The Joanies Fund

Funder: The Joanies Fund (via Herefordshire Community Foundation). Grant size: Typically £500–£5,000

Focus: Children and young people facing disadvantage. Eligible organisations: Small, grassroots charities and community groups. Deadline: Opens Monday 13th April closes July 31st

The Joanies Fund is open to applications from projects across England and Wales. It supports a wide range of community projects working solely with young people aged 0 to 25. The fund has a particular interest in projects that are innovative or entrepreneurial and lead to employment, accreditation, further education or training. Projects need to show integration into their local communities and ensure that the project is open to all young people, regardless of ethnicity or religion. The fund will not consider applications from religious groups and organisations.

Michael Tippett Musical Foundation

Deadline: 30 September each year(Projects must start no earlier than January of the following year)

Who can apply: UK‑based charities, community groups, schools, colleges, universities, and other constituted organisations

Focus:

• Group music‑making
• Youth participation in creative music activities
• Projects where composition is a key element
• Performances or recordings of Michael Tippett’s works, especially lesser‑performed pieces
• Community or educational music projects with strong creative outcomes

Grant size: Typically £500–£3,000 (average around £2,000), One‑off grants (no multi‑year funding)

Eligible area: UK‑wide

The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation supports creative, group‑based music projects across the UK, with a strong emphasis on involving young people and placing composing at the heart of the activity. Grants of £500 to £3,000 are awarded annually to projects that encourage musical creativity, participation, and performance.

The Foundation also funds performances and recordings of Michael Tippett’s works, prioritising those that are less frequently heard or require additional support to proceed. Applications close on 30 September each year, with funded projects beginning no earlier than January. Funding is strictly for creative activity rather than equipment, and proposals must be concise, clearly costed, and focused on artistic development and participation.

The Hedley Foundation – Grants for Small Charities Supporting People in Need

Deadline: Rolling – applications accepted all year, reviewed quarterly (If you do not hear back within 4 months, the application is considered unsuccessful)

Who can apply: Small UK‑registered charities with annual income below £1 million

Focus:

• Raising aspirations of disadvantaged young people
• Support for disabled people (physical, mental, sensory, learning disabilities)
• Improving quality of life for older people and those with terminal illness
• Social welfare projects supporting carers, homeless people, ex‑offenders, and others facing hardship
• Education, arts, sport, training, adventurous activities, and wellbeing initiatives

Grant size: Typically £250–£5,000

Eligible area: UK‑wide

The Hedley Foundation provides small grants to UK charities working to improve the quality of life for people facing disadvantage, disability, illness, or social hardship. Grants usually range from £250 to £5,000 and support specific, well‑defined projects that deliver measurable outcomes—particularly those benefiting young people, disabled people, older people, and carers.

The Foundation does not fund core salaries, building construction, general running costs, transport, financial deficits, or overseas work. Applications are accepted throughout the year and reviewed quarterly, with decisions typically made within four months. The Foundation prioritises clear, concise applications that demonstrate strong impact and value for money.

The National Lottery Community Fund – The Solidarity Fund

Grant size: Awards large, long‑term grants ranging from £1 million to £5 million, to be delivered over 5 to 10 years.

Eligible applicants: Constituted voluntary and community organisations, registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), not‑for‑profit companies limited by guarantee, community interest companies (CICs), co‑operative and community benefit societies, and partnerships with strong track records in addressing inequality.

Focus areas: Organisations in England that tackle the root causes of inequality, such as poverty, discrimination and disadvantage.

Application process: Decisions take approximately 3 months for Stage 1, and up to 5 months after progressing to Stage 2, making the total process around 8 months.

Deadline: The programme is open on a rolling basis, meaning there is no fixed application deadline.

Crucially, applicant organisations must ensure their work is led or shaped by people with lived experience, demonstrate community‑led governance, and show capacity to manage large, long‑term systems‑change projects. The fund prioritises initiatives that strengthen community power, shift decision‑making structures, and create sustainable, long‑term impact.

