September Funding Opportunities

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The War Memorials Trust

Grants to repair and conserve war memorials in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, covering conservation, like-for-like repair, condition surveys and structural stabilisation. Up to £20,000 for freestanding, non-beneficiary memorials, or up to £5,000 for non-freestanding memorials, usually around 50% of eligible costs (minimum award normally £125).
Deadline: Saturday 31 October 2026 for the current application batch, with decisions by early January 2027 (the Trust reviews applications in batches at deadlines published on its website)
Eligibility: Open to individuals and organisations, including local authorities. Anyone applying who is not responsible for the memorial must have the custodian’s written consent.

Morrisons Foundation: Connecting Communities Grant Scheme

Grants of up to £20,000, which can fully fund a capital project, to breathe new life into the spaces where communities meet, from building renovations and improvements to outdoor areas to fixed equipment such as boilers, security systems and stairlifts. Priority goes to smaller charities with annual income under £1 million.
Deadline: Rolling; the Foundation accepts and reviews applications on a continual basis, with no deadline
Eligibility: UK registered charities only (registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales or OSCR for at least a year, with accounts filed on time), running a community facility open to everyone which the charity owns or leases with at least three years remaining, in England, Scotland or Wales. Community Interest Companies are explicitly not eligible.

Active Thames Fund

Grants to grow watersports and activity on the tidal Thames and the Thames Path National Trail across Greater London, Kent and Essex, by widening participation among groups currently under-represented on the water, developing coaches and volunteers, and supporting physical and mental wellbeing. No fixed maximum is published; requests above £5,000 must show they can deliver against several of the fund’s objectives. Awards are expected in December, with delivery from spring.
Deadline: Applications close Sunday 27 September 2026
Eligibility: Formally constituted organisations with a bank account in the organisation’s name; individuals and informal friendship groups cannot apply.

Veolia Environmental Trust

Community Grants of £10,000 to £75,000 to create or improve buildings and outside spaces used by the community, and Habitat and Biodiversity Grants from £10,000 upwards (no maximum is published on the Trust’s site) for work that protects and restores threatened habitats and the wildlife that depends on them.
Deadline: 12:00 midday, Thursday 1 October 2026
Eligibility: Constituted not-for-profit organisations, local authorities and Environmental Bodies.

The Let’s Celebrate Towns competition

About Us: The Let’s Celebrate Towns competition, delivered in partnership by Visa and Nationwide, aims to strengthen local economies and communities by supporting projects that make towns stronger, more resilient, and vibrant.
Criteria: Entries are open to MPs and local leaders, local authorities and town councils, and community groups and organisations. Eligible towns must have a population between 5,000 and 225,000. Towns can enter one of five categories: High Street Revival, Backing Local Business, Protecting Valued Places, Connected Places, and Community Pride. Only one entry per town is permitted in each category.
Grant Size: £20,000 for one winning town in each category, to fund a community-led project or initiative.
Deadline for Applications: 25th October 2026

Costco and United Way UK – Give Local 2026-2027

About Us: The United Way UK Give Local Grants scheme supports small, local organisations working to improve the lives of people within their communities. The programme seeks organisations that can become long-term partners and deliver programmes addressing key community needs, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Criteria: Community-based, local organisations with an average annual income of £300,000 or less can apply.

Organisations with a charitable purpose that are not registered charities may also be considered, subject to additional checks.

Funding priorities include:

Education – including early childhood development, school readiness and success, out-of-school learning and soft skills development
Income stability – including job training, access to employment, employment support and financial literacy
Health – including mental health support, hunger prevention and access to housing
United Way UK has a particular interest in applications from local charities continuing to provide essential frontline support in disadvantaged communities.

