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Funding Highlights

 Funding Highlights 

Want to keep up to date with opportunities for funding? Follow us on Twitter and /or Facebook where we regularly advertise new opportunities and remind you of upcoming closing dates for trusts and grants.

Have you signed up for BBW CVS membership as well? Each month you will receive our ebulletin full of new opportunities straight to your inbox and best of all its free to every organisation working in the borough PLUS regular short emails with hot off the press details of funding and other important information.

Check out our Cost of Living Resources page for more funders looking to assist groups like yours and your service users!


 


Brentwood CVS and Basildon, Billericay and Wickford CVS have partnered with The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Partnership to offer an exciting funding opportunity for local voluntary and community groups to support projects that take an innovative and collaborative approach to reducing health inequalities and the unwarranted variation that exists in Brentwood and Basildon boroughs.

The Health Inequalities Fund 2024-25 aims to improve population health and health care, tackling inequalities in outcomes and helping NHS to support broader social and economic development in line with the Core20PLUS5 approach.

Please visit our dedicated page for more information


Mid and South Essex Mental Health Inequalities Programme

(Currently paused due to influx of applications) 

To be eligible to apply, charities and community groups must be working in Mid and South Essex (Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Maldon or Thurrock).

Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available to not-for-profit groups and organisations to support either revenue costs, projects or capital costs.

The programme is open for applications and is on a rolling programme with regular panel meetings. If you have any questions about making an application, you can phone the ECF team on 01245 355947 or book a time slot for a 1-1 meeting with a member of the grants team here.

Before you apply, please see the guidelines here and then complete the online application form here.


Organisations across England are being invited to bid for a share of £1 million of government funding to buy life-saving defibrillators for community spaces like town halls, local parks or post offices. As part of the grant award, applicants will be asked to demonstrate that defibrillators will be placed in areas where they are most needed, such as places with high footfall, vulnerable people, rural areas or due to the nature of activity at the site. Examples could include town halls, community centres, local shops, post offices and local parks, to ensure that defibrillators are evenly spread throughout communities and easily accessible if someone is experiencing an unexpected cardiac arrest. ·   

Awards for All England welcomes applications for projects that will support young people primarily aged 11 to 18 (and up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities) starting during the 2023 school summer holidays. This funding will support a range of youth services offering a variety of positive activities for young people in eligible wards with the highest reported numbers of antisocial behaviour incidents.
To be eligible for funding, your project must:
  1. Take place in, and/or benefit young people living in, one of these eligible wards in England. Eligible wards have been determined by allocating wards to each Police Force Area (PFA) based on youth population, and then selecting those with the highest reported number of antisocial behaviour incidents from within the PFA.
  2. Deliver additional youth provision (existing provision is not eligible).
  3. Start during, or before, the 2023 school summer holidays (21 July to 3 September 2023).
  4. Primarily benefit young people aged 11 to 18, and up to 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
  5. Effectively engage with young people at risk of antisocial behaviour.

A B Charitable Trust’s Open Programme

Small and medium-sized charities working with migrants and refugees, or the areas of the justice system and penal reform; and human rights and access to justice can apply.

Open Programme grants are usually between £10,000 to £25,000 per year and are awarded from one to three years.

 


The deadline for the first round of expressions of interest is 5pm on Friday 25th August. Further rounds will take place in due course.
The Public Health Accelerator Bids Programme will fund new projects that help people in Essex to live a healthy life. The £7.5 million grant programme will run for 3 years and will make a difference to the lives of many vulnerable residents across Essex. The programme consists of two grants:
  • Small grants of between £500 – £15,000, applications open on 4th September
  • Major grants from £15,000 with no upper limit. Expressions of interest applications opened on Tuesday 1st August

The deadline for the first round of expressions of interest is 5pm on Friday 25th August. Further rounds will take place in due course.


The funding partnership between Active Essex and London Marathon Foundation (LMF) continues as part of the successful Find Your Active campaign to help support Essex projects that help residents lead active and healthy lives. Grants of up to £3,000 (anything over will be an exception) are available for projects that aim to get people more active and can be used for costs such as coaches, instructors, venue hire, equipment and promotion.

The Prince of Wales Charitable Fund

PWCF considers small grant applications from UK registered non-profit organisations supporting grassroots projects in diverse and deprived communities in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and Internationally. The small grants programme awards single or multi-year grants to a maximum value of £5,000 and £15,000 respectively. The average single award is £2,000

NB – They will not cover capital expenditure with the exception of community-based heritage conservation and restoration projects aimed at preserving the fabric of historic buildings.

Themes include – heritage, education, wellbeing, social inclusion, environment, countryside

Open to non charities as well as registered.


The deadline for round 1 of applications is August 31st.

The Places and Spaces Fund aims to support projects between £1,000 – £9,999 that will develop community assets to create greater opportunities for physical activity.


Keystone Fund

Stage 1 applications open: 9 November – 23 November

  • Unrestricted grants, intended to enable charitable organisations in the UK to adapt ways of working, strengthen capacity or build resilience, according to identified needs.
  • Grants will be awarded between £5,000 and £50,000
  • Approximately 120 grants will be awarded over 2-3 rounds during 2022-23.
  • Grant funds must begin to be spent within 6 months of grant payment, but can be carried forward into the following financial year if required to enable flexibility. They should be fully spent within 24 months of grant payment.

Grants will not normally be restricted to specific projects, but we will ask you to tell us how you would like to use the funds. We intend that charitable organisations can use a grant to become more agile in their support for their communities. This might include the costs of leadership time to develop strategy or organisational capacity, or to access additional external expertise, support and advice to develop their resilience plans. Grants might also be used for staff costs, digital costs, overheads, delivery costs or equipment, according to your identified longer-term needs.