D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

About Us: Increasing access to opportunity through the arts, creative health and heritage crafts.
Criteria: Provides funding to UK charities for arts, creative health, and heritage crafts projects that benefit disadvantaged people. Supports a wide range of activities including community arts, therapy programmes, and skills development.
Grant Size: £500 – £8,000
Deadline for applications:
8th May 2026 (first-stage for large charities)
1st June 2026 (small charities and shortlisted large charities)

Wise Music Foundation

About Us: Providing financial support for people experiencing hardship, distress and illness, with a focus on children, the homeless and people living in poverty.
Criteria: Supports small UK charities helping vulnerable people, including children, the elderly, homeless individuals, and those with disabilities. Also funds education, arts, health, and community initiatives.
Grant Size: £500 – £5,000 (average £1,500)
Deadline for applications: 31st May 2026

The Grocers’ Charity

About Us: The Grocers’ Charity awards around £1 million annually to UK-registered charities through its open grants programme. It typically provides one-off grants to support a wide range of charitable activities. The charity receives over 1,000 applications each year and funds around 14% of applicants.
Criteria: Applications must be submitted online, with support available for those unable to apply digitally. Funding is restricted to smaller charities (generally under £500,000 turnover, with higher limits for medical charities) and excludes individuals, non-UK charities, educational institutions, places of worship, and overseas beneficiaries.
Grant Size: Up to £5,000
Deadline for applications: 1st September 2026

Asda Foundation – community spaces grant

Programme Structure – Capital‑focused grant supporting the creation, improvement or repair of local community spaces.

Application Process – Applications submitted via your local Asda Community Champion; store‑level review followed by Foundation approval

Eligibility – UK community groups, charities, CICs and community benefit societies with a physical community space open to the public

What They Fund – Building repairs, room refurbishments, kitchen upgrades, accessibility improvements, outdoor community areas and essential equipment

Grant Size – Typically £10,000–£25,000 for major improvements; smaller awards available for minor works

Funding Priorities – Spaces that reduce isolation, improve community cohesion, support vulnerable groups and provide long‑term community benefit

Application Deadlines – 28th April

The Asda Foundation’s Community Spaces Grant supports the creation, improvement or refurbishment of community spaces that bring people together and strengthen local resilience. Eligible organisations include charities, CICs and community groups with a publicly accessible building or outdoor area. Grants typically range from £10,000 to £25,000 and fund capital works such as repairs, refurbishments, accessibility upgrades and essential equipment. Applications must be developed with a local Asda Community Champion, and the programme operates one main annual deadline, usually in late spring. Due to the scale of funding available, competition is strong, with priority given to projects that clearly demonstrate long‑term community impact and support for vulnerable or isolated group.

The Wildlife Trust- Green Community Grant

Programme Structure – One‑year flexible funding for not‑for‑profit groups in England, Scotland and Wales with annual income between £10,000 and £1 million

Application Process – Online application via Wildlife Trusts portal; guidance notes and application questions provided for preparation

Eligibility – Organisations operating for at least 12 months; core purpose must align with nature recovery, climate action, or improving nature‑rich spaces and access

What They Fund – Nature recovery, climate action, improving nature‑rich spaces, access to green areas, and wider sustainability activities such as recycling, litter picking and sustainable transport

Grant Size – Up to £25,000, capped at no more than 25% of the organisation’s most recent annual income

Funding Priorities – Organisations with income under £250,000; groups in the top 15% most deprived areas; organisations supporting marginalised communities (e.g., disabled people, racialised communities, LGBT+ groups)

Application Deadlines – Three annual windows for 2026: 25 March–22 April, 24 June–15 July, and 30 September–21 October; current window closes 22 April 2026

The Wildlife Trusts’ Green Community Grants Programme provides one‑year flexible funding of up to £25,000 for not‑for‑profit groups across England, Scotland and Wales whose core purpose aligns with nature recovery, climate action or improving access to nature‑rich spaces. Eligible organisations must have been operating for at least 12 months and have an annual income between £10,000 and £1 million. Funding can support a wide range of environmental and sustainability activities, from habitat restoration to community recycling initiatives. Priority is given to smaller organisations, groups working in highly deprived areas and those supporting marginalised communities. The programme runs three application windows in 2026, with high demand expected due to oversubscription in previous years.

