Bracknell Forest’s Community Partnership is developing a long-term plan to help local communities grow and thrive. This 10-year strategy is being created by the community.
Organisations can apply for a grant of up to £250 to host community engagement conversations. These conversations will help inform the 10-year communities strategy.
Conversation topics
Use some or all of the following questions in your community conversations.
Strengths of communities
- What communities are you part of in Bracknell Forest?
- What’s great about them?
- What makes them strong?
- What do you love most about living in this community?
- What are the biggest challenges you face today?
- In what ways do you think this community already shows resilience during difficult times?
- When have you felt most connected to others?
Vision in 10 years
- What would a community look and feel like in 10 years time that was:
- stronger
- more connected
- healthy
- cohesive
- How would you like future generations to describe Bracknell Forest communities?
How to build stronger communities
- How can communities be stronger, more resilient and cohesive?
- What small changes could we start with that would make a big difference?
- How can we support more community empowerment and community led action?
- How we can work together better or motivate people to act together?
Barriers
- What barriers keep people from participating in community activities?
- What kind of support or resources would help you or your neighbours take action?
- Are you aware of community groups and activities in your local community and how did you find out about them?
Eligibility
Grants of up to £250 are open to:
- voluntary, community and faith groups: established not-for-profit organisations working in Bracknell Forest who can demonstrate a track record in delivering for their community
- resident associations: local groups representing community interests
- informal groups: groups of residents with a common goal
Your group or organisation must have a bank account registered in the group’s name.
Applicants should demonstrate a clear plan for engaging with communities and facilitating meaningful conversations and open dialogue that are focused on the conversation topics.
What we can fund
The grant is available to support engagement activities that are centred around facilitating listening conversations with local communities. This includes specific demographic groups or communities of interest.
This includes costs for hosting community meetings or forums, such as:
- venue hire
- materials
- facilitator fees
- translations services
- refreshments
It includes costs for engagement methods to bring people from diverse communities together. This could include using art, leisure, community sports or other mediums to facilitate dialogue. It could involve using interactive tools like comment walls, dot voting and postcards.
What we cannot fund
The grant cannot be used for:
- political or religious activities: conversations promoting specific political parties or religious doctrines
- commercial ventures: activities intended for profit
- ongoing operational costs: regular expenses not directly related to supporting the community conversation activity
- activity outside Bracknell Forest: engagement activities involving residents living outside of Bracknell Forest
Conditions of grant awards
As a condition of the grant, you must:
- provide a written summary of feedback against the questions detailed above
- provide information about:
- the numbers of people you speak to
- their demographics
- their satisfaction with the engagement activity
We will provide you with a template for this feedback.
How to apply
Fill in the form below and email it to communities@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.
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Deadline
The deadline to apply is 9am on Tuesday 15 July 2025.
Other key dates:
- community conversations should take place over the summer
- feedback must be sent to us by Friday 5 September 2025
More information
If you have questions or need help filling out the form, email communities@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.
If you think the cost of your engagement activities will be more than £250, contact us for a discussion.