Funding Opportunities in December

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SNG Thriving Communities Fund

Deadline 20 December 2024

SNG (Sovereign Network Group) is a leading housing association, committed to improving customers’ wellbeing and developing thriving and resilient communities. Their Thriving Communities fund is aimed at supporting not-for-profit groups and organisations to deliver cohesive, sustainable, and resilient communities which people are proud to be a part of.

Grants will be awarded for initiatives and projects that actively support affiliated communities.

Who is eligible to apply?
To apply for this fund, applicants must be a local not-for-profit group, community organisation, or a registered charity who will be able to demonstrate how they will engage with and benefit SNG customers.

The fund will be split into six distinct regions across the South of England (Reading being covered in one of the six regions) and will be limited to one project per organisation. Eligibility criteria is listed in the guidance notes (below).

What are the funder priorities?
Funding will prioritise groups whose work will directly benefit the funder’s customers.

Priority will be given to applications that clearly demonstrate their objectives, the outcomes that their project will achieve and the difference that will be made by their project as a whole. Applications will also be assessed on how they aim to engage with, and benefit SNG customers and communities within the designated areas.

How much can organizations apply for?
Grants from £1,000 up to £5,000 are available.

Peter Harrison Foundation

We have two grant programmes that are open to applications:
• Active Lives
• Positive Futures
For each programme there are two levels of funding available
• Small grants: up to £5,000
• Major grants: £5,001 – £30,000
Types of funding: We accept applications for capital, project or core costs
Levels of funding: There are 2 levels of grants – Small grants: up to £5,000 – Major grants: £5,001 – £30,000
Location:

  • Active Lives funds work all over the UK.
  • Positive Futures only funds work in the South East of England

The next application deadline is 1st January 2025

Community Radio Fund

About Us: The Community Radio Fund is allocated by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and managed by Ofcom.
Criteria: Grants for Ofcom-licensed community radio stations broadcasting on AM, FM, or by a Community Digital Sound Programme (C-DSP) license on a digital radio multiplex, to help with the essential core work involved in running a radio station. Applicant stations must be on the air as of the date of their application for their application to be considered. Payment can only be made to stations that have launched.
Grant Size: The total amount available in the 2024-25 financial year is £400,000 across two funding rounds. There is no set level of funding. However, in the previous funding round, grants ranged from around £4,000 to £33,000.
Deadline for applications: 8th December 2024

Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Arts Fund

About Us: We want to support organisations who are working at the intersection of art and social change.
Criteria: For not-for-profit organisations who work at the intersection of art and social change. The Fund supports organisations to do the following:
• Build capacity and resources for culture within historically underfunded communities
• Explore the role that artists can play in addressing issues of social justice
• Create the infrastructure for a more equitable cultural sector.
Not-for-profit cultural organisations with a turnover of at least £60,000 per year can apply. The grants can cover up to 50% of an organisation’s annual turnover over three years, based on their last audited accounts. Priority will be given to applications which are actively anti-racist and intersectional in their approach.
Grant Size: The Foundation provides grants of between £90,000 and £300,000 for activity lasting up to three years.
Deadline for applications: 31st January 2025

Ulverscroft Foundation

Applications close on Sunday 15th December.
We support projects that help visually impaired people. Applications for funding can be considered from any non-profit source, a charity, CIC or social group, from the UK or overseas. Applications for academic and clinical research, or from public libraries run by local authorities, will also be considered. We can support, for example, transport for reading groups, reminiscence projects, the acquisition of specialist equipment, etc. Applications can be made by downloading, completing and posting or emailing us an application form. Please note that within any group there may be an element of visual impairment, but grants can only be considered if the visual impairment element is significant. Find out more information.

Bentley Motors

Applications close on Friday 20th December.
Bentley Motors, community investment and corporate citizenship are key elements of our sustainability approach. Grants are available to support small, local charitable organisations working with vulnerable, disadvantaged or underrepresented communities in locations within a 20-mile radius of the specified UK Bentley.
The programme’s areas of focus are improving accessibility, empowering confidence, increasing quality of life, and/or creating better futures. Applicants’ organisations must have an income under £ 1 million per year. More info.