Berkshire Community Foundation- Pargiter Trust Funds for Older People

Status: Open for applications

Opens: Thursday 23 April

Deadline: 10am, Thursday 21 May

Grant size: Up to £5,000

Beneficiaries: Adults aged 65+

Decision notification: August

Eligible Project Areas
Improving health and wellbeing

Reducing social isolation (including befriending schemes)

Improving access to facilities, advice and training

Providing respite for carers

Improving access to information and IT, especially intergenerational work

Supporting people facing illness, injury, disability, bereavement or financial difficulty

Summary
The Funds for Older People programme is now open, offering grants of up to £5,000 for initiatives that improve the lives of adults aged 65 and over. Managed by BCF, the fund supports projects that enhance wellbeing, reduce isolation, expand access to services and training, provide carer respite, and help older people overcome challenges such as illness, disability or financial hardship. Applications are open until 10am on Thursday 21 May, with funding decisions communicated in August.

The National Archives Project Grants programme

About Us: The National Archives Project Grants programme supports partnerships between GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) or heritage organisations and a community groups. The programme aims to strengthen relationships between communities and heritage organisations by supporting research, skills development, and resources that reflect diverse voices and experiences.
Criteria: Community groups and heritage organisations across the UK can appy for grants to deliver heritage projects. Projects must be community-led and co-designed, and may support new work or build on earlier Seed Corn activity.
Grant Size: up to £30,000
Deadline for applications: 12th June 2026

The Baily Thomas General grants programme

About Us: The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund is a grant making registered charity which was established primarily to aid the research into learning disability and to aid the care and relief of those affected by learning disability, by making grants to voluntary organisations working in this field.
Criteria: UK charities, voluntary organisations, and schools can apply for grants to support children and adults with severe learning difficulties, including autism.
Grant Size: The main programme for grants of £5,000 or more, and a small grants programme for appeals below £5,000.
Deadline for applications: 31st August 2026

King Charles III – Small Grants

About Us: The King Charles III Charitable Fund (KCCF) Small Grants Programme supports small UK non‑profits delivering meaningful community impact across six core themes: environment, countryside, education, heritage and conservation, social inclusion, and health and wellbeing.
Criteria: UK‑registered non‑profit organisations (charities, CIOs, CICs, CLGs, excepted charities, unincorporated groups with clear social purpose).
Grant Size: Up to £3,000 per year, for up to 3 years
Deadline for applications: 7th May 2026

The Fat Beehive

About Us: Digital funding for small charities.
Criteria: The funding is available to charities with an average annual income of less than £1,000,000 to support digital expenditures that other funders may not cover. The funding will help organisations build websites and apps, digitise services, and purchase digital products.
Grant Size: up to £2,500
Deadline for applications: 30th September 2026

Grassroots Grants is open for applications – apply for unrestricted funding of up to £2,000

In partnership with Postcode Lottery, Groundworks are offering this flexible funding to organisations across England. If your turnover is less than £25,000 and you’re making a positive difference in your community, you can apply for funding of up to £2,000.

Funding is unrestricted and flexible. This means it can be used to cover core organisational costs, equipment, staff training, wellbeing activities, and even community initiatives.

Applications are open to individuals, registered charities, CIC’s, and more.

Priority will be shown to:

Funding for communities that rank as being within the top 15% on the English Indices of Deprivation

Organisations that work with and support communities classed as marginalised or vulnerable

Applications are open until September 2026, and you will receive a decision within 10 weeks of applying. Successful organisations awarded up to £2,000 will have 12 months to spend the grant.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

With thanks to our local CVS’s for the information contained within this article – Involve, West Berkshire Volunteer Centre and Slough CVS

The JD Foundation

About Us: To help support those working with disadvantaged young people in the UK. From mental health to homeless charities, the foundation works hard to help make a difference!
Criteria: Must be a registered charity in the UK and charitable work needs to be work that focuses on young people.
Grant Size: £25,000 to £75,000
Deadline for applications: 17th April 2026

Leathersellers’ Foundation’s ACEs Main Grant

About Us: The fund supports organisations working to prevent or reduce the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by delivering trauma-informed, evidence-based services to children, young people, or adults.
Criteria: Available to charities and CIOs throughout the UK. Applications are particularly welcomed from organisations using creative arts, nature, or sport in their approaches.
Grant Size: Between £20,000 and £25,000
Deadline for applications: 5pm on the 30th April 2026

