Supporting communities to make a difference
The Kitchen Table programme
Born from an ambition to support communities to make a difference, the Kitchen Table SS25 programme was developed by us to give people the tools, confidence and freedom to experiment with new ways of tackling the cost of living crisis.
In early 2025 we appointed Funding People to deliver the Kitchen Table project - a six-month programme funded by £60,000 from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund that uses start-up grants and mentoring to help a host of grassroots initiatives and established groups to get their ideas off the ground.
Who did the programme support?
From cookery workshops to help with funding children's parties so families who can't afford to celebrate don't miss out, all of the projects tackled the cost of living in the heart of their communities.
Over six fast-paced months, the programme supported 18 community-led projects, 16 of which graduated with successful outcomes, and 17 secured funding. But the numbers tell only part of the story.
Participants ranged from 19-year-olds to retirees. Some were parents, carers or unemployed. Others were delivering support from their own lived experiences, food insecurity, debt, neurodiversity, or school gate experiences. What they had in common wasn't always a polished pitch or professional background, but deep care for their communities.
Read more about the participants on Funding People's blog:
What was different about this fund?
Crucially, Kitchen Table tested an alternative way to support projects - one that prioritised trust, relationships, participation, and adaptive support over rigid outputs. Participants received contribution payments for their time. Application processes were redesigned for accessibility.
The programme offered a blend of one-to-one coaching, group support, and mentoring, tailored in real-time to each participant's pace and needs. Nothing was mandatory.
What impact did the Kitchen Table project have?
While small seed grants were distributed, the programme focused as much on confidence-building as it did on funding outcomes.
“I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all your support during the one-to-one development sessions and everything else throughout the programme. I really appreciate the effort and guidance you've given. I thought you did a fantastic job, especially considering the tight timelines. Also absolutely loved the Kitchen theme and branding. It was such a clever and fun way to bring everything together. I have no doubt it's going to stick with us, and I genuinely can't wait to keep cooking,”
Kitchen Table participant.
Read an independent evaluation of the project by Ideas Alliance, our partner on the Thriving Together programme, here:
What comes next?
While the Kitchen Table programme has officially concluded, conversations are now underway about replication and scale.
We are also using the learning from this project as well as from our Thriving Together programme to develop a new grant fund for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Adur and Worthing.
Questions?
Contact us at:
Page last updated: 11 November 2025