Seven local organisations have been awarded a total of £52,077 through the Town Council’s Strategic Grants Fund, supporting vital community services during 2026/27.
Councillors agreed to increase the original £50,000 grants budget by £2,077, with the additional funding being met from savings made elsewhere in the Council’s budget. This allowed every organisation that applied to receive an award, although not all applications could be funded in full.
The grants will support work ranging from food security and community transport to youth programmes and community outreach. The council hopes that these awards will help secure valuable services during the 2026/27 financial year.
The awards
- TRAYE – £12,000 for youth programmes
- Food in Community – £9,000 for food security
- Caring Town – £8,000 for community coordination
- Totnes Caring – £8,000 for community transport
- Jamming Station – £8,000 for youth programmes
- Citizens Advice – £4,577 for general support and community outreach into Bridgetown
- Stepping Stones Food Bank – £2,500 for food security
Working together
Councillors highlighted the importance of partnership working and identified opportunities for organisations to collaborate.
In particular, Jamming Station and TRAYE will be encouraged to explore opportunities to work together on youth-related activities, while Food in Community and Stepping Stones Food Bank can explore collaboration around food security.
The Council also welcomes the reinvigoration of Caring Town, which will provide a coordination point for local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations. It is hoped that this will strengthen partnerships, improve communication and support conversations about future funding and the long-term sustainability of local services.
Looking to the future
The grants are a one-off allocation for the 2026/27 financial year. The Council will consider future funding arrangements as part of its budget and priority-setting processes.
There is also an ambition to explore the potential for multi-year funding settlements, subject to annual review, helping provide greater certainty for community organisations while ensuring that projects continue to align with the Council’s priorities and Community Audit.
The Council will work with Devon Community Foundation to develop an evaluation framework to understand the impact of this year’s funding and the outcomes achieved. This learning will help inform the development of any future grant programmes.
The Council would like to thank all organisations that applied for funding. Councillors recognised the considerable work that went into the applications and the significant level of need demonstrated across the local community.