The Grants Advisory Committee met to discuss grant funding for several initiatives in South Cambridgeshire. The committee reviewed applications for the Zero Carbon Communities Grant, the Long Term Conditions Grant, and the Community Chest Grant, and made recommendations to Councillor John Williams, Lead Cabinet Member for Resources, regarding the allocation of funds. A total of £161,291.07 was proposed for allocation across 14 Zero Carbon Community projects, while recommendations were made for all eligible Long Term Conditions grants to be funded.

Zero Carbon Communities Grant Awards 2025-26

The Grants Advisory Committee considered applications for the Zero Carbon Communities (ZCC) grant scheme and agreed to recommend to Councillor John Williams, Lead Cabinet Member for Resources, the award of grant funding based on officer panel scoring and funding recommendations. The ZCC grant enables parish councils and community groups to deliver projects which reduce carbon emissions, lock up carbon, or achieve wider community engagement on climate change.

The report before the committee outlined that the seventh round of the ZCC grant scheme was launched on 5 May 2025, inviting applications from non-profit groups, organisations based in South Cambridgeshire, and South Cambridgeshire parish councils. The funding for the 2025/26 ZCC grant is £152,000, sourced from business rates retained from commercial renewable energy projects in the district.

Applicants could apply for between £2,000 and £15,000 per project, and the fund was open for applications for eight weeks, between 5 May and 1 July 2025.

The report noted that 23 applications were received from 22 different parish councils and local community groups, but one applicant subsequently withdrew their application. The total funding requested by the remaining 21 applicants was £232,200.07, exceeding the available £152,000.

The officer panel proposed allocating the entire £152,000 grant pot, leaving a deficit of £9,291.07. It was noted that members had proposed making additional funding to this value available, to allow all projects scoring 77% or above to be fully funded. Finance confirmed that this supplementary £9,291.07 could be made available, bringing the total proposed award for 2025/26 to £161,291.07.

Under the proposed allocation, 14 out of 22 projects could be funded, with £98,590.52 allocated to carbon reduction projects, and £62,700.55 to community engagement projects. This proposal would result in an approximate 60/40 split between the carbon and community categories, compared to the target 70/30 split.

The projects recommended for funding were:

• The Liberation Cycle, a local charity based in Steeple Morden, was recommended to receive £12,000. The funding would contribute to staffing costs for a Lead Mechanic to manage operations, volunteers, and service delivery.
• Whittlesford United Reformed Church was recommended to receive £15,000 to fund 13.5 kWh battery storage, in order to maximise their renewable energy use.
• Cambridge Carbon Footprint was recommended to receive two grants of £15,000 each, one for their Repair Cafes Plus service, and another for their Open Eco Homes & Thermal Imaging project.
• William Westley Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was recommended to receive £5,000 to purchase and install two sheds, including shelving and other storage, so the preloved shop can be moved on to the school site.
• The Let's Cook Project was recommended to receive £15,000 to continue their work in South Cambs delivering food waste reduction campaigns and cookery demos/classes with community groups.
• Cambridge Retrofit Hub was recommended to receive £12,700.55 to deliver a programme of 15 community engagement events covering home energy advice & home retrofit.
• Teversham Community Club was recommended to receive £6,500 to make enhancements to the thermal efficiency of the building – replacing existing entrance and lobby doors, existing single-glazed windows, fire escape doors and installing additional insulation to the ceiling.
• Balsham Parish Council was recommended to receive £9,769 to install a 7.57 kWp solar PV system at The Pavilion, including 10kWh battery storage.
• Octagon St Mary's Church Willingham was recommended to receive £7,255.52 to replace the faulty radiators with double skin radiators including reflective panels.
• Stapleford Parish Council was recommended to receive £15,000 to undertake a full renovation of the Stapleford Jubilee Pavilion which will include energy conservation and energy efficiency measures, as well as solar PV.
• Fen Ditton Parish Council was recommended to receive £15,000 to install double glazed windows and door, and 6.3kWp solar PV system and a contribution towards the cost of insulating the Recreation Ground Hub building.
• Cambridge Sustainable Food was recommended to receive £14,936 from the grant towards their Climate Harvest project.
• Dry Drayton Parish Council was recommended to receive £3,130 to install a solar powered streetlight along Queen's Passage.

Grant Applications for Voluntary Sector - Long Term Conditions 2025-26

The Grants Advisory Committee considered grant applications from the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Sector (VCSE), specialist groups and Leisure Centre groups, offering physical activity programmes to support people living with chronic long-term conditions (LTCs). The LTC grant scheme was created to support the ongoing delivery of physical activity programmes for those living with chronic, long-term conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, Stroke, Mental Health, Cancer pre/rehabilitation and Type 2 Diabetes.

VCSE organisations, specialist groups and leisure centres were invited to apply for sums up to £2,000 with the objective that their proposal or project must deliver one or more of the following:

• Start a new class/session/activity.
• Maintain an existing programme of classes/sessions/activities where the need for additional funding can be demonstrated.
• Train existing and new staff to deliver classes/sessions/activities as per aim i or ii above.

The report noted that the total amount of funding available was £10,000, and four applications were received, totalling £6,328. Three applications were considered eligible, totalling £4,328.

The officer panel recommended that:

• Cambridge Cancer Help Centre be awarded £2,000 towards instructor delivery costs for their four weekly fitness classes.
• Club Vintage (Swavesey Baptist church) be awarded £828 for older adult training, to enable a wider and more varied exercise programme.
• Anglian Leisure Sawston be awarded £1,500 towards the set up of a menopause activity class.

The application from Cambourne Leisure Centre for £2,000 was not supported.

Community Chest: Funding Applications

The Grants Advisory Committee considered new applications received between 7 July 2025 and 7 August for the Community Chest Grant funding scheme. The Community Chest is grant funding available to voluntary and community sector groups, charities and public sector bodies wishing to further improve quality of life in South Cambridgeshire. Applicants may apply for up to £2,000 and the community activity or project must deliver one or more of a number of aims.

The report noted that the total amount of funding available for Community Chest Grants in 2025/26 is £63,000. In addition, there is £10,690 ringfenced for Biodiversity Grants, and £5,666.99 ringfenced for cost-of-living crisis projects.

The committee recommended to Councillor John Williams, Lead Cabinet Member for Resources that:

• St Mary's Church, Over https://www.google.com/maps/search/St+Mary%27s+Church,+Over+South+Cambridgeshire/ be awarded £2,000 towards the Church Hall Refurbishment project.
• Lolworth Parish Meeting https://www.google.com/maps/search/Lolworth+Parish+Meeting+South+Cambridgeshire/ be awarded £347.39 for the Replacement basketball post with net project.
• Teversham Parish Council https://www.google.com/maps/search/Teversham+Parish+Council+South+Cambridgeshire/ be awarded £2,000 for the Recreation ground Car Park Biodiversity Tree planting project.