In addition, building on CAF’s advisory opportunities for charities across the UK, all grant holders will gain access to webinars, toolkits, and networking opportunities to accelerate their impact


Mrs D M France-Hayhurst Foundation

The Trustees are currently focusing on supporting charities concerned with the advancement of animal welfare and charities that help people in need or that further educational projects through interaction with animals.

Grants will be considered for project costs and capital expenditure and for registered Charities

The Trustees will generally consider grant applications for up to £5,000, but in certain circumstances larger grants may be available.


Time after Time

Hubbub and Virgin Media O2 are proud to announce a £500,000 fund to support innovative programmes, initiatives and campaigns that promote digital inclusion while reducing e-waste and supporting the circular economy. Successful projects will ensure that tech can be used by those that need it, time after time.

They are looking for projects that can help close the growing digital divide and spark behaviour change across the UK and will support a range of projects with funding between £25,000 – £100,000. This could be a research project to help understand how the issues are connected, a campaign to redistribute devices, a project to fix old devices to be used by more people, or a project that aims to tackle the root causes of these problems.

  • Expression of interest form opens: July 3rd 2023

  • Expression of interest deadline: Friday 20th October 2023

  • Invitation to submit a full application: Tuesday 21st November 2023

  • Full application deadline: Friday 15th December 2023


The Community Initiatives Fund

Deadline for applications is 18th August 2023
The Community Initiatives Fund is available to voluntary organisations, community groups and Town and Parish Councils for projects which strengthen communities and make Essex a great place to live and work. The £300,000 fund is for grants of up to £10,000 towards capital or revenue projects that benefit the wider community.​Projects should have community backing and demonstrate a real community need.
The objective of funding is to support projects that:
Ceate, procure, develop new, or enhance existing community assets – examples include community centres/shops/cafes, wildlife/nature reserves, disability facilities and village halls.
Enhance or develop initiatives that strengthen a community, including cultural projects – examples include gardening clubs, age & wellbeing services, parent & educational activities, environment improvements, music & literature events, heritage projects.
Develop local capability – examples include Advice/Support services, Youth clubs, Scouting Groups, Sports venues & clubs

2023 Asda Foundation: Empowering Local Communities Grant Programme (UK)

Deadline 21st July 2023

Asda Foundation’s goal is to build resilient communities by empowering local groups to make a positive difference, addressing local challenges and social needs. They aim to achieve this by provide funding to local grassroots community groups to enable them to meet the diverse needs of their community and to help them thrive and grow.

The minimum is £400 per grant with a maximum £1,600 per grant.

They look for the following in the groups supported:

True to their community mission
Organisations which are clear on what they aim to achieve and consistently strive towards achieving it.

People Centred
They are people focused and place individuals at the heart of what they do and why they do it. They promote equality, inclusivity, and diversity.

Efficiently Run
A well run and organised group with processes in place to comply with not-forprofit requirements and have the skills and ability to do what they aim to achieve.

Locally Focused
The space is focused on the local community, delivering services and support to multiple beneficiaries and tackle the needs locally adapting to change to remain relevant.


Antony Hornby Charitable Trust

Continuous rolling programme

The Antony Hornby Charitable Trust makes general charitable donations to organisations working in the following causes:

Education, training and employment
Medical, health and sickness
Arts and culture
Animals and environment
Community development

Grants are typically around £1,000 and rarely over £5,000, however no maximum amount you can apply for is stipulated.

Antony Hornby Charitable Trust
C/O Saffery Champness LLP
71 Queen Victoria Street
London
EC4V 4BE


Screwfix Foundation

The Screwfix Foundation is a grant giving charity with a clear purpose to support projects that improve, repair and maintain homes and community facilities used by those in need throughout the UK.

The Screwfix Foundation currently offers local registered charities and not for profit organisations funding up to the region of £5,000.
All applications are reviewed individually. The review dates are in March, June, September and December. .
Before applying for funding from The Screwfix Foundation, your organisation MUST:
Be a registered charity or not for profit organisation.

Help those in need. This could be by reason of financial hardship, sickness, distress or other disadvantages in the UK.

Be looking for funding to support projects that relate to the repair, maintenance, improvement or construction of. homes, community buildings and other buildings.


Co-op Local Community Fund

The Local Community Fund has supported over 30,000 local community projects across the UK since its launch in 2016, and Co-op is now looking for around 4,000 charities and organisations who have up until 11 June to apply to be considered for the next round of funding.
Co-op is looking to continue to support projects that make a difference locally, align with Co-op’s vision of co-operating for a fairer world and, with a focus on:

Bringing people together to access food: Such as community fridges, allotments, and cookery classes

Helping to improve people’s mental wellbeing: Including sporting activities and, clubs and societies that promote mental well-being and build social connections

Creation of opportunities for young people to be heard and make a difference: For example, youth groups and forums that work to build confidence, employability and life skills

Enabling communities to save and restore nature or tackle climate change: With examples including community gardens, tree planting, energy schemes, re-wilding, and sustainable transport.


The Swan Mountain trust
Applications can be made anytime

The Swan Mountain trust is a small grant making trust. For the next three years they will focus on organisations concerned with refugees and asylum seekers, with particular emphasis on the mental health of young people in these categories.
The Trustees meet three times a year in February, June and October. Applications can be submitted at any time, and an email enquiry in the first instance is appropriate. They generally focus on small organisations (under £500k income) and the usual level of grants is in the £2,000 -£4,000 range. They aim to support particular needs within their target organisations


Sport England Small Grants Programme

£300 to £15,000
Fri 30th June, 2023
The Small Grants Programme seeks to develop opportunities for communities to get more people physically active, providing National Lottery funding of between £300 and £15,000.+


Wooden Spoon Grant

Complete an expression of wish form for an initial assessment

If your project is in the UK or Ireland and shares our aim of making a positive impact on the lives of children and young people, it may be eligible for a Wooden Spoon grant (Wooden Spoon project beneficiaries must be a group. Wooden Spoon cannot make grants to individuals)

If a project is a physical, tangible asset, of a permanent nature the following must apply:
• It must have a minimum predicted life-span of five years, be non transferable and of a permanent nature
• Grants will not be considered for salaries, administration costs, professional fees and on-going overheads related to a capital project
If a project is educational or disability sports focused the following must apply:
• There must be a key rugby element to engage children and young people
• It must have a clearly defined project brief to include detail on: description of project need and objectives, stakeholders, description of participants (age, gender, geography), recruitment of participants, project activity and budget, legacy planning, monitoring and evaluation and finally reporting to Wooden Spoon.


