03.12.2024

Rural Funding Digest - December 2024

funding latest Newsletters Rural Funding Digest member services

A monthly bulletin facilitated by your membership of the Rural Services Network highlighting a selection of current funding opportunities

- Download a printable version of the Funding Digest here

Royal Countryside Fund

The Royal Countryside Fund are launching a UK-wide Supporting Rural Communities grant programme on 10 January 2025. This new differentiated funding aims to support transformative, community-led initiatives across the UK, unlocking the huge potential for positive change in rural communities. The aim is to support innovative solutions that will “power up, not prop up” communities, inspiring change and encouraging economic vibrancy.

Organisations can apply for grants of up to £25,000 over a period of 24 months to deliver activities along the themes of:

Keeping young people in the countryside
Powering up rural communities
Increasing environmental sustainability
Building emergency resilience in rural areas.

There will be a two-stage application process. Initially, you will need to send a short video and complete a simple Expression of Interest form. The deadline for expressions of interest is 21 February 2025.

A webinar for prospective applicants is being held on 17 December 2024. You can sign up for the webinar via the website.

Supporting Rural Communities - The Royal Countryside Fund

Defibrillator funding for community spaces – Department of Health and Social Care

The department is currently running a £1 million match funded Community Automated External Defibrillators Fund, aimed at increasing the number of AEDs in public places where they are most needed and to help save lives.

To be eligible for a funded defibrillator you must:

Locate the secure defibrillator cabinet on an external wall in an area that is accessible to members of the public 24 hours per day. (The equipment must be installed and registered on The Circuit within 4 weeks).
Be able to provide an electrical power source to ensure the defibrillator cabinet light and heater operate to keep the device at the right temperature
Provide match funding for your application (c. £750).

It is expected that the scheme will close to applications soon.

DHSC Community Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund

School music equipment – Universal Music UK Sound Foundation

The Foundation has helped over 10,000 students, schools and teachers improve their access to music through the purchase or upgrade of musical instruments and/or equipment.

Applications are open for funding up to £1000 from Schools, teaching the national curriculum, which are based in the UK and Ireland towards the cost of musical resources.

The deadline for applications is 22 January 2025.

UMUKSF SCHOOL FUNDING – UMUK Sound Foundation

Memorial Grant Scheme – Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The Memorial Grant Scheme gives grants towards VAT on the construction, repair and maintenance of public memorial structures, for work which took place on or after 16 March 2005.

This is a UK-wide grant, available for memorials in any part of the UK (or overseas memorials in some circumstances). The grant scheme is managed by East Midlands Business Ltd on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

If you are a registered charity or a faith group ‘excepted’ from registering as a charity, this grant can help you with the cost of works like repairing and cleaning public memorials or installing a new memorial.

There are conditions on the types of memorial which are eligible, and what the funding can be used for. If your project meets these conditions, you can apply for funding towards the VAT cost of the works. The maximum grant available is the full rate of VAT (20% of project costs).

Funding can only be provided for works that have already taken place. You cannot apply for funding in advance of future works. If the work is ongoing, you can only apply for part-funding for parts of the work which have been completed.

The deadline for applications is 31 December 2024.

Applying for a memorial grant - GOV.UK

Community Radio Fund – Ofcom

The Community Radio Fund is allocated by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and managed by Ofcom. The total amount available over the course of 2024-25 is £411,759.2. In Round 1, grants were awarded totalling £205,479, which leaves £206,280.20 available for grant funding in Round 2. In the last round the grants awarded ranged from £4,320 up to £33,854.

Community radio stations serve a range of local communities across the UK. Fuelled by the hard work and enthusiasm of volunteers, they reflect a diverse mix of cultures and interests and provide a rich mix of mostly locally produced content.

The Community Radio Fund supports the core costs of running Ofcom-licensed community radio stations, including:

Management
Fundraising to support the station (eg, grants, commercial funding)
Administration
Financial management and reporting
Community outreach
Volunteer organisation and support

Grants can only be made to Ofcom-licensed community radio stations in the UK, broadcasting on AM, FM, or via a Community Digital Sound Programme licence on a digital radio multiplex.

Applications will close on 8 December 2024.

Community Radio Fund - Ofcom

The Fore

The Fore fund small charities that make a big impact.

They offer unrestricted funding to help applicants grow, strengthen, become more efficient or resilient. They believe that by asking you and your charity what you need, their grants will create a transformational impact on your organisation. They are particularly keen to hear from grassroots organisations working with underserved communities.

They offer unrestricted grants of up to £30,000 spread over one to three years

Funding can be used for whatever you need for your organisation to grow, strengthen, become more efficient or resilient.

Registration for the Spring 2025 funding round will be open from 12pm (midday) on 4 December to 12pm (midday) on 11 December 2024.

Home - The Fore

Specialist Programme – Lloyds Bank Foundation

This programme is for small, local, specialist charities supporting people facing complex issues.

Under this programme the Foundation will support charities to strengthen their capacity and capabilities and become more resilient through a range of tailored development support offers alongside a three-year unrestricted grant of £75,000.

Applicants must be providing in-depth services in one of the following themes:

Addiction
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Care Leavers
Domestic Abuse
Homelessness
Offending
Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery

The deadline for applications is 23 January 2025.

Apply for funding under our Specialist Programme

Community Power – The National Lottery Community Fund

The Fund are looking for 10 to 15 partners to work with them in the development stage of their Community Power fund. By community power, they mean local communities being able to influence and change the places they live. As well as the services they use, and decisions that affect their lives.

The Fund have committed to a £100 million, 10 year Community Power fund and aim to launch the broader programme in 2026.

For this development stage they have up to £1.2 million funding available over one year. This work will shape how the Community Power fund runs in the future.

As a partner you’ll deliver activities in and with communities to increase their agency, power and control. This can be new or existing work. You’ll also work with the Fund, and the other partners, to understand what works to increase community power. Including what the barriers are. And what support and learning is needed to improve community power activities over the long term.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 8 January 2025.

Community Power | The National Lottery Community Fund

You Decide – The National Lottery Community Fund

The Fund are looking for up to 5 partners with expertise in involving communities in decisions about grant making. They have £2 million funding for this one year development phase. Partners will support communities to decide how to give out this funding to good causes. And will involve communities in decisions in a way that builds their skills, resources and ability to work together.

As part of the Fund’s strategy, they want to listen to communities and engage them in new ways. As a partner you’ll test out ways to involve communities in decisions about who and what to fund. By communities they mean people who share an identity, interest or experience. Or people living in the same place.

