Chester Municipal Charities (CMC) has been working to help the people of Chester and the surrounding area for over 800 years. Society has changed immeasurably during that time and the Charity has also changed in order to meet new challenges. In doing so it continues to help the most disadvantaged in our society by funding many organisations to support social cohesion, education and community development.

We want to encourage the organisations to whom we make grants to think big, to be really focused on making a positive step change in reducing the causes of poverty, disadvantage and inequality of opportunity.

We encourage organisations who are looking for funding – and who have ambitious projects and robust proposals – to apply to our ‘Strategic Funding’ programme which is set at a minimum of £2,000. Projects should be multiyear and should focus on sustainable outcomes.

We make grants to organisations which aim to structurally change the reasons for poverty, disadvantage and inequality of opportunity to raise and support aspirations in our areas of benefit. For the period 2019-2022 we are particularly interested in hearing from organisations that support young people.

Small Grants

Smaller grants can also make a big difference so we have a ‘small grants’ programme for applications under £500. These have less stringent requirements, but proposals should still be able to demonstrate support for the Charity’s aims.

Enquiries should be made to the Charity through our Contact page.

The Charity’s Almshouses are located at Bluecoat Square, off Upper Northgate Street in Chester. The small estate of sixteen one bedroom houses are set around a courtyard at the rear of The Bluecoat building. Initially established in the mid-19th century, they have since been improved and modernised and now offer comfortable and secure housing in the heart of Chester city centre.

The deeds of the Charity state that to qualify for residence, Almspeople must be ‘in need, hardship or distress, and resident in or with a strong connection to Chester’.

Ideally applicants will be over the age of 60 years. Any vacancy that arises in the Almshouses is advertised on this website. If no Almshouses are currently available, it is still possible for potential applicants to be placed on a waiting list. For further information on the qualifying criteria and how to apply, please contact the Charity through our Contact page.

Images Courtesy of www.sarahwhitephotography.co.uk

In 2015 Chester Municipal Charities restored and converted The Bluecoat building into a centre for charities and voluntary organisations.

Collectively, the organisations based at the Bluecoat provide training, advice, support and assistance to a great number of people in the Cheshire area.

When office space becomes available at The Bluecoat we will we advertise it on this website under the ‘news’ section.

If you work for a registered charity and would like further information about office space at The Bluecoat, please contact Janette on 01244 403277, or email: thebluecoat@chestermc.org.uk.