National Churches Trust

About Us: For urgent and essential structural repair projects to buildings that were originally built as churches, or the installation of kitchen and toilets.
Criteria: Listed and unlisted Christian places of worship, of any denomination, across the UK. Match funding of at least 50% is required.
Grant Size: Between £10,000 and £50,000
Deadline for applications: 7th July 2026

The Big Bike Revival

About Us: The Big Bike Revival is an intervention for adults aimed at encouraging an uptake in cycling.
Criteria: Local volunteer-led groups, social enterprises, and other not-for-profit organisations across England to deliver cycling events aimed at encouraging people to start or return to cycling this summer. These events should particularly engage individuals who face social, economic, or health deprivation, come from diverse backgrounds, or are dealing with complex personal challenges.
Grant Size: up to £3,500
Deadline for applications: 1st June 2026

Matthew Good Foundation

About Us: Our mission is to amplify the voices of small charitable organisations, whose high impact work is often unseen and underfunded.
Criteria: To be eligible for our small charity funding, applicants must:
Be a UK-based local community group, charity, voluntary group or social enterprise
Have an annual income of less than £50,000.
Have a bank account in the organisation’s name.
Grant Size: Share £15,000 between five shortlisted projects. Max grant size £5,000.
Deadline for applications: 15th June 2026

Schroder Charity Trust

The Schroder Charity Trust runs two focused grant programmes aligned with its objectives: (1) enabling disadvantaged children and young adults to thrive in education and employment, and (2) strengthening community wellbeing for vulnerable groups. Grants are up to £5,000, covering both core and project‑specific costs, with priority given to organisations delivering measurable outcomes in areas ranked within the top 20% of national deprivation indices. The Trust operates fixed application windows rather than rolling applications, with the next window opening 1 March 2026 (9am) to 30 April 2026, and decisions expected within approximately four months after closing.

Eligibility is restricted to UK‑registered charities with an annual income between £150,000 and £1,000,000, working within the Trust’s specified priority areas such as literacy development, early years readiness, youth employment pathways, homelessness prevention, youth work, and reducing social isolation among older people. The Trust does not fund non‑charities (e.g., CICs, social enterprises), nor charities that have received a grant within the last 24 months or applied unsuccessfully within the last 12 months. Eligible applicants must show evidence‑based impact, clear outcomes, and alignment with one of the Trust’s priority categories listed in its strategic objectives.

SPAR Community Cashback Grant

About Us: Convenience retailer SPAR will soon be inviting applications for its Community Cashback Scheme, which awards grants to voluntary or community organisations, schools and charities which make a difference within their local area.
Criteria: To voluntary or community organisations, schools and charities.
Grant Size: up to £10,000
Deadline for applications: Opens on 9th April and closes on 13th May 2026

Barclays Community Sport Fund

About Us: The Barclays Community Sport Fund, delivered in partnership with Sported, aims to reduce inequalities in sport. The Access Grant is available to support the delivery of football, tennis or cricket activities for women and girls.
Criteria: Not-for-profit organisations, including charities, community groups, youth groups and traditional sports clubs can apply for funding but only one grant can be awarded to each organisation.
Grant Size: £1,000 
Deadline for applications: 27th May 2026

Caremark Community Care Fund

About Us: Small grants are available to support grassroots community projects that improve quality of life and strengthen local communities. The fund supports practical, community-led initiatives, such as improving shared spaces, providing equipment, or enhancing local services, with a focus on delivering meaningful and lasting impact.
Criteria: The competition is open to UK-based community groups, charities, not-for-profit organisations, schools, pre-schools, and community or local authority-run projects.
Grant Size: 12 grants of up to £3,000
Deadline for applications: 31st May 2026

Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation

About Us: To support people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
Criteria: To UK registered charities with an annual income under £500,000 for core, project or capital costs. Funding prioritises projects that help people access or sustain a safe and secure home, including support with financial hardship, housing access, tenancy sustainment, and health and wellbeing linked to poor housing.
Grant Size: up to £2,500
Deadline for applications: 1st June 2026