Crowthorne Community Grants

Applications close on Friday 13th December.
Each year Crowthorne Parish Council considers requests for grants to assist organisations involved in delivering valued services to the Crowthorne community. Application are only considered if they are accompanied by a copy of your latest set of annual accounts showing the organisation’s income, expenditure, level of balances and reserves policy. If the organisation does not prepare annual accounts, copies of the bank statements covering the previous six months must be attached. Organisations which are successful be presented with their cheques at the Annual Parish Meeting held in March and April 2025.

Turners Court Youth Trust

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Grants are available for registered charities and small community groups whose work is focused on the needs of vulnerable and disaffected children and young people up to the age of 23 years in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Projects will be assessed as to the positive difference they will make in regards to difficult early life experiences, safety & wellbeing, protection from harm & neglect, overcoming education & employment barriers, developing independent life & work skills, and/or crime prevention.

Cumber Family Charitable Trust

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
One-off grants are available for projects in developing countries, UK national needs and projects local to Berkshire and Oxfordshire with a preference for those with active involvement in agriculture or rural development, or working in the areas of welfare, education, medicine, disadvantaged children, agriculture and/or conservation.

Woodward Charitable Trust

Applications close on Friday 13th December.
We only makes grants for core costs rather than specific projects as we recognise that smaller charities can find these funds harder to access. We hope that this will have a more direct impact on the organisations that we choose to fund.
We also only fund organisations which support children / young people up to 25 years of age, disadvantaged families, and/or prisoners /
ex-offenders. Typically grants are below £1,000, but sometimes fund up to £3,000. 

Benefact Group: Movement for Good

We’re giving away £120,000 in December – 12 Days of Giving is our festive final phase of Movement for Good 2024. In December, we’ll be giving 120 charities £1,000 each over 12 days.

The first draw takes place on December 5th and the last on December 20th with 10 charities drawn every week day. It only takes 30 seconds to nominate your charity.

Movement for Good – Nominate a charity for an award.
Deadline: Nominations are open until 23:59 on December 19th 2024.

Moto Foundation

The Moto Foundation makes a positive difference to the communities around our network of Motorway Service Areas – one of the ways we do this is through community grants.

Any application that is submitted must have the endorsement of a Moto colleague; that is someone directly employed by Moto Hospitality Ltd. The online form will prompt you to add the name and contact details of the Moto colleague endorsing your application, so please have these to hand.

Please take some time to read through the following criteria before completing the application process. Following the completion of your application you will receive an email from the Moto Foundation office to acknowledge your application and advise you whether your application will be progressed through to the approval process.

Please be advised that the application to approval process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. In order to assist as many organisations as possible the average grant given through the funding process is £1,000. Depending on the strength of an application and demonstration of commitment by both the Moto site and Partner, larger grants may be agreed.

Tesco Stronger Starts

The scheme is open to all schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations, with priority given to projects that provide food and support to young people. Examples of eligible applications with a focus on food security, children and young people could be:

A school providing pupils with food for breakfast clubs or snacks throughout the day.
A school wanting to buy equipment for outdoor or indoor activities.
A school wanting to develop a food growing area.
A school supporting an after school club.
A voluntary organisation working with families to run a food bank.
An organisation addressing holiday hunger.
A healthy eating project that supports families to cook healthy meals on a budget.
A Brownie or Scout group needing funding for new play equipment or activities.
If you are a Tesco colleague or customer, you can also nominate a cause that you’d like to see supported. Tesco colleagues in each store will help select those needing a little help in your local area and when our customers are given a blue token, in any of our Tesco stores at the checkout, they can vote for their favourite charity to receive a grant. Community charity Groundwork manages this website and administers the funding across the UK. Groundwork is working with Greenspace Scotland to support successful projects in Scotland.

