St Helens Councillor Community Fund 2026–2027: Up to £2,000 for Local Community Projects

St Helens Councillor Community Fund 2026–2027: Up to £2,000 for Local Community Projects

The St Helens Councillor Community Fund is a small, ward-based grant for voluntary and community groups in St Helens, England. It is intended for a defined project or activity that improves community wellbeing, such as a community event, an improvement to a shared facility, a group outing, or sports club kits. The council’s published 2026/27 timetable has two application windows: 1 September to 30 September 2026, and 1 January to 31 January 2027.

This is a practical opportunity for groups that need a modest amount of money to make a specific thing happen. The maximum grant is £2,000 and the minimum is £250. Each ward councillor has an annual £2,000 allocation, with no carry-forward. Councillors may choose to pool their allocations for a project with a wider ward or cross-ward benefit, but that requires the agreement and support of the relevant councillors.

The application route is unusual. A community group does not submit the grant application directly. Its ward councillor submits the application on the group’s behalf through the Members’ Portal. That means the group’s first task is to make a clear, well-supported case to the councillor who represents the ward that will benefit. The group must also have a bank account and a signed and dated constitution, terms of reference, or agreed minutes of meetings before the application can be submitted.

Key details

The council page identifies 30 September 2026 as the end of the first 2026/27 window. It also lists the January 2027 window. The public page does not give a specific time of day for the closing dates, so groups should ask their ward councillor about the Members’ Portal deadline and allow time for the councillor to review and submit the form.

What the fund can pay for

The fund is for an identifiable project or activity, not a general contribution to an organisation’s unrestricted running costs. The guidelines say that spending should be one-off and should not create an expectation of future funding or an ongoing maintenance or revenue liability for the council.

Examples in the official guidelines include support for voluntary and community groups, improvements to community facilities, contributions to community events, group outings or day trips, sports club kits, and festive celebrations or community events. These examples leave room for different types of local activity, but the proposal still needs to show a direct community benefit rather than simply list a purchase.

For example, a request for equipment could be stronger when it explains which residents will use it, how often it will be used, where it will be stored, and how the group will maintain it without asking the council for future money. A request for an event should explain who the event is for, how people will access it, and how the group will manage safety and inclusion. The amount can be small, but the application should connect the cost to a real local outcome.

The rules also allow councillors to support projects that benefit more than one ward when the relevant councillors agree to pool their allocations. This is useful for a shared facility, an activity serving residents along a ward boundary, or a project with a genuinely wider reach. It does not remove the need to show a benefit to the participating wards. Discuss the geography early rather than asking one councillor to justify a project that mostly serves another ward.

Who this opportunity is for

The direct beneficiaries are eligible voluntary and community groups in the St Helens area. The council’s page says the grant is submitted by a ward councillor on behalf of such a group. The guidelines require the project to be accessible, safe, and inclusive for the ward’s diverse community and to demonstrate a benefit to ward residents.

This is a good fit for a constituted neighbourhood group, community association, voluntary organisation, sports club, cultural group, or similar local body with a defined activity and a functioning bank account. It can also suit a group that is too small for a larger grant programme but has enough structure to show who is responsible for the money and how the project will be delivered.

The fund is not an individual award and is not a route for a private business. The guidelines specifically exclude individuals and private businesses, parish councils, NHS organisations, schools and associated parent-teacher groups. Political causes or campaigns are excluded too. A religious or faith organisation may be eligible where the funded work is wider faith-based work that benefits and involves the wider community, but the grant cannot pay for acts of worship or proselytising. People benefiting from a festive or community event must not be required to convert or participate in unwanted acts of worship.

The ward test matters. Money is allocated to each councillor, and the guidelines say it must directly benefit the ward providing the funding. A group should identify the relevant ward, the residents who will benefit, and the location where the activity will take place. If the project uses private land, the group must be able to show clear community benefit and obtain written permission from the landowner covering access, liability, insurance, and maintenance arrangements.

What cannot be funded

The exclusions are important because many otherwise worthwhile requests look like ordinary community costs but fall outside this scheme. The guidelines rule out activities that have already happened and purchases that have already been made. This is retrospective funding, so do not spend first and ask for reimbursement later. Approval should be obtained before expenditure is incurred.

