Better Billingshurst Community Grant

Communities are built on the social ties and sense of place often created from local initiatives and led by people in their own community. In recognition of this, the Council has developed the Better Billingshurst Community Grant.

Horsham District Council will be taking applications for the Better Billingshurst Community Grant between 14 July and 8 September 2025.

£1,000 & £2,000 Community Grants are available to eligible local voluntary, community or not-for-profit organisations that contribute to the improvement of quality of life for Billingshurst Parish residents.

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Eligibility and assessment criteria, 2025/26 priorities

Any application to this fund must link with one or more of the Council's priority areas:

• Help people through the cost-of-living crisis
• Better understand the needs of our whole community to deliver services that support people to live long, active lives
• Improve access to affordable housing and community services
• Build closer ties with all our housing partners
• Improve vulnerable residents’ access to benefits
• Work with partners to ensure our District continues to be a safe place to live and work
• Create safe spaces for our children to grow and play
• Invest in local arts and leisure and foster civic pride
• Improve access to sports for under-represented groups

Eligibility and application information

• The organisation must be based in Billingshurst Parish or provide activities that benefit Billingshurst Parish residents
• The applying organisation must be a local voluntary, registered charity, community or not-for-profit
• The organisation must be properly constituted with its own bank account, with at least two unrelated signatories
• Projects must not unfairly exclude individuals from participation
• Annual subscriptions, joining fees and session charges should be affordable to all
• Horsham District Council will not support projects that promote specific political or religious views
• Organisations must have the necessary policies in place including a safeguarding policy for children, young people and vulnerable adults, equal opportunities, insurance and health and safety where appropriate

Please read the information below, before you start the application, as well as our Grants Policy.

• You will need to have the following information to hand:
• Information about your organisation, for example
• Charity number (if it’s a charity, company registration number if a company)
• Names and contact details of bank account signatories
• Safeguarding for Young People & Vulnerable Adults’ Policy if applicable
• Equal Opportunities Policy
• How many people involved in organisation
• Membership of any national body or institution
• Accounting information, recent bank statements and last two years' annual accounts
• Details of the project

What supporting documents do you need with your application?

You will need to provide information to accompany your application form, depending on the category of project you are applying for and your organisation type.

All applicants will need to provide the following:

• Constitution or set of rules.
• Last two years' annual accounts or statement of income and expenditure
• Recent original bank statement from any current and investment account
• Names of authorisations of bank account
• Equal Opportunities Policy
• Safeguarding Policy (if applicable)
• Vulnerable Adults Policy (if applicable).

In addition to the above:

If the project involves the purchase of equipment above £500 per item, then two alternative quotes are required.

Monitoring

If successful with your grant application, you will be required to provide a monitoring report. This must be returned one year after project end or earlier if seasonal.