Boomtown Local Impact

Boomtown is committed to creating a positive and lasting legacy in the communities surrounding our festival site and across the Winchester area.

Our Local Impact Programme combines long-standing community commitments, a strategic charitable partnership and an application-based fund supporting local organisations and projects.

This framework sets out a clear, fair and accountable process for the portion of Boomtown's Local Impact that is open to applications, while also recognising our established annual commitments.
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‍Boomtown's charitable giving is divided into three areas:

A. Winchester Hospice Partnership – £100,000

Our principal charitable partnership is with Winchester Hospice, which receives an annual contribution of £100,000.

The hospice is a key strategic partner for Boomtown and this contribution represents our largest single charitable commitment.

This funding is not part of the application process and is managed separately through our ongoing partnership with Winchester Hospice.

The partnership reflects our commitment to supporting vital local services and improving wellbeing for people and families within the Winchester community.

B. Parish Council Community Grants – £24,000

Boomtown has a long-standing commitment to supporting the parish communities surrounding the festival site.

Each year, eight local Parish Councils receive £2,500, representing a total annual commitment of:£20,000These grants recognise the important relationship between Boomtown and the communities closest to the festival.

The Parish Council grants are not application-based. They are an established part of Boomtown's annual community giving and are provided directly to the eight participating Parish Councils.

Parish Councils are encouraged to use the funding for projects, facilities or initiatives that provide a clear benefit to their local community.

To maintain appropriate accountability without creating an unnecessary administrative burden, Parish Councils will simply be asked to confirm:

- What the £3,000 will be used for.
- Who or what in the community will benefit.
- When the funding is expected to be spent.
- A short update once the funding has been used.

This allows Boomtown to understand and communicate the collective impact of the Parish Council grants while retaining the flexibility for each parish to determine where its funding is most needed.

C. Boomtown Local Community & Charitable Fund – £36,000

‍An additional £36,000 is available each year through a formal application process. This is the element of Boomtown's Local Impact to which the eligibility, application and assessment process in this framework applies.

The fund supports charities, schools, youth organisations, community groups and other eligible not-for-profit organisations delivering meaningful benefit to people and communities in or near Winchester.

Awards are made at fixed levels so that applicants can choose the amount that genuinely fits their project, and so that Boomtown can compare and report impact across projects of a similar scale. In a typical year the fund is expected to make seven awards:

Annual Charitable Giving Commitment

The formal application and assessment process contained within this framework applies only to the £40,000 Local Community & Charitable Fund.

Local Impact Fund Priorities

 The £40,000 application-based fund will prioritise organisations and projects contributing to one or more of the following areas:

Youth & Education
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Supporting grassroots youth organisations, schools, educational projects, facilities, skills development and opportunities for children and young people. 

Intended outcome: improved access to opportunity, facilities, confidence, skills and participation.
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Mental Health & Wellbeing
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Supporting frontline services, community wellbeing projects, peer-support programmes and organisations working with vulnerable, marginalised, underserved or at-risk people. 
Intended outcome: improved wellbeing, reduced isolation and increased access to appropriate support.
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Arts & Culture
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Supporting inclusive creative projects, community arts programmes, music, performance and opportunities for communities that may otherwise face barriers to participation. 
Intended outcome: greater access to arts and culture and stronger representation of local and underrepresented communities.
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‍Climate & Environment
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‍Supporting local climate action, nature restoration, biodiversity, environmental education, community energy and other practical environmental initiatives.

Intended outcome: Improved local environments, greater environmental awareness and increased opportunities for communities to participate in positive environmental action.

Principles of Giving

Applications will be considered against Boomtown's wider Local Impact principles. We particularly want to support organisations and projects that:
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• Deliver tangible benefit within Winchester and communities surrounding the festival.
• Support marginalised, underserved or at-risk groups at their time of greatest need.
• Address specific community needs.
• Address root causes as well as immediate challenges.
• Provide opportunities for children and young people.
- Support underfunded causes and community-led initiatives.
- Present bold or innovative ideas with the potential to create longer-term change.
- Can demonstrate a clear and responsible use of Boomtown's funding.
- Have the potential to create a positive and lasting local legacy.