Energy Resilience Fund – Loan/Grant Scheme

About Us: Charities and social enterprises that are looking to install energy-saving measures or generation technology to buildings/land (including new builds), and/or to purchase energy efficient or environmentally friendly vehicles or equipment can apply now for a blended funding package of loan and grant to improve their energy resilience.
Criteria: Eligible organisations must:
Be an incorporated voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation.
Be based in England and serving communities primarily within England.
Be constituted for social benefit and improving people’s lives or the environments they live in.
Have a minimum of two years’ operating activity.
Have a minimum turnover of £100,000 in their last set of end of year accounts.
Have fewer than 250 employees and either an annual turnover not exceeding £40 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding £35 million.
Be unable to access mainstream bank lending for this purpose.
Have freehold ownership or a suitable written lease agreement with a minimum of 12 years remaining on it if they are applying to install energy saving/generating measures to buildings/land.
Have the support of their senior decision makers for taking on loan finance.
Grant Size: Funding of £25,000 to £250,000 is available via a blend of grants (40%) and loans (60%). The loan repayment term is one to ten years.
Deadline for applications: Rolling programme

Berkshire Community Foundation – Vital for Berkshire

Our Vital for Berkshire fund is open for applications.
The fund aims to support charities, community groups and projects that work to tackle the most salient and pressing issues within Berkshire’s communities at any given time.
We invite applications for grants of up to £5,000 from charities, community groups and projects that support vital needs in Berkshire, such as (but not limited to):
⭐physical and mental health
⭐supporting young and vulnerable people or groups
⭐combating isolation, tackling poverty and disadvantage
⭐offering equal opportunities for all
and more.
Apply for Vital for Berkshire by visiting https://bit.ly/vitalforberkshirefund
Funds close at 10am on Thursday 16th January 2025.

Thank you to Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, Wokingham & Brackell InVOLve and Slough CVS for the information contained in this article.

The Energy Crisis Continues to Impact Berkshire Households – But Support is Available

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For over three years, the UK has been grappling with an ongoing energy crisis, leaving millions of households struggling to stay warm, safe, and healthy. In Berkshire, we see this firsthand through our Family Food & Water Poverty Project, which directly supports families facing rising utility bills.

The stark reality: *Over 6 million UK households are unable to afford the energy they need to maintain a basic standard of living. Even now, energy prices remain 50% higher than pre-crisis levels, and families from all walks of life are feeling the strain.

We stand firmly behind the efforts of @NEA in raising awareness of #FuelPoverty and are committed to making a difference in our local community.

Our Family Fuel and Water Poverty Project provides essential advice on reducing home energy costs, offering guidance to low-income families and the front-line workers who support them in Berkshire.

How can we help?

  • We offer bespoke, one-to-one telephone advice to families who are struggling with utility bills.
  • Families can access tailored support from Helen Dean, who provides expert guidance to help navigate energy debt and manage costs.
  • Visit our project page for tips and resources for families: Energy Advice & Fuel Poverty Support
  • For direct support or to make a referral, please email Helen at: Helen.Dean@ccberks.org.uk

A recent testimonial:
“Before speaking to Helen, I had buried my head in the sand with debt from bills that I was confused by. Helen gave me live feedback and support via text while I was on the phone with my electricity company. Her knowledge helped clear over half the debt and made the payback manageable.”
– Natasha, a client.

We encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out, as no one should have to face this crisis alone.

Let’s raise awareness and work together to ensure families get the support they need.

*Data source National Energy Action

Join the CCB Oil Club: Save Money & Support Your Community

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Do you live in Berkshire and heat your home with oil? If so, you’re not alone — and we have a way for you to save money while helping your community.

If you’re off the gas grid and rely on oil for heating, the CCB Oil Club can help you reduce your fuel costs through bulk purchasing. By joining forces with others in your area, you can take advantage of group buying power to secure better prices on oil deliveries — and help reduce the number of tankers on the road, too.

