At the end of each financial year the surplus money from the operation of our two Community Shops is ring fenced in a special fund called Haltwhistle Community Shops Fund. This fund is for the benefit of the communities of Haltwhistle and its 10 surrounding parishes. There will be two opportunities per year to apply for funding.

The next funding round opens on the 15th September 2025. 

You can find all the details here.

Community Shops Fund Beneficiaries

The first funding round attracted 29 applications totalling £63k.  Thanks to the incredible generosity of donations to the shops from the community, twenty-one awards totalling £21,170 were made as follows:

Young person’s fund - £191 was awarded to each of 11 applicants to attend a British Dance Theatre Association gala event

Small grants were awarded to 

• Haydon Bridge Scout Group which has around 20 participants and volunteers from Haltwhistle and its surrounding area received funding towards annual running costs. (There is no longer a Scout Group in Haltwhistle).
• Haltwhistle Junior Anglers Schools Salmon project received funding for a fridge to enable the project to operate. 
• Haltwhistle Golf Club, junior coaching and recruitment
• Haltwhistle Walk and Talk Group, transport for walks out with Haltwhistle
• Young and Sweet towards refurbishment at Hillside  
• NCDC to support Defibrillator and CPR training in our communities

Large Grants fund 

Three larger grants were awarded to Stomping Grounds Forest School to continue their valuable work with young people and parents at Haltwhistle Riverside Park; Haltwhistle Film Project to run animation workshops for local young people and Zigzag Days (working with those who feel isolated for whatever reason) towards their Historical Buildings project.

The total requested far exceeded the amount available and the grants panel prioritised those projects they felt had the greatest community impact.

Second Funding Round

The second funding round attracted 10 applications totalling £20k.  Thanks to the incredible generosity of donations to the shops from the community, nine awards totalling £18,132 were made as follows:

Small grants were awarded to

• The Roman Wall Sheep Show for children’s activities at this popular annual Haltwhistle event which exhibits such traditional activities as Cumberland Wrestling and Fell Racing.
• The Haltwhistle Cricket Club for repairs to their club house and cricket grounds to enable ‘All Stars Cricket’ and other activities for local adults and children.
• All England Netball, Haltwhistle for summer holiday netball sessions and equipment to develop a youth program and encourage further local participation.
• The Haltwhistle Renewables Group for costs towards a feasibility study on hydro-electric power from the South Tyne at Featherstone for the benefit of the community.
• St Jude’s, Knarsdale for repairs to the church and community noticeboard to provide a focal information point for the congregation, local community and visitors.

Three large grants were awarded to

• The Haltwhistle Swimming and Leisure centre for equipment and pool time to enable local children with special needs to take part in alternative sessions during the summer holidays, providing another reason for community members to visit this popular summer venue.
• The Field Shelter Arts Space for their Summer Arts Programme, encouraging local people to explore a variety of different art forms in an inspiring location, and
• Bardon Mill and Henshaw Village Hall and Community Projects Group, for repairs to the Village Hall floor, ensuring the continued use of this vital community asset, for other community projects and events.

We look forward to seeing the innovative community projects submitted in the next funding round.