Focus on Funding – February 2026
January 29, 2026
Welcome to Focus on Funding – your monthly resource to keep you abreast of current and new funding opportunities, and the latest funding news and events.
As well as Focus on Funding, you can access our support, including dedicated funding assistance, identifying funding sources, offering advice on strong applications, application reviews, communication with funders, application development and the facilitation of partnerships.
Other resources on the Funding page on our website include:
- Funding Application Checklist: Enhance your application with expert advice.
- Funding Applications Letters: Guidance on writing persuasive letters for charitable trusts and foundations when no application form is provided.
- Funding Tips: Key tips to consider when creating your funding application.
- Are You Fit to be Funded? Ensure your organisation is prepared to receive funding by addressing key aspects of capability, health, and policy compliance.
- Details of our online self-service funding portal, which makes it easy to find funding for specific activities or services by category, geographic area and more.
- How to access unrestricted funding using easyfundraising.
- Information on applying to the Eric Wright Charitable Trust.
For personalised support with funding for your voluntary or community group, or social enterprise, please contact us at:
📧 CVSfunding@cumbriacvs.org.uk
📞 01768 800350
This page will be updated with new information as we receive it during the month. Please check back regularly. (Last update: 24/02/26 – items added on this date are marked as [NEW])
You can view previous Focus on Funding posts here to catch up on our archive of information.
If you’ve seen something you think we should be sharing, let us know! Email us: info@cumbriacvs.org.uk
What’s it like getting funding in 2026?
IVAR, home of the Open and Trusting community of 170+ funders, is running its biggest ever survey to understand what it’s really like to apply for, receive and manage grants today.
If you work or volunteer in a UK-based charity, community organisation or social enterprise that applies for or receives funding, take 10 minutes to share your experience.
The survey closes 1st March, with 10 x £100 donation prizes up for grabs, and will take around 10 mins to complete.
EDI, Deprivation, and End-of-Grant Data Research survey
NPC are partnering with The National Lottery Community Fund to understand how funders collect and use end-of-grant, equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and deprivation data. Any donor that collects end of grant, EDI, and/or deprivation data is welcome to complete the short survey, and NPC would also like to hear from organisations that use the DEI Data Standard.
Your responses will help inform future funding practices and ensure that data collection is proportionate, meaningful, and supportive of grant holders. The survey should take around 8-10 minutes to complete. All responses will be anonymised and will not include any personal data about beneficiaries or staff.
Deadline for responses is 25th February 2026.
Government launches £11.5 million Covenant fund to help charities and councils support local communities
Local communities will benefit from a new £11.59 million government fund to help civil society organisations and local authorities work together to deliver support in areas including mental health, adult social care, women’s refuges and child poverty.
The Local Covenant Partnerships Fund will support 15 areas across England to implement new ‘local covenant partnership’ agreements helping to build stronger relationships and drive better outcomes for local communities. By investing in vital networks of local charities and community organisations, the fund will ensure more people can access services and support that will ease everyday pressures, close to home.
It will be targeted at areas most affected by the cost of living, and will strengthen collaboration between organisations in the civil society sector and local authorities, resulting in more joined-up delivery of preventative and self-directed care to benefit communities and individuals.
Read more about the Covenant fund here
New fund seeks to end ‘persistent underinvestment’ into women’s charities
A new initiative has launched with the aim of using £50m of dormant assets to help create the UK’s first endowment fund for women’s charities.
The Women’s Forever Fund launched in the House of Lords last month and is being supported by the Women’s Resource Centre, which represents over 4,000 members and connects with approximately 20,000 women’s organisations nationwide.
Speaking at the launch, Women’s Resource Centre chief executive Vivienne Hayes said that “social justice work, and investment into it, has been in through unprecedented turmoil” in recent years, with women’s charities in particular “still at the end of the queue when it comes to charitable funds”.
How to create a grant funding report
Explore how to report back to funders efficiently and effectively with grant fundraising reports, in this article from Charity Digital.
easyfundraising generates over £700k for community organisations in the last 12 months
During 2025, community groups and voluntary organisations using easyfundraising benefitted from over £700,000 in completely free, unrestricted funding. All thanks to their network of volunteers and others local supporters simply shopping online – no events, or grant applications, in fact no extra cost or effort at all.
If yours was part of the success, a huge well done. If not, be sure to get your share this year. Register with easyfundraising and 8,000+ retailers, including eBay, M&S, Argos, John Lewis, Trainline and Tesco will donate to your organisation with every online shop – with some selected retailers offering donations in-store too.
Find out more and register here
7stars Foundation
Amount available:
- Project Grants: One-off grants of up to £5,000.
- Shine Bright Long Term Grants: Two-year grants of up to £30,000 per year.
- Child Poverty Grants: Two-year grants of up to £30,000 per year.
- Social Impact Grants: Two-year grants of £5,000 per year.
- Individual Grants: One-off grants of up to £500.
Deadline: Sunday 1st February 2026; Thursday 30th April 2026; Monday 31st August 2026
The foundation makes grants to projects which support young people (18 years and under) who are challenged by abuse or addiction, who are young carers, or who are homeless/without a safe place to call home.
Grow Wild Community Programme
Amount available: £2,000
Deadline: Wednesday 4th February 2026 (15:00)
The funding is for groups across the UK to transform urban spaces for the benefit of people and wildlife through planting and championing UK native plants or fungi.
Projects should be led by groups who care about the environment and will use sustainable materials and practices and have the potential to reach at least 300 people.
In addition, projects need to work with one or more of Grow Wild’s target audience:
- Young people aged 12-25.
- People experiencing some disadvantage or reduced access to services.
- People who are less engaged with others in their local community.
- People who face barriers to connecting with nature.
- Disabled people.
Find out more about Grow Wild Community Programme funding here
Gambling Harms Prevention: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Grant Fund
Amount available: Not specified
Deadline: 6th February 2026, 12:00pm (Midday)
The fund is for VCSE organisations working to help prevent gambling related harm. Organisations will join the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), part of the Department of Health and Social Care, and the new prevention commissioner for gambling-related harms in England, to support the development of an independent and public health led approach to preventing gambling related harms.