Henry Smith Foundation

About Us: Holiday grants supporting fun, enriching experiences for children
Criteria: Schools, youth groups, not-for-profit organisations, and charities can apply for grants of £500 to £3,000 to support recreational trips or holidays within the UK for groups of disabled or disadvantaged children (aged 13 or under).
Grant Size: £500 to £3,000
Deadline for applications: 19th August 2026

Wokingham Borough: Wokingham Borough Council- Sparks Award

The newly launched Sparks Award by Wokingham Borough Council is designed to support local individuals, grassroots groups, and community organisations in developing projects that help adults live more connected, independent, and fulfilling lives. Grants range from £100 to £2,000 and aim to reduce isolation, strengthen neighbourhood ties, and enable residents—particularly those with disabilities, health conditions, or caring responsibilities—to take part more fully in community life. The fund specifically prioritises ideas that align with Social Care Future aims, such as making it easier for everyone to feel part of their community or helping people remain in a place they call home

Successful applicants can use the funding for practical needs such as venue hire, equipment, refreshments, advertising, or running events and new activities that bring residents together. Wokingham Borough Council also offers guidance for those new to community projects, and local residents help decide which initiatives receive funding—ensuring the chosen projects reflect what matters most to the community

Deadline: Applications for Sparks funding are open between 1 February 2026 and 31 January 2027, although the window may close early because funds are awarded on a rolling basis.

Parkinsons UK -Physical Activity Grant

The 2026 Parkinson’s UK Physical Activity Grants Programme offers funding between £500 and £3,000 to support projects that help people with Parkinson’s become and stay active. Eligible applicants include local community groups, clubs, exercise instructors, physios, activity providers, and anyone with a connection to the Parkinson’s community. The 2026 round places a stronger focus on supporting individuals with lower mobility, with updated criteria to encourage inclusive and confidence‑building physical activity options. Examples of supported activities include walking football, table tennis, dance, yoga, and “Gateway Activities” such as movement‑based arts sessions that help people feel more confident engaging in physical activity.

Deadline: Rolling

National Lottery – Awards For All

The National Lottery Awards for All programme provides small grants to support grassroots, community‑led projects across England. Eligible applicants include charities, community and not‑for‑profit groups, parish or town councils, health bodies, and schools, as long as their projects benefit the wider community and involve people in shaping the activity. Applicants do not need to be a registered charity but must have a bank account with at least two signatories. Projects must align with priorities such as building strong community relationships, improving important local spaces, supporting people to reach their potential, or helping communities facing increased pressures such as the cost‑of‑living crisis. Groups with smaller incomes are prioritised.

Funding awards typically range from £300 to £10,000, but following programme updates, applicants can now request up to £20,000, with projects able to run for up to two years. The programme operates on a rolling basis with no formal deadline, meaning applications can be submitted at any time, though decisions take around 16 weeks. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, especially during periods of high demand

Youth Music Trailblazer Fund

The Youth Music Trailblazer Fund supports UK‑based, legally constituted organisations to run innovative, inclusive music projects for children and young people aged 25 or under. Eligible applicants must have a bank account in the organisation’s name and be able to provide recent accounts showing income, expenditure, assets, and liabilities. Individuals, schools, academies, and sole traders are not eligible. The fund prioritises organisations whose projects address themes such as early years, disabled, d/Deaf, and neurodivergent young people, youth justice, young people facing barriers, young adults, and workforce development. Organisations less than one year old may apply but are capped at a maximum grant of £15,000. Safeguarding compliance is a core requirement.

The fund offers grants ranging from £2,000 to £30,000 for projects lasting 6 to 24 months. Multiple application rounds run throughout the year. These grants support new ways of working, experimentation, and sustainability in inclusive music‑making, with Youth Music encouraging projects that challenge existing practice and widen access.

Hospital Saturday Fund

The Hospital Saturday Fund provides grants to registered health charities, hospices, hospitals, and medical organisations operating within the UK or the Republic of Ireland, as well as grants to eligible individuals with medical needs. Organisations must have recognised charitable status through the appropriate charity regulator and must be engaged in medically related work such as medical projects, capital improvements, medical care or research, hospice/respite services, or medical training. Individuals may apply (through a professional referrer) for specialised medical equipment, mobility aids, therapeutic treatment, or home adaptations. The fund does not support non‑medical charities, debt repayment, experimental treatments, household goods, or non‑medical activities.

