Citizen Local Fund
Citizen Local Fund: First Round Completed 🏡 What’s Next for Our Projects?
The Citizen Local Fund is now closed for applications. The next round of funding will open on15th September and close on 27th October. Apply here
Thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into your project proposals. We received 41 applications
and were really inspired by the amazing projects you proposed! 💡
The review process took about 4 weeks, during this time, we carefully looked at each application to make sure it met the rules in the application guidelines. After that, we met with our Customer Assurance Committee — a group of customers who help us decide which projects should be awarded funding. They reviewed all the applications and agreed on the projects that met the criteria. ✅
We’ve now contacted all applicants to share the outcome of their application.
With a total of £50,000 available for two rounds of funding, we were able to support or partially fund 18 projects in the first round. 🎉 There will be another round later this year, so be sure to keep an eye on our Citizen Together Hub, website, and social media for more details!
Keep an eye out on our here on our Newsfeed for visits to these projects to showcase the amazing work happening in our Citizen communities. ✨
We want to say a massive thank you to every one of the applicants. We have been Inspired by the fantastic projects that have been put forward!
Stay tuned for when the next round opens later this year! Keep watching our updates for all the details and how you can apply. 👀
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Thank You from The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
We’re really proud to share a lovely thank-you message we received from The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and the Royal Orthopaedic Charity.
This project was awarded funding in the last round of the Citizen Local Fund, to help them buy new chairs for their Admissions and Day Case Unit (ADCU).
Thanks to this donation, the hospital was able to replace old chairs with new, comfy and modern ones. This has made a big difference to patients waiting for treatment, helping them feel more comfortable. Staff and patients have said lots of positive things about the changes.
You can read more about how this has helped on their website: ADCU Chairs Project
The hospital is now planning more projects to help patients in 2025. They’ve asked for advice on how to apply for support again, and we’re happy to help. 🤝
It’s great to see how our funding can help people. We’re really pleased to support such an important cause!
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💬 You Spoke, We Listened: Support to Help You Apply for the Citizen Local Fund
Before the opening round of the Citizen Local Fund, the Engagement team wanted to support our applicants as much as possible. We know that some people applying may never have done this before, so we offered help to make sure every project – big or small – has the best chance of getting funding.
We learnt from previous rounds and from the feedback in our Citizen Local Fund survey that more support was needed. So, we worked on making tutorial videos 🎥 with helpful hints and tips 💡 to guide you through the application process. We also offered support with filling in the application form.
We’re really pleased to share some fantastic feedback from one of our applicants:
It’s wonderful to know the support is making a difference.
If you haven’t applied yet, don’t forget – the deadline to apply for the Citizen Local Fund is 5pm on 23rd May 2025. There’s still time! ⏰
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Facebook Live
🎥 Citizen Local Fund Facebook Live Recap 🎥
On 3rd April 2025, our amazing team members, Vicki and Jamie from the Engagement Team, went live on Facebook to talk all about the Citizen Local Fund! 💡💰
We understand that applying for funding can feel overwhelming, but don't worry – our goal is to ensure everyone feels supported throughout the process. Whether you're a first-time applicant or you're looking for some extra guidance, we’re here to provide all the tools and information you need to submit a successful project application. 📝✨
👉 Watch the full video to hear directly from Vicki and Jamie as they walk you through the fund's purpose, how to apply, and answer some common questions. Plus, they’re sharing valuable tips to help you complete your application smoothly and increase your chances of success! 🔑💪
If you still have questions after watching, we’ve got your back! Feel free to drop us an email at engagement@citizen.org.uk – we’re happy to help you every step of the way! 😊💬
Together, we can make your project a reality! 🚀
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Eglise Armée des Vainqueurs
A Safe and Friendly Place for Everyone
Since 2022, our group, Eglise Armée des Vainqueurs (Church Army of the Victorious), has been running a project to help people who feel lonely or are struggling with their wellbeing. We want everyone to feel safe, welcome, and supported.Thanks to funding from the Citizen Local Fund, we’ve been able to offer drinks and snacks at every session. This means people can relax, chat, and take part without worrying about being hungry. We support many people, including parents of children with additional needs, by giving them helpful information and showing them where to get more support.
The best part of this project has been watching people grow in confidence, especially those over 60. It’s been amazing to see them making new friends and smiling more.
We’ve also helped people who speak little or no English. We assist them with filling in forms, applying for benefits, and understanding important information. Our space is warm and welcoming, where people can meet others, share their stories, and feel part of the community.
One lovely story is about a man who was walking past our building. He saw people inside and wanted to know what was happening. He decided to come in—and he was greeted with a big smile and open arms. He felt so welcome that he came back the next week, and he’s been coming ever since!
Looking ahead, we hope to keep going by finding more funding and building strong partnerships. This project has made a real difference. It has helped reduce loneliness and shown people where to find help with their mental health. We are proud to be part of a stronger, more connected community.
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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/
Videos
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CLF successful applicant Rayon Wallace
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Introduction to the CLF application process
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This video will give you support on the Pre application checklist section of the application form
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This video gives you support on the My Details section of the application form
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This video gives you an insight to the About Your Project section in your application form
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This video gives you support on the How Much section of the application form
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A pot of funding available for local groups and projects.