Using sector expertise, the grant can be used by organisations to carry out interventions they know will reach and support people at risk of gambling related harm, or to implement and test new interventions. Organisations will play a key role in developing the evidence base over time to enable us to better understand ‘what works’ to prevent gambling related harm, independent of industry.
WCIT – IT4Good Grant Programme
Amount available: up to £15,000
Deadline: Friday 6th February 2026
Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations across the UK to deliver IT projects and activities that support the themes of education, inclusion, IT for charities, and understanding of IT.
Projects that are more likely to be funded include:
- The development and delivery of new services, solutions, training, apps, analytics, AI, robotics, or accessibility features/hardware.
- Projects where WCIT is a material or sole funder.
- Projects where WCIT is the sole funder of the IT component of a larger project.
- Organisations that could benefit from pro-bono support.
Proposed projects should demonstrate an innovative use of IT, be scalable for wider replication, and be sustainable over time.
Registered charities and organisations with a formal not-for-profit constitution, such as community interest companies (CICs), can apply.
James Tudor Foundation – Physical Health Grant
Amount available: up to £25,000
Deadline: Friday 6th February 2026 (17:00) for assessment in June.
There is a two-stage application process for applications:
- The first step is to submit an Expression of Interest. To access the Expression of Interest online form, groups must complete the relevant Eligibility Checker
- Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full application
The Foundation aims to support UK charities working in physical health, with a focus on therapeutic interventions, health information and direct healthcare. The fund’s priorities are:
- Support charities that address unmet needs, demonstrate sector expertise, and have a clear, well-defined strategy
- Charities providing condition-specific information
- Organisations whose services are delivered by qualified specialist professionals
Physical health charities in the UK are supported who work in the following areas:
- Therapeutic interventions for people living with acute, chronic, or degenerative physical conditions; people living with physical disabilities; and those recovering from life-changing injuries. The charities must provide evidence-based, NICE recommended therapies (e.g. physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, multidisciplinary rehabilitation programmes). Charities that provide services free of charge or at highly subsidised prices are prioritised
- Specialist, single-condition charities that are national and provide information about a specific condition via nurse-led helplines and via digital and print materials. Charities that are members of the Patient Information Forum (PIF) and/or have PIF Tick certification are prioritised. Additionally, groups operating helplines are given preference if they are members of the Helplines Partnership or hold the Helplines Standard certification
- Organisations whose sole focus is to provide direct healthcare services to marginalised communities. If funds allow, applications from homelessness charities with established mobile healthcare clinics will be considered.
Find out more about James Tudor Foundation Physical Health Grant here
Windrush Day Grant Scheme 2026
Amount available: £5,000 to £25,000
Deadline: Tuesday 10th February (23:59)
Grants are available for community led projects across England that celebrate the legacy of the Windrush generation and their descendants, while bringing people together across different ages, backgrounds and communities.
The Windrush Day Grant Scheme is part of the Government’s work to create more resilient communities, where different religions, cultures and opinions are celebrated, underpinned by a shared set of values that champion tolerance, freedom and equality of opportunity.
In 2026, the scheme’s focus is on bringing communities together, across different ages and ethnic backgrounds. It is expected that events and activities will be inclusive and encourage engagement and participation from people from a variety of different backgrounds, including those beyond Windrush communities.
The funding is for projects that focus on one of the following overarching celebratory aims of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme:
- Raise Awareness: To raise awareness of the historical facts and experiences of the Windrush story. This includes the pioneers who arrived on the MV Empire Windrush in 1948, and those who came on vessels and aircraft in the decades after WW2.
- Foster Pride: To foster a greater sense of national pride and recognition of the historic and ongoing contributions made by the Windrush generation and their descendants to UK society. To proactively support and encourage people from different backgrounds to embrace, celebrate and commemorate this aspect of our shared history
- Encourage & Inspire: To encourage and inspire the descendants of the Windrush Generation to become young leaders, pursue their aspirations and contribute to the shared values of UK society.
Proposals should be unique, bold, creative, community-led, and culturally resonant, engaging with the Windrush story and Windrush communities in powerful, enterprising and thoughtful ways.
Find out more about the Windrush Day Grant Scheme here
Tesco Stronger Starts
Amount available: up to £1,500
Deadline: Tuesday 10th February
Tesco Stronger Starts is open to all schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations that support children and young people to apply for a grant of up to £1,500. Every three months, three local good causes are selected to be in the blue token customer vote in Tesco stores throughout the UK.
Selected applications will go forward into stores for the voting round April, May, June. Applications not selected for this round will automatically be considered for all other up-coming rounds, Jul/Aug/Sep, Oct/Nov/Dec and so on.
Below is the list of the relevant stores successful applications will be placed to be voted on. The application will also need to include one postcode from the list too, otherwise it will be placed in the wrong region.
LA18 4BX MILLOM
LA22 9BU AMBLESIDE MARKT P EXP
LA23 3DB BOWNESS WINDERMER EXP
LA9 4SX KENDAL HIGHGATE
Find out more about Tesco Stronger Starts grants here and you can view a leaflet with more information by clicking on the thumbnail image above.
Small Charity Week 2026 – match funding campaign
Amount available: Match funding for public donations during campaign week from 22 to 29 June
Deadline: 5pm on Wednesday 11th February
Funding for UK-based charities working internationally, small charities in England, Scotland and Wales with more funding available for those in the latter two countries. And organisations looking to raise unrestricted income via matched public donations.
Find out more about Small Charity Week 2026 – match funding campaign here
King Charles III Charitable Fund – Small Grants
Amount available: £3,000 are available per year for three years. The total cost of the project should not exceed £50,000.
Deadline: Wednesday 11th February (12 noon)
The scheme provides small grants to support independent UK registered non-for-profit organisations for grassroots, community-based projects that fall within its core funding themes:
- Heritage and conservation – the preservation of historic and culturally important buildings and traditional craftmanship, together with the sustainable regeneration of communities and the built environment across the globe.
- Education – supporting education, training and employability opportunities through which young people and adults can fulfil their potential. This includes grants to non-profit organisations working to narrow the attainment gap, support broader education through music, the arts, sports and outdoor pursuits, as well as investing in teachers continuing professional development.