There are two levels of organisational grants: Standard Grants up to £2,000 and Large Grants up to £10,000, with large grants typically reserved for specific projects, research, or equipment rather than running costs.

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

The Arnold Clark Community Fund

We want to give back to the communities that we serve. The Arnold Clark Community Fund is here to help registered UK charities and community groups close to our branches. We believe that by caring for these communities today, we can help them create a better future for generations to come. The Arnold Clark Community Fund is only accepting applications from registered charities and community groups that are within a 50-mile radius of an Arnold Clark branch.

The amount of funding you receive will depend on the strand of funding you apply for, If you apply for our Cost-of-Living Support, you can apply for up to £2,500 per application and for Community Support, you can apply for up to £1,000.

Deadline: Funding will continue on a rolling monthly basis. However, we’d recommend you apply as early as you can once the fund is open, as applications could be paused due to high demand.

Bernard Sunley Foundation

Our funding categories:

Community
Education
Health
Social Welfare
We award three levels of grants:
Large – £25,000 and above
Medium – Up to £20,000
Small – £5,000 and under

What we fund: Capital projects.
Project costs between £10,000 and £5 million.
Charities with an annual income of under £10 million.

Our capital grants are one off, single payments.
We do not fully fund projects. Our grants are offered as a contribution to overall project costs.
Trustees decide on the amount to be pledged. We do not ask you to specify an amount.
We fund around 50% of all applications received.

Deadline: We hold three Trustees’ meetings a year in March, July and November.

Finnis Scott Foundation

The Trustees ONLY make grants to charities registered at the Charity Commission.

We will consider applications for one-off grants up to £10,000, but because of the high demand, most grants are currently £5,000 or less. Exceptionally, when funds permit, grants of as much as £60,000 are made, payable over several years.

The Trustees are keen to support horticultural training through bursaries and apprenticeships. Applications should be made by the sponsoring institution: individuals may not apply.

Grants are not offered for covering salary commitments (except for horticultural traineeships/ apprenticeships), nor for expenditure already incurred. In general, the trustees only consider applications up to £10,000. Exceptionally, larger grants may be made. The Foundation’s resources are modest: preference is given to helping smaller charities, where a grant can have more significant impact.

The Foundation funds both capital and revenue projects. We do not fund projects which have already been completed. We are unlikely to fund newly established organisations which do not yet have a track record, or have not yet produced accounts.

Deadline: Rolling

Small grants for village halls – Defra and ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural Areas)

Grants up to £5,000 are available to help make modest improvements to rural community buildings in England such as boiler replacements, insulation, toilet upgrades and new kitchens.

Awards can be made to cover 20% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum amount of £5,000. The balance of funding for the works proposed must be in place or at least confirmed within 6 weeks of making an application to the small grants fund.

Project expenditure must take place before 31 March 2026.

Anchor Fund – Alliance for Youth Organising

The Alliance for Youth Organising will provide anchor grants of £40,000 a year for two years to UK-based organisations that are supporting youth organising.

The purpose of the funding is to support wider access to youth organising and strengthen the youth organising field.

Groups will also receive an additional £5,000 to support learning and to provide strategic insight to the Alliance to shape its future strategy. This means that the total grant awarded is £85,000 over two years.

The Fund will close to applications on 26 January 2026 and between seven and ten grants will be made by April 2026.

Quaker Housing Trust

QHT gives advice, support, loans and grants to small charitable organisations to help them provide safe, decent and affordable homes.

They currently offer two separate restricted funding programmes:

?Best practice grants up to £6000 for early in the development of a project to enable projects to reach the highest possible standards.
?The Main Grants and Loans Programme to fund projects which create homes.
For capital projects generating income from rent, trustees will award interest-free loans up to £30,000 with a 5% administration fee payable at the end of the loan period.

The deadline for expressions of interest for the main grants and loans programme is 29 January 2026. The deadline for applications for best practice grants is 26 March 2026.

