Small Grants Programme



Small Grants Round 4 - Open
Category A: up to £400 for Community Food Events to help celebrate Good Food East Sussex Month this October.
Deadline: 29th of September 2023 (grants will be allocated on a rolling basis so don’t hesitate to get in contact with Ruby at info@lewesdistrictfoodpartnership.org to discuss your idea).
Criteria: please download the PDF below by clicking the link.
Category B: up to £2,000 for projects tackling food insecurity in Lewes District
Deadline: there will be two tranches of this grant process, one which finishes at the end of September 2023 and one which finishes in February 2024, in order to support projects throughout winter. Rather than a time-consuming application process we are inviting projects to get in touch with us to talk about their project requirements. Grants will be given on a rolling basis, so don’t hesitate to get in touch. You may be familiar with the Making It Happen process of grant-giving which we are taking inspiration from in order to reduce the pressure on projects and also to offer support around planning, policies and how to ensure the project contributes to a Good Food Movement for Lewes District.
Get in contact with Ruby at info@lewesdistrictfoodpartnership.org to discuss your project.
Criteria: please download the PDF below by clicking the link.
“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 £20,000 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
So far, our small grant programme has funded:
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.