- Health and wellbeing – improving the health and wellbeing of people and communities. Grants have enabled people with disabilities, those facing life limiting illnesses and people from disadvantaged and marginalised communities to benefit from improved physical and mental health.
- Social inclusion – promoting social inclusion for vulnerable and marginalised communities through projects that relieve poverty, loneliness and other social issues.
- Environment – protecting and promoting the natural world through efforts including habitat restoration, species conservation, carbon savings and sequestration and circular economies.
- Countryside – investing in the economic and environmental future of the countryside. This includes grants to support sustainable and regenerative agriculture, nature friendly farming practices and a brighter future for those who live and work in rural communities.
Priority will be given to projects serving the most disadvantaged communities.
Eligible organisations should have:
- An annual income of between £25,000 and £500,000
- Completed at least two years of activity
- Less than six months of unrestricted free reserves
Find out more about King Charles III Charitable Fund – Small Grants here
Three Guineas Trust – Holiday Activity Schemes for Autistic Children and Young People
Amount available: up to £15,000
Deadline: The 2026 round opens for expressions of interest on Monday 2nd February 2026 with a deadline of Friday 13th February 2026 (17:00)
The programme will be for autistic-specific activity programmes that run in the school holidays in the UK, including sessions for siblings.
Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust
Amount available: £5,000
Deadline: Sunday 15th February and Saturday 15th August
The objectives of the Trust are:
- To promote horticulture.
- To promote the conservation of the physical and natural environment by promoting biological diversity.
- To promote the creation, development, preservation and maintenance of gardens accessible to the public.
- The advancement of horticultural education.
Funding is available for:
- The advancement of research in any branch of horticulture and the publication of the results of such research.
- Assisting in the creation, development, preservation and maintenance of gardens accessible to the public.
- Promotion of the cultivation of plants which have horticultural value and new plants.
- Assisting in the publication of books or other works related to the science of horticulture.
Find out more about Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust here
Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust – Rise Programme
Amount available: Grants of up to £30,000 in total are available for a project being delivered over a period of 6 to 12 months.
Deadline: Wednesday 18th February 2026 (midday)
The aim of this programme is to pilot a small number of grants to charities (registered for over 3 years) to provide additional capacity to review their governance, strategic growth, maturity of impact measurement and financial resilience, to ensure they are better equipped to support their beneficiary cohort.
All projects must meet this overarching aim and the following programme outcome:
- The organisation has developed an actionable vision to more effectively provide its services to those in the UK armed forces community who have given the most.
Applications will be accepted from:
- Small charities with an annual income of £10,000 to £100,000.
- Medium charities with an annual income of £100,000 to £1 million.
Find out more about Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust – Rise Programme here
B&Q Foundation – Home Improvement Grants
Amount available: £10,000
Deadline: Friday 20th February 2026 (6pm)
The funding is intended for UK charities working to improve the lives of people in need by supporting projects that make homes safe, welcoming, and comfortable.
Grants are for essential home improvements and home starter kits—helping individuals and families facing homelessness, domestic abuse, disabilities, illness, or financial hardship to feel more settled and supported in their living spaces.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Support people in need in the UK.
- Provide accommodation or support people moving into their own homes.
- Be in operation for at least one year with annual accounts published.
- Have a safeguarding policy in place.
- Commit to feeding back on the impact of the funding within 12 months when surveyed by Neighbourly.
Charities will need a published profile on Neighbourly in order to apply.
Find our more about B&Q Foundation – Home Improvement Grants here and B&Q Foundation 2026- Home Improvement Grants | Neighbourly
B&Q Foundation – Home Starter Kit Grants
Amount available: £10,000 are available for kits, with a maximum allocation of £500 per kit
Deadline: Friday 20th 2026 February (6pm)
The funding is intended for UK charities working to improve the lives of people in need by supporting projects that make homes safe, welcoming, and comfortable.
Grants support home starter kits to help individuals and families facing homelessness, domestic abuse, disabilities, illness, or financial hardship to feel more settled and supported in their living spaces.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Support people in need in the UK.
- Provide accommodation or support people moving into their own homes.
- Be in operation for at least one year with annual accounts published.
- Have a safeguarding policy in place.
- Commit to feeding back on the impact of the funding within 12 months when surveyed by Neighbourly.
Charities will need a published profile on Neighbourly in order to apply.
Find out more about B&Q Foundation – Home Starter Kit Grants here and B&Q Foundation 2026- Home Starter Kits | Neighbourly
Independent Age – Boosting Advice Fund
Amount available: Up to £150,000 over three years or up to £210,000 for partnership applications
Deadline: Wednesday 25th February
Funding is available for local advice charities that support older people in financial difficulties.
Charities which do not currently work with older people can apply but must demonstrate how they will integrate this support into their services. Funding is targeted at specific UK areas with high elderly populations.
Find out more about Independent Age – Boosting Advice Fund here
Four Nations International Fund
Amount available: £1,000 to £7,500
Deadline: Wednesday 25th February (14:00)
Funding is available to support creative sector organisations and individuals in the four nations of the United Kingdom towards international partnership development and co-creation projects.
The funding is intended to support in-person, digital or hybrid activity including exchanges, residencies, partnership development, co-creation and networking, with priority given to applications experimenting with innovative models of international collaboration.
Applications will be accepted from creative sector organisations and individuals based in one of the four nations of the UK.
Applications will require applicants to have at least one partner from another of the four nations of the UK in addition to at least one international partner.
The fund will prioritise support to individuals and those organisations who do not have regular funding status from any the following arts council funding schemes:
- Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations.
- Arts Council Wales’ Arts Portfolio Wales.
- Creative Scotland’s Regularly Funded Multi-Year Funding Programme.
Find out more about Four Nations International Fund here
KFC Youth Foundation Community Grants Programme
Amount available: £3,000 per year for up to two years
Deadline: Friday 27th February 2026 (12noon)
The Foundation aims to support grassroots organisations helping young people to thrive.
Funding is for programmes that create safe spaces, offer diversionary activities, and build life skills, from confidence and resilience to job readiness, to help young people feel secure, empowered, and ready for a positive future.
To apply, groups must:
- Be a youth-focused organisation running soley youth focused programmes.
- Be a registered charity or community interest company (CIC).
- Have an annual income of less than £400,000.
