Funding Opportunities in March

Screwfix Foundation

We are passionate about making a difference to those in need. We are a grant-making charity with a clear charitable purpose to support projects that improve, fix and repair buildings, homes and facilities specifically used by PEOPLE IN NEED throughout the UK. We donate grants in the region of £5,000 to charities and not for profit organisations. Prioritising those that will create a longer-term difference and where our donation will make an impact and fund the total cost (or the majority) of a project. The Screwfix Foundation is governed by the Board of Trustees and managed by The Screwfix Foundation Manager.

To be considered for a grant, your organisation AND project must meet the criteria noted below: Organisation criteria Project eligibility Your organisation must be a charity or not for profit company based in the UK and:

• Registered as a charity in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland; or • Registered as a Not for Profit company at Companies House or the registered on the FCA mutuals register. We fund projects which improve a physical building (or land attached to it) that is used by people in need. The types of projects we fund are: • Improved energy efficient lighting & heating • Installation of new kitchen, bathroom etc. • Installation of a sensory room • General painting & decorating • Improving safety and security of a building We are unable to donate products or vouchers from Screwfix and unable to fund: • Items that are easily removable from a property such as soft furnishings, curtains, tables, chairs etc. • White goods or electronic items • Grants for research • Purchase of vehicles • Purchase of garden machinery or removeable furniture such as lawnmowers, chairs or plants. • Repayment of loans • Annual Rent or service charges • Sponsorships • Salaries We do not support projects which will used by general members of the public i.e., sports clubs and associations, uniformed groups such as scout and girl guide groups or organisations that support wildlife or animals as their main beneficiary

Deadline: Rolling

Bracknell Forest: Dementia Friendly Homes

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Bracknell Forest Council has grants available, up to £2,000, for people with dementia to help make their homes more dementia friendly. Works could include changing lights to improve brightness and visibility, redecorating walls to make rooms feel calmer, replacing floor coverings that cause confusion or safety issues, ensuring safe access to the property, and/or provision of a safe space. This list is not exhaustive and each case will be considered with help and advice from our occupational therapy service.

Heathrow Community Trust – Environment and Sustainability

About Us: Are you working to reduce energy consumption, tackle climate change, boost recycling or create a nature reserve? Do you have ideas to make your community more sustainable? Are you encouraging wildlife back into your neighbourhood? If so, you could qualify for a grant from our Environment and Sustainability Grants programme.
Criteria: Available for groups including charities, voluntary groups, schools, colleges, local authorities and Community Interest Companies working in Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Slough, Spelthorne, Richmond, Runnymede, South Bucks, or Windsor & Maidenhead.
Grant Size: up to £15,000 per year for up to two years
Deadline for applications: 3rd April 2025

Asda Foundation Young Futures Fund

About Us: Supporting grassroots groups to improve mental health and wellbeing for teens and young people (13-21 years) to help build better futures.
Criteria: Not-for-profit groups and organisations with an income of less than £250,000 and who already have an existing service for young people within the 13-21 age group can apply.
Applicants need to meet at least one of the following objectives:

Provide services that support, educate and empower.
Connect young people to their peers.
Support rehabilitation and recovery and provide shelter.
Deliver activities / programmes that improve physical health and wellbeing.
The funding can be used for a number of different things. Examples of the kinds of items and services that could be funded include, but are not limited to:

Intervention and prevention programmes to address social issues.
Essential items for crisis support, such as clothes, food and hygiene items for a homeless shelter focusing on young people.
Delivery of specialist support or services or speakers.
Group drop-in and talking sessions.
Workshops to upskill and deliver life skills (cooking, finance, employment, CV writing).
Resources for recreational activities, eg, craft materials, board games
Sports kit and/or equipment (cap £500).
Volunteering costs (cap £100 per person).
Peer support events, and activities that bring people together.
The grant must be used and projects completed by September 2025.

Grant Size: up to £1,000
Deadline for applications: The application window opens on 27th February 2025 (noon) and closes on 13th March 2025 (noon)

The Arts Society

About Us: We believe in Arts for All and will use our grants to make a positive contribution to people’s lives through the arts. Never has there been a greater need to support our local arts organisations and museums and continue the vital contribution of skills development in the arts and heritage sector.
Criteria: Available for UK-registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £3 million to deliver projects across all aspects of the arts, crafts, and heritage and support local and regional art museums and organisations.
Funding is available for projects such as:

Projects that support a wide range of activities to introduce people of all ages and backgrounds to artistic experiences and practice, such as the development and training of skills in the arts, crafts, and heritage through bursaries, sponsorships, and crafts apprenticeships.
Support for regional museums, galleries, and arts organisations, such as:
Special projects.
Displays.
Internships and part-time posts.
Training.
Conservation activities.
Regional and local theatres and performing arts spaces and groups.