The Fund will cover your costs for working with them and other partners. Including your involvement in developing these new approaches and in shared learning activities. They expect most partners to use a maximum £80,000 for this.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 8 January 2025.

You Decide | The National Lottery Community Fund

IT4Good – WCIT Charity

The WCIT Charity is a national charity with a City of London home. Their purpose is to use the power of tech for impact through digital inclusion, education, charitable, and public engagement initiatives across the entire UK.

As an IT charity, all projects they fund must make use of information technology, and must relate to one or more of their priority areas

Education
Inclusion
IT for charities
Public understanding of IT

Projects need to demonstrate an innovative use of IT, be scalable for wider replication, and be sustainable over time.

Projects funded are usually up to £15,000.

Home - WCIT Charity

UK Under 26 Fund – Steel Charitable Trust

This fund aims to improve outcomes for children and young people in the UK (regardless of their nationality, culture or ethnic origin) who are wholly or mainly under 26 years of age. The overarching focus is on creating educational and/or access opportunities for young people in circumstances, groups or locations that face economic challenges or social marginalisation that may lead to significant disadvantages in later life.

Generally, £10,000 is the minimum grant size. Most one-off grants fall in the range £10,000 – £25,000.

The next deadline for applications is 15 January 2025.

UNITED KINGDOM Under-26 Fund

Homeless charities and hospices support – CRASH

CRASH is the construction industry’s charity. CRASH assists homelessness charities and hospices with their refurbishment and construction projects, sourcing pro-bono or discounted professional expertise, and construction products, from Corporate Patron companies and supporters within the industry.

They know buildings affect the way we feel and behave – even a small refurbishment project can make a big difference.

They work collaboratively with all of the homelessness and hospice charities they support to deliver assistance in three ways:

Professional expertise.
Construction products.
Grant giving.

There are no application deadlines.

Apply For Help | CRASH

One Stop Community Partnership Programme – Groundwork

Groundwork is working with One Stop Stores Ltd to administer the One Stop Community Partnership programme.

Successful applicants will receive an initial grant of up to £1,000 and begin a partnership with their local One Stop store.

This programme is designed to support community groups or organisations operating within two miles of a One Stop store and which are:

Tackling food poverty
Supporting the vulnerable
Supporting the elderly
Supporting low-income families
Running youth sports teams
Reducing / recycling waste
Improving the environment

Applications will close on 24 January 2025.

One Stop Community Partnership - Groundwork

School-based Nursery Capital Fund – Department for Education

The School-Based Nursery Capital Grant is a one-time grant available for eligible state-funded primary-phase schools. Schools can bid for up to £150,000 of funding to use solely for capital expenditure, to convert surplus space within a school building so that it is suitable for nursery provision.

Applications for grant funding are open to state-funded primary-phase schools in England who already offer some early education, such as a reception class.

To qualify, your project must meet all the eligibility criteria within the application. This includes securing support from your local authority and obtaining consent from your landlord or relevant freehold landowner where necessary.

The deadline for applications is 19 December 2024. If you wish to apply but do not have a DfE Sign-in account (required to access the online application service), you must request an account by 12 December 2024.

School-Based Nursery Capital Grant - GOV.UK

Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) – Department for Education

Eligible academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary-aided (VA) schools can apply for capital funding from the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) in an annual bidding round.

The priority for the Department for Education (DfE) in administering the fund is to address significant condition needs – that is, keeping education providers’ buildings safe and in good working order. This includes funding projects that address health and safety issues, building compliance, and buildings in poor condition.

The fund also supports a small number of expansion projects. These are for academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools that can demonstrate a need to expand.

Applicants need to register for a CIF portal account by 10 December 2024 and applications must be submitted by 17 December 2024.

Condition Improvement Fund - GOV.UK

Community Tree Planting Grants – International Tree Foundation

The UK Community Tree Planting Programme aims to support community projects that will:

Create and conserve indigenous trees and woodlands, forests, habitats and associated biodiversity
Foster community engagement in tree planting to promote reforestation and to increase awareness of the importance of trees and forests to environmental and human well-being
Encourage social cohesion and inclusion

Your organisation must be community-based and/or have a social benefit e.g. a school, community group, social enterprise, non-governmental organisation, parish council, etc.

There are two streams of funding available:

For Community Woodlands / Hedging: Projects range from 100 – 25,000 trees planted per year, with a maximum price equivalent to £1.95/tree. In addition, these projects also receive two maintenance grants, equivalent to £0.10/tree, disbursed in the first and second summers after planting, respectively.
Community Orchards: Projects up to 30 trees planted per year.

The deadline for applications is 13 December 2024.

UK Community Tree Planting Grant — International Tree Foundation

The Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund

This Fund helps regional and smaller museums to borrow works of outstanding quality and significance from national and major lending institutions. The programme is generously supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation. The scheme aims to increase access to notable objects, share resources across the UK, help develop relationships, and bring lasting benefits to borrowers, lenders and audiences.

Grants of up to £35,000 are available to cover the practical elements of strategic loans projects. The programme also funds activities to maximise the impact of the loaned items and to develop the skills of museum professionals.

Applications close on Friday 6 December.

Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund - Get funding - Art Fund

Museum and Galleries Fund – John Ellerman Foundation

The Fund aims to help strengthen museums and galleries in the UK, celebrating the unique assets that the regions possess and their benefit to everyone nationally. The Fund wants to help organisations enhance and sustain curatorial development to attract a broader and more diverse public.

They generally expect to make five or six grants for periods of two to three years. While the average grant size is circa £90k they will consider higher amounts for exceptional projects.

The Fund is open to a wide variety of collection types. They have supported visual and decorative arts, social history and anthropology, science and technology, industrial, natural history collections.

The deadline for first stage applications is 6 January 2025.

ellerman.org.uk/apply-for-funding/museums-and-galleries-fund

The Needs of Visually Impaired People – Ulverscroft Foundation

The Foundation gives financial help to Universities which carry out research into the causes and treatment of eye diseases. They also fund eye clinics, hospitals, schools, libraries and other organisations helping visually impaired people in the UK and overseas.

Applications for funding can be considered from any source, UK or overseas. Applicants need not necessarily be a charity: they can be a CIC or social group. Funding is at the discretion of the Trustees. Grants range from around £100 to £500,000.

Trustees meet quarterly to consider applications: in January (deadline 15 December), April (deadline 15 March), July (deadline 15 June) and October (deadline 15 September).

Ulverscroft Foundation | Serving the Needs of Visually Impaired People | Homepage

Voices from the Frontline – Rosa

Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline fund, now in its seventh year of running, offers? grants of up to £10,000?over 18 months to women’s and girls’ organisations?to support campaigning and influencing work?that enables women and girls to use their voice to achieve change.

