching and encouraging residents to grow their own fruit and vegetables on their doorstep for them to enjoy, as well as create a wellbeing area in the garden for residents to socialise, relax and enjoy all year round.
First group of Volunteers who signed up to support our project
What their volunteers had to say……
“We are looking forward to helping and supporting all involved, thank you ASE for this opportunity.”
“We are very excited to be working with ASE to help residents building confidence and helping them to develop skills to succeed.”
“I am looking forward to supporting residents to improve their mental health and wellbeing”.
“We are looking forward to providing a safe, supportive place for residents to talk, interact and develop their skills and improve their wellbeing”.
Poonam said….“I am delighted to be leading on such an important project to support local residents. Together through collaboration with residents, volunteers, staff, and funders, we can create a legacy that can be enjoyed by residents for years to come.”
“On behalf of everyone involved in our project, we would like to express our gratitude to Citizen Housing Group for supporting our project and we look forward to updating everyone on our progress in the new year.”
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Perfect Partnering with Hillz FM / WATCH Charity
*Click the link above to see more photos
When we received a Citizen Local Fund application from the Hillfields People Project, we were excited to find out more about the fantastic work they have been doing in their local community.
As part of their application, the local Charity (located in the Hillfields area of Coventry) described the project as “ ..a person-centred bespoke programme of barrier breaking, life skills support, and advice and guidance activities for disadvantaged young people and adults living in Hillfields.”
We were delighted to approve their application and become part of what has been &, continues to be, a very successful and invaluable project.
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Hillz FM studio, to meet the students who successfully completed the ‘Introduction to Radio Broadcasting’ course.
As it was their last day, there was a mixture of emotions. The students expressed the sadness of having to part with the friends they had just made but overall, they displayed extreme happiness to have experienced such a fantastic opportunity; with hopes of a bright future in radio! Judging by the feedback from the students, the project has been invaluable to each of them in their own individual way.
The students accepted their certificates with great pride!
https://www.hillzfm.co.uk/radiotraining/
Citizen Map
Videos
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A pot of funding available for local groups and projects.