- Be based and operating exclusively in the UK.
- Benefit young people aged between 11 and 25 living in areas of high deprivation by providing them with either a safe space, diversionary activities, or life skills.
- Be able to demonstrate positive results within 12 months of any funding being received.
If applications are high, priority will go to organisations located in the top 10% most deprived neighbourhoods, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Find out more about KFC Youth Foundation Community Grants Programme here
POhWER – Arthur Bate Fund
Amount available: Up to £2,000
Deadline: Saturday 28th February
Funding for UK voluntary organisations which are looking to start or expand advocacy groups.
The fund especially welcomes organisations which can demonstrate their commitment towards diversity, cultural awareness, health and wellbeing, among other criteria.
Find out more about POhWER – Arthur Bate Fund here
Magdalen Hospital Trust
Amount available: £500 to £2,000
Deadline: Saturday 28th February
The funding is intended to promote the welfare of young people under the age of 25 years, who suffer from various effects of social deprivation, abuse, mental and physical disabilities, inadequate housing, lack of education or training, and the problems derived from unemployment and broken families.
UK based charities and Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) registered in the UK with an annual income of less than £100,000 can apply.
Charities should be working with vulnerable children and young adults, especially those at risk of sexual and other forms of exploitation.
Find out more about Magdalen Hospital Trust funding here
Wise Music Foundation – general grant programme
Amount available: Between £500 and £5,000, with an average award of £1,500.
Deadline: Unspecified, but the foundation’s trustees meet on a quarterly basis, usually in the third month of each quarter; this means that applications submitted by the end of February will be reviewed in March.
Funding is available for small UK charities (generally with an annual turnover of up to £500,000) that support vulnerable people facing hardship and poverty – particularly children, the homeless, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Find out more about the Wise Music Foundation – general grant programme here
Green Hall Foundation reopens 2nd March
Amount available: in the region of £1,000 to £10,000
Deadline: until they receive 150 applications after the opening date of 2nd March 2026 at 9am
The objective of the Green Hall Foundation is to sustainably improve lives: among the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the disadvantaged particularly in the UK. Overseas project are also supported provided that the applicant charity is registered in the UK.
Preference is given to appeals where the Foundation can meet a significant proportion of the funding required and to appeals where permanent equipment or building is required as opposed to funding salaries or the charity running costs.
Find out more about Green Hall Foundation funding here
Energy Redress Scheme – Main Fund and Small Project Fund
Amount available: Main Fund offers grants of between £50,000 and £2 million for projects that will support households in vulnerable situations. Small Project Fund offers grants of between £20,000 and £49,999 for projects that will support households in vulnerable situations.
Deadline: Monday 2nd March (17:00)
The priorities of the Main and Small Grants schemes are to:
- Support energy consumers in vulnerable situations.
- Deliver benefits to the types of consumers that were negatively impacted by the specific issues that triggered the redress payment.
Applications will be accepted from:
- Registered charities in England, Scotland and Wales that are registered with the Energy Redress Scheme and have passed the due diligence process.
- Housing associations with exempt charity status based in England, Scotland and Wales.
- Community energy groups (a co-operative, community benefit society or community interest company) based in England, Scotland and Wales.
Find out more about Energy Redress Scheme – Main Fund and Small Project Fund here
Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust – Scaling Impact in Health and Care Fund
Amount available: £150,000 to £500,000
Deadline: Monday 16th March
Funding for registered and exempt UK charities as well as NHS organisations. It supports projects to scale-up tested care models aimed at improving outcomes for people with serious long-term or life-limiting conditions. Projects will need to evidence that the model is effective in the real world and will strengthen collaboration and integration across one or more care settings, among other criteria.
Find out more about Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust – Scaling Impact in Health and Care Fund here
Sasha Foundation
Amount available: Typically grants will be up to £10,000 and at most will be for 50% of the total budgeted cost of the proposed project/program.
Deadline: Wednesday 1st April
This fund aims to support charitable organisations working with young people, with a preference for those suffering from depression and mental health issues, or those who are confronting drug abuse issues.
Funding can be used for running costs (including salaries), projects, equipment, or capital developments.
Funding can be used for new, continuing, or one-off initiatives.
Find out more about Sasha Foundation grants here
[NEW] easyfundraising Impact Fund
Amount available: 20 x £500 unrestricted grants
Deadline: Sunday 5th April
The new easyfundraising Impact Fund is now open with 20 unrestricted grants for UK not-for-profit organisations to help them continue or enhance their work. The grant is unrestricted, so it can be used wherever the money is needed most to support your work.
The fund is open to UK based:
- Registered charities
- Other not-for-profit organisations
- Sports clubs and teams
- Schools and education settings
- Social enterprises and CICs
- After-school and youth groups
- Churches and religious organisations
How it’s awarded: The application form is straightforward. Grants will be awarded to organisations that best explain how they would use the £500. The grants will be awarded across a mix of categories and locations, and the fund is open to organisations of all sizes and structures.
Apply to the easyfundraising Impact Fund here
Youth Music: Trailblazer Fund reopens
Amount available: £2,000 to £30,000
Deadline: Fri 10th April 2026 (at 5pm)
Reopens 13th March. The Youth Music Trailblazer fund offers grants to organisations in England to run projects for children and young people (25 or under) to make, learn and earn in music. The project should trial work or test a new way of working, sustain a grassroots programme or disrupt the status quo (or all three!).
Your work must meet one of our themes:
- Early years
- Disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent young people
- Youth justice system
- Young people facing barriers
- Young adults
- Organisations and the workforce
Find out more about Youth Music: Trailblazer Fund here
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
Amount available: £1,000 to £50,000
Deadline: Friday 24th April
Grants are available to large charitable groups and organisations in the UK for projects that further the objectives of the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, particularly those that educate young people in rural areas and the relief of poverty in rural areas.
The Trust offers grants to charitable organisations working in agriculture, rural development and insurance in the UK.
Currently, the Trust’s main objectives are to:
- Advance the education of the public by means of research and dissemination of information in relation to agriculture.
- Advance the education of young people within rural areas.
- Relieve poverty within rural areas.
- Promote the benefit and social welfare of inhabitants of rural communities by associating together with the inhabitants and local authorities, voluntary and other organisations to advance education and leisure.