No Local Oil Club? We’ve Got You Covered!

For households that don’t have a local oil club, the CCB Oil Club, launched in partnership with the Oil Fuel Poverty Scheme (OFPS) in 2012, is available to all homes across Berkshire. This initiative allows every home in the county to benefit from the cost-saving advantages of group buying, regardless of their location.

Real Savings, Real Impact

In the last quarter (July – September 2024), our members collectively saved over £1,200! It’s clear that by pooling resources, we can all benefit. And with winter just around the corner, now is the perfect time to top up your oil tank before demand and prices spike.

Why Wait? Sign Up Today!

Don’t wait until the cold weather hits — join the CCB Oil Club today to ensure you’re getting the best price for your heating oil. To learn more or sign up, click here.

Funding Opportunities in November

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Neighbourhood Watch Community Grants Fund

About Us: Our focus is to help you kickstart, improve or expand your community work. The Trustees of Neighbourhood Watch Network set aside funds for this scheme.
Criteria: grants are only for registered Neighbourhood Watch members who are representatives of a registered and recognised Neighbourhood Watch scheme, group, Area or Association in England and Wales.
Funding priorities
• Tackling Antisocial Behaviour – Improving the community environment
• Increasing membership of local watches
• Addressing crime through Community Cohesion
• Tackling loneliness in our Neighbourhood Watch communities
Grant Size: Between £100 – £300. Groups can only hold one grant at a time and only hold one grant in each financial year.
Deadline for applications: 14th January 2025

Cash4Clubs Sports Funding

Applications close on Tues 12th November.
Grants of £2,000 are available for community and voluntary sport groups across the UK and Ireland, who are delivering activities for a social purpose to under-represented communities. This programme is exclusively focused on supporting adult clubs as we want to offer funding to groups that deliver activities to over 18s only, with an emphasis on 18–25 year olds. Learn more.

Bracknell Forest Household Support Fund

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
The council will be using funding to support low income households with the rising cost of living, including energy, food and essential bills. The scheme will be enhanced to enable Bracknell Forest residents in financial hardship who would not otherwise automatically qualify for support to apply. If households are eligible, they can apply based on an existing assessment criteria which will include a financial assessment of income and assets, or cost-of-living vouchers for low-income families not eligible for school distributed vouchers.

West Berkshire Council Household Support Fund

The Household Support Fund is there to help people struggling to meet essential housing costs including energy and water bills, food, and wider essentials. There is £695,000 available which includes funding for individuals and families, as well as money set aside to provide free school meals and help for pensioners and young people leaving care.

Winter Wishes Fund

Applications close on Weds 13th November.
This fund is for grants of between £300 – £1,000 for organisations running projects that provide vital support to those most vulnerable in our communities, helping to navigate this time of year. Funding can be used in a variety of ways, from providing the local community with a warm nourishing meal, gifting toys and hampers to families in need and providing shelter to people without a safe place to call home at Christmas.

Improving Homes & Community Spaces

Applications close on Friday 15th November.
One-off grants are available to UK registered charities for projects that improve homes and communities spaces for those who are experiencing homelessness, in financial hardship, impacted by health, disability or other disadvantage or distress. We generally support with funding of up to £10K for building or indoor projects, and up to £5K for garden projects.

Nature Hubs Funding

Applications close on Fri 29th November.
Grants are available for registered organisations across to deliver projects and activities that create or enhance green spaces within 5 kilometres of a Starbucks store. Groups can apply for grants up to £6,000 to set up or enhance community-led green spaces.

Petplan Charitable Trust

Applications close on Mon 9th December.
Grants are available to support animal welfare charities and institutions to promote the health and welfare of animals across the UK. Animal assisted therapy charities will be considered, however there is a requirement to detail the current and long term welfare needs of the
animals.

The Adamson Trust

Applications close on Tues 31st December.
Grants are available for non-profit organisations and charities to help with the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children, aged 3 to 17 years, with physical, mental, or emotional impairments.

