Council extends funding round to help bring community projects to life

Cheshire West and Chester Council has extended the latest Cheshire West Crowd funding round, with funding available for community projects across West Cheshire.

Run by the Council in partnership with Spacehive, the Cheshire West Crowd enables community-led projects to bring ideas to life, making the borough more vibrant, resilient and connected.

Two Council funding pots in this latest funding round still have funds available.  The Community Innovation Fund  has just over £58,000 remaining, and the Climate Change Emergency Fund – £42,000 remaining.  The average pledge by Cheshire West and Chester Council to successful projects, to date, has been 50% of their funding target (in the region of £5,000 to £10,000).

Since the Cheshire West Crowd first launched in 2021, 192 community led projects have successfully raised £2.8 million funding, enjoying the support of almost 10,558 backers.

Councillor Paul Donovan, Cabinet Member for Democracy, Workforce and Communities, said:

“We’re delighted to be able to extend the latest funding round, pledging more funds to community projects.

“The Cheshire West Crowd has been very successful, making a real difference to community led projects and the people they support.

“The platform is easy to use and this type of crowdfunding is flexible as not only can projects pitch to the Council for funds, but they can also call on the support of their own community and generate real community spirit.

“I’d encourage anyone with an idea about how we can make West Cheshire a better place for people to live to use the Cheshire West Crowd.”

An average campaign funding target is £10,000.  Larger crowdfunding campaigns can be successful if they have pre-campaign funding in place and a strong campaign plan and if project creators have considered and applied for multiple sources of funding. 

Cllr Donovan added:

“You can create a project easily, with plenty of support available from Spacehive and the Council’s Communities team on your crowdfunding journey.”

An on-line workshop will be held on 2 December at 12 noon providing an opportunity for would-be project creators to hear more about the Cheshire West Crowd and how community led projects have benefitted from the initiative in the past.  

To register for the workshop, use the link below:

Cheshire West and Chester Autumn 2025 - Project Creator Workshop Tickets, Tuesday 2 December 2025 at 12 noon | Eventbrite

For the Climate Change Emergency Fund, projects are encouraged to email: 

climatechange3@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.

You’ll then be able to discuss your potential project with the Council’s Climate Change Emergency team so you can tailor it and improve the likelihood of receiving the Council’s support through this fund.  Previous projects have included the installation of solar panels, LED lights and insulation.

The deadline for projects to be verified by Spacehive and live on the Cheshire West Crowd, which also includes pitching for Council funds, is Wednesday 29 January 2026.

Funding panels will take place early in March 2026, and projects should aim to hit their crowdfunding targets in April 2026.