Grant Size: up to £2,000
Deadline for applications: 31st March 2025

Small Charity Week match funding campaign

About Us: Seven-day online campaign, running between 23rd-30th June 2025. Donations made during the campaign will be doubled through Big Give’s match funding model, thanks to the generosity of Champion funders, including the players of People’s Postcode Lottery. This means each pound donated goes twice as far in empowering small charities in their mission.
Criteria: Charities with an annual income between £5,000 and £1 million are eligible to apply for match funding, helping them to raise vital funds and maximise their impact.
Grant Size: Charities seeking to raise either £500, £1,000, £2500, £5,000, or £10,000 in public donations (to be doubled by the match funds).
Deadline for applications: 2nd April 2025

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.

Your application will be considered by the Trustees, and you will be contacted soon after their decision, which is final.

Please then send your application to Turners Court Youth Trust either by: Email to grants@turnerscourt.org.uk Or post to the registered address: 30 High Street, Wendover, Buckinghamshire HP22 6EA and mark the envelope ‘TCYT Grant Application’. Your application will be considered by the Trustees, and you will be contacted soon after their decision, which is final.

Hall and Woodhouse Community Chest

Applications are welcome from any voluntary or community organisation that is based, or works in, our trading area across the south of England, from Devon to Sussex and in the north from Bristol to Twickenham. NB: Awards will only be considered for organisations with a total income of more than £200,000 in very special circumstances.

Grants or funds raised could be used to support the following:

Youth work and activities
Sports and social clubs
Elderly and people with disabilities
Health and social care
Local arts and culture
Conservation and the environment
Please note: Applications will not be considered from national organisations or those that are profit making or political.

Groups can apply for grants or fundraising support ranging from £300 and £3,000 to help achieve their aims. These grants or fundraising commitments could be used towards things such as equipment and furniture, training, transport, professional assistance, specific project resources or operational costs that will help your cause.

The Four Barrows Foundation

We give grants to Primary Schools and Charities who provide opportunities for pre-school and primary age children. We believe these organisations are most likely to understand the areas, children and groups who are likely to benefit from extra support. We are not able to support any other organisation.

We support organisations in specific areas – because they are local to our trustees: Lothian and Fife Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey.

We aim to provide annual grants between £1,000 and £3,000. We understand these efforts often require a long-term commitment, so funding may be provided for more than one year.

Newly Opened: Warburtons Community Grants

Warburtons Community Grants provides small grants up to £400 to support charitable organisations towards broader activities which improve Health, Place or Skills for families in their community.

Based on our localism approach, our community investment funds are allocated to our local bakeries and depots. This helps our Community Champions to make the best decisions for our local communities. We will use your postcode to understand which of our sites is closest to you and they will then receive the application and make a decision.

Deadline: 5th May 2025

Project Groundwater Innovation Fund

Grants are available for charities, small-to-medium enterprises, voluntary and community groups, and other organisations across the Berkshire Downs (Lambourn Valley) to deliver projects that address groundwater flooding while benefitting local communities.

Application deadline: 17th March 2025 (9am)

Grow Wild Youth Grants

Grants are available for young individuals (aged 16 to 25 years) in the UK to deliver a creative project that celebrates why UK native plants and/or fungi are so special. Young people must have a supporting organisation to help them deliver the project. An webinar giving information about the scheme will be held on 26 February 2025 (12:00 to 12:45pm) – you can register via the link below.

Application deadline: 19th March 2025 (3pm)

Peter Harrison Foundation

Active Lives Funding:
The Trustees have decided to focus our limited resources by prioritising applications which meet all of the following criteria:

work with people living with disabilities in the top 10% of areas of deprivation (Indices of Multiple Deprivation decile 1) AND
from organisations with a track record of working with this population AND
have a robust plan for wider impact of the project through dissemination, training etc


To avoid wasting your time, please ensure you meet our revised eligibility and funding criteria before starting an application.