Not-for-profit women’s and girls’ organisations can apply and are defined as those which are run by, for and with women and girls.

The deadline for applications is 9 December 2024.

Voices from the Frontline - Rosa

Awards for Social Entrepreneurs – UnLtd

Social entrepreneurs who have an idea or are already making a difference and are looking for support to develop their social venture can apply for funding and support to help get started or grow.

Starting up grants up to £8000: You are committed to creating social impact in a financially sustainable way. You are at an early stage or have started to make a difference to people's lives, communities, or the planet.
Scaling up grants up to £18,000: You are the founder of a financially sustainable social venture that is making a positive difference to people’s lives, communities, or the planet. You have evidence of your social impact and ambitions to build on it.

The next deadline for applications is 31 December 2024.

Awards | UnLtd

Family Focus Programme 2024/25 – Armed Forces Covenant Fund

This programme offers grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 to fund projects that explore and pilot solutions for family members – collectively and as individuals – of wounded, injured and sick serving personnel or Veterans.

Applications are welcome from: Registered charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), Local authorities, and other statutory organisations.

The deadline to apply is 18 December 2024.

Family Focus Programme 2024/25 : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Cash4Clubs – Flutter UK & Ireland

£400,000 is available in small grants for grassroots sports clubs in need.

Flutter UKI have teamed up with the UK charity Sported for the 2024 edition of Cash4Clubs, offering small grants of £2,000 to community sports clubs and organisations that are giving adults access to sport across the UK and Ireland.

In order to be eligible for funding, clubs and organisations must be either registered charities or clubs with a structured governance and constitution. They are also keen to hear from clubs that are targeting communities from deprived areas.

Whilst funding is unrestricted, they are only able to support clubs that serve over 18-year-olds. they are particularly interested to hear from clubs that are using sport for other social purposes such as developing skills, reducing crime or addressing anti-social behaviour.?

The closing date for applications is 12 December 2024.

Cash4Clubs: The 2024 Fund (cash-4-clubs.com)

Stobart Sustainability Fund

The Stobart Sustainability fund is aimed at supporting community-led sustainability projects and initiatives lead by non-profit organisations, community groups and educational facilities, such as schools and colleges, to help them transform their local community through projects that tackle climate change, reduce carbon emissions or that protect and enhance the environment.

They welcome applications from community groups, educational facilities or small businesses. Applications need to be of a green, ecological or sustainability nature with the project benefiting the environment.

The Stobart Sustainability Fund | Stobart (eddiestobart.com)

Literacy small grants scheme – JJ Charitable Trust

The Trust seeks to improve the effectiveness of literacy teaching in primary and secondary education for children with learning difficulties, including dyslexia.

Their work has a particular focus on areas of social need and those who are at risk of non-inclusion in society and the world of work.

The Trust’s small grants scheme funds charities and community groups that directly help children and young people develop literacy skills, with a focus on supporting those with learning difficulties such as dyslexia.

They are keen to see applications for projects that use volunteers and reading mentors and those that help during transitional points. For example, when students move from primary to secondary school, and when they transition to further education, college, or the workplace. They will consider grants for literacy support at any primary or secondary key stage.

You can apply for grants between £5,000 and £20,000. You can apply for a multi-year grant, over a maximum period of 3 years.

The JJ Charitable Trust - Literacy Small Grants Scheme (powerappsportals.com)

Creative People and Places – Arts Council England

Creative People and Places focuses on parts of the country where involvement in creativity and culture is significantly below the national average. It funds partners in local areas to empower residents to decide what kind of creative activity they want to experience on their doorstep.

Applicants can apply for between £750,000 and £1,000,000 for a three-year period regardless of the number of eligible places you are applying to cover. A lost of the eligible locations is available on the website.

Activities must be delivered over three years starting on 1 April 2026 and must end on 31 March 2029.

Applications will close on 16 January 2025.

National Portfolio Creative People and Places funding 2026-29 | Arts Council England

Grants for historic church interiors and churchyard structures – Church of England

The Church of England give grants for the conservation of historic church interiors and churchyard structures in partnership with the Pilgrim Trust, the Radcliffe Trust, the Oswald Allen Bequest, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, and the Anglican Parish Churches Fund. Grant categories are as follows:

Bells and bell frames – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 31 March 2025.
Books and manuscripts – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 19 June 2025.
Church plate repairs – deadline for applications 9 June 2025.
Churchyard structures – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 9 June 2025.
Clocks – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 7 April 2025.
Monumental brasses and decorative metalwork – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 9 June 2025.
Monuments – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 9 June 2025.
Organs – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 2 June 2025.
Paintings and wall paintings – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 27 January 2025.
Stained glass – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 11 August 2025.
Textiles – grants up to £8,000, deadline for applications 9 June 2025.
Wooden objects – grants up to £10,000, deadline for applications 9 June 2025.

Grants for historic church interiors and churchyard structures | The Church of England

Community support small grants – Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Single year grants between £2,000 and £10,000 are available to charities and not for profit organisations for core costs, salaries, running and project costs. Projects must have a focus on Community Support and address urban and rural deprivation in the UK.

if you are located in a rural area, you must be in the bottom 50% most deprived areas according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation. Your annual income must not exceed £250,000 and you can secure 50% of the total project costs.

This is a rolling programme with no deadlines.

Small Grants | Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Family support major and small grants – Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Single year grants between £10,000 and £50,000 are available for core costs, salaries, running and project costs or multi-year grants for a maximum of 3 years, not to exceed £100,000 in total over this period, for core costs, salaries, running or project costs. No more than £50k can be applied for in any given year. Organisations should have a focus on Family Support, this may further include:

Early intervention
Families coping with addiction
Prisoners' families

They fund voluntary sector organisations with a turnover up to £500,000.

if you are located in a rural area, you must be in the bottom 50% most deprived areas according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Single year small grants between £2,000 and £10,000 are also available for core costs, salaries, running and project costs.

Major Grants | Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Project Viability & Project Development Grants – the Architectural Heritage Fund

The Fund is offering grants of up to £15,000 to help assess the viability of historic building projects, and up to £20,000 towards development work to progress plans for historic buildings.

Project Viability Grants: These grants should help you to establish whether a project is viable. Work will probably focus on understanding the condition of the building, how it might be used, and whether that intended use is appropriate for the building and likely to be sustainable.
Project Development Grants: Project Development Grants can cover some of the costs of developing and co-ordinating your project and taking it towards the start of work on site. To qualify, an organisation must have established that the end use of the project is likely to be viable and have decided to take the project forward.

