GROUPS in a Truro parish are being encouraged to apply for a slice of a £300,000 fund for their community projects.

The Kenwyn Community Benefit Fund is inviting new applications for 2026 through its annual community funding programme to support projects that benefit residents across the parish.

The fund supports a wide range of organisations, including charities, not‑for‑profit organisations, community interest companies (CICs), constituted community groups and volunteer‑led initiatives across Threemilestone, Gloweth, Shortlanesend, Idless and the wider parish.

The fund usually supports projects with around £55,000 each year but the 2026 total has grown to £330,000 thanks to unallocated funds being rolled forward.

More than £42,000 was awarded across 10 applications in 2025.

One of the most recent awards made to community groups within the parish near Truro is £10,000 to Truro Tennis Club for a solar panel and battery installation.

The investment will reduce long‑term running costs and allow the club to reinvest savings into coaching, accessibility and membership growth.

Other grant awards included support for Threemilestone Angling Club to install new fishing platforms; assistance for Threemilestone AFC to restart the village football club and funding for Friends of Shortlanesend School for musical instruments and events. Funding also supported One Voice Choir – a charity dedicated to improving mental health through music and community – with equipment and stage hire, while Gloweth Community Group secured funding for green‑space maintenance and community events.

This year, £30,000 has already been awarded to groups including Deg Karn Explorer Scouts and the WI and work on the much‑anticipated boardwalk replacement at Watts Nature Reserve in Shortlanesend, which received funding from the scheme, is now nearing completion.

The community benefit fund is designed to be accessible and user‑friendly and is administered by Kenwyn Parish Council. Funding decisions are made independently by a panel of local residents and parish councillors, led by chair Mark Holden, the co-director of The Victoria Inn in Threemilestone, who collectively bring a breadth of experience and community insight to the process.

Grants are assessed on community benefit, need, deliverability and long‑term impact, and typically range from £150 to £10,000, with larger awards considered in exceptional circumstances and where funds allow.

Another organisation benefitting from the fund is The MEDO Café, which runs a bi-weekly dementia and memory‑loss café in Threemilestone. Their grant has helped the group book entertainers, deliver seasonal celebrations that evoke important memories and provide activities that improve wellbeing.

Applicants to the Kenwyn Community Benefit Fund must be not‑for‑profit and have a written constitution or governing document, as well as a bank account.

For more informal community groups, applications can be made on their behalf by Kenwyn Parish Council.

The next 2026 application deadlines for the scheme are May 25, August 24 and November 23, providing multiple opportunities for community groups to apply for support.

For more information, eligibility guidance and application forms visit kenwynparishcouncil.gov.uk/community-fund