Charles Platter Trust
An independent charitable organisation that makes grants to a wide range of religious and non-religious organisations, people, and groups, supporting leadership, social action, and applied research projects across England and Wales+
Religious (Catholic) but awards to non religious orgs – deeply informed by Catholic Social Teaching – around equality, tackling poverty etc.
A range of grants options are available depending upon your income size


Applications open for Basildon UKSPF feasibility

£1.2 million UK Shared Prosperity Funding will go to Basildon Borough and the council has opened the first window for applications for feasibility and research work on single projects up to £20,000. To be eligible applicants must be either a registered charity, co-operative, social enterprise/CIC, not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, or a statutory organisation. Basildon Council are particularly keen to support feasibility projects for place-based community infrastructure. Read more and find application details here

UKSPF Feasibility Fund Call Specification – Basildon


 JAZZ™ Apple Foundation

The JAZZ™ Apple Foundation supports people, groups and charitable endeavours that share its beliefs of nourishing and supporting the next generation of young people in the UK, the importance of a healthy, balanced diet, and of sports and physical exercise.

Since its formation, the Foundation has helped over 1,000 people and handed out over £20,000 in awards to a range of good causes ranging from junior football teams to dance and ballet clubs.

Award winners are selected monthly by the Jazz Apples team.


Asda Foundation’s Investing in Spaces and Places Grants Programme
Asda Foundation is offering large grants of up to £25,000 for local groups across the UK who are working to improve spaces in the heart of their local community.
In 2023, there is a total funding pot of £500,000.
Grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 are available to cover between 25% and 75% of the total project costs for projects that address at least one of the following categories:
Building repair (external or internal) for spaces and places which already exist but are in disrepair and therefore limit the usability, safety or level of expectations for other to use the space
Building development to enhance a space already in use
Outdoor development to develop outside space for the benefit of the community, particularly outdoor spaces which benefit everyone and can be accessed by large groups of people


UK Youth Fund
This new fund is a three-year unrestricted grant programme aimed at mitigating the devastating impact the cost of living crisis is having on the youth sector.
The UK Youth Fund in partnership with Pears Foundation will provide targeted funding to youth organisations delivering high quality youth work to ensure doors stay open, bills get paid and youth workers receive the salaries they deserve. This will help to ensure young people continue to be supported at this most difficult of times by the youth organisations and youth workers on whom they’ve come to depend.
The Cost of Living grant programme is open to youth organisations based and delivering high quality youthwork in the UK, with an annual turnover of £500,000 or less.
The application process is now open and will stay open whilst all funds are distributed.


Adamson Trust
Applications must be received by 31 March for the May meeting, by 30 June for the August meeting, and by 30 September for the November meeting.
The funding aims to support organisations and registered charities that provide assistance with the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children (aged 3 to 17 years) with physical, mental, or emotional impairments. Applications are accepted from individual families and on behalf of groups of children, registered charities and other organisations. Grant amounts are discretionary


Alpkit
Grants of £500
Alpkit welcome any applications from individuals or organisations serving those affected by coronavirus, across the country. Examples include:
Being active in your local community to help elderly or vulnerable people
Minimising the impact of self-isolation for those in quarantine and need access to food, medicines or social care
Supporting foodbanks and increasing the number of meals on wheels deliveries to support the elderly
Supporting those who are homeless or in temporary accommodation


Ashley Family Foundation

No limit but preference for projects under £10,000.

Funding is available for small-scale projects in Arts, Community and/or Charity Entrepreneurs.


Co-operative Bank Customer Donation Fund

Deadlines: March and September.

Community Directplus account holders the opportunity to apply for up to £1,000

The Co-operative Bank offer all their Community Directplus account holders the opportunity to apply for up to £1,000 from the Customer Donation Fund to support special projects and fundraising activities.


B&Q Foundation

Applicants are required to submit expressions of interest.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to registered charities who support people experiencing poor quality housing and homelessness or are looking for help with a project to improve homes and community spaces.


Central Social and Recreational Trust

Ongoing deadlines.

Grants of £1,000

Grants available for sports clubs and organisations in England to provide or assist in the provision of facilities for recreation or other leisure time occupation for the benefit of disadvantaged children who are under the age of 21 years.


Charles Hayward Foundation

Ongoing deadlines.

Up to £7,000

Grants for Older People’s projects that are preventative and early intervention programmes delivered locally that allow older people to stay in their own homes and remain independent. The Foundation is particularly interested in seeking out programmes which show some creativity in improving the quality of life of older people


.Edward Gostling Foundation

Maximum of £5,000 for their small grants programme.
Funding is available for organisations with an annual income of £5million or less and operating front line services to support people living with mental and / or physical disability or long-term illness. Applicants should be registered charities with at least 3 years of filed accounts. Applications should meet one of their grant themes: Health and wellbeing; Independent living at home; Respite; Transition.


The England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) Stop Loan Sharks Community Fund
Funding available for local residents, charities, community and voluntary groups, schools and statutory agencies that want to raise awareness of the issues of illegal money lending. Funds can be spent on any worthwhile community project that meets the following criteria:

Contributes to raising the awareness of the dangers of using loan sharks

Prevents crime and disorder and publicises the Stop Loan Sharks message

Promotes the work of the Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) in communities

Encourages reporting of loan sharks


The Home Instead Bring Joy Foundation

Ongoing deadlines

The foundation is providing up to £1,500 to registered charities and community groups to bring happiness and joy into the lives of our ageing population through improving and maintaining mental well-being and addressing loneliness and isolation.