Type of funding: We will consider applications for capital, project or core funding.

Location of project: Anywhere in the United Kingdom. Grant amount: We accept applications for £5,001 – £30,000. Grant period: You can apply for a grant spread over 1, 2 or 3 years

Positive Futures Projects:

The Trustees have decided to focus our limited resources by prioritising applications which meet all of the following criteria:

work with children and young people living in the top 10% of areas of deprivation (Indices of Multiple Deprivation decile 1) AND
from organisations with a track record of working with this population AND
have a robust plan for wider impact of the project through dissemination, training etc
To avoid wasting your time, please ensure you meet our revised eligibility and funding criteria before starting an application.

Type of funding: We will consider applications for capital, project or core funding.

Location of project: South East of England (Berkshire; Buckinghamshire; Hampshire; Isle of Wight; Kent; Oxfordshire; Surrey; East Sussex; and West Sussex only).

Grant amount: We accept applications for £5,001 – £30,000. Grant period: You can apply for a grant spread over 1, 2 or 3 years

The Alpkit Foundation

About Us: It makes small awards that support grass roots, direct action projects where a positive difference can be made to remove the barriers in getting outdoors and experience the benefits of time spent outdoors.
Criteria: Community groups, schools and organisations based and working within the UK can apply for grants to support:
Diversity and inclusion projects that engage individual and groups from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Environmental projects that seek to support, conserve, or generate understanding of our environment and wild places.
Health projects enabling people to gain physical and mental wellbeing from the Great Outdoors.
Education projects such as First Aid, D of E, Forest Schools and Mountain Leader.
Participation projects that get more people experiencing the Great Outdoors.
Grant Size: Between £50 and £500
Deadline for applications: Applications can be submitted at any time and will be considered every two months.

Grants For Good

Applications close on Saturday 15th March.
These grants are designed to direct funding only to small and growing local charities, voluntary groups or social enterprises that are making a big impact on communities, people or the environment. To be eligible, applicants must be a local community group, charity, voluntary group or social enterprise that has a positive impact on communities, people or the environment, must have an average income of less than £50,000 in the last 12 months, and must have a bank account in the organisation’s name.
The top five shortlisted projects will receive between £2,000 and £5,000. Find out more.

Community Impact Fund

Applications close on Thurs 20th March.
Small grants of up to £1,000 are available for charities, CIOs, and CICs across the UK to deliver projects and activities that benefit local communities across the themes of environment, sustainability, creativity, and local issues.
By fostering innovation and collaboration, we aim to enhance the well-being of our community and promote sustainable development.
We invite community groups and charitable organisations to apply for funding to bring their impactful projects to life.

The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust

The objectives of the Trust are:

  • to promote horticulture;
  • to promote the conservation of the physical and natural environment by promoting biological diversity through the application of horticultural techniques
  • to promote the creation, development, preservation and maintenance of gardens (preference will normally, but not exclusively, be given to gardens accessible to the public); and
  • the advancement of horticultural education.

The Trust achieves its objectives by making grants to individuals, organisations and institutions carrying out projects of significance to:

  • horticulture;
  • gardening; or
  • botany with a strong horticultural element.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of typical projects.

  • restoring gardens of historic interest;
  • developing new gardens, or new garden areas within existing gardens, for public access and enjoyment;
  • exhibitions, book publications, research and educational programmes relating to horticulture;
  • expeditions and travel to study, collect and protect plants of scientific and horticultural value;
  • study-visits by horticulturists or botanists with strong horticultural links, and
  • gardeners’ training schemes run by appropriate organisations (but not to individuals, see Training and Traineeships).

The maximum grant is £5,000 but some organisations only require modest sums and applicants are welcome to apply for grants of less than £500. Typical grants are usually in the range of £3,500- £5,000.

Only one grant is usually made for each project but it is possible for subsequent grants to be made to the same individual or organisation for a new project or an additional component of the original project over two or three years. 

Deadline: Grants are normally awarded twice a year, in April and September (following application deadlines of 15 February and 15 August).

Rural Funding Digest March 2025

Thank you to Slough CVS, West Berkshire Volunteer Centre and Bracknell & Wokingham InVOLve.


21st Century Community Halls: End of Year 2 of this five year project

The 21st Century Community Halls project has made significant progress, conducting initial consultations with halls and increasingly focusing on follow-up reviews. With the recent addition of a new Project Development Officer, David, the project has gained momentum and has introduced initiatives to address common themes shared by many halls.