- Advance the education of the public by means of research and dissemination of information in relation to agriculture.
- Promote research into agricultural associated activities.
- Advance the education of the public by means of research and dissemination of information in relation to insurance.
Priority will be given to larger initiatives that would have a significant impact on rural communities, as well as initiatives in the areas of education of young people in rural areas, relief of poverty within rural areas, and support for the next generation of farmers.
Find out more about NFU Mutual Charitable Trust grants here
Armed Forces Day Events Grant
Amount available: £10,000. Match funding is required. Applicants must be able to accept a credit card payment as MOD will no longer be using BACs transfer for the grant payment.
Deadline: It can take up to 15 working days for an event to be approved and your confirmation email to be sent. If you have not received your email after 15 working days, please email the team.
The objective of the fund is to support Armed Forces Day events across the UK to show support for our servicemen and women, past and present.
Events must:
- Be held within two weeks of the Armed Forces Day. This year it falls on 27 June 2026.
- Have ‘Armed Forces’ in the event title.
- Be relevant to today’s serving Armed Forces.
- Have free access to members of the ‘Armed Forces Family’.
- Not be centred around fundraising or recruitment.
The funding can be used to pay for:
- Road closures required to hold an event, including to allow for parades and marches.
- Decorations, flags and banners.
- Local or national newspaper and radio advertisements to promote the event.
- Marshalling, security and first aid arrangements for the event.
- Insurance.
- PA and communications systems for events organisers.
Find out more about Armed Forces Day Events Grant here
Greggs Foundation – Community Action Fund
Amount available: £20,000 per year for up to three years of core funding
Deadline: Currently no fixed deadline – there are four funding rounds per year
Funding for not-for-profits with annual incomes between £25,000 and £1m. Those that have at least one full year of delivered services and a set of annual accounts, a board of at least three unrelated trustees or directors and a strong presence in one of Greggs’ areas of focus, ie near an outlet or in areas of social deprivation.
Find out more about Greggs Foundation – Community Action Fund here
Aviva Foundation – Financial Futures Fund and Communities Fund
Amount available: 1) Financial Futures Fund: multi-year grant funding for large organisations with incomes of more than £1m. 2) Communities Fund: Match-funding through a crowdfunding platform for small charities and not-for-profits with incomes of less than £1m.
Deadline: Unspecified
Funding for UK-based organisations which help people build financial resilience and support community-led climate action.
Find out more about Aviva Foundation – Financial Futures Fund and Communities Fund here
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust – Peace and Security Programme
Amount available: No fixed limit
Deadline: 2nd March 2026 (first deadline) and 2nd September 2026 (second deadline)
Funding for organisations performing national-level work in the UK – work that is legally charitable and focuses on systemic change.
JCRT will not fund large, established national charities or statutory bodies, nor will it fund business development projects.
Leeds Building Society Foundation
Amount available: up to £2,500
Deadline:
- Monday 2nd March 2026 for consideration at the Wednesday 25th March 2026 meeting
- Monday 1st June 2026 for consideration at the Wednesday 24th June 2026 meeting
- Monday 7th September 2026 for consideration at the Wednesday 7th October 2026 meeting
- Wednesday 11th November 2026 for consideration at the Wednesday 2nd December 2026 meeting.
The funding is intended to support projects to improve the health, wellbeing and financial literacy of people who are experiencing homelessness.
Small Grants – are flexible and can be used for core, project and/or capital costs. This is UK wide for organisations with a turnover of less than £500,000.
Projects must meet the Foundation’s purpose through one or more of its criteria themes. Examples of eligible projects include:
- Financial stress – projects that help with bills or debt stress
- Security and refuge – projects that support emergency accommodation
- Quality and suitability of housing
- Health and wellbeing support for those experiencing homelessness if it is part of wraparound support and the application also meets at least one of the other themes
Applications are welcome from those who take a Housing First and/or relationship-based approach. Applications should show evidence of:
- Strength-based practice
- Trauma-informed care
- Psychologically-informed environments
Find out more about Leeds Building Society Foundation grants here
Weaver’s Company Benevolent Fund
Amount available: Small grants of up to £5,000. Main Grants have no maximum amount.
Deadline: midday on:
- Thursday 12th March 2026 to be considered in June 2026.
- Thursday 2nd July 2026 to be considered in October 2026.
- Thursday 12th November 2026 to be considered in February 2027.
Grants are available for UK registered charities and charitable incorporated organisations that can demonstrate impact with ex-offenders, young offenders or young people at risk of offending, either within a local area or nationally.
The funding is intended for registered charities working in the current priority areas:
- Supporting offenders and ex-offenders into work, specifically for those looking to build skills and capability to get into sustainable work.
- Helping specific groups within the criminal justice sector that are less popular with funders than others.
The secondary funding area is focused on projects that work specifically with young people (aged 16 to 25 years) involved with the Criminal Justice System to ensure they are given every possible chance to realise their full potential and to participate fully in society, rather than general youth development projects.
Hospital Saturday Fund
Amount available: There are two levels of awards:
- Standard Grants of £2,000
- Larger Grants of up to £10,000
Deadline: The 2026 deadlines for:
- Standard grant applications are 13th April, 14th July, 8th October 2026, and 5th January 2027
- Large grant applications are 16th March, 16th June, 10th September, and 2nd December 2026.
Provides grant funding to registered health charities such as hospitals, hospices and medical organisations for medical projects, care, research or support of medical training taking place in the United Kingdom.
Funding can assist with medical projects, capital projects, medical care or research, hospice/respite care, medical training and running costs.
Large Grants are awarded for specific projects, research or equipment rather than running costs.
Find out more about Hospital Saturday Fund here
Matrix Causes Fund
Amount available: One-off grants of up to £6,500. (This grant is available for international applicants and those based in the UK but are not a registered charity.) Multi-year grants of up to £4,500 a year for up to three years.
Deadline: Tuesday 31st March (12:00 midday)
Grants are available to UK charitable organisations which promote access to justice, equality of opportunity, or a sustainable environment.
