Voluntary groups in Sevenoaks district can apply for up to £5,000 until 12 noon on 6 October. Who qualifies, the two application routes and every key date.

Voluntary and charitable groups in the Sevenoaks district can now apply for a council grant of up to £5,000, with a hard deadline of 12 noon on Tuesday 6 October. Sevenoaks District Council opened its Community Grants Scheme for the 2027/28 year on Tuesday. (Sevenoaks District Council, community and voluntary groups urged to apply for funding)

The scheme funds volunteer-led services that strengthen communities, improve outcomes for residents, and support people facing disadvantage or vulnerability. Both newly formed and long-standing groups can apply. (Sevenoaks District Council, Community Grants 2027/28)

Cllr Lesley Dyball, the council’s Cabinet Member for People and Places, said: “Voluntary and charitable groups do so much to improve the quality of life for so many of our residents, especially vulnerable, older and younger people. We are extremely proud that once again, we can support their amazing work.” (Sevenoaks District Council, news article, 2 September 2026)

How to apply

Applications are online only, through the council’s community grants page. Three practical points from the council’s guidance:

  • There are two separate forms: one for grants of £1,000 and under, one for grants over £1,000.
  • The online form cannot be saved part-way through, so gather everything first. The council publishes template versions of both forms so you can see what you will be asked.
  • Read the scheme guidelines before starting; they set out the eligibility criteria, grant conditions and funding priorities.

(Sevenoaks District Council, Community Grants 2027/28)

Timeline of the Sevenoaks Community Grants 2027/28 round: applications open 2 September 2026, close 12 noon on 6 October 2026, groups notified March 2027, funding paid April 2027, projects complete by 31 March 2028
Graphic by Sevenoaks Online

The dates that matter

This round is for the 2027/28 financial year, so the money is not quick:

  • Applications close at 12 noon on Tuesday 6 October 2026.
  • Successful groups are notified in March 2027.
  • Funding is paid in April 2027, covering April 2027 to March 2028.
  • Funded services, activities and projects must be complete by 31 March 2028.

A group that needs money before next April is in the wrong scheme; the council’s separate community funding pages list other routes, including the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

What it means for you

If you run, or help run, a local charity, sports club, lunch club, youth group or residents’ organisation, this is the council’s main annual pot for small grants, and the window is five weeks. Anyone who needs help with an application can call the council’s Communities Team on 01732 227000 or email grants@sevenoaks.gov.uk. (Sevenoaks District Council, news article)

For a sense of the groups this kind of support reaches, the council’s Making It Happen awards in June recognised volunteers and community organisations across the district.

Sources

Image: Otford Village Hall by Nigel Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph. Graphic by Sevenoaks Online.