The Initial Consultation: We have completed 13 further 21st Century Community Hall initial reviews during this period. Each review is completed during a visit to the facility with additional information provided before and after. The review includes over 120 questions divided into 7 parts:

  • The Building and the Organisation
  • Sustainability
  • Environment
  • The Fabric of the Building
  • Energy
  • Accessibility
  • After the consultation a comprehensive report is prepared for the Hall’s management team
    with a pack of suitable supporting information. After considering the contents, comments, and actions, we ask Trustees to draw up an action plan for the key issues they want to address. CCB then assist with advice for the resulting actions and projects that these form into.

The Follow-Up Reviews: CCB seeks a follow-up with the management committee approximately every 6 months via a call, or a visit depending on the needs of the
committee and on the activity and challenges. To date we have completed 22 formal follow-up reviews of halls we have consulted with.

Learning Partner Selection: We have now selected a Learning Partner to help us evaluate the project, and will begin working with them in January 2025.


One-to-One Support: During this period, in-depth one-to-one support has been given to halls for their development actions:

  • Providing best practices and examples for Business Planning to 15 Trustees from 14 different Village Halls in Berkshire.
  • Writing, reviewing and successfully obtaining funding from The Platinum Jubilee Fund.
  • Developing Fundraising plans with three separate committees and delivering Fundraising training around ‘evidencing need’ to 8 trustees from 6 different Village
    Halls.
  • Designing, conducting and analysing Community Consultations with three separate committees.
  • Risk review and support with one new member.
  • Supporting a member hall in updating its governing document.
  • Supporting a Village Hall to review plans for a complete rebuild in favour of a major refurbishment (due to financial restrictions and community feedback)
  • Renegotiation of a lease for one Community Hall.

    If you would like your hall to participate in the 21st Century Village Halls project, please email me. kate.meads@ccberks.org.uk and we can arrange a time for a consultation.

New Year Funding Opportunities

BHF’s Community Defibrillator Funding Programme

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has recently reopened their Community Defibrillator Funding Programme.

This scheme allows local community groups to apply and potentially receive a free defibrillator and cabinet which must then be made accessible for use within the local community.

In areas where health inequalities exist, survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest are reduced, so this scheme may be of significant assistance to these areas. Follow the link below to see if your group is eligible.

BHF expect to close applications by 5pm on Friday 28th February 2025. They may close applications earlier depending on the volume received, so groups are advised to apply early.

Royal Countryside Fund

About Us: The UK-wide Supporting Rural Communities grant programme launches on Friday 10th January 2025. This funding will support transformative, community-led initiatives, unlocking the huge potential for positive change in rural communities. Their aim is to support innovative solutions that will “power up, not prop up” communities, inspiring change and encouraging economic vibrancy.
Criteria: Not for Profit organisations (excluding Town and Parish Councils) can apply for grants to deliver activities along the themes of:
* Keeping young people in the countryside
* Powering up rural communities
* Increasing environmental sustainability
* Building emergency resilience in rural areas.
Grant Size: of up to £25,000 over a period of 24 months.
Deadline for applications: Deadline for expressions of interest is 21st February 2025

Berkshire Community Foundation Vital for Berkshire Fund

About Us: 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.
Criteria: We invite applications for grants 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
    Grant Size: up to £5,000
    Deadline for applications: 10am on 16th January 2025

Greenham Trust – Peter Baker Grants

Grants are distributed in line with the original intentions of Peter Baker; for charitable purposes within a 20-mile radius of Market Place, Newbury, Berkshire.

Application deadline: 13th January 2025

Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation

Grants are available for UK registered charities undertaking projects to support those in need of a safe and secure home.