Applications are assessed at monthly grant decision meetings. This grant programme is supported by funding from Historic England.

England | The Architectural Heritage Fund (ahfund.org.uk)

Energy Resilience Fund – Power to Change

The Energy Resilience Fund is an initiative assisting community businesses in retrofitting their buildings with energy-saving measures. The programme is funded by Power to Change and delivered by Key Fund.

Investment amounts are available from £10,000 to £150,000. Up to 40% of the total is available as grant, where justifiable to support cost stabilisation or reduction. The minimum loan term for the remainder is 12 months, with a maximum of 7 years.

Energy Audit Grants are also available between £500 and £2,500 where these have not been completed.

Energy Resilience Fund - Power to Change

Neighbourhood Planning Grant Funding – Locality

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) have extended support for Neighbourhood Planning for a seventh year (2024/2025). The Neighbourhood Planning Support Programme will continue to offer grants and Technical Support packages and is currently open for applications. As follows:

If you're working on a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order, you can apply for grant funding of up to £10,000. Further grant funding is available to groups meeting certain criteria.
If you're facing complex issues such as allocating sites for development, you can apply for Technical Support where a specialist advisor will support you with specific issues or assessments.

Please note, that expenditure met through grant must be completed on or before 31st March 2025.

Home - Locality Neighbourhood Planning

The Movement Fund – Sport England

Launched in April 2024, the Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.

If your project aligns with Sport England priorities, they can fund a wide range of costs and items up to £15,000.

Their focus is to support projects that match their goal of getting more people active, reducing the number of inactive people and tackling inequalities.

Projects providing opportunities for groups facing barriers to activity are of particular interest, such as:

people living on low incomes
disabled people or those with long-term health conditions
older people
people from culturally diverse communities
pregnant women and parents with very young children
girls aged 5-16
LGBTQ+ people
people who are in foster care
people who provide care without pay.

Funding guidance | Sport England

Senior Mental Health Lead Training – Department for Education

Government are offering a grant of £1,200 for eligible state-funded schools and colleges in England to train a senior mental health lead.

This training is not compulsory, but is part of the government’s commitment to offer this training to all eligible schools and colleges by 2025.

Training will support senior mental health leads to develop and implement a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing. They must start their training by 31 March 2025.

Grants should cover (or contribute to) the cost of attending a quality assured course. You can also use it to hire supply staff while leads are training.

Applications need to be completed by 31 December 2024 to reserve a grant.

Senior mental health lead training - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Small Grants – Woodward Charitable Trust

The Woodward Charitable Trust only makes grants for core costs rather than specific projects as they recognise that smaller charities can find these hard to fund. They hope that this will have a more direct impact on the organisations that they choose to fund.

Trustees only fund organisations that support at least one of the following three target groups and particularly look to fund projects that help families and young people and that are aiming to improve the life chances of their beneficiaries.

Children and Young People (up to 25 years)
Disadvantaged Families
Prisoners and Ex-Offenders

Most grants are up to £3000 but usually less than £1000. Applications close on 13 December 2024.

General Application Guidelines – The Woodward Charitable Trust

Electricals Recycling Fund – Material Focus

The Electricals Recycling Fund aims to grow existing methods or test new creative and practical ones for recycling small household electricals. If you have a project that would make it easier for the public to repair, reuse or recycle their electricals, you can apply for funding.

They fund two types of projects – those seeking to grow or develop existing household collection services for small household electricals, and those seeking to innovate new collection methods.

Organisations can apply for up to £100,000 of funding for projects that aim to grow or improve existing household waste and recycling collection services.
Organisations can apply for up to £50,000 for projects that aim to innovate or test new approaches to collect electricals for reuse and recycling.

They’re keen to see applications from registered organisations only – such as local authorities, waste collection authority areas, contractors, non-profits, community sector organisations, producer compliance schemes, and retailers.

Applications are currently open on a rolling basis.

Electricals Recycling Fund - Material Focus

Climate Action Fund: Our Shared Future – The National Lottery Community Fund

The Climate Action Fund is a commitment to help communities tackle climate change. The Fund is supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable.

With Climate Action Fund – Our Shared Future, Lottery want to involve more people in climate action. They we want to inspire bold and exciting change.

They’ll fund formal partnership projects that reach more people by either:

linking climate action to the everyday lives and interests of local communities. And inspiring them to take action.
influencing communities at a regional or national level. Like linking up groups across locations. Or a campaign that inspires change across one country, or the whole UK.

Formal partnerships can apply, working across sectors and led by community and voluntary organisations or public sector organisations.

The minimum you can ask for is £500,000. They expect to fund most projects for between £1 million and £1.5 million over 3 to 5 years and aim to fund up to 25 projects.

You’ll be able to apply until Spring 2025. They will announce the final deadline nearer the time.

Climate Action Fund - Our Shared Future | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

The UK Fund – The National Lottery Community Fund

The UK Fund is looking to fund organisations that want to do more to help communities come together and help make us a better-connected society.

Your project must either work across the UK, or be able to inform, influence or scale across the UK.

They want to fund projects that:

strengthen relationships between people whose experiences of life have not been the same. For example, relationships between people of different ethnic backgrounds, generations, occupations or geographies
create connections between online and offline worlds
help make sure people from all backgrounds can shape the future of their communities.

£500,000 to £5m is available and they expect most projects to run from 2 to 5 years. They may consider funding for up to 10 years.

The UK Fund | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Community Energy Fund – Department for Energy Security & net Zero

Community energy projects involve groups of people coming together to purchase, manage, generate, or reduce consumption of energy. This includes (but is not limited to), solar panels, wind farms, hydro power, rural heat networks, electric vehicle charging points, car clubs and fuel poverty alleviation schemes. Programmes are usually not-for-profit, and profits raised from projects are reinvested back into the communities which they power.

The Community Energy Fund is a grant programme for community groups and eligible third sector organisations to develop projects from feasibility to commercialisation. The funding supports eligible community groups to consider options, design schemes and overcome barriers to investment. The programme is being delivered through the government’s Local Net Zero Hubs and further information on applying for funding can be found on their individual websites. Further information and links to Hub websites can be found at:

Local net zero: central support for local authorities and communities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Grant schemes for electric vehicle charging infrastructure – Office for Zero Emission Vehicles

The government offers grants to support the installation of electric vehicle chargepoints via the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). This includes:

Electric vehicle chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners. You can get 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, up to a maximum of £350.
Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for Households with On-Street Parking. You can get 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, up to a maximum of £350.
Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for staff and fleets. You can get up to £350 per chargepoint socket installed and up to £500 per parking space enabled with supporting infrastructure.
Electric vehicle chargepoint and infrastructure grants for landlords. You can get 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, up to a maximum of £350 per socket.
Workplace charging scheme. The grant covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints, capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
Workplace Charging Scheme for state-funded education institutions. You can get 75% off the cost to buy and install chargepoints up to a maximum of: £2,500 per socket (40 sockets across all sites including any applications made previously via the Workplace Charging Scheme).

