Focus on Funding – October 2025
September 29, 2025
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: 27/10/25 – 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
Funding News
[NEW] Why Trust Matters to Grant Funders
Charities are among the UK’s most trusted organisations but that trust depends on impact. Funders want to see how their money is used and what difference it makes.
Outcome metrics help charities show transparency and accountability, strengthening relationships and unlocking future support.
[NEW] Get Grants Conference Recordings Available
All session recordings from the 2025 Get Grants Virtual Conference are now available to download completely free via their website.
Sessions are available to all, whether you originally attended to conference or not and 2024 sessions are still available too! So, head over to the Get Grants website, download the sessions of your choice, grab a coffee and enjoy!
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.
easyfundraising Halloween daily treats
Just in time for Halloween, easyfundraising are giving away daily treats (no tricks here!) of £100 or £200 donations to community organisations.
So, grab your brooms and fly over to easyfundraising to register your organisation (it’s free). From 24 October, find the Haunted House and click on the tombstone for your chance to win. The spooky giveaway ends on the full moon on Halloween. Make sure you register your organisation in time to join in from 24th October: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/cumbria
The Million Hours Fund closes early
The widely reported Million Hours Fund closed early instead of the 22nd of October. On their website, the National Lottery Community Fund states that organisations working in partnership can now apply to their Reaching Communities Fund.
The website says that they’ll announce plans for their new partnership approach soon. This will not be a single funding programme. Over the coming months and years, they’ll share opportunities for organisations to partner with them.
The Fund says they are taking this approach because they want to be more than a funder. They want to work more closely with partners, to make bolder and longer-term impacts.
BBC Children in Need – Voluntary Grant-Making Committee Positions
BBC Children in Need is currently open to applications for their voluntary advisory grant-making committee.
They are particularly keen to appoint Committee Members from Cumbria. Advisory Committees advise the Trustees of BBC Children in Need on grant awards across the UK. Committee members are highly valued, help to maintain the integrity of the Charity and help to achieve a balanced portfolio of grants, based on their strategic priorities, policies, guidelines and criteria.
MHCLG announce new fund for community cohesion work
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published the prospectus for a new competitive award to support voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations building community cohesion in England.
The Government’s new ‘Common Ground Award’ will shine a spotlight on organisations across England that are making a real difference in bringing communities together. Through the Award, MHCLG will provide direct investment into voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, that are building stronger connections across different groups (‘bridging social capital’). This investment will support the cost of constructing or renovating facilities, or the purchasing of equipment to help deliver activities.
The Common Ground Award will be open to applications from 13 October 2025 to 21 November 2025. You can find the Prospectus for the Common Ground Award here and can direct any queries to CGA@Communities.gov.uk
Community Wealth Fund doubles to £175m after National Lottery investment
The amount available to disadvantaged communities in England through the government’s Community Wealth Fund has doubled to £175m.
The government previously announced its intention to use £87.5m from the Dormant Assets Scheme to fund the initiative, but this has now been matched by another £87.5m from the National Lottery.
Over the next 10 years, between £1m and £2.5m will be granted to “doubly disadvantaged” communities, those with the highest level of deprivation and the lowest levels of social infrastructure, in England.
How to master grant-funding with Get Grants
Grant-funding allows charities to boost their impact. But grant-funding is a complex area, full of difficulties around eligibility, finding the right funding opportunities, crafting compelling proposals, meeting the often dizzying reporting requirements, and so on. The world of grant-funding can often feel a little overwhelming, particularly for small charities unsure where to start.
But worry not. In this webinar recording, grant-funding expert and Director of Get Grants, John Ellery, explores the process of grant-fundraising, focussing specifically on the core challenges faced by charities. John covers, 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.
Ørsted’s Community Benefit Funds – Autumn 2025 Newsletter
You can view Ørsted’s Community Benefit Funds – Autumn 2025 Newsletter here
For more information about Ørsted’s Community Benefit Funds, please visit www.grantscape.org.uk
If any colleagues or potential applicant groups would like to receive future newsletters and updates directly, they can register here
How to create a grant funding report
Charity Digital explore how to report back to funders efficiently and effectively with grant fundraising reports.
Over £3 million in free, unrestricted funding is expected to be raised this autumn through easyfundraising
If your organisation is registered with easyfundraising, you can benefit when your volunteers, trustees, and supporters shop online with retailers like Tesco, eBay, Etsy, Argos, Booking.com, trainline, M&S and 8,000 other popular online stores. Participating retailers donate a proportion of what’s spent—at no cost to your organisation or your supporters.