The funding is for projects that contribute to one or more of the following objectives:
- Access to justice
- Equality of opportunity
- Sustainable environment
Priority will be given to organisations:
- Based in London, and/or
- Those whose focus is on supporting the needs of vulnerable persons such as:
- People (particularly children) with disabilities
- Women in refuges
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- People with mental health difficulties
- Prisoners etc.
Find out more about Matrix Causes Fund here
Ironmongers’ Company – Charitable Grants for STEM Projects
Amount available: Up to £10,000
Deadline: Wednesday 1st April 2026
Funding is intended to support charities in the UK with projects to encourage young people, in particular those between 11 and 18 from disadvantaged backgrounds, to study science subjects and go on to further education or training in STEM related subjects, in particular the area of Material Science. The Foundation considers Materials Science to be science applied to understanding the production, properties and engineering applications of materials. This may be considered from the perspective of physics, chemistry, mathematics or vocational studies.
The foundation prefers to support smaller projects where it is the sole funder or its contribution makes a real difference.
Items of equipment will only be funded as part of specific programmes of activity.
Preference for urban areas outside London and particularly areas in the north and midlands with a manufacturing presence.
Find out more about Ironmongers’ Company – Charitable Grants for STEM Projects here
Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust
Amount available: £1,000-£10,000
Deadline: Wednesday 1st April 2026 (for the Summer meeting)
Grants are available to animal welfare charities for projects or activities in the UK that benefit and protect animals, relieve the suffering of animals, address the conservation of wildlife or encourage a greater understanding of animals.
Applications are accepted from UK registered charities working in the UK or abroad. (Charities with an annual income under £5,000 do not need to be registered to be eligible.)
Find out more about Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust grants here
Groundwork – Grassroots Grants
Amount available: £500 to £2,000
Deadline: Applications will close in September 2026
Grants are available for small, grassroots charities, community interest communities (CICs), and voluntary and community groups across England to deliver vital services that benefit their local communities.
Small, local, constituted voluntary and community organisations, including registered charities, with an annual income of less than £25,000 in the last financial year can apply.
Community interest companies (CICs) can apply if they have been in operating for two years with an asset lock (schedule one and two only).
Priority will be given to organisations that meet the following criteria:
- Funding is for work in communities that rank as being within the top 15% on the English Indices of Deprivation.
- Organisations that work with and support communities that are classed as marginalised or vulnerable.
Find out more about Groundwork – Grassroots Grants here
St Martin in the Fields – Homelessness Support
Amount available: Up to £500
Deadline: None
VRF awards fast emergency grants of up to £500 to help people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. These crisis grants can be used to remove immediate barriers such as rent in advance, deposits, ID, and removal costs.
You can register for a VRF account today using your direct work email address and once approved, you can start an application via our Application Portal.
Fid out more about the fund and process here
If you would like more information, please register to join one our Teams webinar where we can discuss our grant offer and answer any questions you might have. Once registered, you’ll be emailed a link to join the webinar at the scheduled time:
Tuesday 10th February 14:00 – 15:15. Please register for the event using your work email address via this link
BlueSpark Foundation
Amount available: up to £5,000
Deadline: Rolling
Grants are available for schools, community groups, clubs, societies or other organisations in England to improve the education and development of children and young people through educational, cultural, sporting and other activities.
The funding is for relatively small-scale projects, which might not happen at all or would only happen on a lesser scale without the support of BlueSpark.
The Foundation aims to help children and young people reach their full potential by supporting projects that have the following objectives:
- Encouraging independence.
- Developing team working skills.
- Developing self-confidence.
- Promoting creativity and individuality.
- Encouraging aspiration.
- Enhancing educational achievement.
- Widening educational horizons.
Yusen Logistics and Baltic Apprenticeships – apprenticeships levy transfer
Amount available: £210,000 in total levy funding.
Deadline: On a rolling basis over the next six months.
For charities, not-for-profits and NHS bodies. Eligible organisations will be able to claim funding for apprenticeship programmes in areas such as IT support, data analysis and digital marketing, all at no cost.
Village Halls Small Grants Fund
Amount available: Grant awards of between £2,000 to £5,000 are available where match funding of 80% is in place.
Deadline: There is no deadline but the fund will be closed when all funds are allocated.
Managed by Action with Rural Communities in England (ACRE), the fund provides support for the modernisation and improvement of village halls in England.
It helps organisations to undertake smaller projects such as disability access, boiler replacement, toilet upgrades and new kitchens. Project expenditure must take place before 31 March 2026.
Find out more about the Village Halls Small Grants Fund here
Wooden Spoon – Pass the Plate Appeal
Amount available: A minimum of £2,000.
Deadline: Applications taken on a rolling basis.
For organisations with pre-existing initiatives in tackling child hunger. Project beneficiaries must be a group.
They must be UK-based and support the lives of children and young people disadvantaged physically, mentally and socially.
Joyce Wilkinson Charitable Trust Fund
Amount available: There is no minimum or maximum grant award
Deadline: n/a
Grants for voluntary and community groups operating or providing charitable activities in or close to the parishes of Rosley and Westward, Wigton, and Aspatria.
The Leathersellers – small grants programme
Amount available: One-off grants of up to £5,000.
Deadline: Rolling
Charities and CIOs must meet the following criteria:
- Deliver activities to meet an identified need for vulnerable members of the community
- Provide evidence of effective impact/ difference made e.g. testimonials gathered from feedback and questionnaires
- Have a planned expenditure of under £200,000 during the financial year in which you are applying for funding.
- Demonstrate financial need. Due to overwhelming demand from charities with high financial need, we are unlikely to be able to prioritise applications from organisations holding more than 6 months’ free/unrestricted reserves.
- Have a publicly accessible website clearly showing who you are and what you do.
- Have a minimum of one year’s published accounts available via the Charity Commission. We do not accept management accounts.
Travel Actively Fund
Amount available: No limit
Deadline: n/a
The Travel Actively Fund (TAF) is open for applications from organisations in Barrow or Carlisle.
If your organisation has an activity or idea that will encourage and enable people from the fund’s targeted audiences to be more active by cycling, walking and wheeling (using scooters, wheelchairs) for everyday journeys you may be eligible to apply.
David Riddell Memorial CIO
Amount available: Between £5,000 and £25,000
Deadline: Applications taken on a rolling basis
Funding for charities running suicide awareness and prevention programmes for charitable purposes.
