Support for Community Groups

There is wide range of support for community groups in Thame – from grant funding to facility hire, and plenty of promotional opportunities. The links on this page will direct you to more information about the support options available to your community group or organisation.

Covid-19 funding for community groups

Town Council Grant Funding

Local groups and organisations who work and operate for the benefit of Thame and its residents could be eligible for a grant of up to £2,100 from the Town Council. The annual grant scheme aims to fund projects that address the needs, aspirations and issues of the people in our community. It supports initiatives that develop skills, improve health, revitalise the local environment and enable people to become more active citizens. Applications are open from the end of March to the beginning of May. Find out if you’re eligible for a Town Council grant and how to apply.

Information about other funding that we are aware of can be found at the bottom of this page.

Promotional Opportunities

The Town Council is pleased to offer a range of opportunities to help Community Groups promote themselves and their activities. The Town Council’s website offers free listings in our Community Directory, opportunities listings and events calendar. We also offer opportunities to promote yourself at our Christmas Lights Switch-On event or around the town at town entrances, on banners and feather flags. You can also hold a stall at many other town events – find out about all promotional opportunities in Thame. Please note that prior permission must be obtained, to meet the Terms & Conditions as part of the Application Form.

Thame Town Hall

Room, Facility & Equipment Hire

The Town Council offers two rooms for hire in the Town Hall, as well as external electricity points, football pitches & changing rooms, and a number of open spaces around the town suitable for community events, festivals and activities. Thame Equipment Bank offers a wide range of equipment for hire, from gazebos to tables & chairs, which can be hired by any community group, individual or business subject to following the hire procedure. View a list of the room & facilities hire options in Thame.

Other Useful Resources & Support

OCVA (Oxfordshire Community & Voluntary Action) – offers training, networks & forums and support & advice for non-profit organisations.

Charity Lottery – Charities, and community and voluntary groups across South Oxfordshire are being encouraged to sign up to a new lottery to help them raise funds. South Oxfordshire District Council invites good causes to register as beneficiaries.

Funding for your Community Group

Oxfordshire County Council Councillor Priority Fund

Your local county councillor now has the opportunity to direct money towards making improvements in your local community, and resolving important local issues to help your part of Oxfordshire thrive. Each of the areas represented by Oxfordshire’s 63 county councillors will have a community budget of £15,000 to be spent in each financial year. It can be spent within the area they represent or in combination with fellow county councillors. Details are on OCC’s website at Councillor Priority Fund and an early chat with your county councillor is strongly recommended.

South Oxfordshire District Council Grants

SODC have several grants available to support voluntary and non-profit organisations in the district, including:

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) – Resilient Communities Fund

Applications are invited from communities for grants available from £1,000 up to £20,000. The deadline for applications to the fund is 1 June 2022 and applicants are asked to consider the criteria for funding, which seeks to support projects falling under these two categories:

  • Resilience for Emergency Events – To enhance community facilities, services and communication specifically to support the local response in the event of a significant emergency such as extended power loss.
  • Vulnerability – To protect the welfare of vulnerable community members particularly during significant emergency events such as extended power loss, through enhancing their resilience and improving community participation and effectiveness.

Co-op Local Community Fund

The fund supports projects that make communities fairer for everyone. You can apply if your project:

  • brings people together to access food
  • helps improve people’s mental wellbeing
  • creates opportunities for young people to be heard and make a difference
  • helps people protect local biodiversity or tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions

Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE) – Local Environment Fund

This is TOE’s original grant programme for community groups and other charitable or non-profit organisations throughout Oxfordshire. Grants of up to £10,000 can be used to deliver projects that support at least one of the following priorities:

  • Biodiversity – projects that create, protect and enhance natural habitats, allowing wildlife to thrive and supporting nature’s recovery; and/or projects that improve the quality, quantity and coverage of voluntary species recording.
  • Access – projects that improve public access to green spaces and the countryside, helping people connect with nature. 
  • Low Carbon – projects that lock-up carbon, such as tree planting, or innovative sustainability projects that help reduce carbon emissions in the first place.

Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE) – Biodiversity Net Gain Grant

£10,000 TO £250,000+ per project. Expressions of Interest are invited from people and organisations that want to deliver biodiversity projects involving the creation, restoration or enhancement of wildlife habitats (please note that projects which only aim to protect or maintain habitats are not eligible).

TOE also invite landowners to contact us if they own sites that could be used for habitat projects, but whom may not be able to develop a suitable project independently.

Woodland, grassland, wetland and mosaic habitats are all potentially eligible. Preference will be given to sites and projects which support local biodiversity priorities and strategies, such as those within the draft Nature Recovery Network and connect areas of existing habitat.

TOE are keen to hear from people with ambitious ideas and opportunities. Sites and projects of any size may be considered for future funding.