Community First

Who we are

Community First is a leading local charity working across Wiltshire and Swindon. We are a diverse and modern thinking organisation which holds people and communities at its heart.

Community First is a registered charity (288117) based in Devizes. As a member of ACRE, we support rural communities across Wiltshire and Swindon through advisory services for Village Halls and Local Councils. We envisage, create and manage projects to support people and places including community transport schemes, community led housing, community organising and volunteering services.

Vibrant Communities

We are passionate about helping people work together to identify and find solutions to things that matter to them. From championing local grassroots causes to managing multi-million pound projects, we are proud to support people and places in the vibrant communities we have served for over 50 years.

Brighter Futures

Community First works tirelessly to help people overcome challenges in their lives and we are passionate about brighter futures for young and old alike. We support young people through our national award-winning ‘youth arm’ Youth Action Wiltshire, including Wiltshire Young Carers, Splash, Project Inspire and youth club support.

As the managing partner for the Building Bridges programme, jointly funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund, Community First is leading an ambitious partnership of 40 organisations in Swindon and Wiltshire, who are working together to help overcome barriers to employment and education.

Inspiring Ideas

As a champion for local enterprise, we love fresh ideas that make local communities better places to live and work. We think outside the box to develop bold and exciting ideas through consultancy and creative services.

Community First helps people in off-mains gas areas save money each year through our community oil buying scheme and distributes hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding for new initiatives and community projects, through grants and funding programmes.