Turners Court Youth Trust

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Grants are available for registered charities and small community groups whose work is focused on the needs of vulnerable and disaffected children and young people up to the age of 23 years in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Projects will be assessed as to the positive difference they will make in the areas of early life experiences, safety, wellbeing, overcoming barrier, work skills, independence and/or crime prevention.

Just Transition Fund

A total of £5 million is available in grants to charities and community energy groups across England, Scotland and Wales to develop renewable energy projects that benefit those most in need. The fund, piloted under the scheme’s Carbon Emissions Reductions priority, aims to build the capacity of the community energy sector and deliver impactful renewable energy projects. It seeks to demonstrate how a just transition to net zero can benefit everyone.
Criteria: Registered organisations, in England, Scotland and Wales, can apply for grant funding to deliver energy related projects that meet the scheme priorities.
Grant Size: The Just Transition Fund will award grants between £20,000 and £250,000 to individual projects.
Deadline for applications: 5pm, 19 November 2024

Material Focus

The Electricals Recycling Fund aims to grow existing methods or test new creative and practical ones for recycling small household electricals.
Criteria:
They fund two types of projects – those seeking to grow or develop existing household collection services for small household electricals, and those seeking to innovate new collection methods. Applications from registered organisations only – such as local authorities, waste collection authority areas, contractors, non-profits, community sector organisations, producer compliance schemes, and retailers – not individuals.
Grant Size:
Growing existing services – grants of up to £100,000 for projects that grow existing collection methods for small electricals.
Innovating new methods – grants of up to £50,000 to come up with new approaches to repair, reuse and/or recycle electricals.
Deadline for applications: Rolling basis

The Alec Dickson Trust

The Trust supports volunteering or community service projects organised and run by young people aged 30 and younger.
Criteria: For individuals or small groups of young people to help them put their ideas into action and run projects that benefit the lives of others.
The funding is for projects that:
• Support and encourage youth volunteering, particularly those that involve lots of volunteers, and encourage young people to stay engaged as volunteers in the long term.
• Have a positive impact on disadvantaged communities and individuals. Projects should identify a specific need and how to address this need. There is particular interest in projects that will have a deep and meaningful effect on those it reaches, as well as projects that are as long-lasting and sustainable as possible.
• Are innovative and try to do things differently. This could be addressing a real need for the community or doing something that has not been done before.
Grant Size: Up to £500
Deadline for applications: 13 November 2024

B&Q Foundation

About Us: The B&Q Foundation Grants programme is managed by Neighbourly, a platform used by local Good Causes across the UK and Ireland. Groups will need to create a profile on the Neighbourly platform as part of the B&Q Foundation application process.
Criteria: Grants to registered charities to provide, maintain, repair or improve housing or community space. The projects should benefit people most in need because of homelessness, financial hardship, sickness, disability or other disadvantage.
Grant Size: Up to £5,000 is available for garden projects and up to £10,000 for building or indoor projects.
Deadline for applications: 6pm on 15 November

Music 4 All

Music for All’s next funding round of 2024 is NOW OPEN to applicants!
See their website for full details on our upcoming community funding opportunities.
Please read the eligibility criteria and instructions carefully before applying.
Funding round 4 will close on the 13th of January.

Comic Relief Community Fund

Grants of up to £5,000 are available and offered on a flexible basis, depending on need.

Funding can be used on core organisation costs, direct project related costs or a combination of both that support your organisation to deliver against any of the four areas.

An example of core funding could be a contribution to organisation’s annual budget to continue its good work, funding to expand the work, or to add something new that amplifies results. It could also be allocated for expenses that are harder to fund, such as salaries of senior management or administration, or ongoing costs that are not covered by other grants.

Thank you to Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve and Slough CVS for the information contained in this article.

