Community Panels and Community Chest Fund

The Community Chest Fund has been replaced by a new initiative called 'You Choose', which provides funding opportunities for local groups and also enables residents to decide how they would like funding to be spent in their community. For more details visit the 'You Choose' webpage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Background to the Community Chest Fund

The Community Chest scheme was set up to put the money saved by residents’ recycling efforts back into the borough by enabling local community organisations to bid for funding.

How much was available?

Community Panels were charged with awarding the funds available from recycling to local groups from the Community Chest. Over £325,000 was given to fund 230 Community Group projects that benefitted the borough.

Who could apply?

The scheme was open to community groups such as:

• Community Associations
• Tenant and resident Groups
• Friends of Park Groups
• Pre School, Playgroups and Parent and Toddler Groups
• Disability Groups
• Young Peoples groups and School Clubs
• Older Persons Groups
• Scouts/Guides Groups
• Sports Groups
• Environmental Groups

Decision making and the criteria 

Community Panels were made up of local people from local organisations and were responsible for recommending which applications from local community groups received funding through the scheme. In coming to their decision the Panels considered the merits of each individual application against the awards criteria to make the final decisions about who received any of the funding. The upper limit for any individual grant was set at £5,000, and the community groups applying had to meet one or more of the following benefits:

• The project had to benefit the people within Tameside
• Make a significant improvement to the local environment and benefit the local community
• Be a benefit to a disadvantaged group of people
• Improve the recreational needs of the local community

Successful Bids

Two rounds were run throughout March and June 2010 and many community groups across the borough were successful in receiving the funding they required to ensure benefits were made to their organisations. View the successful bids.

Can I still access funding?

Unfortunately the Community Chest Fund has now closed, however a new scheme called 'You Choose' is now in operation. “You Choose” gives local community groups the opportunity to apply for funding (up to a set amount) to deliver a project which will benefit a District Assembly area. Local residents then have the opportunity to decide which projects to fund.

Contact Information
Send us a Message	Governance Business Support Tameside MBC Council Offices Wellington Road Ashton under Lyne OL6 6DL  View local map
0161 342 3158