The scheme does not cover annual running costs such as insurance or utility bills, ongoing room hire, repairs to buildings, alley gates, prizes or presents, or a project that would leave the council responsible for future costs. It also cannot replace a statutory body’s responsibility or fund equipment and services simply because council or other public-sector funding was reduced or lost.

These rules suggest a straightforward test: if the request describes a one-time activity or item with a clear local purpose, it may fit; if it describes keeping an organisation operating month after month, repairing an existing building, or replacing a responsibility that belongs to another public body, it is unlikely to fit. When the boundary is unclear, ask the ward councillor or the council’s Democratic Services team before preparing a final budget.

How the application process works

The official guidelines describe a councillor-led sequence. First, the councillor identifies a proposal to support on behalf of an eligible group. The proposal is checked against the guidelines. The group must have a bank account plus one signed and dated governance document: a constitution, terms of reference, or agreed minutes of meetings.

The councillor then consults other ward members where appropriate and establishes the amount of grant required. For a joint application, every relevant councillor must give full support before the application is submitted. The councillor completes the online application form in the Members’ Portal and supplies enough detail for the council to appraise the proposal. The maximum grant is £2,000 and the minimum is £250.

The group should therefore treat its conversation with the councillor as part of the application, even though the final online submission is not made by the group. Give the councillor a short written briefing that states the project, amount, location, beneficiaries, dates, suppliers or estimated costs, and the reason the activity improves community wellbeing. A concise briefing reduces the chance that an important condition or cost is omitted from the portal form.

The councillor must declare relevant personal or prejudicial interests. The guidelines give examples including a councillor, relative, or close associate holding a management or control role in the group, such as treasurer, secretary, chair, or vice-chair. A group should mention a potential conflict early so the councillor can follow the Code of Conduct process correctly.

Timeline and payment conditions

The first 2026/27 application window is open from 1 September through 30 September 2026. The second window runs from 1 January through 31 January 2027. Because the application must be submitted by a councillor, the group should not wait until the final day. The public page does not publish a decision date, and the guidelines say councillors should allow sufficient time for administration.

Applications are initially appraised by the Director of Legal and Governance and the Director of Finance, or their nominated representatives. Depending on the proposal, it may also be shared with the Director of Communities, Director of Strategic Growth, and Director of Operations for oversight and comment. This explains why a small grant can still require a complete description and sensible supporting information.

If approved, the group receives a grant funding agreement. A signed copy must be returned. Finance then pays the grant directly to the voluntary or community group by BACS. Payment is not made to the councillor. The group is responsible for any permissions, authorisations, regulatory approvals, insurance, or landowner consent needed for the work.

All spending must be supported by receipts. The guidelines say receipts should be sent to the council, with a copy retained by the group, within three to six months of the spend. A second grant will not be considered until receipts for the previous grant have been provided. Any money not spent as approved must be returned, and the council expects reimbursement if funded items are later disposed of or no longer needed for the approved purpose.

Documents and information to prepare

Start with the documents the council explicitly names. Prepare a copy of the group’s bank details and one signed and dated constitution, terms of reference, or agreed meeting minutes. Make sure the document identifies the group and shows that it has an appropriate decision-making structure. If the group has recently changed its officers or bank account, resolve that inconsistency before the councillor submits the application.

Next prepare a project note. It should include the project name, the ward or wards served, the venue or delivery location, the planned dates, the people who will benefit, and a short explanation of the community wellbeing outcome. Include an itemised budget that separates grant-funded costs from any match funding, donations, volunteer time, or other support. The official scheme does not require match funding on the council page, so do not invent a match requirement. Still, showing the full cost helps the council see exactly what the requested amount will buy.

Collect quotes or realistic price evidence where it is practical, especially for equipment, venue costs, transport, or contracted services. Keep the description proportionate to a £250–£2,000 grant. Review whether any cost is actually an annual expense, ongoing room hire, a prize, or an item purchased before approval. If so, replace it with an eligible one-off cost or ask the council for clarification.

