Focus on Funding – January 2026
January 2, 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: 27/01/26 – 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
Eric Wright Charitable Trust
Eric Wright Charitable Trust has launched a new six-year charitable giving strategy.
The new strategy will focus on supporting young and older people, working with charities that the Trust has built long term relationships with, and new charities within those sectors.
Read more about the strategy and upcoming funding opportunities
Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2025
The latest Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2025 has been released, covering income sources, assets and financial wellbeing.
Third Sector Trends has been surveying the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector every three years since 2010. In 2025, 8,680 responses were received across England and Wales. This is the only large-scale and fully representative longitudinal national survey in the UK which can produce robust and detailed comparative analysis at regional and national level.
The report highlights that:
- Grants are now even more popular as a principal source of income
- Trusts and foundations are shifting towards longer-term grants
- The third sector is turning its back on contracts to deliver public services
- The appeal and reliance upon earned income is weakening
- Financial reserves have held up well since 2022
- Many in the third sector have a very positive outlook on future finances
You can read the full report here
UK Shared Prosperity Fund
On 17th December, MHCLG announced a six month extension to the 2025-26 UKSPF funding period. This gives councils and the organisations they are funding an additional six months in which to spend 2025-26 UKSPF allocations. The new end date is 30th September 2026.
The prospectus for the fund has been updated and can be read here
Effective ways to manage grant funding
Charity Digital explore three sturdy steps that help make the most of grant funding opportunities, from completing applications to managing expenses.
Cumbria Community Foundation new guidance
CCF has published new guidance on their website outlining how they assess grant applications from organisations.
They hope this resource provides greater transparency for applicants.
You can view the information here
The travel companies offering unrestricted funding
Did you know that hundreds of travel companies including TUI, Booking.com, Lastminute.com, Haven Holidays, Expedia, Thomas Cook and Hotels.com will all donate money to your organisation when you and your supporters book with them?
When someone supporting your organisation books a holiday, the company they book with will send your organisation a free donation as a thank you.
Just one person booking a family holiday could raise an average £50. Think what multiple people could do.
All types of third sector organisations can receive this funding – your organisation just needs to be registered with funding website easyfundraising which you can do here (it’s very straightforward and there is no cost).
Weston Charity Awards
Amount available: Support packages worth over £22,000 each
Deadline: 5pm 9th January 2026.
The Awards aim to celebrate and support charities working in the fields of youth, welfare, community, and the environment, and to enable charities to develop, raise their profiles, become more sustainable and face the future with greater confidence.
The Awards offer a package of support, worth over £22,000, intended to deliver long-term benefit to the charity, including a fully funded year of support from Pilotlight and an unrestricted cash contribution of £6,500.
The 22 Award Finalists will receive:
- A fully funded year of support from Pilotlight.
- An unrestricted cash contribution of £6,500 to support the work with Pilotlight, this includes travel expenses to meetings.
- Access to a network of local charities working with Pilotlight.
- Two peer-to-peer sessions with other Award Winners across the year.
Arts Council England National Lottery Development Funds – Theatre Breakthrough Fund (North)
Amount available: Minimum grant is £100,000. There is no upper limit. Match funding of at least 10% of the project budget is required for Stage 2 applications. This must be from sources other than Arts Council England.
Deadline:
- The first step is to complete the Applicant Profile and Eligibility Quiz (Form A), by the deadline of 9 January 2026 (12 noon). This form must be submitted by the deadline in order to continue the application process. Please note: it can take up to 10 days or longer over the Christmas period for this form to be processed. Until the form is processed, applicants cannot continue with the application process.
- Applicants will then be sent a link to complete their Application and Monitoring Information (Form B) by 27 January 2026 (12 noon).
- Those who are successful at Stage 1 will be invited to develop and submit a Stage 2 application by the deadline of 23 June 2026. Successful Stage 1 applicants will be awarded a grant of £1,000 towards the cost of developing their Stage 2 application.
The Fund aims to support Black, Asian and ethnically diverse theatre makers in the North to make ambitious new work and to provide opportunities for audiences to experience ground-breaking, high-quality theatre.
The funding is for Black, Asian or ethnically diverse-led organisations, or ethnically diverse individuals, or consortia based in the North of England who can demonstrate:
- How they would use the investment to enable growth and progression in their theatre making.