The Fat Beehive Foundation

Up to £2,500

Rolling deadline

Grants for small UK registered charities with an income less than £1million, for the costs of websites and digital products.


The Foyle Foundation – Small Grants Fund

Up to £10,000

Registered charities with an annual income of no more than £150,000 can apply for grants towards core costs or essential equipment to enable ongoing service provision, homeworking, or delivery of online digital services.


Help the Homeless

 Deadlines for applications 15 March / 15 June / 15 September / 15 December.
Grants up to £5,000 with projects that assist individuals in their return to mainstream society, rather than simply offering shelter or other forms of sustenance. Applicable only to small and medium-sized charities with an annual turnover of under £1m.


Friends Provident Foundation

 Up to £200,000

This charitable foundation makes grants towards projects that seek to get to the root causes of inequality, poverty and climate breakdown and work on changing the economic systems and structures that cause these problems. The Foundation makes two types of grants:

  • Systems Change: supporting projects that work to inform change to economic systems, policy and regulation, demonstrating an ability to effectively change statutory and corporate behaviour
  • Local Economies: supporting projects that work to test different approaches to economic systems at a local level, involving genuine local engagement and leadership and demonstrating scalability

The Foundation makes grants of up to £200,000 (although most are for smaller amounts) which can be spread over up to 5 years – most grants are for periods of 1-2 years. There is a 2-stage application process.


Garfield Weston Foundation
Still open for grants to its usual programmes, but will look to speed up applications decisions. Regular grants programme for grants up to £100,000 and major grants for grants £100,000+ to cover capital, core and project costs


Andy Fanshawe Memorial Trust
The trust provides a great opportunity for smaller organisations to gain funding towards their ideas and plans to support disadvantaged young people in pursuing their existing interest in outdoor activities and sports. Individuals or small groups, exclusively within the UK are usually supported.


Tech4Schools

Amazon and digital education charity, the Learning Foundation have launched Tech4Schools, a new scheme that provides low-income schools serving disadvantaged communities with new devices, digital skills training and tech support. The scheme is funded by Amazon, and will be rolled out in collaboration with charity In Kind Direct, who will connect schools with their devices, and education charity Teach First, who will identify schools to participate in the scheme, all of whom will be part of Teach First programmes.


The Clothworkers Foundation

Applications can be made at any time. The Foundation aim to make a decision within eight weeks for grants and projects less than £10,000 or within six months for grants over £10,000.

The Clothworkers Foundation awards grants to charities and other not for profit organisations (including special schools) to support capital projects that support disadvantaged sections of the community. This can include the purchase or renovation of buildings and the purchase of equipment and vehicles. To be eligible the projects must fit within one or more of the Foundation’s specified programme areas. This includes alcohol & substance misuse; disadvantaged minority communities; disadvantaged young people; domestic & sexual abuse; homelessness; domestic & sexual abuse; and older people.

Applications can be made at any time. The Foundation aim to make a decision within eight weeks for grants and projects less than £10,000 or within six months for grants over £10,000.


BBC Children in Need’s Project Grants
Applications can be made at any time.

As part of its new grant-making strategy, BBC Children in Need is awarding grants of up to £40,000 per year for up to three years to support the projects costs of registered charities and not-for-profit organisations (including Special Schools) working with disadvantaged children and young people aged 18 years or under living in the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The funding will support the delivery of a specific piece of work (project), and could be spent on project staff costs, trips and outings, volunteer expenses and/or moveable equipment. Groups requesting £15,000 or less will receive a quicker decision. Expressions of interest should be submitted in the first instance.



The Morrisons Foundation

Grants are available to fully fund projects up to £25,000

The Foundation provides financial support for registered charities.

Funding for charity projects which make a positive difference in local communities. In the main grants are available to fully fund projects up to £25,000. There is a list of things they typically do not fund, including salaries, and ongoing project costs.


Digital Grants Programme – Essex Community Foundation

There is no deadline, but please be aware that funding decisions may take up to two months.

The ‘Digital Grants Programme’, which is managed by Essex Community Foundation (ECF), helps voluntary organisations to make use of digital technology and improve the experience their beneficiaries have.

Through this Programme, organisations have been able to improve their websites, introduce CRM systems and databases, launch new ways people can access help including through online appointments, and upskill staff and volunteers.

The average grant from this Programme is £9,500 and we encourage you to speak with the grants team about your digital project before applying.

ECF are keen for organisations involved to collaborate with others that have received funding, and will make introductions with others under this programme, where they can share their learning and hear from digital experts.

Call the ECF grants team on 01245 356018 to discuss your ideas in advance of applying.

Alternatively, you can email [email protected], book a call with a member of the team here.


Find Your Active Small Grants

The RideLondon-Essex cycling event, which took place in May 2022, has led to a new funding partnership between Active Essex and The London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT) to invest £1 million to inspire more people to be active across the county.

LMCT have provided a grant of £1 million to Active Essex and the Active Essex Foundation, to expand the Find Your Active small grants programme, scale up Essex Pedal Power, and increase active travel opportunities in our schools and communities.

LMCT is the parent charity of London Marathon Events (LME), the organisers of RideLondon. All surplus from events organised by LME is gifted to LMCT, who in turn provide grants to projects that inspire activity.


Firebird Fund

Essex Community Foundation has grants available  to support voluntary organisations working with people who have mental health difficulties. It also has a limited number of grants available to support individuals.

This Fund is exclusive to those living or working in South East Essex (Basildon, Castle Point, Rochford and Southend).

