Cambridge City council has awarded over £1 million to community and voluntary groups through its latest round of community grants, as well as approving its multi-year funding scheme following a successful trial.

The funding will support projects that reduce social or economic inequality for Cambridge residents in 2026/27.

Some of the funding has been awarded to:

• Abbey People CIO – awarded £27,000 to help run and facilitate community-led activities. This includes community coffee mornings, youth clubs, and food hub sessions.
• Cambridge Online – awarded £35,000 to provide digital inclusion and support projects for older people, those on a low income/unemployed, and those with additional needs.
• Cambridge Women’s Resources Centre – awarded £35,000 to deliver inclusion and equality projects for women that improve wellbeing, reduce poverty, and increase confidence and employability.
• Centre 33 – awarded £55,000 to provide free, confidential emotional and practical support for young people up to 25 years of age, including mental health, housing, sexual health, caring responsibilities, and more.

Around half of this funding has been allocated as part of the council’s latest evolution of the community grants scheme, which allows community and voluntary organisations to apply for multi-year funding. Cambridge and District Citizens Advice Bureau, Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service, and Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum are on their second year of a three-year grant.

Cambridge Sustainable Food is a new recipient of this multi-year funding, allowing the organisation to deliver its much-needed food justice work aimed at building resilient community networks, running community programmes, and delivering practical food solutions for residents.

By supporting these organisations with multi-year funding, the council aims to give them more financial stability to continue delivering important work in the city in an effective and strategic way. This also means that community and voluntary groups can focus on delivering services rather than securing short-term survival.

Cllr Anna Smith, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “I am so proud that we have yet again been able to offer these community grants – one of the biggest grant pots for a council our size anywhere in the country – which supports so many phenomenal organisations working in our city.

“We are committed to supporting the voluntary sector and working in collaboration with organisations to make sure that they are as strong and well supported as possible. This is why I am also pleased to announce our multi-year funding. This is something the voluntary and community sector tell us will help them both use their money more effectively and plan better for the future.

“We want to work in genuine partnership with our community organisations for the good of the city, and this change to community grants really underpins that. It highlights our commitment to supporting those who deliver vital work, often alongside the vulnerable in our communities and it gets us closer to achieving our vision of a united Cambridge that is fair for all.”