Community First

Community First is an £80m government-funded initiative that will run for four years, until March 2015. The programme will help communities come together to identify their strengths and local priorities in order to plan for their future and become more resilient. It will fund both new and existing community groups.

Community First consists of two elements:

a £30m Neighbourhood Matched Fund programme for some of the most deprived areas in the country and;
a national £50m Endowment Match Challenge.

The Community Development Foundation (CDF) will work with several organisations to deliver the Community First programme, including supermarket chain Asda. Asda’s nationwide network will provide an opportunity for customers and colleagues to identify local priorities and support local groups through fundraising efforts in store and online. Community First will aim to link to the Community Organisers programme wherever possible to further support social action in communities. The Community Organiser programme is managed by Locality, www.cocollaborative.org.uk.

Community First Communications Pack

CDF have created a communications pack, with tips and advice for contacting the media, creating your own website, and sharing the stories of how your Community First funding is having an impact on the ground. Download your free communications pack. Download a colour Community First logo or black and white Community First logo. We have made a sample press release. Use it as a template for your own press releases; there is space to add your own story and photo. You can download a sample Community First Briefing Pack. Edit the items in red to personalise it to your local Community First area.