Applications are submitted through an online application form available from the United Way UK website.
Grant Size: 30 grants of £1,500 each.
Deadline for Applications: 24th September 2026

The Electrical Safety Fund

About Us: The Electrical Safety Fund provides grants to support projects that reduce the risks associated with electrical products and improve public awareness of electrical safety, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable people in their homes.
Criteria: Not-for-profit organisations, schools, and public organisations can apply. Eligible projects may include product testing, product replacement events, educational and awareness-raising activities, home safety initiatives, and data collection projects. Joint and larger projects may also be considered.
Grant Size: Up to £10,000
Deadline for Applications: 27th September 2026

One Stop Community Partnership Programme

About Us: The One Stop Community Partnership Programme provides funding to local community groups and organisations to support new or ongoing projects that make a positive difference in their communities. The programme focuses on supporting vulnerable people, tackling local challenges and strengthening community initiatives.
Criteria:

Community groups or organisations can apply if their organisation or project location is within two miles of a One Stop store.

Projects should support one or more of the following areas:

Tackling food poverty
Supporting vulnerable people
Supporting older people
Supporting low-income families
Supporting local sports teams
Improving the local environment
Reducing waste in the community
Food banks and breakfast clubs cannot request funding to purchase food items. However, funding may be available for food banks to purchase equipment such as fridges, freezers or storage units.

Applicants should check the One Stop Store Locator before applying to confirm that their project is within two miles of an eligible store and that funding is currently available.

If the local store is a Working With store, applicants should speak directly to the store manager to request support.
Grant Size: Initial grant of up to £500.
Deadline for Applications: Applications open 1st September 2026 and close 30th September 2026.

Laughology – The Happiness Fund

About Us: To date, we’ve invested over £27,500 into projects that create positive change and have a clear, sustainable future. We’re all about funding initiatives that don’t just make a difference today, but continue to thrive tomorrow.
Criteria: We fund grassroots, community-driven projects focused on mental health, wellbeing, inclusion, and skills development. If your initiative is non-profit, has a long-term impact, and helps people thrive, we want to hear from you.
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for Applications: Opens 7th September 2026, closes 2nd October 2026

England and Wales Cricket Board: County Grants Fund 2026

Grants typically of £1,000 to £15,000 per application for ECB-affiliated cricket clubs in England and Wales to improve their facilities: welcoming environments (social space, toilets for women and disabled people, catering, arrival and access, digitising the club), ECB-approved non-turf pitches and practice facilities, and changing-room refurbishments, and larger changing-room schemes costing over £30,000 can attract up to £50,000. No minimum partnership funding is required, work must not start before the grant offer letter, and every project must be completed and claimed by 31 January 2027. A club has to be running women’s, girls’ or disability cricket already, and needs two quotes up to £24,999 and three from £25,000. The route in is an expression of interest on the ECB’s IMS portal.
Deadline: 30 September 2026, or earlier if the funding runs out (the window opened on 1 February 2026)
Eligibility: ECB-affiliated cricket clubs in England and Wales with a governing document, insurance, at least a year’s security of tenure, their own bank account, accounts and a safeguarding officer. The scheme is defined by affiliation rather than legal form, so registered charity, CIO and CIC status is not specified.

Riverhorse Trust

Grants of £1,000 to £5,000 for UK registered charities with annual income under £100,000, usable flexibly for project costs, core running costs or essential overheads, or for a service, activity or equipment, under the Trust’s three themes of Relief, Change and Strength. Charities that make good use of a first grant may be offered funding over more than one year. Decisions are expected within eight weeks of a round closing, and anything arriving late simply rolls into the next round. Campaigning-only work, individuals and organisations working mainly outside the UK are not funded.
Deadline: The autumn round closes at the end of September (the Trust prints no exact date or time); the spring round closes at the end of February
Eligibility: UK registered charities only, with annual income under £100,000. CICs are ruled out, whatever their aims.