Apply for funding

Engagement grants – National Archives

The Engagement Grants Programme offers grants of up to £3,000 for organisations to conduct outreach and engagement projects that will connect archives with their communities in places across England and Wales.

Engagement grants are often responsive to cultural events and days of national importance.

The theme for the current application round is ‘Belonging’. The funder states: “By collecting records relating to our shared past and present, archives play an important role in helping people feel a sense of belonging.”

The closing date for applications is 19 January 2026.

About these grants – Archives sector

Awards for All, and Reaching Communities – The National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF)

Awards for All: TNLCF offer funding from £300 to £20,000 and can support your project for up to two years. You can apply for funding to deliver a new or existing activity or to support your organisation to change and adapt to new and future challenges.

They can fund projects that’ll do at least one of these things:

bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage
support people, communities and organisations facing more demands and challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Reaching Communities England: With this funding, TNLCF want to help strengthen communities and improve lives across England. Their funding is available to all communities, but their priority is the places, people and communities that need it most.

When they say ‘community’, they mean people who live in the same area. Or people with similar interests or life experiences, even if they do not live in the same area.

They offer funding that starts at £20,001. Your project must help achieve one of these missions. Which are to support communities to:

come together through inclusive places, spaces and activities (either physical or virtual), especially for communities where people are least able to come together
help children and young people thrive by developing positive social and emotional skills
be healthier by addressing health inequalities and helping prevent poor health
be environmentally sustainable by engaging with climate issues, having a positive environmental impact, and improving access to quality natural spaces
Funding programmes | The National Lottery Community Fund.

Football Foundation grants

Football Foundation grants are available to football clubs, schools, councils and local sports associations under the following categories:

Lionesses HERe to Play Fund
Goalposts
Catering units
Portable floodlights
Storage containers
Changing pavilions and clubhouses
3G pitch maintenance machinery and equipment
Fencing
3G pitches
Creation of new grass pitches
Small-sided facility improvements
Grass pitch improvement
Grass pitch drainage
Grass pitch maintenance machinery and equipment
Premier League defibrillator fund
Premier League stadium fund
Looking for funding | Football Foundation

Further useful funding resources can be found on the Rural Services Network website.

Alliance for Youth Organising- Anchor Fund

The Alliance for Youth Organising will provide anchor grants of £40,000 a year for two years to UK-based organisations that are supporting youth organising.

The purpose of the funding is to support wider access to youth organising and strengthen the youth organising field.

Groups will also receive an additional £5,000 to support learning and to provide strategic insight to the Alliance to shape its future strategy. This means that the total grant awarded is £85,000 over two years.
The purpose of the Alliance is to shift power and money to young people, so they can organise together to create change.

This funding is for organisations that already have a track record of supporting youth organising and with Alliance funding would have more impact.

It recognises the challenges facing organisations that support youth organising in securing long-term sustainable funding which allows them to focus on their core work – building youth power.

The Alliance also recognises that there are many ways that organisations can support young people to organise.

These include place-based support to organise to address local issues, national or regional leadership training programmes, support for networks of young organisers through mentoring and coaching, incubating youth organising initiatives and providing fiscal hosting.

Deadline: 26th January 2026

Berkshire Community Foundation- Vital for Berkshire Fund

Our Vital for Berkshire 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 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.

Applications are also invited to enable groups to fund their essential resources in order to secure services for their beneficiaries in the current cost of living crisis.

Deadline: 29th January 2026

Paul Hamlyn – Youth Fund

We want to fund organisations who work with young people (14–25) to drive change so that future generations of young people can thrive.

We believe that services, systems, structures, processes and practice can support young people to thrive. We want young people to have their voices heard, and to have agency and autonomy to drive changes and improvements which transform their transitions to adulthood.

