Council agrees £260,000 of Home Office funding to support Crowborough community

Wealden District Council has agreed how £260,000 of an expected Home Office asylum grant of up to £450,000 will be used to support services, facilities and community initiatives in Crowborough. The remaining £190,000 will support people seeking asylum who are accommodated at Crowborough Army Camp

The funding comes from the Home Office’s national Asylum Dispersal Grant scheme, which provides councils with financial support to help cover local costs when asylum accommodation is based in their area. Wealden District Council receives this funding following the government’s decision to use Crowborough Army Camp as asylum accommodation.

The Home Office sets clear conditions for how the council can use this funding. It must either help alleviate pressure on local public services or support the wellbeing of people seeking asylum. To make support available to a wider range of local organisations, Wealden District Council has also created a Community Investment Fund for Crowborough.

Today, the council’s Cabinet agreed how this year’s funding will be spent:

£110,000 will be used to set up the Crowborough Community Investment Fund. Local community organisations will be able to apply for grants for eligible projects responding to the local impact of the use of Crowborough Army Camp. Cabinet has agreed that £10,000 of the fund will be used to support short-term services for Crowborough’s cadet associations, while a further £10,000 will support improvements to Crowborough’s High Street, including work to bring empty shops back into use and improve shopfronts.

The council will also reallocate £60,000 of unused funding from the 2025/26 ward budget scheme, bringing the total available through the fund to £170,000.

£50,000 will be provided to Crowborough Town Council to recruit additional staff. This will help the town council respond to increased demand arising from the Home Office’s use of Crowborough Army Camp, maintain its services and continue to deliver safe and inclusive community events for residents and visitors.

£100,000 will be used to improve facilities at Crowborough Army Camp. The facilities will support people accommodated at the camp in the short term and provide a lasting benefit for the RAF and Army Cadets in the future.

These proposals are designed to strengthen community resilience, support local services and encourage social connection, leisure and cultural opportunities across Crowborough.

A further £190,000 will provide essential support for people seeking asylum who are housed at Crowborough Army Camp. This includes £100,000 for Migrant Help, which provides practical support with asylum claims and essential items such as clothing. A further £90,000 will enable SAMAS to continue and expand activities including English-language lessons, music, art and sport, helping people stay engaged, build connections and develop a sense of belonging. Together, these vital services will help care for people’s wellbeing and mental health, strengthen community cohesion and support the effective day-to-day running of the camp.

Councillor Rachel Millward, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party), lead councillor for Community, Culture and Communications and leader of the council, said, “Almost a year after Crowborough Army Camp began being used by the Home Office as asylum accommodation, funding has been provided to support the local response. We have carefully considered how best to allocate it, so it delivers practical support where it is most needed and makes a real difference to people in Crowborough. By working with local organisations, we can support valued services at the camp while investing in our cadets and the High Street, and help turn community ideas into projects that benefit local people.”

More information about the Crowborough Community Investment Fund will be published in due course.