Hammersmith & Fulham (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Earls Court Development Company has opened applications for its 2025 £180,000 Community Fund supporting local projects in Hammersmith & Fulham.
The fund, which is in its fifth year, will award £180,000 to social impact initiatives in the Earls Court Opportunity Area. Grants of up to £15,000 are available to qualified organizations for projects up to a year in length.
With assistance from the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation, Hammersmith & Fulham Giving is in charge of the grants program. Organizations must operate within the identified opportunity region and be non-profit in order to be eligible for funding.
Projects that promote health and wellbeing, build community ties, or assist youth in acquiring soft and career-specific skills are all eligible.
The project’s equipment requirements, operating expenses, and personnel will all be covered by the funds.
Since its launch in 2021, the Earls Court Community Fund has given £720,000 to 37 neighbourhood organisations.
The community frequently supports programs that offer specific aid to underserved populations (such as housing help for the homeless or services for people with impairments).
It would be beneficial to look at the Earls Court Development Company’s annual reports or get in touch with them directly for comprehensive details about previous successful projects that they have supported.
In 2024 alone, the fund’s economic impact generated £4.1 million in social impact through various projects and an additional £237,500 in local spending.
Unlike past years, there will be two steps in the application process. Shortlisted candidates will have an additional three weeks to finish the complete application after the First Stage Application deadline on Wednesday, April 30 at noon.
Funding is anticipated to be given out in September for projects that start in October, and successful organizations will be notified in August 2025.
Locals can fill out the First Stage Application form in order to submit a grant application to read the whole guidelines and learn more.
Rebekah Paczek, Director of Public Affairs, Social Impact and Community Relations at The Earls Court Development Company, said:
“The Earls Court Community Fund is an impactful way to invest in the people and places that make this area unique.
Each year, we see how local organisations translate their grants into real, tangible benefits for local people.
We look forward to seeing this year’s applications for initiatives that enrich the community through strengthening community ties, improving wellbeing, and creating opportunities.”
Louise Wilson, Executive Director at H&F Giving, said:
“We’re delighted to be working to deliver The Earls Court Community Fund for a second year. ECDC’s commitment to social impact and funding local organisations that support the community in and around Earls Court is fantastic.
We know how important funding like this is to charities and community organisations across Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea.
We’ve worked with ECDC to streamline the process this year to make it simpler for organisations to apply to the fund, meaning less time applying and more time carrying out their vital, impactful work on the ground.”
On behalf of the Earls Court Partnership Limited, a joint venture established in December 2019 between Delancey (on behalf of its client funds), the Dutch pension fund manager APG, and Transport for London, the Earls Court Development Company (ECDC), a company based in Earls Court, is in charge of transforming the approximately 44-acre site of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre.
Following four years of deliberation and community involvement, ECDC submitted the Hybrid Planning Applications (part outline, part detailed) to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in September 2024.
Within 20 acres of open space and public realm, the master plan will create around 4,000 residences, 12,000 jobs, a clean and climate innovation hub, three cultural venues, retail, and recreational spaces.
Programs that provide young people with career training, extracurricular activities, or mentorship frequently have a big social impact by helping them grow personally and become employable.
Programs like exercise classes, mental health seminars, or support groups are highly regarded since they can improve general welfare and lessen social isolation.
Initiatives that unite locals, like art classes, cultural festivals, or neighborhood renovation projects, foster cooperation and promote community relations.
Communities that prioritize sustainable living respond well to activities like recycling programs, urban gardening projects, and energy-saving campaigns.
The initial phase of development, which comprises around 1,500 houses, the first office building, a cultural center, and a sizable amount of green, open space, was detailed in the designs that were submitted. The first phase’s construction is scheduled to start in 2026.
A new section of the city that serves as a model for decades to come, the Earls Court development will be a destination for everyone.
It will be a neighborhood created for all phases of life, offering residences, offices, cultural activities, recreational opportunities, open space, and communal uses in a landscape-led development, with the goal of becoming a global model of sustainability.
What are the community fund details in Hammersmith & Fulham?
Organizations must operate within the specified opportunity area and be non-profit in order to qualify. Additionally, they need to be formally established with a governing document and independent directors and trustees.
Projects should promote young people’s education, training, and personal growth, or they should concentrate on building community ties and improving health and wellness.
Grants of up to £15,000 are available to organizations for projects up to a year in length. The project’s equipment requirements, operating expenses, and personnel will all be covered by the funds.
With assistance from the Kensington + Chelsea Foundation, Hammersmith & Fulham Giving is in charge of the grants program.
The Earls Court Community Fund was established in 2021 and has given £720,000 to 37 community-based organizations. The fund produced £4.1 million in social benefit and an additional £237,500 in local spending in 2024.