Where appropriate, Boomtown may also provide communications and marketing support to help amplify the work and impact of organisations we support.

Who can apply

Applications are welcome from not-for-profit organisations that are:

A registered charity, charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), community interest company (CIC), community benefit society, or a constituted voluntary or community group with a governing document and a bank account in the organisation's name; or

A state-funded school, nursery or college, or a parent–teacher association or "friends of" group

Parish Councils that receive a Boomtown Parish Council Community Grant are not eligible to apply.

Organisations must have been operating for at least six months at the time of application and must be able to provide proof of this.

Unincorporated groups without a bank account may apply through a sponsoring organisation (for example an established charity, church or school) that agrees to hold and account for the funds on their behalf.

Where

The fund supports people and communities in the Winchester and surrounding area. Applications will be considered in two bands:

Priority area: the eight parishes immediately surrounding the festival site at Matterley Estate, as listed in Section 2B.

Eligible area: the wider Winchester City Council district.

The project's beneficiaries, not only the organisation's registered address, must be mainly within the eligible area. Organisations based outside the area may apply if they can show that the funded activity will take place in, and benefit people from, the eligible area. The panel will give weight to the priority area through the Local Community Benefit criterion.

What We Fund
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Projects, activities, equipment or facility improvements that fit at least one of the four fund priorities in Section 4.

New activity, or the expansion of existing activity to reach more people or a new group. Contributions to running costs will be considered only where they are clearly tied to delivering the project described.

Projects that will start after the award date and be completed within 12 months of the grant being paid.

What we do not fund

‍Costs already incurred or activity already completed before the award date.Individuals, sole traders, or organisations established for private profit.

General appeals or fundraising events whose primary purpose is to raise money for another cause.

Activities that promote a particular religious or political belief, including campaigning or lobbying. Faith-based organisations are welcome to apply for work that is open to the whole community.

Statutory responsibilities of public bodies, or activity that replaces funding withdrawn by a statutory body.

Projects taking place mainly outside the eligible area, or national organisations without a locally delivered project.

Repayment of debts or loans.

Organisations with an outstanding impact update from a previous Boomtown grant.

Safeguarding

Any organisation whose project involves children, young people under 18, or adults at risk must hold a current safeguarding policy, name a designated safeguarding lead, and carry out DBS checks appropriate to the roles involved. Applicants will be asked to confirm this on the application form and may be asked to provide the policy before payment is made.

One application per organisation

Organisations may submit one application per funding cycle and should choose the single award level that best fits their project. Organisations funded in a previous cycle may apply again, but the panel will take previous Boomtown support into account when balancing the overall distribution of the fund.

Before You Apply
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If you are unsure whether your organisation or project is eligible, contact [localcommunity@boomtownfair.co.uk] before the closing date.

Organisations applying to the Local Impact Fund will complete a single application form. The form uses short-answer boxes with word limits so that the process is manageable for small, volunteer-led groups; a polished bid is not required.
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Applicants will be asked to provide:
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Organisation Information
‍Organisation name and address
Charity/company number where applicable
Main contactGeographic area served
Brief description of the organisation and its work

The Funding Request
Amount requested
What the funding will be used for
Total project costSimple breakdown of expenditure
Whether other funding has been secured or applied for
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Community Need
Why the project is needed
Who will benefitWhere beneficiaries are based
Approximately how many people will benefit
Any particular groups experiencing disadvantage or barriers that will benefit

Impact
What difference the funding is expected to make
What success would look like
How the organisation will know whether the project has made a difference
Whether the project is expected to create any longer-term benefit

Timescale
Proposed start date
Expected completion date (within 12 months of payment)

Eligibility check

All applications will first be checked against the eligibility requirements in Section 6. Where an application is ineligible, or where essential information is missing, Boomtown will contact the applicant during the review period. Applicants will be given a short, fixed window to respond.

Assessment criteria
Eligible applications will be assessed consistently against five areas:

The assessment panel will use the scoring framework as a decision-making tool rather than relying solely on numerical scores.