With seasonal shopping events like Black Friday and Christmas approaching, this is a practical time to make use of the platform. Many organisations find it’s one of the easiest ways to generate additional income without asking for extra donations.
To get started, simply register with easyfundraising here https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/cumbria You’ll be offered a support call and resources to help you engage your network and begin raising funds.
Funds with imminent deadlines
Gilly’s small grants programme
Deadline: 5th October
Amount available: Up to £5,000
Open to small UK charities working to improve the lives of disadvantaged children, young people, families and adults living in the UK. Funding is available for:
- Running costs of a new or existing service or programme
- Specific projects designed to provide long-term benefits to significant numbers of individuals
Community Radio Fund
The Community Radio Fund supports the sustainability and growth of Ofcom-licensed community radio stations, including:
- Management of station
- Fundraising to support the station (eg, grants, commercial funding)
- Administration
- Financial management and reporting
- Community outreach
- Volunteer organisation and support
Grants can only be made to Ofcom-licensed community radio stations in the UK, broadcasting on AM, FM, or via a Community Digital Sound Programme licence on a digital radio multiplex.
Deadline: Sunday 5th October, 5pm
Amount available: up to £100,000
Postcode Neighbourhood Trust – North of England
Deadline: 12 noon on Monday 6th October
Amount available: up to £50,000 across a three year period
Unrestricted grants are available for registered charities, community interest companies, and community benefit societies based and working in the north of England whose main activities address the current themes of the Trust:
- Enabling participation in the arts
- Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
- Supporting marginalized groups and/or tackling inequality
- Improving mental health with a focus on organisations that are actively supporting specific mental health issues, rather than general mental wellbeing activities
Who can apply – organisations with an income between £10,000 and £1 million in the most recent financial year. Priority may be given to organisations with an income of less than £250,000.
Comic Relief Community Fund for England
Will support organisations in England that are:
- Tackling the immediate and urgent impacts of being in poverty, including providing essential resources like food, shelter, advice and healthcare. For example, foodbanks, community kitchens, homeless shelters, welfare advice agencies and health outreach projects.
- Working to empower communities to take positive steps to lift themselves out of poverty in the longer term. For example, projects that build skills, increase access to employment, strengthen financial resilience or develop community-led solutions.
Applicants must be based within the area where they are carrying out activities and have an annual income of £250,000 or less.
Amount available: £5,000
Deadline: Monday 6th October 2025 (12 noon)
Wildlife Trusts: Green Community Grants Programme
Amount available: Up to £25,000
Deadline: 8th October 2025
Funding for small charities and not-for-profit groups contributing towards nature recovery and responding to the climate emergency – and also for proposals to improve places for nature and people’s access to them.
Organisational aims and objectives should fit one of these themes, but funding can also be used for a wider range of sustainable activities, including recycling, litter picking, beach cleans or sustainable transport.
Take the Lead community grants
Health data can be used in lots of different ways. Scientists might use health data from the NHS to develop new treatments and understand diseases. A group of friends might use health data from their fitness watches to compete in a step challenge. An artist might use health data from a community survey as inspiration for a mural. What could you use health data for?
Our Take the Lead grants enable community groups across the across the UK to apply for funding to deliver a standalone project, event or series of activities exploring how data can support their health and wellbeing in their communities, between 12 January and 8 April 2026. Activities can be delivered at any point during this period.
Deadline: 13th October 2025
Amount available: £500 to £1,500
Groundwork – Grassroots Grants
Amount available: £500 and £2,000
Deadline: Tuesday 14th October (12 noon)
Grants are available for 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.
Funding is to support the work of groups that provide vital services in their local communities, such as: Access to food or basic essentials; Improvements to local greenspace; Cultural, support, or wellbeing activities; Volunteering opportunities to improve the local environment or support other people.
Strategic Priorities Fund
Deadline: 12.00, on Monday 20th October (Expression of interest)
Amount available: Total of £700,000 annually
Following the success of the Barrow Social Impact Fund in Year 1 2024/2025 Team Barrow is delighted to launch the locally led and designed ‘strategic priorities’ element of the fund.
Team Barrow is committing £700K annually from 2025- 2029 through the ‘strategic priorities’ element and in one single funding round with the aim of awarding a small number of multiyear grants by March 2026.
