KINGSTON FIRST TOWN CENTRE COMMUNITY FUND

Kingston First, the town centre’s Business Improvement District (BID), recognises the important role local and community organisations play in creating a vibrant town centre.

We established the Kingston First Town Centre Community Fund to encourage and support ideas and projects that have a positive impact on the town centre, support local businesses and promote positive community engagement.

This year is a pilot which will open from the end of October to 12th January 2024. Following evaluation, including feedback from applicants, we hope to continue to provide funding and support to local community and voluntary organisations in future years.

The fund for this year consists of £15,000 and an organisation can bid for all, or some, of this amount as long as they can also outline how they meet the criteria for applicants.

We want to help local and community focused organisations develop and grow with a fund primarily for not for profit, charity or voluntary organisations and we will be as flexible as we can be to accommodate different needs. We will offer those successful applications access to our training and learning opportunities until end 2024 and support with promoting and marketing the project.

How to apply

To apply we ask you to complete an application form by 12/01/2024 demonstrating how you meet the criteria. Please also read the application guidelines before applying.

In a nutshell we’re open to projects and activities that can be delivered in the town centre by the end of 2024 that encourage people to visit the town and raise the profile of Kingston.

This could be an event, a trail, artwork, performances, a service or operational support or something else. We welcome diverse and creative ideas and are happy to have an informal conversation with you before you apply.

READ THE APPLICATION GUIDELINES

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM

“We believe Kingston’s local community plays a pivotal role in creating a vibrant and diverse town centre that residents and visitors want to spend time in. That’s why we have launched the Kingston First Town Centre Community Fund today to support local and community focused causes that bring something positive to Kingston town centre and promotes better partnership working between businesses and the community”

– Shareena Merzi, Director of Communications & Corporate Development, Kingston First