The Pots of Possibility Fund was created to enable projects that make our cities, towns and villages in North Lancashire better places to live. It supports projects that will help build a regenerative economy in North Lancashire.
So what exactly is a regenerative economy? Imagine a system that doesn’t just take from the earth – it actively improves the environment, society, and economy. It’s about creating value in a way that restores, renews, and strengthens the things we rely on.
Let’s hear from two of the projects that have been funded so far about what they’re achieved with their grants, and what difference it has made in the lives of local people.
International Lunch Club
The International Lunch Club is a project by Global Village Cafe. It’s an inspiring story of how a group of passionate cooks from all over the world revived a city-centre community cafe that had been struggling to recover after the pandemic.
Lancaster’s lively International Lunch Club at The Cornerstone brings people together through food – all the chefs are refugees or asylum seekers who want to share their culinary traditions and skills. The café provides training, volunteering, and employment opportunities and attracts customers who are looking for something delicious that also benefits the local community.
The weekly lunch club now regularly serves over 60 people. It has helped to revive an underused space, provides free or affordable, nutritious food, and brings people together in friendship. The chefs also use as much surplus food and locally grown produce as possible, linking with Eggcup and growing projects.
The full story appeared in the Autumn 2025 edition of THRIVE magazine. Read the full article [download pdf]
Stanleys Grassroots Allotment
Stanleys Grassroots Allotment is a project by Stanleys Community Centre. It’s an empowering story of how one woman in Morecambe’s West End sparked the creation of a vibrant community green space where anyone can find peace, purpose and connection through growing.
The allotment supports Stanleys’ wider food aid initiative, providing fresh produce to those in need. But it is about growing much more than produce: The community initiative is built on the belief that sustainable practices should be accessible and inclusive, and the space has become a welcoming haven that supports mental and physical health for all.
As the allotment matures, the group has now also started learning more about preservation methods like dehydration, and is looking into expanding composting capacity with support from the Closing Loops project’s community composting coordinator.
The full story appeared in the Autumn 2025 edition of THRIVE magazine. Read the full article [download pdf]
If you’re interested in finding out how to apply for the next round of grant funding, you can find out more on the Lancaster District CVS Pots of Possibility web page.