This element of the fund has been designed with and for Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations to help address some of the challenges faced by this vital ‘people’ sector, including enabling greater financial sustainability as well as maintaining support for local people, and improving outcomes for our communities.
National Garden Scheme – Community Gardens Grants
Amount available: £1,500 and £5,000
Deadline: Monday 20th October (12 noon)
Grants are available for community groups to create a garden or similar project with horticultural focus for the benefit of their local community.
The scheme is committed to:
- Sustainability in gardening so proposals need to demonstrate that they will be using sustainable gardening methods – for instance being as far as possible peat-free.
- Celebrating biodiversity so projects that encourage biodiversity and wildlife, while not essential, will be a positive.
The process is in two parts. Firstly, there is an initial check on eligibility. Please ensure that you use a legitimate email address as the link the for the second part, the submission, will be sent there. NB only the first 300 eligible submissions will be considered for a grant.
Million Hours Fund – Phase 3
Deadline: 22nd October
Amount available: £30,000 to £100,000
Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations, schools and local authorities to provide extra support to young people (aged 10 to 18 years; up to 25 years with disabilities and special educational needs) in areas with higher rates of anti-social behaviour in England.
The funding is for extra hours of youth work to give these young people more places to go and positive things to do. These extra hours could be used for things like learning, arts, and playing sports, or for activities like mentoring, and developing social or life skills.
Parkinson’s UK: Physical Activity Grants
Amount available: Up to £3,000 per charity
Deadline: Thursday 23rd October
Funding is available for any local community groups and clubs, exercise coaches, activity providers and physios with a connection to the Parkinson’s community. Classes and activities can range from walking football and dance to table tennis and seated yoga, among many others.
Congregational and General Charitable Trust Grants
Applications are accepted from all churches of the Protestant tradition in the UK, but particularly those of the United Reformed and Congregational denominations. They also consider applications from church community projects for funding towards capital costs (but not for ongoing work).
The maximum percentage project cost is 25% to the nearest £100.
Deadline: Friday 24th October (10am), for consideration at the meeting on 4 December 2025
Amount available: £1,000 to £25,000
Linnean Society – Our Local Nature Grants
Grants for community organisations linked with young people (aged 16 and under) to deliver projects and activities that engage young people with local nature and natural spaces and improve their understanding of local biodiversity.
- Activities, include:
- Running a school festival about nature.
- Painting community murals showcasing biodiversity in the area.
- Building or restoring a community garden.
- Creating a nature walk.
- Hiring a speaker to come and talk about local foraging.
Deadline: Saturday 25th October, midnight
Amount available: up to £1,000. However, groups are encouraged to apply for significantly lower amounts.
Skipton Charitable Foundation
The funding only supports registered charities (established for at least 3 years) serving people in the top 50% of the UK Index of Multiple Deprivation.
The funding is to help people experiencing hardship and/or underserved groups to:
- Access a place to call home with the following target outcomes:
- Access and support into a safe and secure permanent place to call home – supporting charities that enable people most in need to live independently.
- Access and support into a safe and secure temporary home in times of crisis. Enabling people into temporary accommodation in emergency situations such as homelessness, palliative or end of life, or for those experiencing domestic abuse.
- Improve financial wellbeing with the following target outcomes:
- The support needed to prevent and/or address financial difficulty. Support for charities who provide help and guidance on how to manage money and improve financial wellbeing.
- Access to financial education. Support for charities whose work will support financial independence and education.
Amount available: £10,000
Deadline: Friday 31st October 2025 (5:00pm)
Home Instead Charities
Amount available: up to £500 or £1,500
Deadline: Quarterly – Next deadline October 2025
The funding is intended to support local community events that enhance and enrich the lives of people over the age of 55 to combat loneliness and sometimes isolation ensuring they stay fit, active, healthy and connected and contributing to their local communities.
There are two levels of funding:
- Grants of up to £500 for small grass roots organisations.
- Grants of up to £1,500 for small local registered charities. Larger grants can be considered for exceptional projects.
The funder will only fully fund a grant request where the applicant holds no more than three months operating costs in reserve. For organisations that have more than this, up to 50% of the project costs will be funded.
New Funds
St Martin in the Fields Charity: Funds for local housing solutions
Amount available: up to £100k
Deadline: 5pm, 7th November
Funding for organisations with an annual turnover of less than £2 million per year that are “locally embedded”, working with people facing homelessness and seeking to develop new housing options.
