Kirkby Neighbourhood Community Fund

Merseyside Energy Recovery Ltd (MERL) provides a fund of up to £55,000 per year towards organisations and projects working to improve community life in and around Kirkby, Knowsley. This is known as the Kirkby Neighbourhood Community Fund.

SUEZ recycling and recovery UK is one of three companies comprising MERL and is the operator of the Wilton Energy from Waste Facility in Teesside, and the Rail Transfer Loading Station in Kirkby, Merseyside. As part of their commitment to being a good neighbour to the surrounding communities, SUEZ created the community fund for Knowsley, with a value of 10p per tonne exported by rail from the Rail Transfer Loading Station in Kirkby. The fund is available from MERL each year throughout the duration of the contract with Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority.

It enables community groups, charities, and projects in Kirkby to apply for funding to help get their ideas, charities, or projects off the ground. Specifically, the fund will support initiatives which aim to improve community life, health and wellbeing or the environment.

This funding provides a long-term and secure source of support for community and environmental groups in the following priority areas:

• Northwood
• Cherryfield
• Shevington
• Whitefield
• Prescot North (Knowsley Village)

All applicants must be formally constituted (e.g. a club, charity, friends-of group) and must be not-for-profit organisations. No individual can benefit personally from an award.

The Kirkby Neighbourhood Community Fund is now closed. Applications will reopen in Spring 2026.

Applicants are advised to read the guidance document before submitting their application and ensure that they submit all of the required supporting information along with their application – failure to do so will likely result in the application being unsuccessful.

Applications are reviewed and recommendations for approval are sent to Merseyside Energy Recovery Ltd, which will make the final decision and issue funds.

If you’d like to discuss any ideas with us, or if you have any questions or need support with your application, please contact us at kirkbyfund.uk@suez.com or write to us at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, Knowsley Industrial Estate, Woodward Road, Kirkby, Liverpool, L33 7UZ.

Previous successful applicants to the Kirkby Neighbourhood Community Fund

Since being launched in 2018, the Kirkby Neighbourhood Community Fund has now invested more than £445,700 into good causes in and around Kirkby, delivering community improvement, health and wellbeing, or environmental projects.

Kirkby Fund Winners 2025

Some of our successful applicants in 2025 include:

1. 1. Tower Hill Youth FC – Sporting Solutions Project: Affordable weekly football sessions with tactical training, breathwork and meditation, helping children develop healthy habits, teamwork and confidence.
   2. Tower Hill Community Hub – The Community Network: Weekly workshops offering financial advice, employability support, and community activities to help residents build resilience and confidence.
   3. Positive Futures – Targeted Support Service: One-to-one and group support for young people across Kirkby, improving wellbeing and reducing social isolation.
   4. Southdene Community Association – SMART STEPS Programme: Financial health and wellbeing sessions helping families and vulnerable groups manage money effectively and build financial confidence.
   5. Evolving Mindset – Kirkby Men’s Wellbeing Club: Free weekly physical and mental wellbeing sessions tackling social isolation and promoting healthier lifestyles for local men.
   6. Mind Connect – Mind Connect Community: A wellbeing membership scheme offering group sessions, one-to-one coaching and online support to reduce mental health inequalities and isolation.
   7. FC Kirkby – Heads Up Project: Inclusive football and peer support sessions helping men connect socially, improve confidence and support their mental health.
   8. The Eco Therapy Garden – Healthy Food Hub Project: Subsidised healthy meals, cooking demonstrations and food-growing initiatives to promote better nutrition and sustainable living.
   9. Sports Alive North West – Kirkby Youth and Play Project: STEM-focused kart-building and train station art initiatives to inspire creativity, teamwork and environmental awareness.
   10. Me2u – Memories and Support: Fortnightly sessions for individuals and families following a dementia diagnosis, offering therapeutic activities, practical guidance and peer support.
   11. The CELLS Project – Youth Club: Expanding Kirkby’s youth club with inclusive programming and staff training to keep young people safe, engaged and connected.
   12. Apollo Active – Sports in the Parks: Outreach sports and mentoring sessions across Kirkby and Knowsley Village, helping young people gain confidence, skills and accredited coaching qualifications.
   13. Centre 63 – Growing Garden: Transforming outdoor space into an inclusive, accessible community garden with growing beds and ramps to bring people together and reduce isolation.

SUEZ Communities Fund

The SUEZ Communities Fund supports community and environmental improvement projects through the Landfill Communities Fund and Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, distributing funds contributed by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK.

Between 1997 and 2022, funds were distributed by SUEZ Communities Trust Ltd. Since the beginning of 2023, the funds contributed have been distributed by the independent charity Grantscape Ltd.

The Fund offers awards of up to £50,000 to not-for-profit organisations for projects that are eligible under the rules of the Landfill Communities Fund and Scottish Landfill Communities Fund.

If you are involved with a not-for-profit organisation and would like to find out if it is eligible for funding, visit the fund’s website to find out more.