The closing date for all grants is 31 March 2025. For more information visit the website below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-grants-for-low-emission-vehicles

D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust grants

The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust funds United Kingdom Registered Charities operating in the UK in the fields of the advancement of the arts, health and medical welfare and environmental protection or improvement.

The Trust makes grants which are usually in the range £500 - £6,000 and there are three grant-making meetings held annually which take place in March, July, and November. The majority of the Trust’s grants are single grants over a one-year period.

The next deadline for applications is 4 February 2025.

The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust – The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust (doylycartecharitabletrust.org)

Suez Communities Fund

The SUEZ Communities Fund in England has approximately £1.6M available per year, funded by donations from SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, through the Landfill Communities Fund.

To be eligible for a grant, your project must be located within one of their active funding zones. A postcode checker is available on their website.

Grants between £3,000 and £50,000 are available for community projects delivering capital improvements to public amenities. Examples may include:

Village hall improvements
Nature reserves and conservation
Village greens
Community centres
Public playgrounds
Cycle paths
Sports fields and facilities
Country parks
Historic buildings, structures or sites

There are four deadlines for applications, each year. The next deadline is 19 February 2025.

SUEZ Communities Fund - England - Grantscape Grantscape

Refurbishment Grants Programme – Armed Forces Covenant Fund

This programme will award grants of up to £75,000 towards projects that assist in the refurbishment or extension of rental accommodation that will offer high quality support for veterans with a housing need.

To be eligible for this funding, you must be one of the following:

A registered charity that can show it works with veterans or
A registered social housing provider that can show it works with veterans.

The deadline for applications is 3 January 2025.

Refurbishment Grants Programme : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Major Capital Grants Programme – Armed Forces Covenant Fund

This programme will award grants of between £75,000 and £500,000 towards projects that support significant refurbishment, including extensions and new builds, of rental accommodation that will offer high quality support for Veterans with a housing need.

They want to support projects that need help to refurbish or extend existing accommodation or build new accommodation to house Veterans. You can apply for this programme if your project will:

Enable major refurbishment of existing social rented or affordable rented homes for Veterans
Enable extensions of existing buildings to increase the availability of Veteran housing
Increase the number of new build, homes/housing units available to Veterans at affordable or social rents
Ensure properties meet decent homes and energy efficiency standards

The next deadline for expressions of interest is 8 January 2025.

Major Capital Grants Programme : Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Historic Houses Foundation Grants

The Historic Houses Foundation gives grants for the repair and conservation of rural historic buildings and structures in England and Wales, including their gardens, grounds and outbuildings. We also give grants for the restoration and conservation of works of art in historic house collections open to the public.

Grants are made to owners (charities, institutions, local authorities and individuals) who demonstrate a sustainable and long-term commitment to the care, management and public access of the historic country houses in their care.

The minimum Historic Houses Foundation grant is £1,000 and the maximum is £250,000 but an award of this size is only made under exceptional circumstances. Most grants are for less than £50,000.

Historic Houses Foundation

Community and Environmental Grants – Veolia Environmental Trust

The Trust award grants towards projects that make improvements to community facilities and the natural environment.

The Trust’s Community Grant Scheme is available to constituted not-for-profit organisations, local authorities and Environmental Bodies (EBs). Grants of between £10,000 and £75,000 are available to create or improve buildings or outside spaces for the benefit of the community.

The Habitat and Biodiversity Grant Scheme offers grants between £10,000 and £75,000 whilst the Environmental Improvement Grant Scheme offers grants over £75,000. Nature Conservation grants are also available.

The next funding round closes on 7 January 2025.

Funding (veoliatrust.org)

The Rowing Foundation

The Rowing Foundation purpose is to promote the participation in rowing of young people (those under 18 or still in full time education) and the disabled of all ages.

They provide grants towards the cost of boat equipment or boat refurbishments to support junior & student rowers, and adaptive rowing for all ages.

They match your spending up to a maximum of £4,000 per grant.

The Trustees meet three times per year to consider applications for equipment grants.

Refurbishment Grants are awarded on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

The Rowing Foundation

Open Grants Programme – The Clothworkers’ Foundation

The Foundation award grants to UK registered charities, CICs, and other registered UK not-for-profit organisations (including special schools). Grants are awarded towards capital projects, which they define as:

Buildings: purchase, construction, renovation or refurbishment.
Fittings, Fixtures, and Equipment: this includes but is not limited to office equipment/furniture, sports/gym equipment, digital/audio visual equipment, software and websites (more guidance on digital infrastructure can be found here), garden equipment, specialist therapeutic (excluding medical) equipment. It does not include equipment for one-off use, or which will be given to service users for personal use on a permanent basis.
Vehicles: This includes a minibus, car, caravan, people-carrier, or 4X4. We are unlikely to fund the total cost of a new vehicle and do not provide grants towards vehicle leasing.

They fund both large and small projects.

What We Fund | The Clothworkers' Foundation (clothworkersfoundation.org.uk)

Bernard Sunley Foundation grants

The Foundation offers grants in the categories of Community, Education, Health or Social Welfare.

They offer three levels of grants. These are large grants of £20,000 and above; medium grants of up to £20,000 and small grants of £5,000 and under. Grants can be used for:

Capital projects which include new buildings, extensions, refurbishments and recreational spaces.
New minibuses and other vehicles that provide a vital service to those most in need in their local community.
Churches and other places of worship with a strong, secular community focus.
Charities or CIOs (Charitable Incorporated Organisations) registered in England and Wales.
Certain organisations with exempt status such as specialist schools, scout and guide groups, housing associations, cooperatives, and community benefit societies.

Applications are accepted all year round.

What We Fund - Bernard Sunley Foundation

Funding for Places – The Wolfson Foundation

The Trust’s main grants programme provides support for places. These grants are for capital initiatives, i.e. buildings (new build or refurbishment) and equipment.

They fund a broad range of organisations working across the fields of education, science & medicine, health & disability, heritage, humanities & the arts.