Funding Opportunities in October

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One Stop Community Partnership Programme

We are extremely proud to be part of the local communities we serve and that’s why we are even more excited to welcome applications for the One Stop Community Partnership programme.
Local Community Groups are able to apply for funding to support their group and to develop an ongoing partnership with your store. Successful applicants will receive an initial grant of up to £1,000 and begin a partnership with their local One Stop store.
This programme is designed to support community groups or organisations operating within two miles of a One Stop store and which are;

  • Tackling food poverty
  • Supporting the vulnerable
  • Supporting the elderly
  • Supporting low-income families
  • Supporting a healthier lifestyle, such as Youth sports teams
    If you have a local community group you would like to support encourage them to apply today!

Once funding has been agreed, alongside a grant of up to £1,000, a long-term tailored programme of support is created for successful applicants by the One Stop Community team and One Stop Store team. Grant recipients then work in partnership with the One Stop Store team at their local shop to deliver this programme.
The tailored support from the store teams will help community causes to increase or improve their service by assisting in areas such as, volunteering support & additional fundraising

To be eligible to apply, your organisation or project location address must be within two miles of a One Stop store. Each store is able to create a partnership with one group only. Before you start your application, please use the below Store Locator to check the distance from your local store and whether funding is currently available there.

Deadline: 25th October

Marsh Charitable Trust

The Trust focuses on providing funding which could help small organisations pay for various running costs, such as volunteer expenses, training days, equipment maintenance and other core outgoings.
Our funding strategy is to provide long-term core funding for such costs, as we understand that many of the organisations we support depend on unrestricted income in order to meet their operating needs.
Grants are unrestricted and range from £300-£2,000. Successful new applicants can expect to receive a grant at the lower end of this scale.
Applications are considered on the basis of the organisation’s financial position, performance against charitable aims and objectives and the ratio of voluntary income against fundraising expenses
The Trust aims to build long-standing relationships with successful applicants and, subject to an annual review, continue its support over time.

Applicants must be a registered charity with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. This does not include Community Interest Companies (CICs).
Charities must have been established for more than one financial year and able to provide a full set of their most recent Annual Report and Accounts, or the equivalent financial information if their annual income is under £25,000. Deadline: Rolling

Laughology Happiness Grant

Funding is available for grassroots, neighbourhood-based community projects that build happy, strong, resilient communities across the UK.
Small, not-for-profit businesses can apply for funding to set up new groups and activities that improve:
• mental health and wellbeing
• inclusion
• learning and skills development
To be successful, applicants will need to indicate how the activity/group can become self-sustainable or be able to attract funding from other sources for the longer term.
The funding is made available through Laughology’s Happiness Fund, which will make one award of £5,000 twice a year, allowing up to two different projects per year to be supported.

Funding Criteria: Organisations that have received less than £50,000 funding, from any other sources, in the last 12 months.

Deadline: The next closing date for applications is the 4th October 2024.

National Open Garden Scheme: Community Garden Grants

Grants will only be made to bodies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The following bodies are not eligible:
• Local authorities (including parish councils)
• Schools
Applications from any such bodies will not be considered. Applications from groups that were successful in securing a National Garden Scheme Community Garden Grant in the prior year will also not be considered.

Applicants must be a fully set up community group, registered charity or Community Interest Company (CIC) with a functioning non-personal bank account. An application must relate to an existing or proposed community garden or similar site. There must be no query over access to the space (such as restrictions imposed by ownership by another body). Applications from groups that were successful in the prior year will not be considered.

Individual grants are between minimum £1000 and maximum £5000. Each application must itemise the details of the costs they are planning to cover.

Deadline: The 2025 Community Garden Grants scheme is open for applications from Monday 9th September until noon on 28th October 2024. Eligible community garden projects from England, Wales and Northern Ireland are welcome to apply for grants of between £1,000 and £5,000. All applications will be assessed on their merits and the successful groups will be notified in March 2025.

The Naturesave Trust

The environmental charity funded by Naturesave Insurance
The September – October 2024 funding window is now OPEN. The deadline is 12 noon on 31st October 2024.

