More real-life funding decisions will be made by people from across Grimsby this autumn, as the town’s Growing Together Fund starts a new funding round.
In the coming weeks, people from Grimsby will be sharing their ideas for change with the community, and the town will put real money behind the projects they believe will deliver the greatest good for their town.
The Growing Together Fund is being developed by people in Grimsby to ensure that the shared goals of the town can be backed, and by the end of 2026, the town’s Decision Makers will have allocated over £250,000 to community-led projects, an ambitious and exciting next step for the future.
Applications for funding from the second round of Give it a Go funding and the next funding pot called Strengthen & Grow open on Monday, 14 September, and close on Monday, 19 October.
So how does the funding work?
Give it a Go and Strengthen & Grow are designed to work for people at different points on their journey.
Give it a Go allocates small grants, up to £10,000, for testing something new, trying an idea for the first time, or getting something off the ground.
Strengthen & Grow is designed to support existing activity that is ready to take its next step. This pot will allocate funds of up to £50,000 (from a total pot of £140,000 this year) to support ideas, organisations or projects to grow, perhaps in the form of business planning, design work, building partnerships, piloting new work or technical and legal preparation.
Both funds have been designed with the community, after two years of conversations, and subsequent working groups, where citizens captured the priorities for the future of their town.
Earlier this year, during the Give it a Go fund’s pilot phase, the town’s first panel of volunteer decision makers put money towards nine exciting ideas, which included one-to-one guided canoe experiences along the River Freshney, a STEM project for young people aged 7-16 and money to transform St James’ Square into a free space for creative play and family participation.
This pilot of the town’s Growing Together fund is supported and backed by the Greater Grimsby board and Pride in Place board. It is being delivered by Our Future and Key Fund, with the support of North East Lincolnshire Council and in partnership with people across the town.
The ambition is that the £20m Pride in Place funding over 10 years is the floor for the fund rather than the ceiling, and it will attract other funding over time.
All applications to both pots will be supported by staff from Key Fund, an experienced social fund administrator who will be on hand to guide people through the process and ensure submissions receive tailored support.
Applications close on Monday, 19 October.
So, who makes the decisions?
This autumn, there’s an open invitation for anyone living in Grimsby to become a Decision Maker and allocate funds from the Growing Together Fund’s Give it a Go pot or join a Decision Makers’ Assembly to help decide on which projects get backed by the Strengthen and Grow pot.
You don’t need to have special qualifications, just be passionate about building a positive future for the town, and excited about the work that others are doing to make that happen.
To take part, you’ll need to commit time for training in early November (a few hours), then to read and comment on proposals (early December) and finally to set aside a day for decision making events in mid-December. While these sessions are serious about decision making, they also designed to be social and enjoyable, and support is available for people to ensure they can attend.
For those that might be interested, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Take it from Katherine Robinson who was one of 28 people from Grimsby who made funding decisions this year.
“I really enjoyed being a Decision Maker for the first round of Give it a Go. It was something new for me and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I found it really easy to get involved,” said Katherine.
“It was great to have a say and feel like my opinion really mattered. I had a lot of fun doing it, but I also knew there was an important job to do for our town and the people who live here. I’d encourage others to get involved and sign up to be a Decision Maker.”
By filling out this short form, you can apply to support Grimsby by becoming a Decision Maker. Applications close on Monday, 19 October.
For more general information about the Growing Together Fund please email: info@growingtogetherfund.org.uk