National Deaf Children’s Society – Community Grants
Amount available: £1,000 – £10,000
Deadline: Any time
The aim of the grants programme is to build communities that unite families of deaf children. For parents with a deaf child, having a strong community is vital, particularly during those first few years when families are still finding out what their child needs.
The early years are a crucial time for all children. For deaf children, this is even more true. Without adjustments, accommodations and the right support, young deaf children can find it more difficult to develop their language, communication and social skills.
This funding cycle is focused on projects that support deaf children in the early years (aged 0-5). This can be directly or indirectly, and projects can also involve older deaf children, deaf young people, families and professionals.
Wolfson Foundation
Amount available: To be agreed
Deadline: Two funding rounds per year
Applications are currently considered under four strands: the needs of older people; mental health needs; independent living for people with disabilities; palliative care and hospices.
The Foundation is also committed to funding projects that build, strengthen and sustain an organisation’s infrastructure for the longer term. Our grants will be for new build, refurbishment and equipment projects.
The Masonic Charitable Foundation
Amount available: Small grants range from £1,000 – £5,000, Large grants usually range from £10,000 to £60,000.
Deadline: n/a
The Masonic Charitable Foundation is dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people, as well as vulnerable older people, in England and Wales.
Priority areas:
- Children with special educational needs and disabilities.
- Children affected by domestic abuse.
- Early years (ages 0-5) with a focus on poverty and neglect.
COSARAF – Hardship Grants
Amount available: £2,000
Deadline: at any time
Grants are available for third party social organisations to support individuals and families across the UK who are in financial need and have exhausted all other sources of funding.
Applications will only be accepted from recognised third party social organisation, such as charities, housing associations, schools and social services who are acting on behalf of a family or individual in need.
Priority will be given to:
- The most financially excluded people.
- Families over individuals.
- Those with caring responsibilities.
- Items that will make the most difference to the individual/family’s long-term future.
Organisations can only apply once in a single year.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they are taking advantage of all support offered by local services, including the referring social organisation.
Football Foundation – Lionesses HERe to Play Fund
Deadline: Any time
Amount available: up to £25,000 for up to 75% of total project costs.
The fund aims to elevate the experience of women and girls in football by creating inclusive, welcoming, and high-quality environments that support female participation at every level.
Projects include:
- Signage.
- External lighting/CCTV.
- Toilets.
- Shower improvements.
- Baby change and breastfeeding facilities.
- Female officials’ and player privacy changing spaces.
- Changing room improvements.
- Clubhouse improvements.
- External covered spaces.
The Football Foundation requires a minimum of five years security of tenure for all applications, to be evidenced in the application.
Affiliated clubs need to have completed, signed up for or be on the waiting list for The FA’s Equal Game workshop.
Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation
Amount available: Previous grants have ranged from £5,000 to £2.25 million.
Deadline: The first step in the application process is to complete the online ‘eligibility test’ on the Foundation’s website. If the proposed project is eligible for funding, applicants will be sent a link to the Salesforce digital application form and given a deadline for submission for the next Grants Meeting.
The funding is for charitable work that meets one or more of the Foundation’s current priorities:
-
- Victims of modern slavery: to provide facilities for and support to victims on their journey back to independent living, better mental health and employment.
- Victims of domestic abuse: to provide emergency safety and to support victims through associated poverty and mental health issues.
- Ex-offenders and their families: to support the ex-offenders back to work and contributing positively to society and to support their families whose lives can be severely impacted.
- Homelessness: to provide facilities for and support people, especially young people, on their journey back to independent living, better mental health and employment.
- Medical research: to support research that could lead to preventing or slowing the onset of a condition or to lessen the symptoms.
- Support for people with terminal illnesses / life limiting conditions and their carers: to provide hospice care to support individuals and give respite to their carers to assist them with their mental health and other ambitions.
- Drug and substance misuse: to support rehabilitation and the journey back to independent living and work.
- Support for people with intellectual disability: to provide support with personal care, job skills and supported living.
- Care leavers: to give them a chance to succeed on a par with other young people.
- Worship and associated community outreach: to ensure places of worship are energy efficient and watertight with an emphasis on wider community use of church halls or Church buildings where those buildings are redundant or too large and where the parish has a focus on non-conditional outward facing work.
- Amateur sport: to improve physical and mental health with a focus on sport provision for people with disabilities.
- Care for the elderly: to allow quality care for those who cannot afford private care or continue living at home.
Please note: this list is subject to quarterly review and may change.
Applications to the Foundation’s General Fund will be considered from registered charities with an annual expenditure of less than £10 million who are working to support communities in need.
Arnold Clark Community Fund – Community Support
Deadline: It is recommended that groups apply as early as they can as applications could be paused due to high demand
Amount available: up to £1,000
Funding to projects embedded in the communities in which Arnold Clark operates and is available to organisations who provide services widely accessible to those within Arnold Clark local communities, addressing the needs of those living within them. Organisations must be based/operate solely in the UK and located within 50 miles of an Arnold Clark branch.
Particularly welcome applications from smaller voluntary and community organisations who are working within Arnold Clark local communities.
Historic Houses Foundation
Deadline: Any time
Amount available: £1,000 to £250,000. Most grants are for less than £50,000.
This fund aims to support the repair and conservation of rural historic buildings and structures in England and Wales, including their gardens, grounds and outbuildings. Grants for the restoration and conservation of works of art in historic house collections open to the public will also be considered.
Funding is intended to support projects which are ready to proceed (i.e. can be started within 1-2 years) but which either do not qualify for funding from any of the mainstream sources or have been awarded only partial funding and require significant further funds to complete the resource package.
National Deaf Children’s Society Community Grants Programme
Deadline: Rolling
Amount available: Between £1,000 and £10,000
Funding is available for projects that support deaf children in the early years (aged 0-5). This can be directly or indirectly, and projects can also involve older deaf children, deaf young people, families and professionals.
B&Q Foundation
Deadline: Rolling
Amount available: £5,000/£10,000
The B&Q Foundation provides grants for a wide range of community organisations who are seeking funding to improve or develop spaces that benefit their community. Typically, the foundation provides up to £10,000 for building and indoor projects or £5,000 for garden projects. Using Neighbourly, the B&Q Foundation asks charities to complete a simple three step application process. Currently, its focus is on charities supporting people who are at risk of homelessness.
