Furness Community Groups Face Deadline for Grants of Up to £2,500
Furness community groups are being urged to apply for grants of up to £2,500 before the latest funding deadline.
The Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund is designed to support projects that make communities across Cumbria safer and stronger. Applications for the current funding round must reach the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner by 5pm on Friday 30 October 2026. The scheme provides financial support for local initiatives that deliver additional benefits to residents and help address identified community safety concerns.
Eligible projects must support at least one priority in the Police, Fire and Crime Plan. These include tackling anti-social behaviour, preventing neighbourhood crime, addressing rural crime, improving online safety and tackling dangerous driving. The fund also supports work to address domestic abuse, sexual violence and violence against women and girls, as well as initiatives aimed at disrupting or preventing drug supply and use. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposals will contribute to at least one of these priorities.
The funding can be used to cover project activities, equipment, resources and staffing costs directly related to delivering a specific initiative. However, the scheme is not intended to cover routine organisational expenses such as rent, utility bills, insurance or existing staff salaries. Groups should therefore ensure that their applications clearly explain what the funding will pay for, how the project will operate and what additional benefits it will bring to the local community.
Organisations must also meet the fund’s eligibility requirements before applying. Groups that have received support from the Community Fund or Property Fund within the previous 12 months are not eligible, while organisations that have failed to submit a satisfactory evaluation for an earlier award are also excluded. Each application must be supported by a police officer, police community support officer, police staff member or fire officer, who will help develop the proposal and submit it on the organisation’s behalf.
Applications will be reviewed by the relevant neighbourhood policing team inspector before being assessed by a decision-making panel involving the Commissioner’s office, police inspectors and fire station managers. Decisions will take account of the project’s eligibility, the benefits it could deliver and the funding available. Applicants are required to provide all necessary supporting documents before the deadline, as incomplete submissions will not be considered. Successful organisations will be informed of the outcome after the panel has reached its decisions.
The fund has previously supported a range of community initiatives across Cumbria, including youth activities, sports organisations, creative projects and programmes intended to improve neighbourhood safety. Previous recipients have included Walney Community Boxing Club, Carlisle Sea Cadets and other local organisations. The scheme is intended to help groups deliver new or expanded activities that might otherwise be beyond their available resources, while contributing to safer and stronger communities.
Furness organisations interested in applying should review the official eligibility criteria and guidance before preparing their proposals. Groups that need help identifying a suitable police sponsor can contact the Barrow Neighbourhood Policing Team through BarrowNeighbourhoodPolicing@cumbria.police.uk. Further details, application guidance and the relevant forms are available on the Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s official website.
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