Funding Opportunities in May

Energy Saving Trust – Roots and Routes Fund

The Roots & Routes Fund is now open for applications from youth-led organisations in England seeking grant funding for their climate justice projects.

The Fund is dedicated to supporting youth-led climate projects and encourages applications from young people in underrepresented groups.

Potential applicants can register for a webinar on Monday 28 April, 5.00PM to 6.00PM. This will provide additional guidance on the fund and application process. 

Applications for this first round of funding, with grants of up to £20,000 available, will close at 11.59PM on Monday 2 June.

The Roots & Routes Fund webpage includes information about:

How young people and youth-led organisations can apply to access the fund.
The eligibility requirements for the fund.
The criteria that applications are assessed against and when applications will be reviewed.
Expected timeframes for decision-making.
Updates on the webinar on Monday 28 April that will support applicants through their application.
FAQs and contact details for enquiries.
Roots & Routes Fund opens for applications – Energy Saving Trust

Deadline: Monday 2nd June

Turning Point – Community Innovation Fund

Our Community Innovation Fund is open to Turning Point services and the organisations, enterprises and groups that we are connected to in areas where we are located. If you have an idea for a project that would improve wellbeing for people in your local area, you can apply for up to £2500 to bring your idea to life.

For general queries or to learn more please contact us at: innovations@turning-point.co.uk

Barclays New Community Sport Fund

About Us: This new fund, delivered in partnership with Sported, aims to reduce inequalities in sport – with a focus on football, tennis, and cricket. The three-year funding programme, running from April 2025 to December 2027, will provide £1.4 million each year.
Criteria: The funding supports community groups and grassroots sports organisations who are working within the most deprived areas of the UK and are making sport more accessible to women and girls, as well as engaging people from other under-represented groups including people with disabilities, from racially diverse communities and from the LGBTQ+ community.
Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations including community groups, youth groups and traditional sports clubs.

To be eligible, applicants must:

Deliver football, cricket, or tennis activities for women and girls – or are applying for funding to start.
Operate in an area of high deprivation. Only organisations located in or supporting people from IMD areas 1-3 are eligible to apply.
Disability applications from groups that sit outside of IMD areas 1-3 will be considered as long as they groups offer activities for women and girls.
Grant Size: £1,000
Deadline for applications: 22nd June 2025

Mortgage Advice Bureau Foundation

About Us: Crowdfunder and Mortgage Advice Bureau Foundation have teamed up to make £100,000 available for sustainable community projects based across England, Scotland and Wales. Eligible projects will be supported by Mortgage Advice Bureau staff or their customers.
Criteria: To access the match funding, you must:
Be located in England, Scotland or Wales
Have a Sponsor who is a Mortgage Advice Bureau member of Staff, customer or approved business partner.
Be an existing registered Charity or Community Interest Company
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for applications: Rolling programme

Tesco Stronger Starts – Cooking For All Fund

Tesco Stronger Starts Cooking for All Fund offers grants for organisations and schools educating children and young people on the importance of healthy food and how to cook. 150 grants of £1000 are available nationally.

Application deadline: 30th May (noon)

Pets Foundation – Pets Assisting People Grants

Provides funding to charities who help children and adults through the provision of specially trained assistance animals, or through the provision of structured animal assisted learning and therapy.

Application deadline: 31st May 2025

The Hugo Burge Foundation – Creative Grants

The Foundation’s first round of grant funding this year will support projects, people, and organisations that align with three key areas: Creative Education, Creative Communities, and Creative Individuals.

Application deadline: 31st May 2025

The Eloise and Katie Memorial Trust

Awards grants to: Make a real difference to young people including education, disability, recreation, music and sport. Support causes important to Eloise and Katie’s family – particularly cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

The Albert Hunt Trust

Core funding for areas such as family support eg Home Start, children and young people counselling services, suicide prevention, specific carers support, cancer support, prisoner support and rehabilitation,community centres, food banks and debt advice.Typical grant sizes range from £1,000-£5,000.

Deadline for Applications: 30th May

Grants for Good

The Mathews Good Foundation – Grants for Good is 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.

