Council creates new community fund for borough councillors
A new fund is being created to enable borough councillors to respond quickly to community priorities in their wards, at no additional cost to the taxpayer.
All 44 members of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council will each receive a dedicated budget of £2,500 per year from 2026/27, as part of the Newcastle-under-Lyme Community Fund, to help residents and organisations deliver one-off projects, events and activities that complement the council’s objectives and enhance the well-being of local neighbourhoods across the borough.
The Community Fund intends to support positive actions including, but not limited to, the provision of Christmas trees, lights and decorations; new toys or equipment for playgroups and nurseries, outings for older people, the renovation of local landmarks, and contributions towards county council initiatives such as the installation of grit bins.
The new initiative is being funded through a reprioritisation of existing budgets rather than new funding: it will be pooled from available council resources, with the majority coming from the environmental sustainability element of the Civic Growth Fund and the remainder from the discontinued Civic Pride Investment Fund.
Council Leader Jonathan Gullis said:
This is what local politics should be about: backing local people to get things done in their own communities.
This administration believes in strong communities, local pride and supporting the people who step up to make their area better. That is exactly what this fund is designed to do.
It will help support the volunteers, community groups, schools, clubs and residents who bring people together and make our borough such a special place.
I want every part of Newcastle-under-Lyme to feel the benefit of this scheme, and I’m looking forward to seeing the difference it makes in wards right across our borough.”
A protocol is being developed to ensure the fund is operated in an open, transparent and accountable way.
Cllr. Andrew Fisher, Cabinet member for Residents’ Services & Neighbourhoods, pictured, added:
The point of this fund is simple: local people know their communities best. They know the streets, estates, villages and neighbourhoods they live in, and they know what would make life better. This gives councillors the ability to listen, respond and help turn those ideas into real improvements.
I am really proud that Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is introducing this scheme. It is practical, positive and rooted in community spirit. It celebrates the people who step up for their area, supports the groups that bring neighbours together, and gives every ward a chance to see something good happen close to home.”
More information will be available on the council’s website.