Sixty communities to shape their own futures with £175 million fund

Sixty communities across England have been selected to share £175 million from a groundbreaking community funding programme that aims to put decisions about how the money is spent directly into the hands of local people.

Funded jointly by The National Lottery Community Fund and the government's Dormant Assets Scheme, the Community Wealth Fund, first announced in 2025, gives communities a leading role in addressing local challenges, influencing decisions and creating lasting change.

Today (Tuesday 3 November 2026), the 60 areas that will receive a share of the funding, across every region in England, have been announced for the first time. Areas selected include parts of Nottingham, Leicestershire, Durham, Sunderland, Leeds, Rotherham, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Swindon. The areas were selected based on national data on high levels of deprivation, and low social capital and local community infrastructure to enable them to take full advantage of their strengths.

Funding could support creating or improving local community spaces and places; support community activities and local services; or support the development of local leadership. In one area, that could mean creating a youth council to give young people a stronger voice in local decision-making. In another, it could mean developing a community allotment that brings people together who may be struggling with isolation or their mental health.

The area selection is being announced today at a launch event attended by Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram at the charity Rotunda in Kirkdale, Liverpool, one of the areas that will benefit from the funding. He will be joined by The National Lottery Community Fund's Chief Executive Officer David Knott, who will highlight the opportunity the Community Wealth Fund offers to ensure that devolution genuinely shifts power to communities so they have the skills, tools, relationships and influence for lasting impact.

Charities and community groups in the chosen areas will be able to apply to decide how the money is spent over the next 10 years and those selected will need to show how they will give local people a central role in decision-making. The National Lottery Community Fund will support the selected areas and their learning needs, to ensure they are equipped for success and can build their capacity to thrive for the long term.

David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said:

"Devolution matters, but it must not stop at institutions. Real community power means local people having the authority, resources and time to shape the decisions that affect their lives – not simply being consulted after decisions have been made.

"The Community Wealth Fund is designed to put that ambition into practice. Made possible by a powerful combination of National Lottery and Dormant Assets Scheme funding, £175 million will support 60 neighbourhoods over ten years to set their own priorities, decide how money is invested and build the relationships and organisations that make lasting change possible.

"Success won't just be measured by what gets funded. It will be measured by whether communities have greater power and capacity to shape their own futures long after the funding ends.

"At The National Lottery Community Fund we believe lasting change starts with community – and stays with community. When local people lead, real and lasting change happens."

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

"We've got amazing communities right across the Liverpool City Region, full of people with the ideas, energy and determination to make their neighbourhoods better places to live. Too often, though, they've not had the investment or the power to turn those ambitions into reality.

"This fund is built on the belief that local people know what their communities need and backs them with the time and resources they need to improve their area. You can't fix problems built up over generations with short-term funding.

"Devolution shouldn't stop at the doors of town halls or the Combined Authority. It should reach right into our communities, putting people in control of the decisions that affect their lives."

Minister for Impact Economy, Stephanie Peacock, said:

"£87.5 million of dormant assets funding alongside a further £87.5 million matched funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, will be invested over the next 10 years in 60 areas so they can decide their own priorities and invest in what their communities need."

"The Community Wealth Fund marks a significant opportunity in the journey towards further devolution to put power into the hands of local people. It will give residents the tools and spaces they need to come together and shape the future of their community for the long term."

Applications will open in phases for organisations seeking to lead the distribution of funding. The first phase, opening in January, will cover the East Midlands, the North East and Cumbria, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Community Wealth Fund was inspired by the success of Big Local, a long-term community investment programme led by The National Lottery Community Fund that demonstrated the impact of giving residents the time, resources and support to lead change in their neighbourhoods. The idea was later championed by the Community Wealth Fund Alliance, a coalition of organisations that successfully campaigned for ‘dormant assets' funding to be used to support communities with high levels of deprivation and weaker social infrastructure. The Community Wealth Fund builds on these ideas by providing long-term community led investment.

For more information or to apply, visit Community Wealth Fund.