Decision details

To allocate £31,975 in Community Pride grants as follows:

1.      Multicultural Community Heritage Association

Eid Reunion 2026:  £1500

2.      Chinese Culture Connection

Chinese New Year: A Celebration for All Communities:  £1000

3.       Art for All Mental Health

Nature Journalling in Pittville Park for Mental Health:  £2000

4.       Friends of Leckhampton Hill & Charlton Kings Common (‘FOLK’)

Training Our People:  £600

5.       Be a Good Neighbour

Thursday Tea After-School Club:  £1100

6.       Pride in Gloucestershire

Pride in Cheltenham:  £2000

7.       Fresh Hope – The Armoury Gym

The Armoury exercise classes for those with disabilities:  £1100

8.       Parish of West Cheltenham Parochial Church Council

Re-landscaping St Aidan’s Garden:  £1500

9.       Cheltenham Paint Festival 2026

Cheltenham Paint Festival 2026:  £2000

10.   Friends of Sandford Parks (FOSP)

Renovation of Gottingen Garden:  £1100

11.   Public Hearts Defibrillator Campaign

Public Hearts Defibrillator installation with bleed control kit:  £1840

12.   Springbank Community Group CIC

Gardening for Wellbeing:  £1100

13.   Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees

Connecting Communities Through Film:  £1385

14.   Brizen Young People’s Centre

Summer Holiday Youth Activity Scheme:  £2000

15.   Cheltenham Education Partnership

CEP Activity Programme:  Skills Builders and Changemakers themes:  £1950

16.   Read With Me

Every child reading – Cheltenham:  £2000

17.   St Michael’s Cornerstone Trust

Play Trail:  £1500

18.   The Greenwoods Foundation CIC

The Moors Forest School Club:  £1050

19.   Monkscroft Pastoral Care Project

Family Planting and Water Fun Group:  £1750

20.   KAM Performing Arts Academy CIC

West Cheltenham Arts Community Choir:  £1400

21.   Fairview Community Association (FCA)

Rebuilding and relaunching our Digital Community Hub:  £600

22.   The Rock

Primary Club:  £1500

The council made available £30,000 to allocate to local good causes that help build community pride.  Grants of up to £2000 were available on a 50% match funding basis for projects to deliver one or more of these key themes:

• Connecting people - fostering new relationships and celebrating our culture and diverse communities
• Enhancing biodiversity - improving green spaces and the natural environment
• Supporting children and young people - helping them to thrive and reach their potential
• Developing neighbourhood hubs - creating spaces that engage and support young people
• Promoting wellbeing - encouraging physical and mental health across our communities
  
  

The Community Pride Fund was open for applications from 1^st October until 11^th November 2025.  An assessment panel made up of the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Member Safety and Communities, Angela Gilbert from Gloucestershire Rural Communities Council and Richard Gibson and Helen Down from the Council’s Communities, Wellbeing and Partnerships team met on 9^th December 2026.  The panel reviewed the 32 applications received (which totalled £53,602) and made the above recommendations for 21 projects that met the assessment criteria to the Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities for approval.  The total allocation is £31,975, including £1,975 from a previously allocated grant which was unclaimed.  Due diligence checks on the applicants were carried out in line with the grants management policy.

Finance Approval

Budget is in place to support this arrangement. Due to the timing of the projects’ completion, it is expected that allocation will be carried out across two financial years. This will have to be accounted for appropriately ensuring budgets are utilised and managed across those years.

Not applicable.