Community First is an £80m government-funded programme. It will help new and existing community groups to identify their strengths and local priorities, plan for their future and become more resilient. Run by the Community Development Foundation, it consists firstly of a £30m ‘Neighbourhood Matched Fund’ programme for some of the most deprived areas in England for four years.

It also includes a £50m Endowment Match Challenge which aims to raise £100m through individual and corporate giving and philanthropy, which will be matched with £50m of government investment. The aim is to ensure a sustainable source of funding for communities in years to come, with endowment funds released to fund social action projects only from 2015. To deliver this fund, CDF will be working with the Community Foundation Network and its network of local Community Foundations, presumably therefore including the Scottish Community Foundation.