Community Chest Fund

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Community Chest Fund

Do you want to help your local community?

Have you thought of a way to contribute to the safety, social harmony and environment in which you live?

Would you like to promote social responsibility and community engagement to students and long-term residents?

If so, apply to the Community Chest Fund and receive a grant of up to £500 to make your project a reality and your community an even better place to live.

To check that you meet the criteria and apply for the fund, please complete this form

With the help of past grants, students have run a number of projects that have not only helped to combat waste management, noise and crime issues, but also further strengthened relationships between themselves and local residents.

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Teddy Bear Hospital

Teddy Bear Hospital is a volunteer ran society with the core belief that everyone should be comfortable and confident ‘going to the Doctors’. They also believe that everyone should be entitled to basic health education. Their visits aim to address both areas! They teach small groups of children in schools and youth groups throughout Nottinghamshire not to fear medical professionals as well as core health education such as healthy eating, handwashing and brushing teeth.

"We are so grateful to the Community Chest Fund for helping us teach 270 children between 4-7 years essential life skills this term by funding 9 visits from our Teddy Bear Doctors! A key part of our ethos is that healthcare should be free. Therefore, the grant from the Community Chest Fund is so important to both the schools and our volunteers to allow them to continue their excellent work and provide free health education to the youngest members of our communities. Thank you so much for making this possible, we are so proud of the positive impact this will have on our local communities and future generation."

- Testimony from Teddy Bear Hospital

Community Chest funding, 2025: £540.48

3rd Beeston Brownies

3rd Beeston Brownies is a Girglguiding unit for girls aged 7-10 years in Beeston, Nottingham. It offers a variety of activities including outdoor adventures, cooking and learning new skills, with the aim of fostering personal development and community involvement. Brownies are full of firsts, where the child can explore their creative side, get out into the great outdoors, learn how to look after themselves and others.

With support from the Community Chest fund, the 3rd Beeston Brownies were able to subsidise trips, events, and uniforms for families facing financial hardship, enabling their daughters to participate. Additionally, the fund covered Girlguiding subscription fees for the Brownies.

"I like Brownies because I get to earn my badges and my gold award"

"Brownies is fun because I can see my friends who don’t go to the same school as me"

"I liked when we got to decorate mirrors and give them as a gift to my mummy"

- Testimonials from the recent spy themed Brownie sleepover

Community Chest funding, 2025: £250

Lenton Community Art Project

The Community Engagement team were so proud to contribute towards Lenton Art Project. The mural celebrates togetherness in Lenton where everyone supports one another. The project was completed in collaboration with students of Edna G. Olds Academy, who actively shared their brilliant and creative ideas.

"Being part of the community art project, supported by the University of Nottingham, has been an incredible experience for our school. The project gave our pupils the opportunity to explore creativity in new and exciting ways, whilst learning about the importance of collaboration and community. The artist ‘Anna Wheelhouse’ worked brilliantly with our children, inspiring confidence and helping them express their ideas through art. We’ve seen a real sense of pride in the finished work."

- Testimony from Head of School (Edna G.Olds Academy)

Community Chest funding, 2025: £500

Nottingham Inclusive Recovery City

"On 18th May 2025, with the support of the Community Chest Fund grant, people from across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire gathered in unity and celebration for the first ever Notts Recovery Walk and Family Fun Day, marking a vibrant milestone in the local Inclusive Recovery Cities (IRC) initiative. The event, held during Mental Health Awareness Month and Nottingham Walking Week, brought families, volunteers, and partner organisations together to highlight the strength, joy, and community spirit that fuels local recovery efforts.

Led by people with lived experience of recovery from addiction and supported by a growing network of community partners, the day featured a peaceful and positive walk through the city, followed by live music, games and family friendly activities at The Arboretum. But beyond the bunting and balloons, this event represented something much deeper: a visible commitment to building a city where recovery is supported and valued, stigma is challenged, and everyone has a role to play.

[...] Only with the support, collaboration and trust of local organisations such as the Community Engagement team (University of Nottingham) – are the IRC able to continue the needed work of community building and the forging of connections across our region. All of the team at the Inclusive Recovery Nottingham and Double Impact as a whole, would like to thank the Community Engagement team for awarding the IRC their much valued trust award fund."

- Testimony from Nottingham Inclusive Recovery City (Double Impact)

Community Chest funding, 2025: £510.86

Lenton Fun Day

'[...] when it was announced there would be no Lenton Festival this year, Holy Trinity Lenton decided to galvanise the community to run a Lenton Fun Day themselves. The aim of this was to bless Lenton with a free event, as well as unite students, families, local businesses and community groups together as one. The day included bouncy castles, sumo wrestling, a fire engine and police van, live music and performances, face painting, balloon modelling, crafts, sports, games, ice cream and lots of food!

The University of Nottingham Community Chest provided £500 towards this which covered hire of a bouncy castle and bouncy slide and face painting supplies. All which were a huge hit!'