Active Travel Innovation Fund – funded by Department for Transport and administered by Active Travel England
Amount available: up to £100,000
Deadline: Friday 14th November, 12 noon
The fund aims to enable applicants to develop, deliver or scale interventions that increase walking, wheeling and cycling. Projects may involve innovative behaviour change initiatives, scaling proven solutions or developing new services that address gaps or opportunities in the sector.
Applications are invited for interventions that improve access to active travel, with a focus on underrepresented groups such as women and girls, ethnic minority communities, children, people with disabilities and those who are less physically active. Eligible projects could include community initiatives, partnerships between local authorities and businesses or digital tools that enhance safety and accessibility.
NHS North East and North Cumbria Northern Cancer Alliance Living with and Beyond Cancer Fund
Amount available: £5,000-£10,000
Deadline: 16th November
Grants supporting the delivery of prehabilitation interventions and/or services for cancer patients across the Northeast and North Cumbria (NENC). The fund aims to enhance quality of life, health, and treatment outcomes for cancer patients by supporting initiatives that improve health and wellbeing for people living with and beyond cancer.
Common Ground Award
Amount available: up to £10,000
Deadline: 21st November
Voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations that are working to bring people together from different backgrounds will be able to apply for capital grants of up to £10,000.
The UK government’s £1.7 million Common Ground Award aims to recognise good practice across England, in promoting social cohesion, by directly investing in organisations making a positive impact.
The funding is intended to support new builds, refurbishment, and expansion of facilities used to build bridging social capital. Funding can also cover essential equipment, such as laptops or furniture for the property.
Tackling health inequities
Amount available: £50,000–£1m over five years
Deadline: 26th November (midday)
The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF) has announced a major new programme to address health inequities stemming from racism, discrimination and systemic injustice.
They are looking for 10 established organisations with a strong track record in tackling structural racism and involving communities with lived experience to join a £50m partnership. Partners will receive £50,000–£1m over five years to continue their work, and help shape future funding initiatives. An additional £40m has been set aside for the first year of further projects, which will be co-designed with partners.
Organisations applying should:
- Lead work tackling structural racism, discrimination, and health inequities.
- Involve people with lived experience in decision-making, governance and staffing (at least 75% of staff from target communities, with representation at board level).
- Be confident in driving wider conversations and working collaboratively.
The Schroder Charity Trust
Amount available: Up to £5,000
Deadline: 30th November
Following a strategic review of the Schroder Charity Trust’s grant-making programme, They are only considering applications for work under the following two objectives:
Objective (1): Enabling children and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to thrive and achieve their potential in education and employment.
Objective (2): Strengthening communities through services and opportunities which enhance the wellbeing and life outcomes of vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
Help the Homeless Grant Scheme
Amount available: £5,000
Deadline: Monday 15th December (5pm)
Grants for capital projects are available to small and medium-sized charities registered in the UK working to assist homeless people to rebuild their lives and return to the community.
Projects must assist individuals in their return to mainstream society, rather than simply offering shelter or other forms of sustenance.
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.
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.
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.
The Sarah Nelson Fund
Deadline: n/a
Amount available: Up to £5,000
A new fund inspired by the inventor of one of Cumbria’s most iconic brands has been created to help those in need.
The Sarah Nelson Fund, named after the woman behind the world-famous Grasmere Gingerbread brand, will be managed by Cumbria Community Foundation. It will give out grants of up to £5,000 to local not-for-profit organisations and groups.
The fund will prioritise projects that help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; improve education for children and adults; encourage creative and sustainable business ideas; or tackle food poverty. These four themes reflect the life of Sarah Nelson, who overcame poverty through resilience, creativity, and community spirit.
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.
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.
General Funds
National Churches Trust
Deadline: 4th November 2025
Amount available: £10,000 – £50,000
Grants are available for urgent and essential structural repairs or the installation of kitchens and toilets. Funding is available for this type of work on buildings that were originally built as churches.
Due to limited funding, grants will typically be for less than £40,000, the average grant is around £15,000 and 50 per cent match funding is required.
Warburtons Families Matter Community Grants Programme
Deadline: Tuesday 4th November 2025
Amount available: £400
Small grants are available for local projects, activities and organisations that have charitable aims and that will be of real direct benefit to families and have a direct and tangible social impact on people’s lives.