Our funding focuses on small environmental projects for charities, social enterprises and grassroots community groups whose activities are based within the UK. The theme of this funding window is energy efficiency. We are looking for grant applications up to £5,000 from organisations who are working to promote a more sustainable approach to energy efficiency through insulation, solar panels, lighting initiatives, cooking solutions, new equipment, energy audits, heating projects, workshops, etc. The theme of this funding window is energy.

Our buildings are responsible for contributing 20% of the UK’s total emissions, the majority of which come from heating. In order to reach the Government’s decarbonisation targets, the volume of energy efficiency projects needs to increase from 150,000 installs per year in 2021, to 500,000 in 2025 and one million per year by 2030.

Over 90% of our buildings are heated by fossil fuels, accounting for a third of UK total gas use. Improving energy efficiency can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants, as well as decrease water use. It can also lower individual utility bills, create jobs, and help stabilise electricity prices.

The Morrisons Foundation

The Morrisons Foundation supports registered charities making a positive difference in local communities across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Grants are available for up to £10,000 for capital spend or direct project delivery.
The Morrisons Foundation prioritises applications from small charities, those with an income of less than £1m, but applications from larger charities are welcome.
Before submitting an application, please read our Grant Funding Policy in full. If you are still unsure whether your application is what we’re looking for, please get in touch.
Applications should deliver on (at least) one of three objectives to be considered for support, these are:

  1. Tackling poverty and social deprivation;
  2. Enhancing community spaces, facilities and services;
  3. Improving health and wellbeing.

The Toy Trust

Funding from the the Toy Trust helps disadvantaged children and their families to alleviate suffering.

The Trust offer small grants of up to £5,000 to small registered charities to fund equipment and services to support disabled and disadvantaged children under the age of 13 across the UK.
The Trust exists to raise money predominantly from the toy industry, its suppliers and friends and it aims to help disadvantaged children and families to:
• support children through awful experiences
• encourage achievement through adversity
• purchase vital equipment
• provide care
• bolster existing initiatives
• initiate brand new projects
• satisfy basic needs.
Groups that have carried out some form of effective fundraising by themselves are particularly encouraged to apply.
Trustees meet four times a year and state the following application deadlines:
• mid February (for March meeting)
• mid-June (for July meeting)
• mid-August (for September meeting)
• mid-November (for December meeting)

The Beaverbrooks Foundation

One of Beaverbrook’s greatest legacies, the Beaverbrook Foundation was set up under his direction as a grant-making organisation structured to monitor and continue gifts after his death. Funds are distributed to many areas, often focusing on charities and causes that reflect Beaverbrook’s own interests. Over 870 different charitable organisations have received grants over the last 60 years.
• Donations can be made for capital expenditure, i.e. to acquire or upgrade physical assets such as buildings, fixtures and fittings, machinery, furniture and other equipment; for revenue/running costs; and for special projects.
• The trustees will not normally consider grants to cover expenditure that has already been incurred or committed.
• The Trustees promote the concept of match funding, and may make a payment conditional upon the applicant obtaining the remaining funding from other sources.
• The Trustees are able to make grants to all faith organisations, and are not willing to discriminate against any charity due to its focus on race, nationality, sexual orientation or age.
• Grants are made, at the discretion of the Trustees, for charitable purposes including those that would have reflected the interests of the first Lord Beaverbrook.
• We only accept applications for donations from registered charities.
The Beaverbrook Foundation makes grants of up to £5,000 to UK registered charities.

Turners Court Youth Trust

Applications are considered from registered charities and small community groups whose work is based around the Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire region and is focused on the needs of vulnerable and disaffected children and young people up to the age of 23.

It should be noted that the Trust can only make grants available for projects or groups that exist for charitable purposes.

Projects will be assessed as to the positive difference they will make to children and young people with regard to one or more of the following:

  • Early life experiences, particularly for those whose personal circumstances are challenging and difficult.
  • Emotional, social and physical safety and/or well-being.
  • Personal safety and protection from harm and neglect.
  • Involvement in activities that help them overcome barriers to education and employment and to achieve their full potential in life.
  • Development of independent life and work skills.
  • Prevention from entering the judicial system.

