Funding Opportunities in March

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Utilita Giving Charity

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Any grant application from an organisation or charity needs to be for the purpose of supporting people in fuel and food poverty. Each application will be carefully reviewed individually and any applicant can expect to receive a response within 14 working days. We will not generally make a grant to an organisation, individual or household that it has supported within the last three years, and any repeat payment will only be made with the approval of the Trustees. You will be asked
to provide details about the organisation or charity, up-to-date contact details and a description of what the grant will be used for. The maximum grant size is £10,000.

Little Lives Childrens Charity

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
The number of children in the UK who do not have access to the activities and services they need to live a happy, healthy, and fun childhood is at a staggeringly high level. We want to guarantee that children around the UK can join clubs, take part in activities, learn, and have fun without it costing them or their family anything. We support children’s organisations that provide free activities, sessions, or classes for children around the UK in need. We can offer up to £2,200 worth of funding.

The Clothworkers’ Foundation

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
We aim to improve the lives of people and communities, particularly those facing disadvantage and marginalisation, through grantmaking. We award grants to UK-registered charities, CICs, and other registered UK non-profit organisations (including special schools). Grants are awarded towards capital projects, which we define as buildings, fittings, fixtures, equipment and/or vehicles. We aim to make a decision within twelve weeks for grants less than £10,000
or within six months for grants over £10,000, up to £150,000.

Wooden Spoon Capital Grants

About Us: Wooden Spoon is a British and Irish Rugby charity which supports projects to help mentally, physically disadvantaged children under the cognitive age of 25.
Criteria: Schools and not-for-profit organisations can apply for funding through the Wooden Spoon Society’s Capital Grants programme. Can be rugby or community-focused.
Through the programme funding is available for:
• Buildings and extensions
• Equipment and activity aids
• Sensory rooms and gardens
• Playgrounds and sports areas
• Soft playrooms.
Grant Size: average amount is £20,000
Deadline for applications: Rolling programme

Grow Wild

Bring your nature project to life this summer!
Criteria: For young people aged 14-25 to bring their nature project to life this summer. Individuals or groups of up to six people can apply for a grant to support an innovative project idea to celebrate why UK native plants and/or fungi are so special.
Organisations supporting young people with their project must be established, relevant and charitable in purpose or not for profit.
Grant recipients will receive:
• £500 grant for the project which can be used for anything needed such as materials, equipment, resources or helpful training.
• Support and online training from Grow Wild.
• Opportunities to connect with a community of young nature enthusiasts completing projects across the UK.
• The chance to complete Kew’s Young Environmental Leader Award designed to work alongside their Grow Wild project and recognise their achievements.
There is particular interest in applications from people who don’t know much about UK native species. Successful projects can be started in May 2024 and must be completed by the end of October 2024. Grant Size: up to £500. Deadline for applications: 3pm on 19 March 2024.

Community Ownership Fund

£150 million of national funding to ‘help communities across the UK to take ownership of assets at risk of closure’.

Schroder Charity Trust

The Schroder Charity Trust is an independent grant-making family trust which supports a wide range of charitable activities. The Schroder Charity Trust makes grants of up to £5,000 towards core and project costs to charities registered in the UK for work under the following categories:
• Arts, Culture and Heritage
• Education, Training and Employment
• Environment and Conservation
• Health and Wellbeing
• Strengthening Communities
The Trustees are particularly interested in applications which can demonstrate the following within the funding categories:
• Build strong communities and understand how to engage with intended beneficiaries
• Replicable and sustainable work
• Value for money i.e. the costs vs the number of people reached and the scale of the programme
• Maximising the use of volunteers
• Support of older people
• Support for marginalised/vulnerable younger people
• The use of helplines and information support services
• Sustainability of funding i.e. the charity will not be solely reliant on a grant from the Schroder Charity Trust for their work.

McCarthy Stone Foundation – Community Grants

We are now welcoming applications for our Spring 2024 Grant Programme.

You must be a registered charity, community group with constitution or Community Interest Company working in England, Scotland or Wales with a turnover under £250,000 p.a. as evidenced in your recent annual report. We also consider exempt charities, but do not make grants to individuals. If you are a CIC, you must be limited by guarantee.

You must be working with adults over 65 years of age and providing DIRECT person-centred interventions e.g., Befriending to address loneliness. This funding does not cover connector or infrastructure services, such as Citizens Advice or Community Transport.