Deadline for applications: 15th June

Asda Foundation – Local Community Spaces Fund

Grants from £10,000 – £20,000**

We know accessible community spaces can be a lifeline for local people, and many of these spaces require funding to repair, renovate and develop them so that they can continue delivering vital activities and services. In addition, loneliness and isolation continue to be highlighted through our Community Insight Survey as top areas of concern for local communities throughout the UK.

To be eligible to apply for this fund, your community space must be an accessible place where members of the community can interact, seek support and access a variety of services and activities.

Through our Local Community Spaces Fund, we will continue playing our part in helping to fund safe and welcoming community spaces that bring people together, connect communities and address loneliness and isolation. We have invested £2.5million in community hubs since 2022, and for 2025, will commit a further £1.25million.

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


Meet our newest team member!

David Jennings joined our team at the beginning of the month (July 24) as our new Project Development Officer (taking over from Maria who recently switched roles to Rural Housing Enabler).

David’s work will focus on developing new projects and initiatives that support implementing action plans created through the 21st Century Community Halls programme. Here we ask David to introduce himself and tell us more about his background.

Can you tell us what made you interested in the role of Project Development Officer at CCB?

I admire the purpose of CCB to inspire community action and to deliver projects and services to improve rural health and wellbeing, reduce rural poverty and disadvantage and increase rural digital inclusion and social connectedness. I am already one of the recipients of these as a member of CCB for both Chaddleworth and Great Shefford village halls. As a customer, I have benefited from the 21st Century Community Halls programme so I was excited to be able to use my own professional skills to support and develop the project for CCB.

What are you hoping to achieve in your first six months in the post?
That’s what I’m working out at the moment…only in day three of the role!

What are you most excited about in your new position?
I am passionate about improving quality in local Berkshire communities: to improve our communication, resolve the issues we are facing, increase our collaboration and to get stuff done.

What do you enjoying doing outside of work?
I like to walk the dog, cycle and garden. I have also recently started paragliding again. I am a trustee for four Berkshire charities as their treasurer (Chaddleworth Village Hall, GreatShefford Village Hall, Chaddleworth and Shefford Schools PTFA, The Bakers Trustcovering fuel poverty), I edit the Chaddleworth News parish newsletter and I am the Clerk and Responsible Finance Office for Chaddleworth Parish Council.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
I would like to provoke and reward people’s empathy towards each other and for our ‘pale blue dot’ (Carl Sagan). ‘When we have the wisdom to use mercy and compassion instead of force…we human creatures will finally be on the right path’ (Leslie Thompkins, DC Comics).


Green Spaces Fund for Rural Communities

Our network body ACRE is aware of a future government grant fund that may be of interest to rural community groups

In March, the Minister for Rural Affairs Robbie Moore MP announced the government’s intention to establish a new grant fund, “creating and enhancing […] green spaces at the very heart of rural communities to preserve and protect their essential character”.

Up to £7 million will be available to rural community groups to fund projects that aim to create, restore, and enhance green spaces.

It is envisaged that funds will be available for capital expenditure such as landscaping, planting, installation of natural play facilities, paths and seating.

Richard Quallington, ACRE’s Executive Director said, “We welcome the government’s commitment to supporting rural communities so they can make the most of green spaces. The fund has the potential to support a wide range of initiatives that contribute to Net Zero and biodiversity net gain, as well as improving the health and wellbeing of local residents.

We know from our experience of administering recent grants to village halls that the availability of capital funding can catalyse new projects, many of which have had an environmental focus. We stand ready to support this new scheme.”

Rural community groups interested in the fund are encouraged to register their details with ACRE so they can receive more information about the fund when this becomes available. Click here.


New Year Funding Opportunities for Community Groups

Foyle Foundation: Small Grants

Our Small Grants Scheme is designed to support charities registered and operating in the United Kingdom, especially those working at grass roots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities.
Applications can be accepted from charities that have an annual turnover of less than £150,000. Larger or national charities will normally not be considered under this scheme.
We make single grants only (no multi-year grants) towards core costs (including supporting salaries), projects, essential equipment or building projects.
Our priority will be to support local charities still active in their communities which are currently delivering services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged or the general community.
If applying for funding towards a capital project please apply towards the end of your fundraising campaign, when the majority of funding has been raised and you have an estimated start date for the works. If your application is successful, the pledged grant offer is only valid for 12 months.