The Foundation accepts applications from the following types of organisation:

Charities working with disability.
Charities working in mental health.
Charities working with older people.
Historic buildings and landscapes.
Hospices and palliative care organisations.
Places of worship.
Libraries and archives.
Museums and galleries.
Performing arts organisations.
Public engagement with science organisations.
Secondary schools and sixth form colleges.
Special needs schools and colleges.
Universities and research institutions.

Specific funding criteria apply to each.

Decision dates are in June and December annually. Corresponding application deadlines are 5 January and 1 September each year.

Funding for places - The Wolfson Foundation

Building Improvement Grants – Benefact Trust

Benefact Trust’s Building Improvement Grants programme provides essential support to protect and enhance churches and Christian charity buildings, ensuring their continued use, viability, and the safeguarding of their heritage.

The programme is open to applications from churches, cathedrals, denominational bodies and Christian charities.

Under Building Improvement Grants, they are able to support direct capital costs relating to the following types of work:

Essential, one-off repairs or other capital works to ensure the continued use or viability of a building (capital work must be considered urgent or necessary within 12 months)
Minor capital works or equipment purchases to meet operational or accessibility requirements (e.g. essential operational equipment, AV equipment, hearing loops, ramps, etc)
Conservation or restoration of historic features (e.g. stained glass, carvings, interior furnishings, clocks, tower bells, organs etc) which contribute to preservation and appreciation of a building’s heritage
Other aesthetic enhancements (e.g. interior decoration, furnishings or public realm improvements) to improve indoor or outdoor spaces for users
Energy efficiency/renewable energy measures (e.g. heating/lighting upgrades, solar panels, etc) which improve the sustainability of church buildings/facilities and enable their continued use

All applicants will be expected to have secured funding for at least 30% of their total project costs before making an application.

New - Building Improvement Grants | Benefact Trust

Small grants programme – Theatres Trust

Theatres Trust's Small Grants Programme, supported by The Linbury Trust, funds small projects that make a big impact to a theatre’s resilience, sustainability, accessibility or improving the diversity of audiences.

This scheme provides grants of up to £5,000 for essential works to enable not-for-profit theatres across the UK to be viable and thrive in the future.

Eligible projects include small capital works, the installation of key plant and machinery and works which make theatre buildings digital-ready.

This scheme will prioritise improvements to buildings that protect theatre use and remove barriers to participation and attendance.

The deadline for the next round of applications is 17 January 2025.

Small Grants Programme supported by The Linbury Trust (theatrestrust.org.uk)

Big Energy Saving Loans – Big Issue Invest

Big Issue Invest is offering loan finance between £20,000 to £200,000 to social enterprises and charities in England, for energy efficiency and renewable energy installation.

This lending programme is aimed at enabling social enterprises and charities to access loan funding to help save money on energy during the unprecedented cost of living crisis. Investment can be used for a variety of projects, including:

Insulation
Buying and installing renewable energy equipment
Heat exchangers and heat pumps
LED light installations
Replacing old gas fired boiler systems with new efficient ones
Property improvements, such as extra single glazing on existing windows, double glazing improvements, systematic draught improvements
Energy efficiency survey and technical assistance costs

The loans can be structured to your individual needs. They can be unsecured which means they will not require you to put any personal guarantees in place, or interfere with other financing arrangements that require security.

Big Energy Saving Loans - The Big Issue

Project Cost and Core Cost grants – BBC Children in Need

Children in Need often have several funding programmes open at any one time. These include:

Project Costs grants – support the aims and delivery of a specific piece of work. This work will usually be time-limited and based on a defined set of activities.
Core Costs grants – can be spent on an organisation’s central running and operational costs.

Charities and not-for-profit organisations can apply for these grants for up to three years. They aim to give quicker decisions for grants of £15,000 or less per year. There is no application deadline.

Apply For A Grant - BBC Children in Need

Emergency Essentials Programme – BBC Children in Need

This programme supports children and young people who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances, and is delivered by Family Fund Business Services. The programme provides items that meet a child’s most basic needs such as a bed to sleep in, a cooker to provide a hot meal and other items or services critical to a child’s wellbeing.

All applications must be made by a registered referrer.

BBC Children in Need Emergency Essentials Programme - Family Fund Business Services (familyfundservices.co.uk)

Defibrillator grants – London Hearts

Grants are available to fund Public Access Defibrillators in communities all over the country.

London Hearts is a charity aiming to help and support communities with the provision of heart defibrillators and teaching CPR/defibrillator skills. They can provide a grant of £300 towards the cost of a defibrillator and storage as well as a free online training video.

When someone has a cardiac arrest, timely intervention is the key to survival. By making more defibrillators available, and by training more people to use them, the better the chance of survival for a cardiac arrest victim.

London Hearts

Biffa Award – Main Grant Scheme

Biffa Award’s Main Grants Scheme is aimed at community and cultural groups and organisations, situated in the vicinity of landfill sites, that are in need of funding to improve the quality of life in their community or to conserve wildlife.

There are four themes - Community Buildings, Recreation, Cultural Facilities and Rebuilding Biodiversity. Under these themes we provide funding to create or improve community amenities. For example, upgrading kitchens, meeting rooms and toilets in village halls and community facilities; creating new playparks; installing new seating, lighting and exhibitions within theatres and museums; or establishing, protecting and enhancing habitats for biodiversity.

Between £10,000 and £75,000 can be awarded to projects that have a total cost of less than £200,000 including VAT.

Project sites must be within 5 miles of a significant Biffa Operation or active Biffa Landfill Site (15 miles for Rebuilding Biodiversity projects) and within 10 miles of

any licenced landfill site in England and Northern Ireland.

This is a rolling programme and as such there are no deadlines to submit an Expression of Interest in the Main Grants Scheme.

Home Page - Biffa Award (biffa-award.org)

Listed Places of Worship grant scheme – Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant Scheme gives grants that cover the VAT incurred in making repairs to listed buildings in use as places of worship. The scheme covers repairs to the fabric of the building, along with associated professional fees, plus repairs to turret clocks, pews, bells and pipe organs.

The Scheme has been run by DCMS with a focus on preserving heritage in the fabric of UK listed places of worship. Since its establishment in 2001, the Scheme has adapted to changes while continuing to support places of worship by delivering the fairest possible system of making grants and ensuring that all faiths and areas of the UK are equally able to make use of scheme.

The scheme only accepts applications where the minimum value of eligible work carried out on any one claim to the scheme is £1,000 (excluding VAT).

The Government has confirmed funding is available for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2025.