Bracknell Forest Multiply Programme

Bracknell Forest Community Learning is inviting applications for grants of up to £10,000 from organisations to deliver numeracy opportunities for adults over 19 years old. It’s looking for programmes which introduce numeracy in non-traditional ways, integrating learning into everyday activities, building confidence and engaging with those who would not take part in mainstream learning programmes.

Applications to be made to allow activity to be completed by 31st March 2025.

Priority areas are:

  • Helping people use basic maths to improve managing their money.
  • Opportunities aimed at people who can’t apply for certain jobs because of lack of numeracy skills and/or to encourage people to upskill in numeracy to access a certain job/career.
  • Learning opportunities leading to a Functional Skills Qualification.
  • Learning opportunities aimed at those who are leaving, or have just left, the care system.
  • Innovative programmes delivered together with employers.
  • Learning opportunities designed to increase confidence with numbers.

To find out more, or arrange an initial discussion, email community.learning@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Greene King Proud To Pitch Fund

About Us: We’re donating 10p from every pint of Greene King IPA and 50p from every 4x500ml can pack sold* to support local clubs from the ground up, with cash grants to help them continue the sport they love.
Criteria: For grassroots and community sports clubs across the United Kingdom. To be eligible for funding, projects must be located in the United Kingdom and project beneficiaries must be aged 18 or over.
Grant Size: up to £4,000

Berkshire focussed grant makers.

Greenham Trust We are accepting applications on a rolling basis and welcome Applicants to apply now if they are supporting people with: https://greenhamtrust.com/greenham-trust-grant-funding/

Berkshire Community Foundation Grants awarded support a variety of community groups across Berkshire working to support a wide range of causes, tackling disadvantage, supporting victims of crime, poverty, homelessness, health and wellbeing, isolation and loneliness, education and skills and strengthening the community in general. https://www.berkshirecf.org/

Shanly Foundation Lending a hand where needed in the community. The Shanly Foundation primarily supports good causes predominantly within Berkshire and other home counties. https://www.shanlyfoundation.com/

The Good Exchange An online funding and fundraising platform that is wholly owned by a charity. Greenham Trust runs The Good Exchange to help funders in its local area to give and receive grants more quickly and efficiently. www.thegoodexchange.com

With thanks to Slough CVS, Wokingham & Bracknell inVOLve and West Berkshire Volunteer Centre for providing information for the articles contained in this blog.

New Year Funding Opportunities for Community Groups

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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

November Funding Opportunities

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Branching Out Fund – the Tree Council

The Branching Out Fund is now accepting applications towards the costs of community planting projects.

Branching Out supports applications ranging in value from £250 up to £2,500, with specific criteria for those under £500, and those above £500.

Schools, community groups, residents’ associations, Parish Councils, charities and many others are eligible to apply,

The deadline for applications is 3 December 2023.

Branching Out Fund | Grants towards trees and hedgerows (treecouncil.org.uk)

Bernard Sunley Foundation grants

The Foundation offers grants in the categories of Community, Education, Health or Social Welfare.

They 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. Grants can be used for:

Capital projects which include new buildings, extensions, refurbishments and recreational spaces.
New minibuses and other vehicles that provide a vital service to those most in need in their local community.
Churches and other places of worship with a strong, secular community focus.
Charities or CIOs (Charitable Incorporated Organisations) registered in England and Wales.
Certain organisations with exempt status such as specialist schools, scout and guide groups, housing associations, cooperatives, and community benefit societies.
Applications are accepted all year round.

What We Fund – Bernard Sunley Foundation

Small Grants Programme – Sport England

The Small Grants Programme seeks to develop opportunities for communities to get more people physically active. New projects from not-for-profit organisations will be supported through providing National Lottery funding of between £300 and £15,000.

They want to support projects that bring communities together and provide sport and physical activities for people who may be less physically active.

They also particularly want to support projects focusing on environmental sustainability.

They believe that communities that work together and share resources provide a stronger and more sustainable impact. Therefore, Sport England want applications from projects that demonstrate how they connect with their communities, make best use of the existing skills and assets in an area, and will provide the biggest possible impact to those who need it most.

The closing date for applications is 31 March 2024.

Small Grants Programme | Sport England

Football Foundation grants

The Football Foundation provides grants for building or refurbishing grassroots facilities, such as changing rooms, 3G pitches, fencing, portable floodlights, pitch improvements and clubhouse refurbishment. The Fund is available to football clubs, schools, councils and local sports associations and gives grants for projects that:

Improve facilities for football and other sport in local communities.
Sustain or increase participation amongst children and adults, regardless of background age, or ability.
Help children and adults to develop their physical, mental, social and moral capacities through regular participation in sport.
Grants are available for between £10,000 and £500,000.

