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The Worthing & Adur Fund  - The fund that keeps on giving!

Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce has a charitable fund called the ‘Worthing & Adur Fund’, in partnership with Sussex Community Foundation, a charity that develops and supports local giving.

A number of local Worthing people and businesses were founder donors, each giving a minimum of £1,000. These donations established a core endowment fund, the income from which, as it has grown, has enabled the Fund to make grants to many charities and community groups. Thanks to the Grassroots Endowment Challenge, every initial donation to the fund was matched pound for pound by the government. This means that the contributions have twice the impact in supporting local charities and community projects.

The fund was set up in 2009 to support small charities and community groups working in Worthing & Adur area. The Chamber spearheaded the fund through various fundraising events including quizzes, golf days and encouraged the donations from many local businesses and individuals to support the fund over the past decade. The fund gave out its first grants in November 2011. Since then, it has given grants to 47 projects, totalling  £30,803.00 .

The Chamber works with the Sussex Community Foundation to promote this permanent fund which provides grants to small charities and community groups working in Worthing and Adur. Each year there are three rounds of applications with grants of up to £1000 which can see over 200 applicants from a variety of groups.


Who can Apply?

All applicants must be not-for-profit community organisations and be working for the benefit of the people in Sussex. You do not have to be a charity but you will need to have your own bank account and be able to provide a signed copy of your constitution and accounts, a copy of a recent bank statement, estimates for proposed purchases (if applicable) and copies of relevant policies.

The awards are open to applications. There are three main rounds of grant-giving each year. Upcoming deadlines for applications (unless specified otherwise) is 5:00pm as follows:

  • Friday 8th September 2023 (Decisions November 2023)
  • Friday 5th January 2024 (Decisions March 2024)

Please note the general funds cannot support small contributions to large capital appeals or campaigns. General round grants are available to cover a range of core and project costs

Please read the general guidance notes before applying.


If you are unsure what to do or have questions about the grants please contact Sussex Community Foundation on 01273 409 440.
On receipt of your application Sussex Community Foundation will contact you to advise when you are likely to hear the outcome.

For more information on the fund and how to apply for funding click here

Founder Donors:


                      Anonymous donor
                      Caroline Nicholls
                        Carpenter Box
                              Colliers                            David Hards
                           Gill Fielding
                         Ian & Jane Cheal
                         Ian & Katy Clark
                         Karen Simporis
                        Paine Manwaring
                              Pressleys
                               Ricardo
                         Shoreham Port
                              Spofforths
                            Thomas Eggar
    Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce
                           Worthing Home

Read more about the Donors here

Donating to the Fund

The Worthing & Adur Fund is still open to ongoing donations, and we hope to build this resource for the community even further. By contributing, you can help ensure that our community continues to thrive and support those who need it most.

Join us today in making a positive impact on our community - donate to the Worthing & Adur Fund and help create lasting change for years to come.

For more information please email tracie@worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

Organisations that have benefited from the grants

Mick's Garage Community House ProjectGrant: £2,000
In 2002 Mick and Chris Smith, retired residents of the Broadwater area of Worthing decided to do something about the increasing problem of anti-social behaviour in their area. The project they started has developed into Mick’s Garage Community House which acts as a hub for a range of activities for the whole community. They received a grant for the salary costs of an advice worker.Mick Smith is pictured with John Peel, Chairman, Sussex Community Foundation.

Home Start Worthing & Adur
Grant: £1,027
Home-Start Worthing & Adur aim to give parents the support they need to carry out this demanding and rewarding role. The grant supported the costs of a play worker and play equipment. “I look forward to the group every week as it's the only place I feel able to go. No one is judging me behind my back and I have learnt new things to play with my son.” Home Start Parent.

Cruse Bereavement Care West Sussex

Grant: £500
Cruse exists to promote the wellbeing of bereaved people and to enable anyone suffering bereavement caused by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss. West Sussex Area Cruse includes three local branches – Worthing, Chichester and Mid Sussex. This grant will help with a range of core costs (part-time staffing, rent, training and phones).

Friends of Oak Grove College
Grant: £400 
The Friends of Oak Grove College is the parent teacher association for Oak Grove College, a secondary and sixth form education establishment for pupils with special educational needs. This grant is to extend the services of the signing choir to other community groups and will cover the cost of personalised t-shirts for choir members, transport costs to events and promotion of the service.

Maybridge Keystone Club 
Grant: £500
Maybridge Keystone Club is a youth group who offer a safe and secure environment for young people, in Castle Ward, Worthing which has significant deprivation and a high number of single parent families. Funding is to help create an area where they can cultivate vegetables.

Worthing D&D Basketball
Grant: £1,500
One of the first Grassroots Grant recipients, Worthing D&D run evening basketball sessions for 8 – 18 year olds at Durrington High School. The funding allowed the group to offer the sessions at a low-cost, ensuring that children from families on low incomes could attend.

Superstar Arts CIC
Grant: £500
Superstar Arts CIC’ Super Friends offers social activities (days out and holidays) in a supported environment for people with learning disabilities. Funding is for the Super Friends relaunch, covering the costs of printing, marketing, administrating/project management, running costs of the minibus and subsidised places for those unable to afford the full cost of holidays & trips.

Electric Storm Youth Ltd
Grant: £500
Electric Storm Youth is a youth work charity in Lancing needing basic camping equipment for young people to be able to join Electric Storm Youth-run camping trips and those that are part of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, irrespective of income. This grant will pay for eight two-person tents.

Heene Community Association
Grant: £400
This grant will help to fund a project aimed at keeping young people safe from crime and reducing anti-social behaviour by recruiting them is a series of workshops in dance, music, crime prevention and community safety. Funding is for staff costs (artists’ fees, 2 support workers & 2 activity co-ordinators), volunteer expenses, premises costs and admin & stationary etc.

Shoreham & Southwick U3A
Grant: £850
The U3A provide low cost learning, exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction opportunities for people no longer in full-time work. Activities include French; family history; exercise; singing for fun and art appreciation.
“The grant has enabled us to improve the health and well being of our members and to concentrate on expanding our membership rather than having to focus on fundraising. Maggie Roberts, Vice Chairman


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Tel: 01903 203484   

Email:
info@worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

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