Listed Places of Worship - Home page (lpwscheme.org.uk)

Masonic Charitable Foundation

The Foundation is dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people, as well as vulnerable older people, in England and Wales. Their Charity Grants programme is open to registered charities in England and Wales working with any of their four main priority groups:

Improving the health and wellbeing of older people with dementia and their carers.
Children affected by domestic abuse.
Early years (0-5) with a focus on poverty and neglect.
Children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Small grants are for charities whose annual income is between £25,000 and £500,000. These grants are unrestricted. Small grants range from £1,000-£5,000 per year, for up to three years.

Large grants are for larger charities whose annual income is between £500,000 and £10 million. They must be restricted to a project. Large grants usually range from £10,000 to £60,000. They can be awarded over one to three years.

Grants to charities - The Masonic Charitable Foundation (mcf.org.uk)

Community Shares Booster – Power to Change

The Booster Fund has relaunched to support new and existing community businesses in England that are at all stages of a community share issue.

This includes the very early stages of exploring whether it’s the right choice, through planning a community share issue to being ready to launch, or in exceptional cases, recently launched.

The programme provides:

Development grantsaveraging £5,000 to prepare a community share offer; financial planning, governance support, marketing costs and being awarded the Community Shares Standard Mark
Match equity investment– typically matching pound for pound up to £25,000 invested by the Booster Fund providing the minimum share offer target is achieved

Community Shares Booster - Power to Change

Forestry England Woodland Partnership

The Forestry England Woodland Partnership offers long-term leases with guaranteed income for public and private landowners to create new woodlands. The partnership scheme supports government plans for woodland creation, nature recovery and progress towards net zero targets.

Forestry England are looking for sites of at least 50 hectares suitable for woodland creation for leases of between 60 and 120 years, and landowners will receive a guaranteed annual rent throughout the lease period. Forestry England will design, plant and manage every woodland created, ensuring each is resilient to a changing climate, supports wildlife, and provides wider ecosystem services.

All woodlands created through the partnership scheme will be open to the public, providing valuable health and wellbeing opportunities for communities.

Part of the Nature for Climate Fund to support the government’s tree planting commitment, the Forestry England Woodland Partnership aims to create at least 2,000 hectares of predominantly broadleaf woodland over the next five years.

Applications are open all year round. Full details and brochures for public and private landowners are available on the Forestry England website.

https://www.forestryengland.uk/woodland-creation

Grants for Heritage – National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund provide different levels of funding to heritage of all shapes and sizes. Their grants range from £10,000 up to £10 millions.

Current programmes include:

National Lottery Heritage Grants - £10,000 to £250,000.
National Lottery Heritage Grants - £250,000 to £10 million.

The Fund also has a number of strategic initiatives as follows:

Heritage places
Landscape connections
Heritage in need: places of worship
Nature cities and towns

Full information on all National Lottery Heritage Fund programmes is available on their website.

Welcome | The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Small, Medium and Large Grants – National Churches Trust

The National Churches Trust is making changes to its grants programme.

They will continue to offer three types of grant. These will be:

Small grants - these were formerly called Foundation grants for maintenance. This programme offers grants of between £500 and £5,000 towards urgent maintenance works and small repairs identified as high priority within a recent Quinquennial Inspection or Survey Report. Also, small investigative works and surveys. Project costs should be up to £20,000 incl. VAT and awards will never exceed 50% of the costs. The next deadline for applications is 28 February 2025.
Medium grants - these were formerly called Gateway grants. This programme offers grants up to £10,000 towards urgent and essential maintenance and repair projects costing between £20,000 and £80,000. Also project development and investigative work up to RIBA planning stage 1, to support churches preparing for a major project, and in developing their project to the point at which they can approach a major grant funder. Grants will never exceed 50% of the net project costs (for this phase). The next deadline for applications is 17 December 2024.
Large grants – these were formerly called Cornerstone grants. This programme offers grants up to £50,000 towards the cost of major urgent structural repair projects costed at more than £80,000 including VAT. Grants of £40,000 to £50,000 are extremely limited and reserved for cases which demonstrate a very high case for investment. They will also consider projects that introduce kitchens and accessible toilets to enable increased community use, costed at more than £30,000 including VAT. Grants will never exceed 50% of the project cost. The next deadline for applications is 4 March 2025.

http://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/our-grants

Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is a part of Defra’s Agricultural Transition Plan.

It will offer funding to farmers and land managers in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), National Parks and the Broads. It is not an agri-environment scheme.

The programme will fund projects that:

support nature recovery
mitigate the impacts of climate change
provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage
support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses

The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme has been developed by Defra with the support of National Landscape and National Park staff from across England.

The programme runs until March 2025. Applications will close sooner if all funding is allocated.

Get funding for farming in protected landscapes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Energy Redress Scheme – Energy Saving Trust

Energy Saving Trust has been appointed by Ofgem to distribute payments from energy companies who may have breached rules. The funds can pay for anything from making a home more energy efficient, to providing advice that helps consumers keep on top of their bills.

Energy Saving Trust has developed an open application process for charities seeking funding from the Energy Redress Scheme. Successful projects will be selected with input from an independent panel of experts and could cover a range of locations across England, Scotland and Wales.

The amount of funding available through the scheme varies throughout the year and will be reviewed on a quarterly basis in October, January, April and July. Eligible charities that have registered interest in the scheme will be notified when funds become available.

The minimum grant that can be requested is £20,000 and the maximum amount is the lesser of £2 million or the total value of the current fund.

The scheme can fund projects lasting up to two years, can fund 100 per cent of the project cost and can cover revenue and capital measures.

Round 13 of the Energy Redress Scheme is expected to open shortly. The previous round included the following elements:

The Main Fund aimed at projects seeking grants between £50,000 and £2 million that will support households in vulnerable situations.
The Small Project Fund aimed at projects seeking grants of between £20,000 and £49,999 that will support households in vulnerable situations.
Innovation Fund aimed at projects that will develop innovative products or services to benefit households. Applicants can apply for grants between £20,000 and £1 million.
Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund is targeted at projects that will reduce UK carbon emissions and empower households to reduce their carbon footprint. Applicants can apply for grants between £20,000 and £1 million.
The Just Transition Fund will fund development work for community-led renewable energy projects that also benefit energy consumers in vulnerable situations. Applicants can apply for grants between £20,000 and £250,000.

https://energyredress.org.uk/apply-funding

Garfield Weston Foundation

The Foundation support a wide range of charities that make a positive difference, working in different sectors in the UK. These include welfare, youth, community, environment, education, health, arts, heritage and faith.