Application deadline: 10th February 2025

Imperial Polythene Community Impact Fund

About Us: Imperial Polythene is proud to announce the launch of the Imperial Community Impact Fund; a new initiative designed to support local community groups and charities committed to making a positive difference.
Criteria: To encourage and empower local organisations working in the fields of environment, sustainability, creativity, and addressing local problems.
Grant Size: Up to £1,000 per project
Deadline for applications: Thursday 20 March 2025

Youth Music Trailblazer Fund

About Us: Youth Music’s Trailblazer Fund aims to support young people who want to change their lives through music but cannot because of who they are, where they are from or what they are going through.
Criteria: Funding is available for projects for children and young people (aged 25 or under) to make music activity more inclusive and foster learning, creation and employment opportunities.The fund provides grants for organisations that want to trial work or test a new way of working, sustain a grassroots programme or disrupt the status quo (or all three). Priority is given to small organisations with limited resources, those supporting children and young people facing barriers, and established groups seeking to innovate.
Grant Size: Two levels of grants are available:
• Grants of £2,000 to £15,000 are available to organisations of less than one year old.
• Grants of £2,000 to £30,000 are available to organisations of more than one year old.
Deadline for applications: 5pm on 11th April 2025

National Archives Engagement Grants

About Us: The Engagement Grants Programme offers grants for organisations to conduct outreach and engagement projects that will connect archives with their communities in places across England and Wales.
Criteria: Public sector bodies, not-for-profit organisations including registered charities and business archives can apply for grants. This year’s theme is ‘Community’. Projects can either reach out to new audiences or connect with old audiences in new ways.
Grant Size: up to £3,000
Deadline for applications: 5pm on 17th January 2025

Idlewild Trust

About Us: We support learning programmes that provide opportunities for professional musicians, dancers, actors, writers, artists and those involved creatively in the arts at an early stage in their career. We also support the conservation of nationally/internationally important works of art and historic objects.
Criteria: The Trust offers grants to registered charities working in the following two areas:
• Arts Grants: Nurturing Early-Stage Professionals – grants support training opportunities for emerging professionals, working creatively and backstage, within the performing and visual arts, post-training, and at an early stage in their career.
• Conservation Grants: Objects and Works of Art – grants support the conservation of cultural heritage of recognised national and international importance in museums, libraries, galleries, historic buildings, or landscapes accessible to the public (also available to museums that are exempt charities).
Grant Size: up to £7,000
Deadline for applications: noon on 14th February 2025

The Kelly Family Charitable Trust

The Kelly Family Charitable Trust is a grant-giving body founded in 2004 by members of the Kelly family.

We’re interested in funding charities whose activities involve all or most family members, where possible, in initiatives that seek to tackle problems facing one or more of its members. We’ve funded charities working in fields including early intervention, mediation, prison services and services for families affected by sexual abuse, physical abuse and domestic violence, among others.

We generally offer grants worth up to £5,000 – though trustees will consider requests for higher amounts. We’re happy to fund charities’ core costs and we encourage applications from relatively new charities to help them become established.

The trustees take a close interest in the progress of the charities they support, and projects shortlisted for grants will be contacted by the trust’s grants administrator Stuart Armstrong, or a trustee. The Trust only make grants to organisations whose activities take place within the UK.

Deadline: Grants are awarded twice a year. Applications must be submitted by 1st March and 1st September. The trustees will ask for more details from those charities that pass the initial screening and may visit them.

Barchester’s Charitable Trust

Barchester’s Charitable Foundation is a registered charity that helps older people and adults with a disability across England, Scotland, Wales and Jersey. Our focus is about connecting or re-connecting people with others in their local community, and we support applications that combat loneliness and enable people to be active and engaged.

Our aim is to enrich lives and encourage an active lifestyle through arts, music, sports and culture for older people or adults living with a disability or mental health problems.

We are particularly keen to provide grants that enable groups and individuals to mix and join in social activities and reduce their danger of isolation and loneliness.

We help small community groups and local charities with activities, outings, equipment and materials for members/service users. Our grants range from £100 up to £2,500. Before starting the application, make sure to have a cost breakdown/budget and your latest annual accounts ready to upload.

Deadline: Rolling

Arnold Clark Community Fund: Cost of Living

What is the Cost-of-Living Support?
With the rising cost of living, more people than ever before are facing severe challenges and financial hardship. Our Cost-of-Living Support fund is available to organisations whose work directly supports those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis, such as foodbanks, accommodation or poverty relief, and any other organisation which falls into our eligibility criteria.

Applications for the Arnold Clark Community Fund Cost-of-Living Support are only eligible if the organisation falls in one of the following categories: foodbank, accommodation, poverty relief and where people/communities in the UK are the primary and immediate focus of investment. Applications are also only eligible if they’re made by an organisation that are based/operates solely in the UK and are located within 50 miles of an Arnold Clark branch.

Most organisations are eligible to apply, and we particularly welcome applications from smaller voluntary and community organisations who are working with those most affected and vulnerable to the increased cost of living. Please ensure you read and understand the below eligibility criteria before submitting an application.