Ordinarily one-off grants of between £250 and £5,000 are awarded for appropriate projects which can demonstrate that they will make a difference to children and young people. However, depending on the circumstances and subject to approval of Trustees larger grants may be considered.

The Cumber Family Charitable Trust

The Trust was founded in 1985 by a Berkshire farming family; the current trustees are all family members. The specific interests and areas that we support are:
• OVERSEAS. Charitable works in countries in need, in particular projects involving agriculture or empowerment of women.
• ENVIRONMENT. Environment, agriculture and conservation; both locally (Oxfordshire/Berkshire) and further afield in the UK, and developing countries.
• EDUCATION. Educational needs, in particular those involving disadvantaged children and young people, locally (Oxfordshire/Berkshire).
• WELFARE. Welfare and housing, locally (Oxfordshire/Berkshire).
• DISABILITY. Support for the disabled and disease research, locally (Oxfordshire/Berkshire).
We prefer to fund long-term projects with measurable outcomes, and we particularly like to support smaller organisations that may not have a wide reach, and projects that may not necessarily appeal to the general public.
We receive many applications that do not meet our criteria. Please take time to consider whether your project falls into the areas of particular interest as outlined above.
Your charity must have a UK bank account and you must include bank details with your application. In 2023, grants ranged from £1,000-5,000.

Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3

Grants for social housing landlords to improve the energy performance of social homes in England.

Application deadline: 25th November 2024 (midday)


National Lottery Awards for All – England

Grants are available for charities, voluntary groups, schools and local authorities in England to carry out projects that will improve their local community.

Berkshire Community Foundation – Surviving Winter Fund

About Us: With the cost of living crisis a stark reality, we understand that charities and organisations need more help than ever before to keep going through the winter months.
Criteria: For groups to fund their essential resources in order to secure services for their beneficiaries through the winter. Resources such as energy bills, heating costs and increased rent prices will be considered.
Priority will be given to those groups who are supporting the very vulnerable, including:
• Babies
• Children
• Young people
• Elderly people
• Those with disabilities and life limiting illnesses
Grant Size: up to £2,500
Deadline for applications: 10am on 31 October 2024

Home Instead Charity

About Us: Money raised from our dedicated network of Home Instead Offices and external supporters fund groups who support the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of ageing adults.
Criteria: Grants 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.
Grant Size: 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.
Deadline for applications: 31 October 2024

Parkinsons UK – Physical Activity Grants

About Us: Our grant scheme helps fund activity providers to give people with Parkinson’s more opportunities to get and stay active.
Criteria: To fund activity providers giving people with Parkinson’s more opportunities to get and stay active.
Grant Size: up to £3,000
Deadline for applications: Fund will close when it’s all spent.

Binfield Community Grants

Applications close on Sun 27th October.
Binfield Parish Council has a number of funds available to groups, community organisations and projects in the parish. Community grants are given to groups and organisations supporting life in the parish. For this financial year 2024-2025, the fund is £12,500. Find out more information from their most recent grants fund policy, or to apply, complete their form.

Community Fridge Setup Fund

Can you imagine a community fridge in your neighbourhood?
Hubbub with the support of Co-op is excited to launch a new grant fund round for setting up community fridge projects across the UK.

Food waste is a huge problem, but a community fridge can make a difference by sharing surplus food and bringing people together. If you’re passionate about reducing food waste and getting together with your neighbours, we want to help you bring your vision to life!

Tesco Stronger Starts grant

Tesco Stronger Starts is open to charities and community organisation to apply for a grant of up to £1,500.

The programme is open to all schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations, with priority given to projects that provide food and support to young people.

Thank you to Berkshire’s Council for Voluntary Service for the information contained in this article – Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, Slough CVS and Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve.