Dozens of local projects have already run successful crowdfunding campaigns through our Growing Great Places programme. Together they have raised over £380,000 in pledges, helping to get some great ideas off the ground in local places. Take part in a free online workshop to find out how to join them.
Got a great idea for making your local place even better? Want to connect with others who can help make it happen and raise funds to get going? Growing Great Places, run by Kirklees Council in partnership with Spacehive, can help you to get that great idea off the ground.
Online workshop, 1st December 2022
We’re running a free online workshop where you can get advice and support. We’ll be on hand to answer your questions and to share advice about running a successful crowdfunding campaign. Our online sessions include different breakout rooms where you can get the support that’s right for you. So whether you’re almost ready to get started with your project, or you’re just thinking about some ideas, we can help.
Over 30 local projects have already run successful crowdfunding campaigns through the Growing Great Places programme, raising a huge £217,657 in pledges. Take part in a free online workshop to find out how to join them.
Got a great idea for making your local place even better? Want to connect with others who can help make it happen and raise funds to get going? The Growing Great Places programme, run by Kirklees Council in partnership with Spacehive, can help you to get that great idea off the ground.
Online workshops – February and March 2022
We’re running free workshops where you can get advice and support. We’ll be on hand to answer your questions and to share advice about running a successful crowdfunding campaign. Our online sessions include different breakout rooms where you can get the support that’s right for you. So whether you’re almost ready to get started with your project, or just working on some ideas, we can help.
The deadline to have your project ready to crowdfund this Spring is 20th April 2022. Come along to one of our workshops to get all the support you need to get your project ready in time.
Shorter days and bad weather during Winter can sometimes make people feel even more isolated from their community and in need of human connections. Here are some of the organisations who run befriending schemes for people living in local places across Kirklees.
Royal Voluntary Service – Home Service
RVS provide social and emotional support to help people keep leading independent, healthy and happy lives. Support is available for everyone aged over 18 years. Under 18s will also be considered on a case by case basis. Befriending can be either face to face or over the telephone.
Age UK offer a befriending service for any older person who feels lonely or isolated and try to support them to lead a more fulfilling life. Support is available for everyone aged over 18 years. This can be either face to face or over the telephone (a joint project with Yorkshire Children’s Centre).
Our Community Connections Befriending Service is available to adults over the age of 18 who may be experiencing isolation and loneliness or a limited social life. Support can be either face to face or over the telephone (a joint project with Age UK).
MHA Communities befriending service is about getting people together to make friends. Support is available for people aged 55+ in the Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Cleckheaton areas. This can either be face to face or via telephone.
Luv2meetU is a friendship service for people with a learning disability or autism. We support people to make friends and share interests. Befriending support is available for everyone aged over 18 years. This can be over the telephone, by text, via email or though chaperoned face to face friendship meets.
The Kirkwood provide befriending support for people who have life-limiting illness or who are bereaved. This can be either face to face or over the telephone.
Climate Voices are a small group of local people helping anyone in Kirklees to get involved in shaping decisions and action on climate change. They are looking for local groups to get involved in one of two Climate Voices events in November. These events are part of the Global Assembly, which is an opportunity for communities all over the world to help make fair and effective action on climate change a reality. Can you help to facilitate a conversation with a group of people in your area?
Our planet is heating up, reaching dangerous levels. Pollutedair, water and land impacts on every living thing. Political and business leaders are talking about climate change and campaigners are working hard to influence decisions.
So, how can you help shape decisions and action on climate change?
Monday 29th November, from 12.30pm to 3pm or
Tuesday 30th November, from 6.30pm to 8pm
These events are part of the Global Assembly (www.globalassembly.org) providing an opportunity forcommunities all over the world to help make fair and effective action on climate change a reality–in the Kirklees area and globally.
How it will work:
At each event,small groups will meet in community centres, schools, businesses, charitiesand homes across Kirkleestotalk about climate change. Each group attends only one event.
The groups might be teams, clubs, committees, colleagues, friends or neighbours – it is up to you which group you choose. At least five people and not more than twelve in a group works best.
We hope groups from all parts of our diverse Kirklees community will take part – all ages, abilities, perspectives, cultures and faiths. Diverse perspectivescan create innovative thinking and we know citizens assemblies can produce real solutions. Groups can develop their own action plans too.
The groups taking part across Kirklees will link into one big Zoom meeting for a few minutes during the event, so each group can hear from others. Technical help will be available.
All the notes and videos from the events will be presented to the Global Assembly and the Kirklees Climate Commission, so small groups voicesbecome part of big decisions.
Training will be available for group facilitators who will help groupskeep to time, to learn, listen respectfully and share their views and ideas.
Facilitators needed for both events– please email for more details.
Kirklees Council have provided almost £500k through the Community Buildings Recovery Grants scheme this summer, to support vital community buildings in local places across Kirklees.
Supporting local organisations
Community organisations are vital for our local economy and for people’s wellbeing – creating jobs, delivering services, connecting people in our neighbourhoods and providing activities that people and communities really value. We know this continues to be a difficult time for local organisations who were unable to open community buildings as usual for long periods of time.
The Community Buildings Recovery Grants were available for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations who own or rent buildings in local places across Kirklees. They had either been legally required to close or had been significantly impacted by lockdowns and local restrictions.
What local organisations say about receiving a recovery grant
43 different local organisations have received £470,000 in total from the Community Buildings Recovery Grants fund. Here’s what a few of the organisations have told us about the difference this funding is making:
“We at Outlane Methodist church are looking forward to resuming as many of our former activities in the community as we can and making plans for going ahead with new ideas. We do not expect it to be easy but the boost given to our finances by the generous grant we have received has made such a positive difference to our situation.”
Mary Mercer, Outlane Methodist Church
“The pandemic had a devastating effect on our fundraising efforts and our income. This grant will help plug the gap in our finances so that we can resume the full services that we provide to our members and volunteers as soon as we can. As we are a base for other community groups and rent rooms to other organisations, the funding will also be of benefit to the wider community.“
Deborah Hall, Howlands (Dewsbury and District League of Friendship)
“Receiving funding from the Community Buildings Recovery grant is so helpful. After a very difficult 16 months for the charity, this funding will hasten our ability to recover, allowing us to sustain our work and services for local people in need of support. Kirklees Council have been supportive throughout the pandemic and we’re grateful to them for the information sharing, advice, ongoing support and now this funding to aid our recovery.”
John McKernaghan,The Brunswick Centre
“The pandemic had cut our income to zero, and the theatre was on the verge of closing for good. The community buildings recovery grant has changed this by giving us a much needed cash boost. Now the Show will go on!”
Bob Newton, Southgate Theatre, Honley
“OASIS values and appreciates this contribution towards the survival and reshaping of our services within our Resource Centre.”
Denzil Nurse, OASIS Care Support Services
“As we’re reliant on community groups that hire our community centre, we have had to put off work that would have greatly impacted the people who we serve through the community centre positively. The grant awarded to us by Kirklees Council will allow us to develop the community centre further, with the additional benefits that a modern, safe, accessible community centre will bring to the communities around Cleckheaton Methodist Church.’
Revd. Ray Borrett, Minister for Cleckheaton Methodist Church
Thank you from Kirklees Council
Cllr Cathy Scott, Deputy Leader of Kirklees Council & Cabinet Member for Housing and Democracy, would like to thank local organisations for supporting people’s wellbeing:
“Community organisations are incredibly important for people’s wellbeing. We wanted to make sure that community buildings can continue to be safe places for people to get together and enjoy activities as part of our recovery from Covid-19. The Community Buildings Recovery Grants have clearly mattered to the local organisations who are so fundamental for keeping people connected and safe. We’ll continue to work proudly alongside these dedicated and inspiring groups in our local places.”
Got a great idea to help people recover, reconnect and thrive? The Growing Great Places community crowdfunding programme can help you to get your idea off the ground. Successful projects could also receive a pledge of up to £5,000 from Kirklees Council.
Got an idea that will help people’s health and wellbeing in your local place? Want to reconnect people to grow friendships and tackle loneliness? Setting up new activities to support young people? If you’ve got a great idea for helping your community build back better, Growing Great Places can help you generate support from residents, businesses and Kirklees Council to make it happen.
Online workshops – June and July 2021
Spacehive and Kirklees Council are running free workshops where you can get advice and support. We’ll be on hand to answer your questions and to share advice about running a successful crowdfunding campaign. Our online sessions include different breakout rooms where you can get the support that’s right for you. So whether you’re almost ready to get started with your project, or just working on some ideas, we can help.
The deadline to have your project ready to crowdfund is 22nd September 2021. Come along to one of our workshops to get all the support you need to get your project ready in time.
Kirklees Council are providing £500k of Recovery Grants for voluntary and community organisations who have been affected by national lockdowns and local restrictions.
Grants of up to £20k are available now to help our vital community buildings in local places across Kirklees recover from Covid-19.
Supporting community buildings that really matter to local people
Community organisations are vital for our local economy and for people’s wellbeing – creating jobs, delivering services, connecting people in our neighbourhoods and providing activities that people and communities really value. We know this continues to be a difficult time for local organisations who have been unable to open community buildings as usual.
Voluntary and community organisations in Kirklees who own or rent buildings in our local places can apply for a grant to recover lost income due to Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
Who can apply?
The Community Buildings Recovery Grant is available for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations who:
work in (and are based in) Kirklees
were open as usual before the Covid-19 restrictions
own or rent a non-residential property (this could include a space within a building that you pay costs for, or a building you own and have continued to pay costs for).
have been legally required to close or have been significantly impacted by lockdowns and local restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
How to apply
You can find the full eligibility criteria and apply online via the Kirklees Council website:
We’ve been running workshops with local people to hear your stories and talk about how more people can come together to make local places better.
Lots of the people who have participated in our workshops so far have been doing all sorts of great things in their community for some time. Now, we’re particularly interested in hearing from more people who have only got involved quite recently, and who have a story about this to share.
Could you help us find someone, perhaps from the organisation or group you’re part of, who might also like to join in a pair of workshops? We’re looking for people who have only recently become involved in their community, who were perhaps not confident to begin with, or who didn’t know how much they had to offer until taking that first step.
These workshops for Kirklees citizens are an opportunity to meet with other local people to look to the future. It’s a bit of an experiment for us. But what we know for sure is that now, more than ever, we want to work with and alongside each other in our local places.
How to take part
Participants will take part in two workshop discussions. You can register now for the first session:
Monday 29th March, from 2pm to 4pm
The workshops will be online via Zoom video call. They will involve a mixture of activities and small group discussions. It’s a safe environment and everyone will have a chance to talk.
You’re welcome to join in if this sounds like the right thing for you, Or if you can think of anyone who might be interested, please share this link with them:
The next online People Helping People local network event is on Wednesday 17th March 2021 from 10.30am to 12 noon. It’s run by Third Sector Leaders Kirklees, to help small community organisations in local places across Kirklees to get together, meet each other, share what you are doing and learn what others are doing. It is another chance to share best practice and discuss how we might be able to support each other.
Find out about funding & opportunities for working with children & young people
At this People Helping People meeting, you’ll hear from the Kirklees Council Early Years Team and a new local charity, Kirklees Youth Alliance, You can find out about the latest funding and opportunities for working with children and young people in Kirklees, including putting on holiday activities and accessing other funding, like Children in Need.
There will also be an update on the latest funding opportunities and about other support and training that’s available, including:
IT support from Kirklees Council
training on scams and how to spot and safeguard victims (from West Yorkshire Trading Standards), plus opportunities to put on a range of consumer and safety workshops for your groups
Co-op Local Community Funding
Grants for walking and cycling
How to take part
This meeting will take place online and you will receive a link that you click to join the meeting nearer the time. You do not need any special software, or to download anything or set up an account. You should just be able to click and join.
Can you make a difference in your community by tackling misinformation? Can you help encourage people in your local community to take part in the vaccination programme?
Through the Community Champions scheme voluntary organisations will deliver a wide range of measures to protect those most at risk – building trust, communicating accurate health information and ultimately helping to save lives. The Community Champions will tap into their local networks to provide advice about COVID-19 and the vaccines.
Funding is available now for community groups to apply to the Community Champions fund.
Community organisations have until Monday 1st March 2021 to submit their application to round 1 of the grant scheme.
You can download the Community Champions application form online. See the Kirklees Together blog for more information:
Round 2 of the grant scheme, which is due to go live in the coming weeks, will be open for smaller grants of up to £1000. Community groups can apply for this money to develop their own targeted campaigns to help reach communities in all of our local places.
