Exeter groups can claim up to £350 from their ward's £3,000. Duryard and St James left £1,250 unclaimed last year; the council wants bids from three wards.
Community groups in Exwick, Duryard and St James, and Pennsylvania are being asked to apply for Exeter’s Ward Grants, because too few have. Each grant is worth up to £350. Exeter City Council said on Monday that applications from those wards have been lower than elsewhere. (Exeter City Council, 5 October 2026)
The council’s own record of last year’s awards shows what is at stake. In 2025/26, £4,020 of the £39,000 budget went unspent. The ward that left the most was Duryard and St James, which used £1,750 of its £3,000 and left £1,250 on the table.
How the grants work
Every one of Exeter’s 13 wards gets £3,000 a year, making the £39,000 total. A group can apply for up to £350, for a project in a single ward.
The council gives these as examples of what it will fund:
- a community festival, theatre production or craft group
- equipment or resources
- publicity and materials
- refreshments
It will not pay ongoing costs. Wages, utility bills, rent and regular fees for facilitators or musicians are all ruled out. The grants are for one-off purchases or events.
To be considered, an application has to show that local people support the project and have helped shape it. A group that has had council money before must have sent in an impact evaluation within two weeks of finishing that project, or it cannot apply again.
The council says demand is high and there is “no guarantee that an applicant will receive the full funding amount applied for”. (Exeter Ward Grants, Exeter City Council)
No closing date is published. The council’s award lists run by financial year, and once a ward’s £3,000 is gone, it is gone until the next one.
Where last year’s money went
The council publishes every award by ward. In 2025/26, five wards spent the full £3,000 and Priory came within £2 of it. Seven fell short.
| Ward | Awarded | Left unspent |
|---|---|---|
| Duryard and St James | £1,750 | £1,250 |
| Topsham | £2,400 | £600 |
| Pennsylvania | £2,450 | £550 |
| Newtown and St Leonards | £2,480 | £520 |
| St Davids | £2,517 | £483 |
| Heavitree | £2,550 | £450 |
| St Loyes | £2,835 | £165 |
| Priory | £2,998 | £2 |
Duryard and St James made only five awards all year. Those were:
- the Exeter Hindu Cultural Centre, for its Navratri celebration
- Exeter St James Community Trust, for its newsletter
- Prospect Park Residents Association, twice: a Little Free Library and street tree care
- St James Vegetable Gardens
Mincinglake and Whipton made the most, with eleven. They ranged from £50 for a community mural to £350 each for two girls’ football projects at Whipton Youth FC.
Pennsylvania has been short two years running. It used £2,450 in 2025/26. In 2024/25 it used £2,098, the lowest of any ward that year. (Exeter Ward Grants 2025/26, breakdown by ward, PDF; Exeter City and Ward Grants 2024/25, PDF)
Exwick is the odd one out on the council’s list. It spent its full £3,000 in both 2024/25 and 2025/26, on nine projects last year, including Exwick Tots, the Exwick Job Club and a cemetery heritage trail. The council’s appeal is about the number of applications coming in, and it has not published this year’s figures, so a full pot last year does not mean Exwick groups are applying now.
What it means for you
If you run a club, residents’ group, toddler group or one-off event in Exwick, Duryard and St James, or Pennsylvania, there is likely to be less competition for your ward’s money than elsewhere in the city.
- Check your ward first. The council’s councillor search tells you your ward from your postcode. The grant must be spent in one ward.
- Talk to your ward councillors or the Community Builders before you apply. The council recommends it, and they can tell you how much of the ward’s £3,000 is left.
- Show local backing. The council sets out what counts as evidence on its community support page.
- Ask for what you need, up to £350. Last year many awards were for less, such as £100 for a street event in Heavitree and £175 for a women’s walking football group in Alphington.
For bigger projects, the council’s City Grants pay up to £2,500 from a separate £60,000 fund. Round two closes on 13 October. Our City Grants report shows that only four of the 15 groups that asked for the maximum last year received it.
Applications are made online through the Ward Grants page. The council’s Communities Team will also help with the form.
Have your say