Ingoldmells and Chapel St Leonards, on the Lincolnshire coast, will share £2.55 million from the new Community Wealth Fund, spread over about ten years. Local charities and community groups will be able to apply to help decide how it is spent. The two villages are among 60 areas across England named on 3rd November 2026.
It's a large sum for two villages on the coast, and the idea behind it is that local people decide where it goes rather than a distant funder. The news came from the coast, but it matters across East Lindsey, because it shows how this kind of money is now being shared out.
What the Community Wealth Fund Is
The Community Wealth Fund is a £175 million pot for neighbourhoods that have missed out on funding. Half comes from the government's Dormant Assets Scheme, which puts to use money in bank and other accounts that nobody has claimed, and the other half is matched by The National Lottery Community Fund. The Lottery fund is running it.
The aim is long-term change led by residents. Each chosen community receives between £1 million and £2.5 million over ten years, and neighbourhoods of roughly 5,000 to 15,000 people decide how it is used. It was inspired by the earlier Big Local programme, which also gave residents control of a pot of money over many years.
Who Was Chosen
Areas were picked using national data on high deprivation, low social connection and weak local community infrastructure. Sixty places were named on 3rd November 2026, including parts of Nottingham, Sunderland, Leeds, Rotherham and Portsmouth. LincolnshireWorld reported that Ingoldmells and Chapel St Leonards will share £2.55 million between them, which is why the figure is a little over the usual top amount for a single area.
How Local Groups Can Take Part
This is not a normal grant round. Charities and community organisations in the chosen areas can apply to help decide how the money is spent, and successful applicants have to show how local people will play a central role in decisions. Applications open in phases, with the first opening in January and covering the East Midlands, the North East and Cumbria, and Yorkshire and the Humber. We have not found a date for the Lincolnshire phase, so the villages' groups should watch The National Lottery Community Fund's website and the East Lindsey District Council news pages.
What It Means for Louth
We have not seen Louth named among the 60 areas, so groups here should not expect to be able to apply. Even so, it is worth knowing about. It shows that money for local projects is being aimed at the places with the greatest need, and that residents are being given the say over how it is spent.
Where to Read More
The story was reported by LincolnshireWorld, and the national announcement by Civil Society. The background to the fund is on the National Lottery Community Fund website. We will update this page when the application dates for Ingoldmells and Chapel St Leonards are published.