This fund achieves this by:

Focusing on young people (14–25) who experience systemic inequity. For these young people, transitions are harder due to the way society, systems and structures operate. This often compounds the inequity they experience.
Driving change in systems, processes, structures and practice to create more equitable, inclusive, asset based environments and experiences for young people.
Tackling the root causes of inequity and injustice which creates barriers and challenges for young people as they transition to adulthood.
Centering young people voice, insight and power. Recognizing that many young people are marginalized or excluded, their experiences hidden or less well known and their voices often erased or ignored.
We provide funding:

• up to £50,000 per year for three years (max grant £150,000). We prefer to fund organisations at the maximum amount and term. We do not make grants of less than £30,000 per year
• to cover core operating costs (salaries, organisation and delivery costs)
• and to grow the impact of what you already do. We are not looking to fund new or untested approaches, projects or finite pieces of work.
  Deadline: Rolling

The Aviva Community Fund

We’re on a mission to build a brighter future. Our ambition is for the UK to become the most climate-ready large economy by 2030 and help people and communities feel positive about their financial futures. This is why our two key focus areas are:

Climate action—promoting healthy, thriving communities by preventing, preparing for and protecting against the impacts of climate change.

Financial wellbeing—helping people take control of their wellbeing by giving them the tools to be more financially independent and ready for anything.

And it’s about more than money – the Aviva Community Fund also gives causes access to volunteers, as well as tools and resources to help build their capabilities and achieve long-term sustainable success.

Building stronger, more resilient communities across the UK: that’s what we’re striving towards at Aviva, and it’s how we’ll continue to help small charities and community causes.

We know the causes that make the biggest impact are those that are given the opportunity to test innovative ideas and explore new sustainable strategies without fear of risk. That’s why the Aviva Community Fund backs the clever ideas that move communities forward and provides these amazing causes with vital support and resources.

Aviva will match each donation you receive up to £250. This means that if someone gives £5, we’ll double it to £10. If they give £250, we’ll match it, so the cause gets £500. Organisations can receive up to £50,000 in match funding and eligible causes can apply at any time.

Got an idea that will move your community forward? Organisations must be one of the following types of organisations:
Charity*
Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO);
Community Interest Company (CIC);
Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG); or
Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC);

Deadline: Rolling

SNG ConnectED Communities Fund.

The fund is now open and closes on 23^rd February 2026. 

Grants of up to £2000 will be available for projects and initiatives designed to empower local groups to take action, driving projects that champion fairness and equality, celebrate diversity and create places where everyone feels they truly belong

We will prioritise applications from:

• Smaller grassroots groups (income under £250,000)
• Groups that specialise in delivering services for people from marginalised groups such as ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ communities, religious groups, people with disabilities, women’s or men’s groups
• Those led by or incorporating lived experience
• Groups that operate within defined SNG communities where we have homes and whose work will directly benefit SNG communities

We will be focussing our ConnectED Communities Fund on the following priorities:-

Cohesive communities  

• Activities which celebrate, encourage or raise awareness of diverse cultures/identities by bringing people together with an aim to build strong and cohesive communities and/or reduce prejudice or hate crimes and incidents. 
• Bringing communities together for improved community cohesion and improving connections across generations. 
• Creating safe spaces individuals feel comfortable and supported, free from discrimination, harassment, or judgment.  

Social inclusion 

• Investing in the development of more inclusive and age friendly communities. 
• Encouraging and supporting young people from under represented groups to achieve their aspirations and transition from where they are to where they want to be. 
• Providing mental health support or promoting mental and emotional health, including holistic activities like creative arts to build confidence and reduce stigma around mental health challenges. 
• Activities which provide support for protected characteristic, minority, disadvantaged groups by reducing isolation, building resilience and independence, helping people stay safe, or helping people stay healthy 

Raising awareness/education 

• Workshops/networking events that amplify those from under represented backgrounds 
• Support for events or speakers that raise awareness and deepen understanding of the multiple dimensions of EDI 
• Events celebrating heritage through story telling, food and intergenerational activities 

THINKING OF APPLYING?

This fund is an ACTIVE APPLY FUND – which means you must select the fund on Actionfunder and APPLY as your projects will not automatically match.

• For further guidance please visit our website https://www.sng.org.uk/connected-communities-fund We recommend that you read our application guidance carefully to understand what we will be looking for when we assess applications.   

• You can apply via ActionFunder here https://app.actionfunder.org/fund/651

If you would like to discuss an application with us or have any questions please contact me or the grants team grants@sng.org.uk

With thanks to Rural Services Network, Slough CVS and Involve Bracknell & Wokingham for the information contained in this article.