£300,000 Served Up for Kenwyn Community Projects
The Kenwyn Community Benefit Fund is inviting new applications for 2026, with £300,000 now available through its annual community funding programme to support projects that benefit residents across the parish.
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. This investment will reduce long‑term running costs and allow the club to reinvest savings into coaching, accessibility and membership growth.
The fund – which is now inviting applications ahead of the next deadline on 21 May 2026 – 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. While the fund usually supports projects with around £55,000 each year, the 2026 total has grown to £330,000 thanks to unallocated funds being rolled forward.
In 2025, more than £42,000 was awarded across 10 applications. These 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.
Panel Chair and parish resident, Mark Holden said: 'Every grant we award reflects the dedication and creativity of the groups who work tirelessly for their community. The projects the scheme has supported over the years – from small wellbeing sessions to large infrastructure improvements that help secure the long‑term future of valuable initiatives and community facilities – have been fantastic. With more funding than usual available in 2026, we are excited to see even more groups benefit.'
Helen Wright, Chairperson of Truro Tennis Club, said: 'This invaluable funding helps us modernise, bring down our running costs and continue welcoming new members of all ages and abilities. It's a huge boost for our future and adds to the recent improvements we’ve made at the club, including a new court. The process was extremely straightforward and quick and we're so glad we applied.'
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. It has also enabled carers to access specialist dementia‑training courses while volunteers care for their loved ones in the next room.
Lyn Begley, Chair of The MEDO Café, said: 'This funding helps us provide high‑quality entertainment, safe sessions and the little touches that mean so much to people living with dementia. It supports our carers as much as our members and allows us to run innovative projects. The café helps make their journeys a little easier and we are incredibly grateful to have received support from the Kenwyn Community Benefit Fund.'
The Kenwyn Community Benefit Fund has operated annually since 2014, with monies generated from clean energy produced at the Causilgey Farm and Four Burrows solar farms in the parish.
Carey Green, Community Relations Manager on behalf of Kenwyn Solar Ltd and Four Burrows Solar Farm, said: 'It is inspiring to see renewable energy bringing long‑lasting benefits to the communities where our sites are based. The breadth of projects being delivered – from environmental improvements to community wellbeing activities and sports facilities – shows just how valuable this fund is to local people.'
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 25 May, 24 August and 23 November 2026, providing multiple opportunities for community groups to apply for support.
For more information, eligibility guidance and application forms go to the Community Benefit Fund page on this website or email enquiries to kcbf@kenwyncommunityparishcouncil.gov.uk.