Charities can apply for between £2,000 and £10,000. Please note that if successful, the Trustees may award less than the amount requested.

Deadline: Rolling

Hodge Foundation

The Hodge Foundation’s aim is to support projects that have effective solutions to helping those most in need:

Welfare – The Foundation supports charities working with people who may be vulnerable or disadvantaged and who need assistance to improve their lives. This includes a variety of causes and groups including the elderly, homeless, disabled, special needs and those with mental health issues.

Education – Importance is placed on support for education and learning, both within formal school settings and practical approaches to learning which support young people to fulfil their potential and thrive including those with special needs. The Foundation continues to support arts projects for education that encourage and inspire audiences across the UK and bring a range of benefits to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Medical – The Foundation supports medical related charities specialising in the treatment and support for specific illnesses and research. The main focus has been on local hospices, children’s care and university-based research in the fields of cancer and mental health.

Religion – The Foundation supports communities by providing funds towards projects such as facilities in church buildings and inclusive activities for the wider community.

No max or min grant size listed.

Deadline: Rolling

Newly Opened: Centre for Better Aging – Micro-grants

We want everyone to be able to take part in the Action Day, but we know it can often be easier for some people than others to find the time and money to be able to do so. We also know that people across the country are experiencing ageism in different ways. Each of us has different ideas on how we raise awareness of and tackle ageism that work for us and our communities. We want to support this creativity across the day through offering micro-grants.

Grants of up to £500 are available, with an additional up to £150 to cover anything needed to make the event or activity more accessible. The lower limit for applications is £75.

Ageism Action Day: Micro-grants for Age-friendly Communities | Centre for Ageing Better (ageing-better.org.uk)

Deadline: The deadline for applications is 10th January 2024 but we may have to close early if we receive a high level of demand so we encourage you to submit as early as possible.
We want everyone to be able to take part in the Action Day, but we know it can often be easier for some people than others to find the time and money to be able to do so. We also know that people across the country are experiencing ageism in different ways. Each of us has different ideas on how we raise awareness of and tackle ageism that work for us and our communities. We want to support this creativity across the day through offering micro-grants.

Grants of up to £500 are available, with an additional up to £150 to cover anything needed to make the event or activity more accessible. The lower limit for applications is £75.

Don’t Forget: Berkshire Community Foundation – Surviving Winter Fund

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. With this in mind, we have reopened the grant for further applications. If you have already received funding via our previous grant round from Surviving Winter then you ARE eligible to re-apply however, you will need to provide clear evidence that further funding is required.
Applications are invited for grants of up to £2,500 to enable 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
As part of this funding round we will be providing grants from our Wokingham Surviving Winter fund which has been made possible by generous donations through a Crowdfunder appeal which was match funded by Wokingham United Charities and Wokingham Borough Council.
If you’re already in receipt of a Berkshire Community Foundation grant, you can still apply.

Deadline: Monday 4th December 2023 – 10am on Tuesday 23rd January 2024

The Alpkit Foundation

Alpkit only exists because of our wild places and the people that make them. Alpkit Foundation is our payback, our social dividend to protect the places we love for everyone to enjoy. We make small awards that help work to remove barriers in getting outdoors and experience wild places.

Projects driven by real activists among our communities and those deeply passionate about the benefits of time outdoors. Snippets of joy. Often we will hear first hand of the small steps that are driving big change. It’s really humbling to see this in action and it’s these stories that build our impact review. As it should be.
We particularly like to support projects that:
• Encourage responsible outdoor activity
• Have long-lasting benefits Introduce new people to get outdoors
• Demonstrate value for money
• Diversity and Inclusion Projects that engage individual and groups from a diverse range of background.
• 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

No maximum or minimum grant size listed.

Deadline: Our trustees meet every 2 months to consider applications. There’s no limit to the number of times you can recieve an award. If possible, please apply at least 3 months before the start of a project so that the trustees have time to consider it at their next meeting.