We welcome applications from:

UK-registered charities
Local community groups
Social enterprises
Community interest companies
Groups of organisations that are community or voluntary-led.
Charitable incorporated organisations
Cost of Living Support | Arnold Clark Community Fund

Deadline: Rolling

The Wolfson Foundation

We have a wide range of funding programmes and activities. Our fundamental aim is to improve the civic health of society, mainly through education and research. More specifically, we support excellence in the fields of education, science & medicine, health & disability, and heritage, humanities & the arts.

Grants of between £15,000 and £150,000 are available to UK performing arts organisations for new build projects, refurbishment and major and specialist equipment to improve performance and training facilities.

Who Can Apply:

Charities working with disability * Charities working in mental health
Charities working with older people * Historic buildings & landscapes
Hospices & palliative care organisations * Places of worship
Libraries & archives * Museums & galleries
Performing arts organisations * Public engagement with science organisations funding
Secondary schools & sixth form colleges * Special needs schools & colleges
Universities & research institutions

Funding for places
About 85% of our funding is for capital infrastructure – buildings (new build or refurbishments) and equipment. These awards support excellence across education, science & medicine, heritage, humanities & the arts and health & disability.

Funding for people
A smaller proportion of our funding (about 15%) is for people, through scholarships or fellowships. We do not accept unsolicited applications under these programmes. We generally work with partner organisations who identify individuals for support.
Deadline: Rolling

Warburtons Families Matter Community Grants Programme

Small grants are available for local projects, activities and organisations that have charitable aims and that will be of real direct benefit to families.

Application deadline: 3rd February 2024

The Moto Foundation

Grants are available for community organisations and schools operating within a 15-mile radius of a Moto site for projects and activities that deliver benefits to local communities.

Application deadline: N/A

With thanks to Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve and Slough CVS for the information contained within this article.


Affordable Housing Initiative in Beenham

Since April our Rural Housing Enabler Maria has been working with Beenham Parish Council to help them identify affordable housing need in Beenham and look at options for developing affordable homes for local people in the Parish.

A Housing Needs Survey was completed in September 2024, and the results were presented to Beenham residents at a public meeting on the 29th October at the Victory Hall. This meeting was also an opportunity for residents to share stories about the impact of insufficient affordable housing in the village on individuals and the community as a whole, and ask questions about what happens next, once housing need has been identified.

David Hancock, Parish Councillor, described succinctly how the cost of housing was affecting the community. He said:

“As young adults having families, many of us had the benefit of becoming house owners or having affordable rents because property prices were cheaper relevant to income. In Beenham today the cheapest house is 7 times annual income. Previously, we were able to choose where we lived, so we were able to grow up with family near us in a community we knew, if we wanted to. Communities could sustain local schools and some amenities. As people moved on from running the community’s clubs and associations we had their successors, young people rooted in the community. Today that is being lost in Beenham. We can change this and that is why we started this initiative with the full backing of the Parish Council and the indispensable support of CCB.”

Acting Headmistress of the local school, Sophie McBean, made a statement about the problems facing the school due a to lack of accordable homes in the parish:

“Beenham has very little housing that is affordable for young families. When applying for school places, families fall in the catchment of the school they live closest to, so making the village more accessible for young families will help to increase pupil numbers in the school. Pupil numbers are vital for every school but make a particular impact on small schools such as Beenham Primary School. School funding is allocated per child, so in simple terms, the more children in school equates to more money to spend on providing an excellent education for all of our pupils.”

With around 50 people in attendance there was lively discussion about housing issues and potential sites for new homes, and with a wide range of views in the community about new developments, past housing initiatives, infrastructure, and the importance of local connections criteria, the Parish Council did an excellent job of allowing everyone to speak and be heard.

As affordable housing need HAS been identified in Beenham, the next step will be to visit potential locations for homes with a local planning officer to assess site viability and start to approach relevant landowners. As with any community, there will be supporters and those with concerns or objections at every stage of the process. Beenham Parish Council have taken great care to keep the community informed and use local social media sites to share information and answer residents questions. This is just the beginning of the process for Beenham, having an active and engaged parish council who listen to and inform residents has been key to the projects success so far.

If you’d like to know more about our Rural Affordable Housing project please click here.


Funding Opportunities in December

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.