Funding is available for projects that are working towards one of Warburtons’ outcome areas:
- Health – supporting families to care for each other and lead healthier lives
- Place – supporting families to flourish in communities that are safer, greener and more inclusive
- Skills – supporting families to gain useful skills for life and work
DCMS/Wolfson: Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund 2025-27
Amount available: Up to £400,000 towards eligible capital projects
Deadline: 5pm, 14th November 2025
Who is the funding for? Accredited museums, museum services and galleries in England with at least one designated collection, or current Arts Council national portfolio organisations.
Bids submitted for consideration must meet at least one of the following criteria: material improvements to the display and interpretation of collections, in permanent galleries, exhibition spaces and public spaces, to enhance visitor experience; improvements to access and/or interpretation for visitors with disabilities, children and young people, and/or underrepresented audiences, or improvements to environmental controls, collections storage and conservation facilities to enhance the care of collections.
Branching Out Funding
Deadline: 14 November 2025
Amount available: £250 to £2,500
Exciting news for all green thumbs and community champions! The Tree Council is now accepting applications for the Branching Out Fund, This is a fantastic opportunity for schools, community groups, charities, and other organisations across the UK to embark on tree-planting projects during the 2025/26 Winter planting season.
What Can You Fund?
- Native Trees: Bare root, UK-sourced and grown, native trees
- Hedging Projects: UK-sourced and grown, bare-root whips and cell-grown stock
- Hedgerow Trees: Perfect for enhancing biodiversity
- Orchards: Fruit trees on various rootstocks
- Eco-Friendly Materials: Cardboard/bioplastic tree guards, non-plastic ties, and mulch
- Sustainable Stakes: Coppiced chestnut or hazel, or machined softwood
Project Completion: Planting must be completed, and claim forms submitted by 15 March 2026 (midnight).
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to green your community and contribute to a healthier planet.
For more details, visit The Tree Council’s website
Cash4Clubs
The 2025 programme is focused on supporting adult participation in sport.
Priority will be given to applications from groups working in areas of high deprivation and engaging adults from specific under-represented groups. That means those who:
- Are supporting adults living in an area of high deprivation. (Using Government Indices of Multiple Deprivation and the Pobal HP Deprivation Index).
- Increase access to sport for one or more under-represented groups, including women, people from racially diverse communities, people with disabilities and people from the LGBTQ+ community.
- Encourage adults who would not usually engage in sport to take part. Examples include activities that support physical and mental wellbeing or tackle issues such as loneliness and rural isolation.
- Address broader social issues for the local community, for example tackling crime and anti-social behaviour or supporting community cohesion.
Please note you are only eligible to apply for funding if you are an adult group working with 18+ only. Applications cannot be accepted from any organisations with junior sections, delivering junior activities or working with young people in any way.
Amount available: £2,000
Deadline: Monday 8th December
National Lottery Awards for All England – Environment
Deadline: 17th December 2025
Amount available: £300 to £20,000 for up to two years
The climate and nature emergency affects us all, but local action can make a real difference. We fund community-led projects that improve the environment and help people connect with and enjoy nature where they live.
You can use the funding to:
- start a new activity or continue an existing one
- help your organisation adapt to new challenges
- run one-off events that have a clear environmental benefit.
We’re looking to fund projects that:
- help people connect with and care for nature in their area
- make a positive difference to the environment
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.
Better Tomorrows Fund
Deadline: Rolling
Amount available: £25,000
The Cumbria Community Foundation administered Better Tomorrows Fund offers grants to enhance youth work provision, the focus being on areas with no existing youth work provision. Initially intended to run over three years, the Better Tomorrows Fund will now run for six.
Non-profit organisations can apply for multi-year funding of £25,000 per year.
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.
Matson Ground Fund
Deadline: n/a
Amount available: £1,000 to £15,000
Grants for charitable organisations to bring people together to address shared challenges, foster social action, and improve local spaces.
The Fund aims to:
- strengthen communities and improve people’s lives through local, community-led projects
- respond flexibly to emerging needs
- support creative ideas to tackle social or environmental issues and enable communities to be more resilient in the long term
The Fund aligns with the Cumbria Lieutenancy’s Strategy, which was launched in September 2025.
Lakeland Disability Support Fund
Deadline: n/a
Amount available: £100 to £5,000
Grants for charitable groups or individuals with physical disabilities residing within the former local authority area of South Lakeland who require items, facilities, or support to relieve their disability.