Previous grants have supported the overhead costs of support groups and mental health projects, as well as individuals to pursue educational opportunities to aid their mental health recovery, bought necessary equipment for them to further their careers or provided respite breaks (all with support from a recognised mental health service provider).

  • For organisations: apply directly via the Essex Community Foundation website but may like to speak to the grants team first.
  • For individuals: please contact the team on 01245 356018 or e-mail information about your funding needs to [email protected].

Climate Action Fund

There is no deadline and applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis

Up to £8 million is available to community projects across the UK that are focusing on the link between nature and climate. Local and UK wide partnerships can apply for funding of up to £1.5 million over two to five years to support place based and UK-wide partnerships that use nature to encourage more community-led climate action and help communities tackle climate change. The National Lottery Community Fund expects most projects to be funded between £300,000 and £500,000. Development grants of £50,000 to £150,000 over 12 to 18 months are also available for those communities wanting to develop initial ideas. It is anticipated that 12 – 15 projects will be funded.


Bringing People Together programme
Applications can be made at any time
Grants of up to £1,000,000 are available for community-led projects that brings communities across the UK together. The funding will support projects run by charities, voluntary and community organisations, CICs, CIOs and statutory bodies that build stronger connections across communities. The funding, which is made available through the National Lottery Community Fund’s Bringing People Together programme, will enable organisations to deliver collaborative projects across at least two countries in the UK that focus on equality, diversity and inclusion, particularly amongst people of colour, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and asylum or refugee seekers.


Youth Hostel Association’s Breaks Programme

No application deadline

Residential Breaks for Disadvantaged Young People (England & Wales) Schools, registered charities, and community and voluntary organisations seeking to offer breaks for disadvantaged young people and families with the most challenging lives can apply for support for a residential stay in England and Wales. Organisations can apply on behalf of any individual or group of young people who are experiencing disadvantage including homelessness, disability, long-term illness, bereavement, and other circumstances that limit children’s opportunities. The funding is made available through the Youth Hostel Association’s Breaks Programme which will accept applications from school groups in the Alternative Provision sector of education, along with schools who are interested in taking pupils on a residential break from primary to secondary school; organisations who work with families; and groups who are seeking support for a residential stay.


The Violence and Vulnerability Unit  Community Grant Fund  2023-24.

The fund is for local, ’not for profit’, voluntary or community clubs or organisations based in Essex, Southend and Thurrock only.

The 2022-2024 VVCS grant round is for local *’not for profit’ voluntary or community clubs or organisations based in (and therefore delivering in) Essex, Southend and Thurrock only, and we are looking to fund projects that meet our stated aims and can run from April 2023- 31st March 2024.

Groups can apply for up to £20,000 to deliver support and interventions for children, young people, young adults and families (families must include children and young people, and ‘young person’ is defined as up to the age of 25). Projects must demonstrate how they have a positive impact on issues relating to crime and anti-social behaviour and violence and vulnerability. This may include early intervention work, gang & ‘county lines’, and child criminal exploitation projects.


BA Community Fund

British Airways are on a journey to create a better, more sustainable future. They call it BA Better World. It means putting sustainability at the heart of their business. From creating a great place for people to work to reducing our emissions and waste and contributing to the communities they serve, they are building a thriving, resilient, responsible business.

For more than 30 years, British Airways has supported community initiatives across the UK and around the world. Now, with BA Better World Community Fund, they are creating more life-changing opportunities and generating more positive impact in the communities we serve by offering up to £50,000 in extra funding to eligible projects that crowdfund.


Buttle UK’s Chances for Children Grant

Applications can be made at any time

 Support might include items and activities to support learning and development such as laptops, books, wi-fi, educational toys, tuition, etc; clothing and school uniforms; and social, sporting and leisure activities; and items for children/young people’s bedrooms.

Buttle UK will only accept applications from frontline professionals (from a registered charity, housing association or public sector organisation):

  • who are working directly with the children/young person
  • ideally, have carried out at least one home visit
  • and have made a full assessment of the children’s or young person’s needs

Motability Active Travel Grant Programme

Applications at any time until March 2025.

UK charities and not-for-profit organisations can apply to develop, expand and improve active travel options for disabled people. Grants of between £100,000 and £4 million are available over three years to help charities and organisations, including universities, to ensure disabled people have equal opportunity to make decisions about how they travel in the UK by providing access to quality and affordable active travel equipment and journeys – whether by walking, cycling, push scooters, or use of wheelchairs and other mobility aids.


BlueSpark Foundation

Applications can be submitted at any time

Schools, colleges and community groups in England can apply for grants to support the education and development of children and young people through educational, cultural, sporting and other projects. Of particular interests are projects which will help enhance the self-confidence, team working skills and future employability of children and young people. In most cases grants will be made on a relatively small scale. Many grants will be under £2,000, most will be under £5,000 and only in a few cases will grants exceed £10,000. The funding provided by the BlueSpark Foundation and can be for physical assets (such as iPads, sports equipment, or lighting for stage productions) or for services or facilities (such as sports coaching or music or drama tuition) or simply for the provision of experiences (such as theatre visits). These examples are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive as to the funding which BlueSpark may provide to support projects. Applications must be made online on BlueSpark Foundation’s standard application form.


The Growth Impact Fund – Tackling Inequality & Promote Racial Justice

A new multi-million pound social investment fund focused on tackling inequality and promoting racial justice in the UK, has opened to applications from diverse-led social enterprises looking to grow their impact. The Growth Impact Fund, managed by Big Issue Invest, will invest between £50,000 and £1.5 million in social businesses to support early-stage founders from underrepresented groups who have previously been excluded from investment. It is expected to support 50 to 60 organisations through investments in the form of equity, patient debt or revenue-based funding. Up to £15,000 pre-investment grant funding is also offered for social businesses that would like some support to get ready for investment, and up to £20,000 as additional funding support to help organisations grow.