For projects on private land, obtain written permission from the landowner and describe arrangements for access, liability, insurance, and maintenance. For public events or activities involving children or vulnerable people, set out the safeguarding and safety arrangements that the group already uses. The guidelines do not provide a separate safeguarding checklist, so only claim procedures the group actually has in place.

How to make a small application convincing

A councillor and council officer should be able to answer four questions quickly: what will happen, who benefits, what will it cost, and why is this grant the right support? Put those answers near the beginning of the project note. Avoid leading with the group’s history if the history does not explain the proposed activity.

Use specific local evidence. Instead of saying that an event will help everyone, identify the residents or members who currently lack access, the expected number of participants if known, and the barrier the project addresses. If the project improves a facility, explain how residents will use the improvement and who will look after it. If the request is for a group outing, explain the purpose of the outing and why it is a community activity rather than a private benefit.

Make the budget readable. A short list such as equipment, venue contribution, transport, materials, and accessibility support is easier to check than a single unexplained total. The amount requested should equal the eligible costs being described. If a councillor plans to pool allocations, show the total contribution from each ward and the benefit across those wards.

Keep inclusion concrete. The official guidelines require projects to be accessible, safe, and inclusive. Explain practical arrangements such as the accessible venue, communication support, timing, transport, or free participation, but only where the group can deliver them. Also explain how the project avoids political campaigning and, where relevant, keeps community or faith content voluntary and open to people from the wider community.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most serious mistake is spending before approval. The council excludes retrospective funding, so wait for the grant agreement and approval before ordering goods or booking an expense that depends on the grant. A second common mistake is asking for annual operating money, insurance, utilities, or continuing room hire because those costs are familiar. Reframe the proposal around a specific one-off activity only if that is genuinely what the group intends to do.

Do not send the group to apply directly if the scheme still requires a councillor submission. Contact the councillor for the ward that benefits and give them enough information to submit accurately. Do not assume that a councillor can use another ward’s allocation without agreement from the relevant members.

Do not omit the governance documents or bank account. They are prerequisites in the published process. Do not use the grant for prizes, presents, political campaigns, private business activity, school or NHS support, or work that belongs to another statutory body. Finally, keep every receipt and spend only on the approved purpose. Failure to provide receipts can prevent a later application, and unspent or incorrectly spent funds may have to be repaid.

Frequently asked questions

Can an individual apply?

No. The guidelines exclude individuals. The application is for an eligible voluntary or community group and must be submitted by a ward councillor.

Can a private business apply for the grant?

No. Private businesses are listed among the entities that cannot be funded. A community group should not route a business expense through the fund.

What is the smallest grant available?

The published minimum is £250. The maximum is £2,000 per grant.

Is there another chance after September 2026?

Yes. The council lists a second 2026/27 application window from 1 January to 31 January 2027. The September window ends on 30 September 2026.

Can two councillors combine their allocations?

Yes, councillors may pool allocations for a project with a ward or cross-ward benefit, but the relevant councillors must agree and give full support before the joint application is submitted.

Can the grant pay for something already bought?

No. The guidelines exclude retrospective funding. Obtain approval before incurring the expenditure.

Who receives the payment?

After approval and return of the signed grant agreement, Finance pays the voluntary or community group directly by BACS. The payment is not made to the councillor.

Official links and next steps

Begin with the St Helens Borough Council Councillor Community Fund page. It confirms the grant range, the two 2026/27 windows, the councillor-led application route, and the documents the group must provide. Download and read the council’s 2026/27 Councillor Community Fund guidelines before committing to a project or spending money.

Then identify the ward councillor using the council’s Your Councillors directory. Ask whether the councillor has room in the annual allocation, whether another ward member should be involved, and what internal deadline they need for the Members’ Portal submission. Send the project note, budget, bank details, and signed governance document together.

The current opportunity is suitable for a focused local project, not a replacement for core operating income. A clear one-off purpose, a direct benefit to ward residents, complete group documents, and careful receipt keeping will give the councillor and council officers the information they need to assess the request before the relevant 2026 or 2027 window closes.