Priority will be given to individuals.
Geoffrey Blake Architectural Heritage Fund
Deadline: n/a
Amount available: £500 – £1,000
Grants for volunteer-led and charitable groups to support community-based projects of architectural merit in Cumbria that enhance people’s experience and understanding of the built environment.
Projects must have full access by the public and have a clear benefit to the community.
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.
Age Friendly Activities Fund
Deadline: n/a
Amount available: up to £5,000
The Age Friendly Activities Fund provides small grants to help remove barriers that prevent older people in the former South Lakeland district from participating in community life. The Fund supports projects that reduce social isolation, promote physical and mental wellbeing, and help older people feel more connected and valued in their communities.
It is part of Age Friendly South Lakeland, which aims to foster inclusive, age-friendly environments where older people can stay active, engaged, and socially connected.
Funding events
Meet the funder: easyfundraising
Wednesday 1st October, online.
🎉 Discover Free Funding for Your Community Group – Don’t Miss Out! 🎉
Looking for a simple way to bring in extra funds for your community group? Join our free online session and find out how you can unlock unrestricted funding through easyfundraising – just by encouraging your supporters to shop online!
In this friendly and informal session, Becky Coleman from easyfundraising will show you how your members, volunteers, and wider community can raise free donations for your group every time they shop online – from groceries to holidays and everything in between.
Plinth Foundation launches
Tuesday 7th October, online. Plinth, an all-in-one platform to manage your organisation, track impact, and secure funding, are launching the Plinth Foundation, and would like to invite you to their free opening event.
The event will focus on two things (1) Introducing the Foundation and (2) Creating an open space to discuss the funding challenges charities are facing, with a focus on uses that are ‘unfundable.’
Plinth also want to do more than just give charities funding, they plan to give grantees:
- Free access to premium AI tools
- Pro bono consulting to build tech capability
- £500 – £1000 in completely unrestricted funding
You can book your space and find out more here
Get Grants Free Virtual Conference
7th & 8th October, online. Join us for TWO days of expert advice, top tips, Q&As, networking, peer-support, and lots of chat!
As with everything we do, every session will have practical support and advice that you can take away and put into practice.
Carlisle Funding Fair
Tuesday 14th October, Cumbria CVS, Shaddonagate.
Book a place and come along to meet with local and national funders and support groups regarding you project/funding requirements, as well as getting a chance to network with other organisations. Find out which funders and support organisations are attending!
Storytelling: How to attract and nurture donors
Wednesday 5th November, online. FREE webinar (delivered by Directory of Social Change in partnership with the Benefact Group). Speaker: Paul Courtney, Director of Fundraising, Children’s Hospice South West & Director and Kairos Fundraising.
Storytelling for Fundraising – Bringing the Stories of Your Organisation to Life
Thursday 6th & Thursday 13th November, online. This course will support fundraisers to improve your fundraising confidence and success through effective use of storytelling.
Telling stories is a powerful tool that is too often overlooked. Stories are used to engage, inform, persuade, and create connections between people. As a fundraiser, storytelling is a valuable skill that can be used to influence your potential supporters and maximise your fundraising efforts. Storytelling skills bring your fundraising activities to life.
In this course, you will develop a key skill that will benefit the success of grant fundraising, corporate partnerships, crowdfunding, major donors, legacies, and many more!
Meet the Funder – Westmorland and Furness Community Development Team (Eden and South Lakeland) – Community Fund
Wednesday 12th November, online. Are you a not-for-profit group running community projects for local residents in Eden and South Lakes? Your project can receive up to £5,000 if it meets the priorities of your Locality Board. This online session allows you to Meet the Funder and find out all you need to know, in order to make an application.
Writing a Successful Funding Application
19th November, 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
Using Data to Increase Your Fundraising Success
Thursday 4th and Thursday 11th December, online. The course will help you to incorporate freely available data into your funding applications to help you evidence and demonstrate the need for your work to funders.
It will also help you to use data to describe the changes that your work makes to your target beneficiaries through monitoring and evaluation reports.
During this online training course, you will:
- learn how to identify and explain the need for your project
- describe your activities and the change they will make
- learn how you will evaluate your project and measure your impact
- utilise data collected on current/completed projects to evidence need for your next project
- learn about using data effectively within your application writing and general
Barrow Funding Fair
Wednesday 4th February 2026, Barrow Town Hall.
SAVE THE DATE!