Santander Foundation

The programme has the ambition to support UK charities to give people the digital confidence, knowledge, and skills to enable them to make better, more informed decisions about money and have access to financial services.  – They want to reach lone parents, single pensioners, migrants and refugees, those with long term illnesses and disabilities,  those struggling to find sustained employment  and households headed by students or part-time workers. These are among the groups most commonly excluded from financial service

They aim to award 12 grants of up to a total of £150,000 per organisation. and award grants over a three-year period


The DWF Foundation

 4 rounds per year but applications accepted at any time

The DWF Foundation provides funds, resources and support to help communities achieve their full potential.

The DWF Foundation supports registered charities with an impact in one or more of the following areas:

  • Homelessness
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Employability
  • Education
  • Environment and Sustainability

Grants are given to initiatives that develop and improve local communities by:

  • Tackling a specific community issue.
  • Helping voluntary and community groups become more effective and efficient.
  • Encouraging the involvement in the community of those too often excluded.
  • Enabling young people to develop skills for the benefit of the community.

The Foundation does not have a minimum grant size but the majority of our grants will fall under £5,000.


Beatrice Laing Trust 

Applications can be submitted at any time

The Trust funds projects concerned with the relief of poverty or distress, particularly those relating to children, and the advancement of the evangelical Christian faith, both at home and abroad. The Beatrice Laing Trust offers grants to UK registered charities working throughout the UK, in developing countries and overseas. Grants are generally awarded on a one-off basis for capital purposes such as the purchase or construction of new premises, building extension, redevelopment or refurbishment, or the purchase of equipment and vehicles.


Edith Murphy Foundation 

Applications can be submitted at any time

The Edith Murphy Foundation was established in memory of Hughie Murphy. Its purpose is to support other organisations  (predominantly, but not exclusively, other registered charities) that: carry out research; support individuals who by reason of their age, youth, infirmity, disablement, poverty or social and economic circumstances are suffering hardship, distress or are otherwise in need; relieve the suffering and care for unwanted animals. The value of grants made is normally between £500 and £5,000 although larger grants are made in some circumstances. Since its inception in 1993 the charity has supported over 650 organisations with grants of around £17.5 million enabling these groups to carry out ground breaking research as well as providing much needed support to those in need of care.


GC Gibson Charity

The GC Gibson Charity offers grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 to a wide range of charities. The trustees are all highly involved in various philanthropic activities and priority for support is given to charities that the trustees have previously worked with. However, the trust adds few new charities each year.

For these new applications, the focus is on a particular theme for projects, and they are change this from year to year. They help a diverse range of charities and their choice may be seen as a bit quirky and random but support what appeals to the trustees using a structured process.

They will support capital or product purchases for UK registered charities in the areas of education, of social inclusion, and of physical and mental health for all ages anywhere in the world. They award

10 grants of up to £4,000. The projects that we support should have a maximum cost of £20,000 ie we will not offer a small contribution to a large project.

They will only support smaller charities with income from donations from the public and from Trusts or Foundations of up to £1 million.


Henry Smith Charity – Improving Lives

Applications can be submitted at any time

Henry Smith Charity – Strengthening Communities

Applications can be submitted at any time

The Henry Smith Charity is one of the largest independent grant making trusts in the UK.

The Improving Lives grant programme provides grants to charitable organisations that help people in need when other sources of support have failed, are inappropriate, or are simply not available. Funding of between £20,000 and £60,000 per year for a maximum of three years is available to established organisations delivering services directly to beneficiaries. One of the key areas of the Improving lives programme is to support:

  • People have the support, information and advice to address their financial issues.
  • People are able to navigate the benefits, migration and asylum systems and claim their rights and entitlements.
  • People have improved financial literacy, are more able to understand their finances and have greater confidence when budgeting and managing their money.

The Strengthening Communities grant programme is designed to support small charitable organisations working at grassroots level and aims to ensure that funding reaches the most disadvantaged areas of the UK. Funding of between £20,000 and £60,000 is available for up to three years to support work that enables: people from across the community to participate in activities which improve connectedness, opportunities and wellbeing; people who are excluded, vulnerable or facing hardship to have access to community-based services that support positive lasting change; a stronger, active, more engaged community.


Magic Little Grants 

Applications can be submitted at any time.

Localgiving has teamed up with the Postcode Community Trust to provide the Magic Little Grants programme. The fund provides small charities and community groups with grants of £500 for projects that address a range of community, social, environmental and health issues including preventing or reducing the impact of poverty.


Benefact Trust – General Grants Programme

Applications can be submitted at any time

The Benefact Trust (formerly known as the All Churches Trust) offers grants to Christian charities and organisations across the United Kingdom and Ireland that aim to help communities thrive and tackle social issues such as helping vulnerable families, homelessness and poverty to climate change and cultural cohesion. Through the General Grants Programme the Trust supports the repair, restoration, protection and improvement of churches, cathedrals and other places of Christian worship where changes support wider community use and enable greater impact.


Artemis Charitable Foundation

Applications can be submitted at any time

The Artemis Charitable Foundation makes donations to charities operating in the UK and internationally primarily in four key areas; health; education; poverty; and the environment.


Dischma Charitable Trust 

Applications can be submitted at any time.

The Dischma Charitable Trust provides grants to organisations in England and Wales that require funding for projects that fall into the following categories: Education/training; The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives; Disability; The Prevention or Relief of Poverty; Overseas Aid/famine Relief; Arts/culture/heritage/science; Animals; Environment/conservation/heritage.


Persimmon Community Champions

Applications can be submitted at any time

Persimmon Homes Charity Foundation is providing grant funding of up to £1000 to registered charities, clubs, schools and other organisations which have already raised vital funds themselves towards projects to enhance their local community.  The total available each month to support local good causes is £60,000.  The type of projects supported to date have included support for foodbanks; projects within schools; and sports projects; etc.


