Small Grants Programme
Community Small Grants 2026/2027 – Now Open
Lewes District Food Partnership is pleased to launch the Community Small Grants Programme 2026/27.
- Grants of up to £1,500 are available to support not-for-profit projects operating within Lewes District that combine improved access to healthy, affordable food with activities that help people build financial resilience.
- Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis; early applications are encouraged. Applicants should show how they align their project with the Community Grants Charter
- The Closing Date for application forms is 11 December 2026
Please see below to download the Small Grants notes & Charter and the Small Grants Application form.
Please email info@lewesdistrictfoodpartnership.org if you have any questions about the grants, your eligibility, or want to have an informal discussion about your idea.
- Application Deadline: 11 December 2026
- Funded activities must be completed by: 31 March 2027
“The youth groups currently have 30 kids a week using Mercread so this grant enabled 30 young people every week being fed and supported. Now we have a fully equipped kitchen we are able to get projects going that fed the whole community.”
Since March 2022 Lewes District Food Partnership have distributed over £50,000 of small grants to organisations and community groups that tackle food poverty.
Food poverty is defined as the inability to afford, or to have access to, food to make up a healthy diet, and 1 in 5 people in Lewes District report worrying about how they will afford enough food.
The impact of food poverty could include being worried about where your next meal will come from, skipping meals, having to choose between heating and eating, or not eating a sufficient and healthy diet, due to a lack of funds or access.
Email info@lewesdistrictfoodpartnership.org to find out about upcoming funding.
Mercread Youth Centre
Examples of what our small grant programme has funded to date
The Havens Community Hub
The redistribution of surplus food via community hub in Denton
Homelink, Lewes
Provision of emergency food grants to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness across Lewes District
Fitzjohns Foodbank
Development of meal kits for food bank clients, with opportunities to try new foods and recipes and to learn new cookery skills
Pippas Group Nursery
Provision of fresh fruit and veg snacks and food education for pre-schoolers in nursery setting
Landport Community Café
Pay-as-you-feel café on Landport Estate, which makes use of surplus food from the foodbank and offers social eating space to community
Landport Community Garden
Redevelopment of Landport Community Garden after period of inactivity – grant will buy tools, plants, compost and polytunnel
Newhaven Baptist Church Foodbank
Provision of emergency food parcels in Newhaven
Kempton House Day Centre
Development of new community garden space at Kempton House Day Centre (which supports older people in the community through lunch club and activities) with raised beds and hot composter to process food waste
Peacehaven Community Centre and Mosque
Provision of ‘Souper Social’ pay-as-you-feel lunch at the Meridian Centre in Peacehaven (with support from the Making It Happen team) – social eating space and opportunity for young people to develop cookery skills through volunteering opportunities
Seahaven Storehouse Foodbank
Purchase of storage trolleys for the foodbank to allow for the development of a café space within the church setting
Mercread Youth Centre
Redevelopment of a community kitchen in the youth centre to provide cookery lessons and opportunities for shared cooking and eating – also developing links with local community gardens
The Peverells Community Garden
Development of a new community garden space in Seaford – purchase of raised beds, plants and other equipment.