The Bernard Sunley Foundation

Our grants are offered as a contribution to your overall project costs as we do not fully fund projects.
We offer three levels of grants. These are large grants of £20,000 and above; medium grants of up to £20,000 and small grants of £5,000 and under. Our large and medium grants are considered and agreed upon at our Trustees’ meetings. Our small grants are agreed by Trustees on a monthly basis and form the majority of our grants.
Small grants are normally awarded to projects costing £100,000 and under.
• Community – We give grants towards the building or refurbishment of scout huts, village halls, community centres, youth clubs, boxing clubs, outdoor activity centres, farm and outdoor learning centres, sports centres and pavilions, playing fields and playgrounds. We also fund the purchase of new minibuses that assist those most in need in their local communities.
• Education – The Foundation supports improvements and new facilities at special needs schools and the purchase of new, adapted minibuses that benefit children with special needs and disabilities. We also award grants to educational nature centres and to new education and learning centres at museums, galleries and other arts organisations.
• Health – The Foundation supports building and refurbishment projects, specialist new transport and the creation of outdoor or recreational spaces for care homes, hospices, day centres and other facilities that provide relief and sanctuary for patients, their families and those with special needs. The emphasis is on helping charities that are providing an excellent standard of care and support within their communities.
• Social Welfare – We support projects for veterans, the elderly, ex-offenders and those in prison and schemes that enable people with mental and physical disabilities to live fuller lives in the community.
Our Trustees decide on the amount to be given so do not specify an amount unless there is a good reason for doing so – for example, you may only need a specific amount to meet your fundraising target.

Deadline: Rolling

The Coronation Food Project grants

In this funding round, the Coronation Food Project is offering grants from £300 up to a maximum of £30,000 over a 3 year period for eligible organisations.
Applications will open on 8th January 2024 for the Coronation Food Project’s first grants round. Please review all the guidance below before you apply.

Application deadline – 5.30pm on 22nd January 2024. Please click here for more details.

Applications to the grants programme must demonstrate how the funding would be used to address one or more of the following:

Reduce levels of food waste
Improve mechanisms to deliver surplus food to re-distribution charities
Address underlying causes of food poverty
Improve access to nutritious food for the most at need groups

National Archives – Engagement Grants

Grants are available to public sector bodies, registered charities and other not-for-profit organisations to conduct outreach and engagement projects that will connect archives with their communities in places across England and Wales.
Application deadline: 26 January 2024

Amazon Literary Partnership

One-off annual grants are available for not-for-profit literary organisations in the UK that empower writers, helping them create, publish, learn, teach, experiment and thrive.
Application deadline: 31 January 2024

Utilita Giving – Grants for Charities and Organisations

Grants are available for charities and other not-for-profit organisations that are supporting people in fuel and food poverty in England, Scotland or Wales.
Application deadline: N/A

Theatres Trust Small Grants Scheme

About Us: The grants will support small capital improvements to theatres run by charities and not-for-profit groups that will make a big impact to a theatre’s resilience, sustainability or accessibility, or to improving the diversity of audiences.
Criteria: For essential works to not-for-profit theatres that will enable them to be viable and thrive in the future.
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for applications: noon on 12 January and 7 June 2024

Abri Community Fund

About Us: We believe the best ideas often come from the people who know and live in our communities and we’re committed to supporting and investing in our communities.
Criteria: To support a project in one of our communities across the south of England. We know that the rising cost of living is having a big impact on our customers and communities, which is why we’re prioritising projects that focus on this type of support.
Grant Size: up to £3,000
Deadline for applications: 31 January 2024

The CLA Charitable Trust

About Us: We support charitable organisations that access the benefits of the countryside to pursue the health and wellbeing of people and to provide opportunities for education about the countryside.
Criteria: For small to medium UK registered charities and not for profit organisation with a clear social purpose within our priority area of children and young people who are disadvantaged financially, physically, mentally, or from areas of deprivation.
Grant Size: under £5,500
Deadline for applications: 6 February 2024


With thanks to Berkshire CVS’s for the information contained in this article – Wokingham & Bracknell InVOLve, West Berkshire Volunteer Centre and Slough CVS