SODEXHO Foundation Stop Hunger Campaign 

Applications can be submitted at any time

Stop Hunger is a worldwide Sodexo initiative active in more than 40 countries. Through the initiative, the Sodexo Foundation donate time, skills and money to tackle hunger, support good nutrition and promote life skills in local communities. In the UK and Ireland the Stop Hunger Foundation is a grant giving organisation and its vision is to work with very best charities that exist to tackle hunger and malnutrition; promote healthy lifestyles; and develop life skills such as cooking. Previous grant awards have ranged between £1,500 and £120,000, however first time applicants can only apply for a maximum of £10,000. Organisations that have previously received funding include Fare Share who redistributes surplus food destined for landfill to local charities and community groups across the UK and Focus Ireland who support homeless people in Dublin by providing hot nutritious meals.


Tesco Community Grants Programme

Applications can be submitted at any time

The Tesco Community Grants Programme will use the money raised from the 5p bag charge in Tesco stores across England, Wales and Scotland to pay for a large number of local projects. Tesco Community Grants fund thousands of local community projects across the UK, helping to fight holiday hunger, tackle mental health, support young people, host community events and much more. Since 2016 the scheme has supported over 40,000 community groups with more than £90 million in grants. Tesco Community Grants is open to charities and community organisations 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


Wooden Spoon Sports Programme

Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby, is encouraging charities, schools and not-for-profit organisations to apply for grant funding. The charity which provides grants to regional not-for-profit organisations has £1.8 million to share amongst projects that support its charitable aim to ‘make a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable children and young people in the UK and Ireland through our commitment to quality charity work.’ If a project is educational or disability sports focused, there must be a key rugby element to engage children and young people, and if a project is a physical, tangible asset, of a permanent nature, it must have a minimum predicted life-span of five years, be non transferable and of a permanent nature.


The Weavers’ Company Benevolent Fund

The Weavers’ Company Benevolent Fund was set up in 1973, succeeding an existing charitable fund. We decided that the Fund’s principal aim should be to support people in trouble, particularly young offenders and ex-offenders, as well as other disadvantaged young people. Preference is given to pump-priming new projects, especially those that are innovative and can serve as a model elsewhere.
Projects which fulfil the funding criteria are short-listed, then visited by a member of the Company. These assessment visits give our younger members in particular an opportunity to become closely involved in the charitable work of the Company, which may lead to a mutually beneficial relationship with its beneficiaries.
These assessments inform the Charitable Grants Committee, helping it decide on the grants to be awarded and the amount allocated. The Committee meets three times a year.

The Company’s Priorities:

YOUNG OFFENDERS

The Company looks to support projects that involve the rehabilitation of young offenders, so that these young people can lead productive and fulfilling lives once released from detention.
EX OFFENDERS
Despite a focus on the rehabilitation of young offenders, the Company also supports projects that help ex-offenders of all ages.
DISADVANTAGED YOUNG PEOPLE
The Company realises that it is as important to prevent young people offending in the first place. It therefore supports projects that help young people make better life choices and fulfil their potential.

SELCO’S COMMUNITY GIVEAWAY

Are you a member of a group, charity or organisation which is at the heart of your local community? If so, here’s your chance to make a real difference through Selco Community Heroes.

Selco’s big community giveaway is back for another year and, with the cost of living crisis hitting the economy, they want to play our part in helping community groups and charities keep up their outstanding work.

From June to November, they are offering any organisation which benefits the community the chance to win £500 of building materials to use on a project or on a building – and potentially £5,000 cash on top.

Each month for six months, two good causes will be selected by the judges to receive £500 worth of building materials to improve their facility or assist with a project. The 12 finalists then go before a public vote for the chance to win £5,000 cash in early 2023 – what a way to start the new year for our overall Selco Community Heroes winner.

The group which finishes in second spot in the public vote will win £1,000.

Entry is simple – just fill in the form above to be in contention for the monthly prizes and the judges will review all the entries before deciding on the winners.


Places and Spaces
£7m Commonwealth Games legacy fund

This fund is a Commonwealth Games legacy fund to help community sport and physical activity groups improve their place or space and to unite their communities and provide a lasting legacy as part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
This is a capital fund, available to all not for profit community organisations delivering sport and physical activity, to help them improve their place or space in 2022 and helping to keep their community active.  It is a fund about inspiring participation, diversifying audiences and bringing people together, which we know places and spaces form a big part of.  Your project for example could be for:

Creating a welcoming and accessible space or place
Improving a place or space to encourage new people
Changing a place or space to provide opportunities for more people to be more active, locally


Active Together
£7.5m Covid-19 recovery fund

This is a Covid-19 pandemic recovery fund, helping clubs and voluntary organisations to move forward with priority projects and running costs that they might still be struggling with.
As a Covid-19 recovery fund, it can help with projects that cannot be afforded right now due to the impact that Covid-19 continues to have on an organisation’s normal income streams.  It is a fund about recovery, reinvention and building resilience, so your project for example could be for:
Facility refurbishments, maintenance or improvements
Adapting your facility to ensure a safe return to play
Running new activity to meet demand, post-pandemic, helping your community to recover
Unforeseen events continuing to impact on your finances – fire, theft, vandalism or adverse weather, the emerging energy crisis – changing your facility to lower your energy consumption


Community Challenge Fund

Individuals and small community groups from target areas of Essex to bid for money from the  new Community Challenge Fund.

The £500,000 fund to help people improve their local area. Residents know their communities best and have great ideas for what they need. We want to help them bring those ideas to life and make the most of what their area has to offer.

Bids to the fund can be made now with grants of between £300 and £2,000 will be available. It covers Tendring, Basildon, Colchester, Canvey Island, Harlow and rural Braintree. These are the six areas of priority identified in the Levelling Up strategy.