- Testimony from Holy Trinity Church Lenton

Community Chest funding, 2024: £500

SB Fest

The annual SB Fest takes place each May and is a cornerstone event in the Sutton Bonington calendar. It is one of the largest student-led events on Sutton Bonington campus for the local community and the student community to enjoy. The festival features a dog show, live music, beer festival, discovery zone, dairy farm tour, farmers' market and outdoor games.

"[...] It brings together students, staff, alumni, and the local community for a day of fun, connection, and fundraising. This year’s event was a huge success, raising money for LOROS and Jasmine’s Legacy of Dreams—two local charities close to the hearts of many in our community.

The atmosphere was lively, with fantastic live music both in the barn and under the bandstand, delicious food from our vendors, and exciting activities like sumo suits and the Total Wipeout inflatable. Societies hosted activities on the front lawns, the fire service brought a fire engine, and our Discovery Zone showcased the university’s research in an engaging and educational way. Seeing all these elements come together made the day truly unforgettable. The dog show was a definite highlight! "

- Testimony from SB Fest organisers

Community Chest funding, 2025: £504

Canning Christmas Lights Switch-on, Canning Circus

As the meeting point of Dunkirk and Lenton, Radford and Park, and the City Centre, Canning Circus is a very busy thoroughfare for students and residents.

One of the highlights of the Christmas season is the annual switch-on of the Canning contemporary tree, which is highly anticipated by the surrounding community. Local school children, choirs and university music groups perform festive favourites to get everyone in the mood, while mulled wine, mince pies and cakes from CakeSoc have all been enjoyed at recent events.

The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University jointly funded this event with £250 from each institution.

Community Chest funding, 2023: £250

Lenton Festival - Lenton Recreation Ground

Lenton Recreation Ground is one of many Green Flag parks in Nottingham and is very popular with students all year round. Towards the end of the summer term, local city councillors, local resident groups and community organisations organise a festival for the whole community.

In 2022, there was a bouncy castle, and sports day races were enjoyed along with a hot days and entertainment from school children, dance groups and university societies. The SU Community Officer ran a tombola and the Community Engagement team staffed an information stall all day while the SU Volunteer Centre provided some general stewards to help the day run smoothly.

Community Chest Funding, 2023: £500

ONE Kegworth - Welcome Fair Sutton Bonington

Being situated so close to University Park Campus, Dunkirk is home to hundreds of students, as well as long-term residents. The local community centre holds an open tea afternoon every year where the whole community is invited to sample food from around the globe.

Malaysian Soc and Cake Soc have previously provided free food samples, while Sustainability Soc have delivered a craft workshop for kids. Musicality Soc have even performed songs from their shows to keep everyone entertained, and the SU Volunteer Centre has supported the event by recruiting general helpers to serve the tea and coffee.

This event is always well attended and loved by students and the wider community every year.

Community Chest Funding, 2023: £315

Curry in the Park - Radford Recreation Ground

Radford Recreation Ground is located in an area of high-density student housing. In October of every year, just after students have moved in, the Radford and Park Nottingham City Councillors hold a community cohesion event to bring together this diverse community.

The big attraction is the delicious, authentic homemade curry which attendees are served free of charge. In the past, student groups such as BlowSoc have performed to entertain the crowds.

United through good food and music, students and long-term residents mingle together and enjoy an afternoon in the park.

Community Chest funding, 2022: £500

Building a community - Charles, Lawley and Varden Avenues

The student and non-student residents of Charles, Lawley and Varden Avenues in Lenton Abbey have enjoyed the support of Community Chest funding from the University of Nottingham for a number of years. The Neighbourhood Watch group is led by local resident Steve Hadfield, now in his 29th year as coordinator, who supports residents against becoming victims of crime and reckons the best way to do this is by working together as a community.

As soon as new residents move in, the group post a welcome letter through the letterbox. This contains helpful information about wheelie bins, buses, post boxes and parking. It also contains contact details for someone they can approach for help if they need it.

Not content with just being a useful point of contact, Steve organises popular community events such as Halloween parties, scarecrow day, quiz nights and street parties. The group has had 60 people attend the Halloween event, with some Chinese students bringing homemade food which was a real talking point. All events have involved students and have helped them feel that they belong to a community.

Community Chest Funding, 2020: £300

Malaysian Festival, Beeston

Beeston is popular with our students as they value living in a vibrant and diverse community, located very close to University Park campus. A group of international students add to this community spirit by hosting the annual Malaysian Festival. Held by the Malaysian Society, it offers the Beeston community the chance to experience everything that is unique about Malaysian culture – from its food and handicrafts to games and traditional dances.

Along one side of Beeston Square, gazebos shelter trestle tables full of traditional Malaysian games and handicrafts, while at the very centre of the hubbub, a wide space is cordoned off for traditional dancing – each routine painstakingly choreographed by one of the members of the organising committee.

The event is always well attended by local residents and students alike with the highlight being the chance to sample delicious food from the cooking show and the various food vendors catering for the event

Community Chest Funding, 2019: £500

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