They fund small local organisations and large national institutions. Grants range from £1,000 to several million pounds, depending on each charity’s size and scope of work. The grants can be for your organisation’s running costs, for a specific activity or for capital projects. The Foundation are flexible and fund what charities need the most.

Normally, capital grants are no more than 10% of a total project cost. However, for local community projects (e.g. village halls, community centres, places of worship, etc.), grants are unlikely to be over £30,000 regardless of the project size. If your organisation wants to apply for £100,000 or over, they expect your annual income or project to be over £1 million.

What we fund - Garfield Weston Foundation

FCC Community Action Fund

The FCC Community Action Fund provides grants of between £2,000 and £100,000 to not-for-profit organisations for amenity projects eligible under Object D of the Landfill Communities Fund (LCF).

The following types or organisation can apply:

Registered Charity which operates a community facility
A Church or Parochial Church Council
A Parish or Town Council or a Management Committee or User Association acting on behalf of a Parish or Town Council
A Local Authority
A CASC Registered Sports Club

Only applications for projects sited within 10 miles of an eligible FCC Environment waste facility can be accepted, you can check if you are located near an eligible site on their website.

The closing date for the next round of applications is 19 February 2025.

FCC Community Action Fund / FCC (fcccommunitiesfoundation.org.uk)

Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme – Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

Project Gigabit is the government’s £5 billion programme that targets hard-to-reach areas where it is more difficult and more expensive to build digital infrastructure. The majority of the rollout will come through local and regional contracts, providing subsidies to suppliers to extend their gigabit-capable networks to premises that are unlikely to be reached otherwise.

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (GBVS) is part of Project Gigabit, focused on helping specific people and communities upgrade their broadband connection. It mainly operates in areas where there is no existing coverage, planned commercial coverage or through Project Gigabit procurements.

Eligible homes and businesses can apply for up to £4,500 to cover the costs of a gigabit-capable connection.

You can check whether your premises is eligible for a voucher, find a list of registered suppliers, and see those who are active in your area on the website below.

https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/

Awards for All, Reaching Communities and Partnerships – The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF)

Awards for All:

TNLCF offer funding from £300 to £20,000 and can support your project for up to two years. You can apply for funding to deliver a new or existing activity or to support your organisation to change and adapt to new and future challenges.

They can fund projects that’ll do at least one of these things:

bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage
support people, communities and organisations facing more demands and challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Reaching Communities England:

TNLCF fund projects and organisations that work to make positive changes in their community. By community they mean people living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences. They offer funding that starts at £20,001.

TNLCF can fund projects or organisations that’ll do at least one of these things:

bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.

Partnerships:

This funding is for organisations working together in partnership to help their community. This funding also starts at £20,001 and can fund projects that do at least one of the things also specified under the Reaching Communities programme.

Funding programmes | The National Lottery Community Fund (tnlcommunityfund.org.uk)

Small Grants Scheme – Foyle Foundation

This Small Grants Scheme is designed to support charities registered and operating in the United Kingdom, especially those working at grass roots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities.

Online applications can be accepted from charities that have an annual turnover of less than £150,000 per annum. Larger or national charities will normally not be considered under this scheme.

The focus will be to make one-year grants only to cover core costs or essential equipment, to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services to charities that can show financial stability.

The priority will be to support local charities still active in their communities which are currently delivering services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged or the general community either directly or through online support if possible.

Grants are available between £2000 and £10,000.

Please note that the fund will stop accepting new applications to the Small Grants Scheme on 31 January 2025.

They can only consider applications for projects (and funding periods) which will be completed before the end of 2025.

Small Grants Scheme - (foylefoundation.org.uk)

National Lottery Project Grants – Arts Council England

National Lottery Project Grants is an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. The fund supports thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations.

Individual artists and practitioners, community and cultural organisations, museums and libraries can all apply. National Lottery Project Grants is open all the time, there are no deadlines.

Grants of between £1000 and £100,000 are available.

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/projectgrants

Veterans’ Foundation grants

If you represent a charity or an organisation that provide assistance to serving and former members of the British Armed Forces who are in need, you can apply for a grant from the Veterans' Foundation. Grants are also available to operationally qualified seafarers and their dependants.

The closing date for the next round of applications for ‘Standard’ and ‘Salary’ grants is 20 January 2025.

Apply for a grant | Veterans' Foundation (veteransfoundation.org.uk)

BlueSpark Foundation grants

Schools, colleges and community groups in England can apply for grants to Blue Spark Foundation for a wide range of projects. The Foundation value academic, vocational, artistic and sporting endeavour in equal measure but are particularly keen to support projects which will help enhance the self-confidence, team working skills and future employability of children and young people.

Many grants will be under £2,000 and none are more than £5,000.

Projects which could be supported include drama, music, sport, art and design, debating, public speaking, academic education, vocational training, community projects, enterprise projects and educational excursions. This list is illustrative and not exclusive as to the types of projects that the Foundation support.

http://bluesparkfoundation.org.uk/

Help the Homeless grants

Help the Homeless makes grants to charitable organisations with the aim of helping homeless people return to the community and enabling them to resume a normal life. Grants are available to small and medium-sized charitable organisations to fund the capital costs of projects with grants of up to £5,000. The quarterly deadlines for grant applications each year are: 15 March, 15 June, 15 September and 15 December.

http://www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/

Grants to support repair and conservation of war memorials – War Memorials Trust

War Memorials Trust grants support repair and conservation works undertaken following best conservation practice. Almost all war memorials are eligible for support and custodians/owners can find information about eligibility and processes on the website.

Grants are normally awarded at 50% of eligible costs depending on the priority level of your project and are likely to be considered up to a maximum grant of £5,000 for non-freestanding war memorials while freestanding, non-beneficiary war memorials may be considered up to a maximum grant of £20,000. The minimum award is normally £125 but there is some discretion on minimum and maximum grant levels.

War Memorials Trust seeks to help all war memorial custodians, whatever the nature and size of their war memorial by facilitating repair and conservation projects. Details on current eligibility and deadline dates as well as how to apply can be found at the web address below.

http://www.warmemorials.org/grants/

Football Foundation grants

The Football Foundation provides grants for building or refurbishing grassroots facilities, such as changing rooms, 3G pitches, fencing, portable floodlights, pitch improvements and clubhouse refurbishment. The Fund is available to football clubs, schools, councils and local sports associations and gives grants for projects that:

Improve facilities for football and other sport in local communities.
Sustain or increase participation amongst children and adults, regardless of background age, or ability.
Help children and adults to develop their physical, mental, social and moral capacities through regular participation in sport.

Grants are available for between £10,000 and £500,000.

Looking for funding | Football Foundation