Warm Spaces Grants
About the fund
Warm Spaces are relaxed places where anyone is welcome, they are inclusive and accessible for anyone and provide a local neighbourhood space to spend the day. They are friendly spaces that offer a little some extra for people to enjoy during the day, this could be a space that offers arts and crafts, board games, toddler zones or place spaces, knitting and crochet, computers, wifi access and snacks and refreshments. It’s a space where visitors can come and go as they please with no need to pre-book and free access.
What we are looking for
The funding can be used for anything related to operating the Warm Space, from capital costs for things like refreshments, equipment to make the space inviting, or decorating, to revenue costs such as subsidising heating bills or contributing towards volunteer expenses.
A warm space is any community or faith space that should be open during a building's opening hours, which should be a minimum of 4 days per week and would need to be up and running from December 2023. You may also want to provide a comfortable area, along with a volunteer host to welcome people, provide conversation and a hot drink/snack.
How to apply for the fund
To submit an application please complete the following questions below or click here Warm Spaces Grant Application Form | One Borough Voice (lbbd.gov.uk)
If you have any questions before making an application, please email zoe.christodoulou@lbbd.gov.uk(External link)
Timeline:
Funding open: Friday 12th January 2024
Deadline 1: Friday 26th January 2024
Decisions made and funds appointed: Friday 2nd February 2024
Who this is for:
The Warm Spaces Fund is available to community and voluntary organisations, not-for-profit companies, registered charities, constituted organisations, faith groups and social enterprises operating in Barking and Dagenham who have a space that they feel could operate as a “Warm Space” and is open to residents in the borough.
Your space needs to be accessible to all residents, at reasonable times and well maintained. Please consider if your space is suitable before putting in an application, if you have questions about the suitability of your space, please get in touch with us via zoe.christodoulou@lbbd.gov.uk(External link)
We are particularly interested in any groups who operate spaces within the red circles shown on the map below. Groups located within these spaces will be given priority.
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Size of grants available:
Up to £500 is available per organisation.
Examples of how you can effectively use the money is to buy additional board games, arts and crafts, new comfortable chairs and anything that can help create a living room style environment for your warm space.
You can use this funding for capital or revenue costs.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply you must have:
- A written governing document properly approved and accepted by the management committee/board of trustees.
- At least three unrelated people on the board of directors, or Trustees, or governing body, and the majority of members must be unpaid.
- A bank account that requires at least two people who are not related to each other to sign each cheque or withdrawal.
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria you have the option to partner with an organisation to umbrella under.
- You must be operating from a community space that will be open at least 4 days a week.
- A lease or management agreement of the space
If you are an Umbrella Organisations
If you are an umbrella organisation that is supporting a smaller group, you will be able to apply twice in one round, one on behalf of the organisation and also for your own organisation. Please outline this clearly when making an application. Also, please note that any umbrella organisation will therefore take responsibility in reporting back and complying due diligence for the expenditure.
What happens when we become a “Warm Space”?
Organisations in receipt of funding will be required to link in with the Cost-of-Living Alliance locality partners in their area. In addition to this:
Your details will be added to our interactive map of Warm Spaces, so people can find their nearest location should they need to access a Warm Space.
You will receive a pack of information that contains additional information for financial support for residents, this will include warm meal programmes, gift cards and more
You will have exclusive access to
The locality partner will help you to develop connections to other services and the networks and organisations within the Cost-of-Living Alliance.
Is there anything else we should know before applying?
The council needs to ensure that there is a good geographic spread of Warm Spaces across the borough, therefore should there already be a good allocation of Warm Spaces in your area, we may choose to award funding to other organisations to cover areas where there is a poor geographic spread.
Warm Spaces Grants
About the fund
Warm Spaces are relaxed places where anyone is welcome, they are inclusive and accessible for anyone and provide a local neighbourhood space to spend the day. They are friendly spaces that offer a little some extra for people to enjoy during the day, this could be a space that offers arts and crafts, board games, toddler zones or place spaces, knitting and crochet, computers, wifi access and snacks and refreshments. It’s a space where visitors can come and go as they please with no need to pre-book and free access.
What we are looking for
The funding can be used for anything related to operating the Warm Space, from capital costs for things like refreshments, equipment to make the space inviting, or decorating, to revenue costs such as subsidising heating bills or contributing towards volunteer expenses.
A warm space is any community or faith space that should be open during a building's opening hours, which should be a minimum of 4 days per week and would need to be up and running from December 2023. You may also want to provide a comfortable area, along with a volunteer host to welcome people, provide conversation and a hot drink/snack.
How to apply for the fund
To submit an application please complete the following questions below or click here Warm Spaces Grant Application Form | One Borough Voice (lbbd.gov.uk)
If you have any questions before making an application, please email zoe.christodoulou@lbbd.gov.uk(External link)
Timeline:
Funding open: Friday 12th January 2024
Deadline 1: Friday 26th January 2024
Decisions made and funds appointed: Friday 2nd February 2024
Who this is for:
The Warm Spaces Fund is available to community and voluntary organisations, not-for-profit companies, registered charities, constituted organisations, faith groups and social enterprises operating in Barking and Dagenham who have a space that they feel could operate as a “Warm Space” and is open to residents in the borough.
Your space needs to be accessible to all residents, at reasonable times and well maintained. Please consider if your space is suitable before putting in an application, if you have questions about the suitability of your space, please get in touch with us via zoe.christodoulou@lbbd.gov.uk(External link)
We are particularly interested in any groups who operate spaces within the red circles shown on the map below. Groups located within these spaces will be given priority.

Size of grants available:
Up to £500 is available per organisation.
Examples of how you can effectively use the money is to buy additional board games, arts and crafts, new comfortable chairs and anything that can help create a living room style environment for your warm space.
You can use this funding for capital or revenue costs.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply you must have:
- A written governing document properly approved and accepted by the management committee/board of trustees.
- At least three unrelated people on the board of directors, or Trustees, or governing body, and the majority of members must be unpaid.
- A bank account that requires at least two people who are not related to each other to sign each cheque or withdrawal.
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria you have the option to partner with an organisation to umbrella under.
- You must be operating from a community space that will be open at least 4 days a week.
- A lease or management agreement of the space
If you are an Umbrella Organisations
If you are an umbrella organisation that is supporting a smaller group, you will be able to apply twice in one round, one on behalf of the organisation and also for your own organisation. Please outline this clearly when making an application. Also, please note that any umbrella organisation will therefore take responsibility in reporting back and complying due diligence for the expenditure.
What happens when we become a “Warm Space”?
Organisations in receipt of funding will be required to link in with the Cost-of-Living Alliance locality partners in their area. In addition to this:
Your details will be added to our interactive map of Warm Spaces, so people can find their nearest location should they need to access a Warm Space.
You will receive a pack of information that contains additional information for financial support for residents, this will include warm meal programmes, gift cards and more
You will have exclusive access to
The locality partner will help you to develop connections to other services and the networks and organisations within the Cost-of-Living Alliance.
Is there anything else we should know before applying?
The council needs to ensure that there is a good geographic spread of Warm Spaces across the borough, therefore should there already be a good allocation of Warm Spaces in your area, we may choose to award funding to other organisations to cover areas where there is a poor geographic spread.