- Ideas that push boundaries and create new content or new collaborations.
- Commitment and capability to develop new audiences in the North and nationally for ambitious, high-quality theatre.
For this fund, Black, Asian and ethnically diverse refers to:
- Mixed: White and Black Caribbean; White and Black African; White and Asian; any other Mixed/Multiple ethnic background.
- Asian/Asian British: Indian; Pakistani; Bangladeshi; Chinese; any other Asian background.
- Black/Black British: African; Caribbean; any other Black background.
- Other: Arab; Latin American; any other ethnic background.
It does not mean ‘White: British; Irish; Gypsy, Roma or Irish Traveller; any other White background’.
Music for All – Community Project Funding
Amount available: Grants are at the discretion of the funders and values vary from round to round
Deadline: Wednesday 14th January 2026 (12 noon)
The grants programme aims to give a helping hand to projects and initiatives across the UK that are seeking to bring music to their communities. The funding is for groups that need assistance to fulfil their potential in developing truly sustainable music programmes.
Groups, schools and organisations that are bringing music to their communities in the UK can apply.
Theatres Trust Small Grants Scheme
Amount available: £7,500
Deadline: Friday 16th January 2026 (5pm)
Small grants are available for essential works to not-for-profit theatres in the UK that will enable them to be viable and thrive in the future.
The scheme aims to fund small capital improvements to theatres run by charities and not-for-profit groups that will make a big impact to a theatre’s resilience, sustainability or accessibility, or to improving the diversity of audiences.
Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs (2026)
Amount available: approximately £240,000 per hub per financial year is available
Deadline: Friday 16 January 2026 (23:59)
Grants are intended to support Lead Settings to create and deliver the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs network across England, funding hubs to help early years settings create environments where every child can thrive, regardless of background or need. The hubs achieve this by offering accessible, high-quality professional development, providing expert advice, and sharing evidence-informed resources.
Applications must be made by a Lead Setting, which must be a group-based early years setting (school-based, private, voluntary, independent (PVI), or a maintained nursery school). Each application must also identify between two and four Partner Settings, which may be group-based early years settings or Childminders.
The Elephant Trust
Amount available: £2,000 – £5,000
Deadline: Sunday 18th January 2026 (midnight)
Grants are available to artists, small organisations and galleries within the UK to make it possible for artists and those presenting their work to undertake and complete projects when frustrated by lack of funds.
Souter Charitable Trust
Amount available: £1,000 – £3,000
Deadline: By close of business on Monday 19th January 2026 to be considered at the next Trustees’ meeting which is scheduled for Thursday 22nd January 2026.
Grants are available to UK registered charities for projects engaged in the relief of human suffering in all aspects in the UK and overseas – especially, but not exclusively, those with a Christian emphasis and ethos.
Find out more about Souter Charitable Trust grants here
Asda Foundation – Young Futures Fund
Amount available: £500 and £1,000
Deadline: Tuesday 20th January 2026 (10:00)
The funding is for community groups to deliver activities for disadvantaged, vulnerable teenagers (13 years to 18 years), helping to improve mental health and wellbeing, and create positive life opportunities.
The funding priorities of the programme are:
- Promotion of inclusivity and access to activities for individuals facing barriers to participation
- Projects addressing prevalent social issues in the community (e.g. knife crime, gangs, bullying, personal safety)
Organisations’ annual income must be below £250,000.
Find out more about Asda Foundation – Young Futures Fund here
The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
Amount available: £500 – £6,000
Deadline: Wednesday 21st January
Funding for charities operating in the UK in the fields of the advancement of the arts, health and medical welfare and environmental protection, focusing on local, small-scale projects like arts access, music therapy, and conservation, often for core costs or one-off support for disadvantaged groups.
Find out more about The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust here
Macmillan Cancer Support – Macmillan Care Grants Programme
Amount available: £50,000 to £150,000. Grants are for either one or two years.
Deadline: Friday 23rd January 2026 (17:00). Decisions are expected in early to mid March 2026.
The funding is for community-led projects that challenge the current system and create lasting change for people facing the greatest barriers to care.
Projects should offer new insights and impact and focus on one of the following three themes:
- Cultural Responsiveness in Cancer Care – projects that help healthcare services better understand and meet the cultural needs of different communities and remove barriers to person-centred care.