The Movement Fund
Deadline: Rolling
Amount available: between £300 and £15,000
Sport England has reserved up to £16 million from its £160 million Movement Fund to help the sector respond to the impact of climate change. Sports clubs and physical activity groups are being encouraged to apply for grants which can be used to fund projects that will improve sustainability by addressing at least one of six Every Move priorities:
- Just transition: inequalities, inclusion and participation
- Energy and resources: carbon emissions, travel and facilities
- Energy and resources: circular economy – supply chains, products and waste
- Nature: blue-green environment quality and use
- Nature: biodiversity
- Resilience: adapting to climate change and extreme weather events.
To be eligible, projects should also demonstrably improve physical activity in the community and have a clear, feasible and reasonable delivery plan. Projects in an area of high need will be prioritised.
Priority will also be given to work that benefits: 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 and people in foster care.
The Anchor Foundation
Deadline: Rolling
Amount available: £500 – £12,000
Grants are on offer for Christian charities working to tackle social exclusion. The foundation has a particularly interest in charities working within “healing and the arts.”
Grants are only offered to registered charities. Applications for building work are rarely supported and charities are asked to apply for funds towards a specific project.
Walney Extension Community Fund
Deadline: Rolling
Amount available: Discretionary
Due to the extension of Walney Wind Farm, areas of Cumbria are eligible for funding from Orsted. The renewable energy giant has two funds available to charitable initiatives: The Walney Extension Community Fund and the Walney Extension Skills Fund.
Orsted’s Community Fund has two funding rounds each year, with its next deadline in January and is open to organisations in parts of Copeland, Barrow-in-Furness, the Walney islands and South Lakeland.
Calisen Impact Charitable Trust
Deadline: Rolling
Amount available: Discretionary
Grants are available for charitable initiatives in the UK that “champion sustainable energy solutions and foster inclusive, safe and diverse educational and work environments within the UK.” The funding is administered by Calisen, a British energy firm.
UK registered charities can apply for the funding to cover project costs. The fund’s objectives include achieving net zero and promoting inclusive workplaces.
Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust
Deadline: Rolling
Amount available: £1,000 – £10,000
Animal welfare charities in the UK can apply for funding to cover projects that benefit and protect animals; relieve the suffering of animals, address the conservation of wildlife and encourage a greater understanding of animals.
The funding is available from the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust and can be used for: general running costs associated with the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of animals, donations towards capital purchases and assistance with vets fees.
Motability Foundation: organisation grants
Amount available: £50,000 to £150,000 for small grants; £150,000 to £1m for large grants.
Deadline: Not specified.
Charities and organisations can apply for grants to enhance existing services or launch new initiatives that improve transport access for disabled people. Funding can be used for staffing, vehicles, operational costs, and infrastructure. The foundation is welcoming applications from organisations that have been active for least three years and have a turnover of £50,000 or more.
Worshipful Company of Innholders: charity grants
Amount available: One-off awards of between £500 and £5,000
Deadline: Rolling basis
Who is the funding for? Smaller charities in England and Wales, with a preference for London, for work with the young, the elderly, and the hospitality industry. The funding committee meets in March, June and December of each year.
CiFR Community Flood Resilience Fund
Deadline: n/a
Amount available: up to £12,500
Grants for groups across Cumbria supporting communities to build resilience to future flooding.
The purpose of the fund is to (1) provide support, resources, and equipment to specified communities at risk of flooding; (2) to enable those communities to test and trial ways to become better prepared for flooding; and (3) be better able to respond to and recover from flooding, by building assets within their community.
Funds managed by Cumbria Community Foundation
Our funds have been created by our donors and each have their own criteria or area of interest. Most support locally based community and voluntary groups and some also support individuals.
To apply for a grant, you will need to complete an application form and send it to us with the supporting documents indicated. We encourage you to read the guidance of our funds before applying, but if you’re unsure about the eligibility of your application, give our grants team a call on 01900 825760.
Find out more about the funds available here
Core Costs Applications Masterclass
Tuesday 3rd February, online. Get Grants Core Costs Applications MASTERCLASS is designed to help fundraisers and charitable organisations who are currently exploring, or wanting to start, grant fundraising.
By attending this session, you will benefit from practical, accessible information and friendly advice to help you explore putting together core costs applications with confidence for your organisation, no matter its size. This session is appropriate for people of all levels of experience and organisations across the sector.
Barrow Funding Fair
Wednesday 4th February 2026, Barrow Town Hall.
An opportunity for small local voluntary and community groups to speak directly to Funders about their project to obtain funding.
Find out more and book your morning or afternoon slot here
Donor Journey Mastery Masterclass
Monday 16th February 2026, online. In a competitive fundraising landscape, getting beyond the first donation is challenging and for many charities the relationship with a donor often ends after the first donation. We will look at the process of donor engagement from first donation to legacy gift, so you will leave with more confidence to develop lasting, long-term donor relationships.
Community Matters Funding Fair
Tuesday 17th March, online. Learn from national funders about how to apply for their funding, with lots of hints and tips for a successful bid.
You can book on to sessions with:
- Key Fund
- Bernard Sunley
- easyfundraising
- National Lottery Community Fund
- CareTech Foundation
- Heritage Lottery Fund
Find our more about Community Matters Funding Fair and book here
Writing a Successful Funding Application
Wednesday 18th March, online. This 3 hour course provides a beginner’s guide to how to write a successful funding application, using the National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards For All online application form as an example.
In these 3 hours you’ll get:
• The chance to go through a successful funding application and understand how you can emulate it
• Advice on key elements such as writing project outcomes, evidencing co-production and creating an accurate budget
• Time to start sketching out your own application, ask questions and get expert advice
• The chance to step back and decide what you need to do next to lay the foundations for a strong application for your project
Find out more about Writing a Successful Funding Application training here
Eden Funding Fair
Wednesday 22nd April, Penrith. An opportunity for small local voluntary and community groups to speak directly to Funders about their project to obtain funding.
Find out which local and national funders are attending and network with other organisations.
Its free to attend and you can book a morning or afternoon slot.
