Community Chest

Through the Community Chest scheme sports clubs and community groups in Swansea can benefit from funding of up to £1000.

Community Chest is a Sports Council for Wales grant aid scheme funded by the National Lottery. The principal is a sustained increase in sport and physical activity participation rates over the next 20 years.

Latest news

The City and County of Swansea has become the first local authority to award 1000 Community Chest grant offers and is the only county to have achieved this in Wales to date.

How to apply?

• Download a Community Chest application form today  Community Chest Application Form [1.7Mb],.  Please return your completed application forms to: Nia Davies, Room 235, The Guildhall, Swansea.  SA1 4PE.
• Additional information about the Community Chest scheme. 
• Points to consider when applying for Community Chest funding
• For further information please contact Natalie Thomas on 01792 635452 or email nia.davies@swansea.gov.uk

What is Community Chest?

The main purpose of Community Chest is to support good projects which will create new or improved sport and physical activity opportunities.  These activities must be additional to what is already in place and be activities which are only feasible with the help of a grant.  To view the aims of Community Chest click here.

Since April 2006, 68 clubs or organisations have received grants from Community Chest totalling £45,533.48 demonstrating the importance of such funding and the physical and sporting opportunities it provides. 

As a result of the popularity and undoubted success of the scheme, the Sports Council for Wales is raising the level of grant. Organisations keen to develop sport & physical activity in Wales can now receive up to £1000 for a qualifying project over a 12 month period. 

What can be funded?

The scope of the scheme has been widened. Grants have been traditionally awarded to sports clubs and sporting bodies.  Now most organisations seeking to develop physical activity and sporting projects will be eligible for an award

The new approach will deliver opportunities for everybody to engage in physical activity, whether that be during work or leisure time.  Lunchtime fitness classes, the installation of bike racks or showers in workplaces, training to become a walk leader, walking or cycling projects in both rural and urban areas are all now eligible for funding.  To find out more about what types of activities can be funded click here.

The SCW is keen to see more grants going towards:                                            

• initiatives that improve people's health through more sport and physical activity
• projects that help develop more physically active communities sport and physical activity initiatives in areas of deprivation and socio-economic disadvantage
• projects that encourage sport and physical activity in the workplace
• community clubs developing new links with primary or secondary schools
• secondary schools developing extra-curricular clubs

Although we are seeking innovative and imaginative projects, the simplest ideas often deliver the biggest impact.  Each award can be up to the maximum of £1,000 and sports clubs can now apply for up to two per year.   If you are a sports club who would like to expand your core activities to develop physical or recreational activities for the wider community you may apply for up to £2000 per finacial year.  In this case, you can apply for up to £1000 for a sports project, then submit a second application for a further £1000 to cover a physical activity project.   The only stipulation is that one of these awards must be for a physical activity not normally offered by the applicant.  For example, the provision of bike racks for a cycling group that could potentially use a sports club or community centre as a base.

How can Community Chest funding be used?

The Sports Council is keen to see sports clubs become community hubs by diversifying the physical activity opportunities available, as a means to encourage more people to be more active, more often.

For example,

Any Town Rugby Club could make the following applications:

1. Any Town Rugby Club (application 1) - £1,000 towards improving coaching qualifications and starting a new women's rugby team.
2. Any Town Rugby Club (application 2) - £1,000 towards piloting a 10 week programme of wider physical activity opportunities including; keep fit classes in the club house, a programme of organised walks and cycle rides leaving from the club base.

Previous recipients of Community Chest grant funding

There are many organisations across Swansea who have been successful in receiving a Community Chest grant.  To see just how many clubs have received a grant click here,  Grant Recipients [36kb].

Apply now

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