Kickstart 2026: Small Grants to Boost Community Pride in Runcorn
Halton Borough Council and the Runcorn Town Neighbourhood Board are excited to announce the launch of the Pride in Place Small Grants Fund, designed to help local people and community groups bring their ideas to life. Partnering with Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action (VCA), this initiative aims to spark grassroots projects that strengthen community pride and connection.
We spoke to Sally Yeoman, Chief Executive of Halton & St Helens VCA and Runcorn Town Neighbourhood Board Member for Reconnecting Runcorn, about why this matters and what’s next for Runcorn town.
Sally, how did you first get involved with Reconnecting Runcorn?
“At Halton and St Helens VCA, we act as a bridge between the voluntary sector and public policy. I joined the board a couple of years ago when the first projects part of the programme went into the next stage of development. For that exact reason really, to make sure community voices were part of the conversation.”
Why is community involvement so important to this programme?
“Everyone benefits from regeneration, but what makes Reconnecting Runcorn special is that it’s got some of the grassroots in there. Looking at some of the projects like Power in Partnerships Youth centre, Hazlehurst Studios, Unlock Runcorn and the Buddhist Temple all of those are grassroots programmes and projects that are beneficial to a wider community. But are really being driven by volunteers and people who live in the area. I think that the most successful programmes are those that have the element of social action in them, that sense of ownership is vital.”
What would you say is the impact you have seen so far?
“We can see the impact of the arts and culture sector filtering out into Runcorn Old Town at present. What’s really interesting to me is the work that’s going into the old pool at the moment with the new Community Land Trust (CLT) with 100 local people signed up to be members of the CLT. Wanting to get involved and help to shape local spaces for local people. Doing something positive can be infectious and a real positive force for change working together as a community.”
Tell us about the new Pride in Place funding.
“The first wave of projects in Reconnecting Runcorn are more large-scale investment. This time the funding is a little bit different so, we’re starting with a strand of small grants to engage smaller groups and individuals in Runcorn. It’s really about stimulating grassroots activity and initiatives that make people feel proud of where they live.”
“We have two types of small grants on offer; we have the Micro grants of up to £250 per project and Grow grants of £1,000 – £5,000 per project. The Grow grants are an opportunity for voluntary and community groups to get a bit of money to be able to do some of the work that they might have wanted to do that will help stimulate the vibrancy of the Old Town. Thinking about the social and cultural offer with celebrations and events that we might see less of nowadays but often help bring that connection and pride people have to the place they live and work in. Whereas the Micro grants are an opportunity for individuals and young people to apply for to help grow some ideas and activity and get people interested in doing something good to help improve the Runcorn Town. An example that comes to mind is for groups of people who are connected to community centres who want to litter pick to keep the parks near their community centres clear and safe bit sometimes they need to buy some equipment so that they can do that, this strand of the small grants fund is there for helping people get things off the ground and doing so relatively quickly.”
What advice would you give to someone applying?
“We want ideas that grow local capacity through volunteering and bring people together. There is a 6-week window for applications from the 19th January where the Halton & St Helens VCA are providing specialist support and advice for anyone looking to apply. So, I would strongly recommend people who are interested take up this opportunity.”
Are you Ready to Make a Difference?
Applications are now open and close on the Friday 13th March 2026. Apply online here and the grants will be awarded following the panel at the end of March. Visit Halton & St Helens VCA for the full details and criteria on the grants. https://www.haltonsthelensvca.org.uk/updates/pride-place-runcorn-small-grants-2026-2027
Apply now and help shape the future of Runcorn.
The launch of these grants is the start of Runcorn’s new funding through the Pride in Place programme, where the official bid has been submitted to government at the end of 2025. The next steps for the remaining funding bid will be announced in the coming months. For updates and ways to get involved, visit www.reconnectingruncorn.info