- Shared Decision-Making – projects that make it easier for people to understand their treatment options, take part in decisions about their cancer care, and reduce unfair differences in how this happens.
- Dementia-Friendly Cancer Care – projects that support people living with both cancer and dementia, improve their care experience, and help them and their carers take part in treatment decisions.
Macmillan is providing three information webinars that will cover not only the Macmillan CARE Grant but also other Macmillan grants currently available for community applicants:
2nd December 2025 (11:00 – 12:00) Registration is required
11th December 2025 (18:00 – 19:00) Registration is required
8th January 2026 (15:30 – 16:30) Registration is required
Alliance for Youth Organising – Anchor Grants
Amount available: Up to £40,000 a year for 2 years
Deadline: Monday 26th January 2026
This fund aims to support wider access to youth organising and strengthen the youth organising field.This fund is for organisations that already have a track record of supporting youth organising and, with Alliance funding, would have more impact.
Organisations should do one or more of the following things:
- Provide training, coaching, or capacity building, specifically for youth organising groups.
- Run organising and/or political education training programmes, or leadership development specifically for young organisers or activists.
- Offer resources, advice, guidance, tools, or platforms that strengthen youth organising capacity or help new groups to be established.
- Facilitate networks or coalitions that connect and strengthen youth organising.
- Provide legal, communications, or other specialist support services to young organisers.
- Offer fiscal sponsorship, incubation, or infrastructure support for young organisers.
Find out more about Anchor Fund here
CABWI Lifelong Learning and Development Fund
Amount available: Between £266,666 and £1 million can apply for grants of up to £40,000. Up to £266,666 may apply for a maximum of 15% of their previous year’s turnover.
Deadline: Stage One – Applicants must first submit an Expression of Interest. Expressions of Interest will open on Monday 5th January 2026 and close on Monday 26th January 2026.
The fund supports small charities with projects that promote lifelong learning and development, address barriers to entering the labour market and allow people to gain additional skills to advance their careers.
Funding priorities are:
- Working with individuals with complex barriers to employment, enabling them to move closer or into employment, including but not restricted to ex-service personnel and ex-offenders.
- Working directly with young people and adults who are either not in employment, education, or training (NEET), or with young people who are at risk of becoming NEET, to improve their access to employment and the labour market.
- Increasing the life skills of people so that they may further develop their careers, with a particular focus on the water, utilities, and construction industries.
In this round, there is a particular interest in supporting innovative approaches that highlight new ideas/ways of tackling barriers to training and employment.
Leche Trust – Performing Arts
Amount available: £4,000
Deadline: Monday 26th January 2026. Decisions by 13 March 2026.
The funding is for projects which meet the Trust’s current priorities:
- New Works in Performing Arts – the commissioning, development, production and/or performance of new works in music, theatre, dance and performance across all genres
- Artists’ Professional Development – to support artists’ professional development through programmes that address a clear need or gap in development. These programmes can be aimed at early or mid-career artists, but they need to reflect current context and practices.
There is particular interest in receiving applications from outside London and Southeast of England.
Preference is given to smaller projects, or specific elements of projects, where the Trust’s contribution can have a greater impact.
UK registered charities or local authority-run venues, with a turnover of less than £1.5 million per annum can apply.
Find out more about Leche Trust – Performing Arts funding here
A B Charitable Trust (ABCT)
Amount available: £10,000 to £30,000 per year and are awarded from one to three years.
Deadline: Next deadline Friday 30th January 2026 for decisions in April 2026.
The Trust aims to support charities that promote human dignity and defend the human rights of marginalised and excluded people in the UK.
The values that underpin its work are:
- Justice – it seeks to support people most marginalised and excluded by society.
- Collaboration – it aims to build mutually beneficial relationships with the people it works with.
- Efficiency – it maintains high standards of administrative efficiency and cost effectiveness.
- Learning – it is committed to learn from its grant making to inform future practice.
To be eligible, organisations must:
- Have a mission, aims and objectives aligned with one of the four priority areas. This must be either the sole focus, or the majority of their work. Organisations with a broader remit are unlikely to be funded.
- Be registered as a UK charity, delivering work in the UK.
- Have an annual income between £150,000 and £1.5 million (this applies to the most recent signed accounts and the two subsequent financial years – this would include draft figures and forecasts).