The panel will also consider the overall distribution of the £40,000 fund, including geographic spread, different areas of community need, previous Boomtown support and the balance between organisations and causes.Applicants may be:

Approved – the requested amount is awarded.
Part-funded – an alternative amount is offered.
Asked for further information – where additional information is required before a decision can be reached.
Declined – where the application does not sufficiently meet the fund's priorities or available funding has already been allocated.

Successful applicants will receive a grant offer letter setting out the award, any specific conditions and the next steps for payment.

- Payment: [timing and method to be confirmed].
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- Spend window: the grant must be spent, and the project completed, within 12 months of the date of payment.
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- Changes: if the project needs to change materially, or cannot be delivered within 12 months, the organisation should contact Boomtown as early as possible. Boomtown will consider reasonable variations or a short extension.
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- Underspend: any unspent funds at the end of the 12-month period should be discussed with Boomtown, who may agree an alternative use within the fund's priorities or ask for the balance to be returned.
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- Impact update: a short impact update (Section 10) is due within three months of project completion and in any case within 15 months of payment.

‍Boomtown wants to understand the difference its funding makes without creating unnecessary administration for the organisations it supports.

Successful applicants will therefore provide a short impact update following delivery of their funded activity.

This could include:
What the funding enabled.
Who benefited.
Approximately how many people were reached.What changed or improved.
Stories or feedback from participants where appropriate.
Photographs where appropriate and consented.
Any challenges or learning.
Longer-term benefits resulting from the project.

We do not impose rigid KPIs. Instead, organisations will be asked to report against the outcomes they identified in their original application.

This creates a simple link between:

‍What the organisation told us it wanted to achieve → what Boomtown funded → what actually happened.

Annual Impact Review

‍At the end of each funding cycle, Boomtown will review the impact of all three areas of charitable giving.
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This will allow us to demonstrate the combined impact of:
£100,000 – Winchester Hospice Partnership
£20,000 – Parish Council Community Grants
£40,000 – Local Community & Charitable Fund
£160,000 total annual charitable giving

The annual review should capture both financial information and community impact, including stories of change, organisations supported, communities reached and lessons that can inform future charitable giving.

This approach enables Boomtown to maintain long-standing local commitments while ensuring that the funding available through application is distributed fairly, transparently and where it can make a meaningful difference.

Communications, Publicity & Sharing Our Impact

An important part of Boomtown's charitable giving programme is celebrating and showcasing the organisations, projects and communities that our funding supports.

As a condition of receiving funding, successful applicants will be expected to work with Boomtown on reasonable communications and publicity relating to the grant and its impact.

- Beyond that, and where the organisation is willing and able, Boomtown may invite funded organisations to take part in:
- Boomtown press and media activity relating to our Local Impact.
- Boomtown website, social media and community communications.
- Local and regional media opportunities.Interviews with representatives of the funded organisation.
- Photographs or video relating to the funded project.
- Case studies and stories demonstrating the impact of the funding.
- Boomtown's annual Local Impact and community impact communications.

Funded organisations are also asked to acknowledge Boomtown's support within their own communications where appropriate.

Boomtown recognises that many funded organisations work with children, vulnerable people or individuals whose circumstances require additional sensitivity. Participation in publicity will always be managed appropriately, and the use of identifiable beneficiary stories, images or personal information will remain subject to the necessary permissions, safeguarding requirements and consent.

The Boomtown Local Impact Fund operates to a set annual timetable:
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- Applications open: 1 November 2026
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- Applications close: 10th January 2027
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- January 2027: eligibility checks and assessment against the criteria in this framework. Applicants may be contacted for clarification during this period.
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- February 2027: the Boomtown Local Impact Panel meets to consider applications and agree the allocation of the fund.
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- By 27 March 2027: all applicants informed of the outcome.
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- Following confirmation: successful applicants receive their grant offer letter, any applicable conditions and the next steps for payment.
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- Within 12 months of payment: funded projects completed.
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- Within three months of completion: impact update returned to Boomtown.

This timetable allows sufficient time for applications to be considered consistently and ensures that funding decisions are made through a fair and accountable process.
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