Southwark Council Democracy Fund (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 31-Mar-2025

Is there an issue in your local area or an idea to improve it, that you would like to discuss with your wider neighbourhood? Maybe you want to meet up with like-minded people to form a special interest group? If so, you could apply for funding to hold a one-off meeting in the community, through the Democracy Fund.

The fund is part of the council’s Empowering Communities programme, and is designed to make it easier for residents to discuss, and get involved with, the issues that directly affect them.

The Democracy Fund is part of the Empowering Communities Programme and is designed to provide funding for local people, groups or networks, so they can arrange their own meetings and events. These can be for specific issues or to allow local people to get together and become active in their communities.

Funding Information

• The total pot available for the Democracy Fund is £20,000 per year to be shared between multiple groups across the borough. Groups can apply for grants of up to £1,000, but larger amounts can be awarded in exceptional circumstances.
• The fund is designed to support public discussion and will cover any of the following expenditure:
  • Venue hire (subject to coronavirus restrictions)
  • Publicity and invitations
  • Zoom License, Survey Monkey fees, etc
  • Equipment hire such as laptops, cameras, conference PA system
  • Professional speakers’ fees
  • Digital training fees
  • Refreshments, etc.

Funding Criteria

• Applications from Southwark residents / Southwark based organisations
• It must be relevant to local or borough wide issues
• Meetings should be managed in a way that encourages respect and understanding
• Applications that are focused on youth participation in local democracy are welcome, ie. Meetings/workshops or conferences
• Register of attendees and equalities monitoring / photographic evidence.
• The event must be held in an accessible venue that complies with all relevant legislation and council policy.

Who can apply?

• Any individual/group(s) who live and work in Southwark
• Groups that are working together on a shared issue or topic.

Who cannot apply?

• Individuals and groups cannot apply if they:
  • are not established in the UK
  • do not have any local links and/or do not have a track record of working locally
  • are political groups and organisations
  • seek to make financial gain

For more information, visit Southwark Council.