Perhaps you have been sitting on an idea for a while of how you can enhance your community and it has just lacked the necessary funding to get it started. If so, then this fund is for you.

Examples of how the fund could be used are:

  • training and equipment to share skills and create training opportunities,
  • printing for a local event or newsletter,
  • hosting and promoting an online magazine for young people,
  • setting up a local community seed exchange,
  • providing taxi or licensed hire vehicles to bring isolated residents together,
  • setting up a clothes swap in a community hall.

The fund is simple to apply for, so don’t worry if you have never applied for funding from a Council before.


The J Davy Foundation

Merchants Place, 16 Church Street, Cromer NR27 9ES
[email protected]

The object of the charity is to benefit charities and for diverse good causes. The trust carries out these objects by supporting registered charities working in many different fields including medical research, disability and handicap, the elderly, children and young people, the disadvantaged, and the welfare of ex-servicemen


True Colours Trust

This programme is designed to support excellent local organisations and projects that work with:

  • Disabled children and young people
  • Children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families

It provides grants of up to £10,000, although many grants are smaller than this. They aim to give a response within 6 weeks


Rosmarinus Charitable Trust
The Old Vicarage, The Street, Braughing, Ware SG11 2QT
[email protected]

Charitable purposes at the trustees’ discretion with a giving preference of  Human health and welfare

Average grant between £300-£1000


The Aqueduct Charitable Trust
1st Floor, Trinity Quay 1, Avon Street, Bristol BS2 0PT

General charitable purposes with a giving preference to  general, human health and welfare
Average grant donation between £3000-£10,000.


National Lottery Bringing People Together Fund 

Applications can be made at any time

Grants of up to £1,000,000 are available for community-led projects that brings communities across the UK together.

The funding will support projects run by charities, voluntary and community organisations, CICs, CIOs and statutory bodies that build stronger connections across communities, and improve the infrastructure and conditions that are needed to strengthen these connections

The funding, which is made available through the National Lottery Community Fund’s Bringing People Together programme, will enable organisations to deliver collaborative projects across at least two countries in the UK that focus on equality, diversity and inclusion, particularly amongst people of colour, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and asylum or refugee seekers.

The National Lottery Community Fund expects that most of the funding will go to projects that request between £200,000 and £500,000. There will be a smaller number of awards for projects above £500,000.


Grants For Older People | Friends of the Elderly (fote.org.uk)

You can apply for a grant with us if you meet the following criteria:

You are of state retirement age.

You live in England or Wales.

You are managing on a low income with savings of less than £4,000.

You are not living in a residential care home


Giffgaff Emergency Fund in partnership with the Neighbourly Foundation

Grants of up to £1,000.

Mobile network provider giffgaff, in partnership with the Neighbourly Foundation, has launched a new fund aimed at helping to tackle the rising cost of living in communities across the UK.

Money raised through donations and recycled mobile phones, will be awarded to community causes, with Neighbourly helping to identify the types of causes most impacted, and customers also asked to vote for causes they would like to see receive support.


The Essex Cycle Grant

Application for funding is via a short and simple application form

The Essex Cycle Grant is provided by Active Essex and Essex County Council to support organisations throughout the county engage with more people to get them cycling. This can range from those needing support learning to ride or accessing a bike, to those who’re more confident wanting to explore more of Essex on two wheels. We want to increase local, inclusive cycling opportunities and target those who aren’t regular cyclists, or are new to cycling, to regularly take part. The money can be used to start up new activities or increasing the numbers attending existing activities.

The Essex Cycle grant aims to fund long term sustainable projects that require none or very little funding from the Essex Cycle Grant after a period of 1-5 years (dependent on the scale of the project), to enable them to be self-sufficient in the long-term. The Essex Cycle grant can fund 100% of project costs in the first year (within maximum grant fund budget set). We may offer continuation grants in future years if your project is successful and requires additional funding to continue. This will be at reduction of 25% of your total project costs each year.

There is no limit on how much you can apply for, although we expect the average award to be £3,000 so the grant can reach as many organisations and people as possible. The grant is for organisations who are willing and able to take immediate action to reach people who can benefit from cycling, particularly those who have become less physically active since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Applications that are focused on the key funding priorities are more likely to receive an award.

We can fund any organisation that can offer appropriate cycling support and activities for people who are now less active due to the pandemic. We can fund a wide range of costs including instructors, premises, equipment, marketing and promotion.

If you would like to discuss a project idea with one of the Active Essex team please don’t hesitate to get in touch with you locality hub team or contact [email protected]


National Allotment Gardens Trust

 Applications are assessed by the Board of Trustees on a quarterly basis.

Grants of between £250 and £2,000 are available to registered Allotment Associations and committees across the UK for the improvement and development of facilities on registered and permitted sites.

The funding is being made available by the National Allotment Gardens Trust which aims to advance and improve the Allotments/Gardens movement through education, training, workshops and support. Non-statutory sites may also be granted funding if a long-term lease is in place.


Poundland Foundation

Grants of up to £750 for new kit will be available for grassroots sports clubs supporting children under 18 across the UK.


Majonzi Fund

Grants are available to local not-for-profit groups for events and activities which commemorate those whose lives have been lost during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

‘Majonzi’ means grief or deep sorrow in Swahili.

The fund was created by Ubele Initiative in Partnership with Patrick Vernon OBE.

Funding is intended to provide bereavement and grief support to members of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community affected by loss due to COVID-19.

Grants of £500 are available.

Who can apply:

  • Households that have lost loved ones to COVID-19 and would like to organise a commemorative event.
  • BAME Community groups and organisations (including faith groups) to organise a memorial service.
  • Social entrepreneurs or artists looking to organise an event or commission a piece of art for a community.

Funding can be used to cover memorial services (including events or artwork) and/or further fundraising activities.

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