COMMUNITY based groups in County Durham can now apply for grant funding through their Local Network (formally the AAP).
Across the County, £1.2m is being made available through the 12 Local Networks (£100,000 per Local Network). The grants are coming from the Local Network Fund, which hopes to help groups make a bigger impact with community projects.
Applicants can apply for between £5,000 and £10,000, which can be used to support local groups and community projects. They are looking for applications that deliver projects that meet one or more of the following themes:
- Community safety
- Employment, jobs and skills
- Health and wellbeing
- Environment and natural spaces
- Education and training
- Housing and physical infrastructure
- Culture, heritage and events
The deadline for submitting an application is Wednesday 30th September 2026 which gives schools and organisations time to prepare and submit bids after the summer holidays.
If you are interested in applying, you can request more information by emailing us at
It is strongly recommended that you engage with the Local Network Team during the application process as we can advise on the themes, criteria, eligibility and help you with the application process.
Funding is available to any not-for-profit organisation or group. This can include, charities, voluntary/community groups, Town and Parish councils, schools/educational establishments and social enterprises, provided they operate on a not-for-profit basis. A full and detail set of criteria along with more details on the approval process will be sent out with any request for an application form.
This is a one-off process this year as funding in coming years will be aligned to a Local Network Action Plan that we will be developing over the coming months.
If you have any questions, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Crook, Weardale and Willington Local Network
The Local Networks would like to continue to send you information about the work of the partnership, the work of partner organisations and information on local events etc. However if you decide you do not wish to receive this information then please contact us at
In order to access further information about how we use your personal data then please see www.durham.gov.uk/dataprivacy
