Key Points
- £135,434 has been awarded by Knowsley Council to 30 community, faith and social enterprise groups through the winter allocation of the Knowsley Community Fund 2026/27.
- The maximum amount for each individual grant is £5,000 which will pay for projects carried out from November 2026 to April 2027.
- The funding aims to support projects that address fuel and food poverty, social isolation, health and well-being, and access to advice services.
- Eligibility criteria for funding includes registered charities, voluntary, community and faith groups, not-for-profits, community benefit societies, and amateur sports clubs.
- The Knowsley Community Fund 2026/27 has an overall annual budget of £730,000.
- Some of the funded projects are warm hubs, hot meals, food assistance, well-being sessions, cooking and budgeting workshops, and activities for adults with disabilities, families, elderly, and youth.
- Speaking at the launch event of this fund, Knowsley Council leader Cllr Graham Morgan stated that “local groups know their communities better than anyone” and called this fund “an essential resource” in addressing inequalities.
- So far, the council claims to have invested £1.8 million since 2022 through such grant schemes.
Knowsley Council (Liverpool standard) October 17, 2026 — Thirty community organisations across the borough have been allocated a combined £135,434 from the winter allocation of the Knowsley Community Fund 2026/27, with individual awards of up to £5,000.
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the grants will support projects designed to help residents remain warm, safe and connected during the colder months. The council said the funding would address fuel and food poverty, reduce social isolation and improve health and wellbeing.
The winter projects will run between November 2026 and April 2027. They include warm spaces, community activities, access to advice, food support and opportunities for social connection.
Knowsley Council’s announcement was also carried by Knowsley News, which reported that the 30 recipients were community, faith and social enterprise organisations from across the borough.
Why Has the Funding Been Allocated Now?
The council timed the winter allocation so that funded activity can begin before and continue through the winter period. According to Knowsley News, some Winter Wellness allocations were expected to be made in late September or October 2026 to allow projects to have a full impact during winter.
The winter grants form part of the wider Knowsley Community Fund 2026/27, which was approved by the council’s cabinet in June. The programme has an annual community investment of £730,000 for the borough’s voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector.
As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the Knowsley Community Fund was launched in June 2025 and consolidated several previous council grant programmes into a single funding source. The council says it has invested £1.8 million through similar grant programmes since 2022.
Which Groups Received Winter Grants?
The council has named several organisations and projects receiving support. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, they include:
- Act for Action CIC, Roby — 20 “Warm Welcome Friday” sessions for 46 disabled adults, offering hot meals, accessible physical activity and opportunities to stay warm and connected.
- Diverse Active CIC, boroughwide — “Warm Welcome for Families”, delivering 10 free indoor winter wellbeing sessions for expectant and new parents.
- Grace Church Halewood — A five-month project to reduce loneliness and social isolation and improve community connectivity for people aged 65 and over.
- Home Start Knowsley, Roby — “Cooking Up Winter”, providing healthy cooking and budgeting sessions for families experiencing financial hardship.
- Karma in the Community CIC, St Michael’s — A weekly winter wellness programme, including a mum and baby coffee morning.
- Kids Activities and Bootcamps (KABS) CIC, Kirkby — Free hot meals, food hampers, supermarket vouchers and winter essentials for children, young people and families.
- Stockbridge Community Intergenerational Project (SCIP), Stockbridge — A daily warm hub offering drinks and a social setting for vulnerable residents during winter.
- Tower Hill Community Hub CIC, Shevington — A 20-week winter wellness programme with weekly three-hour sessions for people experiencing poverty and isolation.
- The Sensory Hive Ltd, Whiston and Cronton — 15 midweek sensory sessions for children and young people, including movement, connection and a hot meal.
- Page Moss Lane Baptist, Page Moss — A weekly supportive “home-from-home” space where people can attend without worrying about cost.
The council said many other groups will run winter projects focused on keeping people warm, fed and socially connected, while reducing loneliness.
What Did Knowsley Council Say?
Cllr Graham Morgan, leader of Knowsley Council, welcomed the allocations. As quoted by the Liverpool Echo, he said:
“They know their communities better than anyone and the Knowsley Community Fund is a crucial resource for tackling inequalities and making a real, positive difference in our residents’ lives.”
The same quote was used in Knowsley Council’s wider communications about the fund. In June, when the 2026/27 programme was launched, Cllr Morgan said the council was “delighted” to invest £730,000 in grassroots organisations.
Who Could Apply for the Fund?
The Knowsley Community Fund is open to a broad range of local organisations. Eligible groups include registered charities, constituted voluntary, community and faith organisations, not-for-profits, community interest companies, companies limited by guarantee, community benefit societies, charitable incorporated organisations, and community amateur sports clubs or sports clubs affiliated to a national governing body.
Applicants were required to have operated for at least 12 months and to have a good record of delivery, according to Knowsley News.
For the winter element, organisations could request up to £5,000 for projects helping residents stay warm, safe and well across a five-month winter period. Knowsley News reported that this winter support was specifically for activity between November and March.
How Does the Fund Work?
The Knowsley Community Fund allows organisations to apply for different levels of support. According to the council’s programme guidance, requests of up to £2,000, £5,000 and £10,000 are allowable, with organisations able to make one application at each level.
The council says direct beneficiaries must come from Knowsley and funded activity must be exclusive to the borough. Applications are reviewed, with recommendations made to the council’s cabinet for final approval.
For the 2026/27 funding period, the fund also supports small capital projects that improve community spaces, particularly sports facilities and equipment for sport and physical activity.
What Happens Next?
The 30 funded organisations are expected to deliver their winter projects from November 2026. The Liverpool Echo reported that the funded activity will continue until April 2027.
The council has not announced, in the material covered here, a further allocation date for the remaining elements of the £730,000 fund. Its published guidance states that funding remains available until the relevant budget is exhausted, with applications reviewed and recommendations made to cabinet.
Background of the Development
The Knowsley Community Fund was created in June 2025 by consolidating several earlier council grant schemes, including the Winter Wellness Grant, Stronger Communities Fund, Physical Activity Grant, Youth Community Fund and Short Breaks Programme.
In its first year, the fund allocated £672,000 to 116 projects across Knowsley’s voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sectors. Knowsley News reported that the council received 162 applications requesting more than £1 million in total for that round.
The winter grants continue a longer-running council approach to supporting residents during colder months. In 2024/25, 30 community groups received grants of up to £5,000 from a £110,000 Winter Wellness programme funded through the council’s Public Health budget. That programme delivered 574 events and distributed more than 2,500 hampers, vouchers, items of equipment and coats.
Prediction: What It Means for Knowsley Residents and Local Groups
For Knowsley residents, the allocation is likely to increase access to practical winter support in local neighbourhoods, particularly through warm hubs, food assistance, advice sessions and activities aimed at reducing isolation. The funded projects are concentrated on groups that may face higher winter pressures, including disabled adults, families with young children, older people and people experiencing financial hardship.
For local community organisations, the announcement provides a defined delivery window and a clear council funding route for winter activity. Groups receiving grants will be expected to deliver projects within the agreed period, while the fund’s wider structure continues to offer separate grant levels for new ideas, established activity and capital projects.
The development may also encourage more local organisations to monitor future Knowsley Community Fund rounds, particularly given the council’s stated annual investment of £730,000 and its consolidation of previous grant programmes into one application process.
