The final round of Community Pots grant funding has just concluded and eight community groups and social enterprises across North Lancashire have been recommended to each receive a share of the £20,000 Community Pots 2026 grant fund.
The fund gives grants to local projects that seek to regenerate the environment and support community wellbeing within one of the following themes:
- Repair & reuse: Reusing, repurposing and repairing materials currently going to waste (e.g. textiles, electronics, packaging, surplus food, etc)
- Shared resources & community space: Sharing resources (e.g. tools, materials, skills, etc) or repurposing unused space for community benefit
- Communications, arts & festivals: Inspiring people to use and buy things more sustainably and to produce less waste
- Food-related projects: Growing, cooking and eating food that’s local, seasonal and sustainably produced
In this last round of Community Pots funding, organisations submitted applications for a diverse range of project ideas, including establishing a community village orchard, developing a preschool outdoor classroom with growing space, and a sustainable fashion show and clothes swap organised by young people.
Recommendations for awarding the Community Pots grants are made by a panel of representatives from different ages and community groups across the region. Choosing who to award funding to was difficult, but after careful consideration the panel agreed to recommend the following projects for a grant:
- Wildlife Wellbeing Walks CIC: Community Conversations & Wild Roots Nature Fest
Community conversations in the Marsh to follow up on Nature Pledges made at the Wild Roots Nature Fest 2026, and creation of a digital nature storytelling archive.
- Good Things Collective CIC: Good Things Community Hub
Focus groups and practical action to make the Good Things Community Hub in Morecambe meet the needs of older people, children & families and neurodivergent people.
- Gressingham Village Trust: Greener Gressingham
Establishing a community orchard in Gressingham, including an edible hedge and wildflower meadow; providing a shared green space for community activities such as volunteer days, community picnics, harvesting and juicing.
- Green Elephant Cooperative: Halton Village Volunteers & Sharing Network
Researching, setting up and piloting a village-wide volunteer scheme in Halton, bringing together community organisations and residents in the village to share resources, knowledge and facilities.
- Lancaster Art Fair: Lancaster Art Fair Creative Activities 2026
Running a series of workshops at the Storey Gallery and Gardens that focus on sustainable and renewable art practices, and using found items to teach practical skills like woodworking.
- Yealand Village Hall: Yealand Community Allotments
Improvements to the Yealand community allotment site to attract more plotholders and encourage greater community involvement; hosting community events and a school visit.
- Leaps & Bounds Preschool Ellel CIC: Leaps & Bounds
Developing the preschool allotment space in Ellel into an outdoor classroom and growing space; ‘forest school’ type staff training and lesson plan delivery to promote healthy eating habits and a connection to where food comes from.
- Escape2Make: Sew Good
Workshops for young people to design and upcycle clothing, ending in a sustainable fashion show and clothes swap event; a charity shop visit to learn what happens to donated clothing and creating a window display to showcase what’s possible.
2026 was the fourth and final year of Community Pots grant funding, but there’s still one more chance to apply for a Your Pots grant of up to £10,000 this autumn. You can see the full list of projects that have been funded since 2023 through the Pots of Possibility here.
If you’re interested in applying for the very last round of Your Pots grant funding this coming autumn, sign up to our monthly newsletter here to be notified when the fund opens for applications.
