Community groups with ideas or projects designed to make a real difference to the quality of residents’ lives can apply for funding of up to £5,000.

The next round of applications for the Wandsworth Big Society Fund is open – offering grants to charities, organisations and groups that want to promote citizenship and encourage pride in the borough.

Eligible examples might include community composting schemes, projects to prevent anti-social behaviour and volunteer programmes in libraries and parks – but any worthy project or idea will be considered.

The council funding allows local groups to decide how taxpayer money is spent to further enrich Wandsworth’s diverse communities. It also creates opportunities to pilot new ways of solving problems, and provide innovative service delivery.

In a bid to help community groups apply for funding, two workshops have been arranged at which a council officer will be present to answer questions from potential applicants and to give general advice and guidance.

They will take place on Monday, March 19, at the following locations:

• Roehampton Library, 2 Danebury Avenue, SW15 4HD, from 10am to midday.
• Battersea Park Library, 309 Battersea Park Road, SW11 4NF, from 2pm to 4pm.

Funding is available to small community groups with incomes of less than £50,000 a year and to un-constituted community groups. This could be any informal group of residents, but also includes more formal groups such as residents’ or tenants’ associations; business associations, cultural groups; sports organisations; scouts, cubs and guide troops and parent/teacher associations.

All applications will need to address a local need and have local support, demonstrated by the endorsement of a local ward councillor.

For grants above £1,000, the council will be seeking some form of match funding contribution from other sources which may be in the form of cash, donations or volunteer time.

The closing date for the current round of applications is April 16, 2012.

The two previous rounds saw £119,000 in grant funding given out to community groups and projects over a year-long period.

All applicants should read the Wandsworth Big Society Fund application guidance. Example applications and an application form can be downloaded by visiting www.wandsworth.gov.uk/wbsf.

For more information about the fund, or to apply for a grant, email wbsf@wandsworth.gov.uk. Alternatively, call Nigel Chandler on 020 8871 6206.

5th March 2012