Twenty community groups in Hull have been awarded over £68,000 in funding through the Hull Community Fund, marking the second round of grants since the fund’s launch in 2024. The funding aims to address local needs across health and wellbeing, education, culture, and the environment.
The grants are expected to benefit more than 18,000 residents and will support organisations such as Mama T’s Dance School and Beats Bus Records. The Hull Community Fund is a collaborative initiative set up by Hull City Council, Hull CVS, HEY Smile Foundation, Forum CIO, and Two Ridings Community Foundation, with backing from the Alderman Jackson Endowment, a three-year grant from the Rank Foundation, and several smaller donations.
Specific projects supported include free street dance lessons for children at Mama T’s Dance House, a peer-led safe space for women affected by abuse at Rhema Counselling and Recovery Services, and a six-week mobile music programme by Beats Bus Records teaching young people how to rap, DJ, and write lyrics in under-resourced neighbourhoods.
Other funded initiatives focus on art therapy, inclusive exercise classes, youth programmes, and employability support. Grants were allocated by a panel that included six Hull residents, reflecting a community-led approach to decision-making.
Thomas Waring, head of grants at Two Ridings Community Fund, emphasized that this process shifts decision-making power to those who best understand local community needs. The Hull Community Fund is set to reopen for applications in the summer.
