Groups organising festivals and events in Westmorland and Furness can now apply for grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 from a £100,000 fund.

Westmorland and Furness Council’s grant scheme is aimed at supporting organisers improve their events or festivals, as well as promoting community, place and the environment.

Voluntary and community-led businesses, social enterprises, charities, town and parish councils and other constituted groups can apply to the fund for established or new events or festivals.

Applications with match funding of at least 25 per cent will be preferred, but this is not a requirement.

The deadline for applications is 26 June and grants must be spent by March 2025.

The grants are aimed at improving events and festivals’ functionality, sustainability and accessibility and applicants must demonstrate that grants will lead to improved numbers and engagement, as well as new volunteering opportunities.

The council’s Events and Festivals Grants scheme is one of 22 projects sharing £8.1 million from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), allocated by Westmorland and Furness Council.

Councillor Virginia Taylor, Westmorland and Furness Council’s Cabinet member for Sustainable Communities and Localities, said: “There are too many festivals, shows, and events in Westmorland and Furness to get to – often organised by and for local people and celebrating an enormous breadth of interests, skills, traditions; and sometimes just for fun.  I really admire people’s imagination, know-how and energy as they put in the hard work making things happen in the place they live. It’s really great that these events bring people together, sharing skills, getting to know each other better, and pooling resources to prepare and run the project – and that’s not including the people who’ll enjoy the day. Local events really do embody the ‘Sustainable Communities and Localities’ that are the name of my portfolio.

“The Events and Festivals Grants scheme will go some way to helping organisers and volunteers to making great things happen in, with, and for their community, and I would urge anybody organising a community festival or event to have a look at the criteria – I do hope that your project can take advantage of the scheme.”

Click here to find out more about the Events and Festivals Grants scheme and apply.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

Click here for more information about the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.