Looking for funding | Football Foundation

The Million Hours Fund

Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations, schools and local authorities to provide extra support to young people (aged 11 to 18 years, or up to 25 years with disabilities and special educational needs) who are at risk of anti-social behaviour in eligible areas of England. We want to fund extra hours of youth work for additional activities that give these young people more places to go and positive things to do. Find out more.

McCarthy Stone Foundation

About Us: McCarthy Stone Foundation’s Christmas Connections fund awards grants to support with the running of activities for people over 65 in their community over the festive period.
Criteria: UK registered charities, community groups and CICs (annual income under £250,000)
Grant Size: up to £1,000
Deadline for applications: 30 November 2023

Find out more about McCarthy Stone Foundation

The Ocado Foundation for Good

About Us: The Ocado Foundation is the charitable arm of Ocado Group, working for good in the community. We focus our efforts in three core areas, skills for the future, natural resources and responsible sourcing.
Criteria: Supports charities, CICs and community projects.
Grant Size: up to £1,000
Deadline for applications: 31 December 2023

Find out more about The Ocado Foundation for Good

Gardening with Disabilities Trust

About Us: The Gardening with Disabilities Trust awards small grants to help people continue to experience the joy of gardening, despite disability.
Criteria: Individuals and community groups/gardens supporting people with all kinds of physical or mental abilities, in all parts of the UK, to continue to actively garden are eligible to apply.
Grant Size: £1,000
Deadline for applications: Rolling programme

Find out more about Gardening with Disabilities Trust

Abri Community Fund

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. Which is why we have a £90,000 Community Fund available to help make your community a better place to live.
You can apply for up to £3,000 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.
We recommend you submit your application as early as possible along with all the supporting documents. Applications will be considered by our funding panel, which is made up of customers and those living in our communities. And we’ll share whether you’ve been successful within four weeks of the closing date.
We welcome applications from local, voluntary organisations and community groups. We can also consider those from small charities and not for profit organisations. Our priority is to support those projects that encourage good use of community assets. The panel are looking for projects that bring communities together to support each other, find companionship, comfort and essential information that will support our communities during the cost-of-living crisis.
We’re proud of the difference our Community Fund makes. It’s one way we can help drive change, transform our communities, and provide opportunities.
It’s what our Community Strategy and five-year £15m community investment is all about – empowering communities, improving health and wellbeing and securing employment opportunities.

Community Funding (abri.co.uk)

Deadline: We open the Community Fund for applications four times a year:
• 1-30 April 2023
• 1 – 31 July 2023
• 1-31 October 2023
• 1-31 January 2024

Adamson Trust

Grants for voluntary and community organisations and charities to help with the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children (aged 3 to 17 years) with physical, mental, or emotional impairments. Click here for more details.
Application deadline: 31 December 2023

Crowthorne Parish Grants

Applications close on Friday 15th December.
Each year Crowthorne Parish Council considers requests for grants to assist organisations involved in delivering valued services to the Crowthorne community. Organisations which are successful in their application will normally be presented with their cheques at the Annual Parish Meeting of Crowthorne Parish Council held between March and April each year. Applications must be accompanied by a copy of your organisations most recent accounts and if available the budget for the forthcoming year. Find out more.

The Henry Smith Charity – Holiday Grants

About Us: The purpose of the Holiday Grants programme is to provide access to recreational trips or holidays for groups of children who experience disadvantage or who have disabilities. In particular we are interested in contributing to trips that would not take place without our funding.
Criteria: Schools, youth groups, not for profit organisations and charities are all eligible to apply.
Grant Size: £500-£2,500
Deadline for applications: 31 December 2023

Find out more about The Henry Smith Charity – Holiday Grants

Sandhurst Community Grants

Applications close on Sunday 31st December. Sandhurst Town Council wishes to acknowledge and foster a sense of community spirit in the town and wishes to invite non-profits based in the area to apply for our community grants. Please complete the application form fully and return to Sandhurst Town Council before the end of this year to be included in our selection process for 2023/2024.

John Ellerman Foundation

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
We aim to advance the wellbeing of people, society and the natural world by focusing on the arts, environment and social action. We believe these areas can make an important contribution to wellbeing. Relationships are important to us across every aspect of our grantmaking, and in the ways in which we work with others. We are a responsive funder, listening and responding to what applicants and our wider stakeholder network judge is important. We have well developed and regularly reviewed funding guidelines, enabling us to be discerning in our decisions about whom and what to support.
On our main grants programme, we generally make grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 per year, for up to three years. Learn more.

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