- Have operated for at least a year and be able to provide a full year’s audited or independently examined accounts.
Amazon – Literary Partnership Grant
Amount available: Unspecified
Deadline: 30th January
Funding is available for registered not-for-profits in the UK or Republic of Ireland with a core mission to develop emerging writers, support diversity and build authors’ careers.
Organisations should be “financially sound” and have an online presence and membership.
Another Way Women’s Foundation
Amount available: Up to £5,000; £1000 for 1000 words grant
Deadline: Saturday 31st January 2026
The funding supports sustainable, cooperative, community-led initiatives aimed at the root cause of gender inequality (system change) in under-represented communities and/or under-funded areas.
The Foundation offers two different grants:
- Another Way Women’s Foundation grants are for any type of project, initiative, service aimed at advancing and empowering women, creating positive social change, sustainably impacting communities, or indeed anything that makes the world a brighter and better place for women and girls.
- The ‘£1000 for 1000 words’ grants provide ‘seed funding’ to kick start things on a project or service aimed at advancing women’s lives for the better.
Find out more about Another Way Women’s Foundation grants here
Radcliffe Trust
Amount available: Grants are generally in the region of £2,500 to £7,500
Deadline: Saturday 31st January 2026
Funding is available for UK charities, not-for-profit and Exempt organisations working in the areas of music, especially chamber music, composition and music education, or in heritage and crafts.
Ford Britain Trust – Large and Small Grants
Amount available: Small grant applications, up to £250. Large grant applications, up to £3,000.
Deadline: Large Grants: Saturday 31st January. Small Grants: Saturday 28th February.
Support for projects focusing on education, environment, children, people with disabilities, youth activities and projects that provide clear benefits to the local communities close to their UK locations.
Find out more about Ford Britain Trust – Large and Small Grants here
Unltd Millennium Awards Trust
Amount available: Up to £8,000 for those organisations who aren’t yet incorporated or have been incorporated for less than a year. Up to £18,000 for those incorporated between 1 and 4 years.
Deadline: Once 650 applications received
Support for social entrepreneurs who want to start, or recently started, a social venture.
Find out more about Unltd Millennium Awards Trust 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.
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
[NEW] 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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 of our Teams webinars 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 27th January 14:00 – 15:15. Please register for the event using your work email address via this link
Tuesday 10th February 14:00 – 15:15. Please register for the event using your work email address via this link
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.
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
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.
Weaver’s Company Benevolent Fund
Amount available: Small grants of up to £5,000. Main Grants have no maximum amount.
Deadline: midday on:
- Thursday 12 March 2026 to be considered in June 2026.
- Thursday 2 July 2026 to be considered in October 2026.
- Thursday 12 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.
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
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:
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- 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
Launching Legacy Fundraising Masterclass
Tuesday 13th January 2026, online. Demystifying how to launch a successful legacy fundraising campaign for your organisation, explore practical tips to increase your legacy income with confidence, and understand how this could fit within your existing fundraising, maximising whatever resources you may have.
From Idea to Application: A Practical Workshop for New Fundraisers
Tuesday 27th January 2026, online. This 2.5-hour online workshop is designed for small organisations and community groups who are new to bid writing.
This workshop will support you in shaping and clarifying your project idea, exploring it with others, and gaining confidence in presenting it to funders. You’ll work through a simple, structured template in a supportive and interactive environment that helps you organise your thinking and refine your approach.
The session also offers a valuable chance to network, ask questions, and receive feedback ahead of the funding fair—so you can make the most of your time with funders and be better prepared to apply for funding. It’s especially helpful for early-stage project development.
Masterclass: How to master bid-writing
Wednesday 28th January 2026, online. A one-hour session to master bid-writing. For just £20, you’ll learn how to craft successful bids from one of the charity sector’s experts.
Grant expert and Director of Get Grants, John Ellery, will explore the process of grant funding, focussing on the core challenges faced by charities. John will cover, many among other things, the importance of ‘being fundable’, the right funders for you to approach, how to make an application stand out, and tips to increase your chance of success.
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
Core Costs Applications Masterclass
Tuesday 3rd February 2026, online. This masterclass will explore how you could develop successful core costs grant applications, understand how to make your application stand out in a competitive funding landscape, and give you practical tips and information to build your confidence to ultimately maximise your fundraising success rate.
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.
[NEW] 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