Groundwork: Comic Relief Community Fund (England)

Grants of up to £5,000 from a pot of just over £600,000, expected to reach around 120 grassroots, community-led organisations in England with annual income of £250,000 or less. The money can go on direct project costs, core organisation costs (rent, utility bills, senior management and administration salaries, evaluation) or a mix; Groundwork draws a line between this kind of core funding and unrestricted money: it has to be for an agreed purpose and spent by 30 September 2027. Three themes for 2026/27: basic needs (homelessness, food and essential goods, community hubs, welfare advice, cost of living pressures), early childhood development for children up to eight, and safety, which takes in work against violence towards women and girls and work with refugees, asylum seekers and people forced to migrate. Where an organisation works in a more deprived area on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, that counts in its favour. Projects with mental health as the principal focus, IT and digital equipment, voucher schemes, one-off events and fundraising are not funded, and you must be based in the region where you deliver. The route in is the online eligibility checker.
Deadline: 5pm, Wednesday 30 September 2026 (the only round for 2026/27; opened 1 September)
Eligibility: Charities, constituted community groups, social enterprises, not-for-profit companies limited by guarantee and CICs limited by guarantee (CICs must be at least two years old), all based in England, with their own constitution and accounts and a safeguarding policy reviewed at least every two years. Statutory bodies, unconstituted groups, CICs limited by shares and profit-making companies cannot apply.

Green Community Grants Programme

About Us: The Green Community Grants Programme, established by the Wildlife Trusts with funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery and Postcode Green Trust, provides flexible one-year grants to not-for-profit organisations working to support nature recovery, climate action and access to nature-rich spaces. Funding can also support sustainable activities such as recycling, litter picking, beach cleans and sustainable transport.
Criteria:

Applicants must be not-for-profit groups based in England, Scotland or Wales.
The organisation’s main aims and objectives must fit with one of the programme’s themes:
Contributing to nature recovery and responding to the climate emergency.
Improving nature-rich spaces and access to them.
Priority will be given to organisations:
With annual income between £10,000 and £250,000.
Working in communities within the top 15% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Supporting marginalised groups, including disabled people, communities experiencing racial inequity and LGBT+ people.
Whose governing documents include objectives relating to habitat or species restoration/protection.
Grant Size: Up to £25,000 for a one-year flexible grant.
Deadline for Applications: 21st October 2026

Cash4Clubs

About Us: Cash4Clubs, funded by Flutter UK & Ireland and delivered in partnership with Sported, supports grassroots sports clubs and community organisations across the UK and Ireland that use sport to improve lives, strengthen communities and increase participation in physical activity.
Criteria:

Eligible applicants include:
Not-for-profit sports clubs.
Community sports organisations.
Registered charities.
Community groups.
Traditional sports clubs and teams.
Companies limited by guarantee and other eligible not-for-profit organisations.
Organisations must deliver sport and physical activity opportunities primarily for adults aged 18 and over.
Applicants must demonstrate how sport is being used to achieve wider social impact.
Priority will be given to organisations that:
Operate in areas of high deprivation.
Increase participation among under-represented groups.
Support women and girls.
Support racially diverse communities.
Support disabled people and LGBTQ+ communities.
Encourage adults who would not normally participate in sport.
Improve physical and mental wellbeing.
Reduce loneliness and isolation.
Address issues such as crime, anti-social behaviour and community cohesion.
Grant Size: £2,000
Deadline for Applications: Opens 1st October 2026 and closes 1st January 2027.

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund

About Us: The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) current Police and Crime Plan (2024-2029) focuses on three key pillars: protecting communities, people and property.
Criteria: Your organisation MUST be designated as not for profit. Your project MUST take place or be delivered within the Thames Valley Policing Area.
Grant Size: £10,000
Deadline for Applications: 12pm (noon) on 28th September 2026

Arnold Clark Community Fund

About Us: The Arnold Clark Community Fund, provided by Arnold Clark, supports UK-based voluntary and community organisations delivering projects that benefit local communities.
Criteria: Applicants must be UK-based voluntary or community organisations, including: Charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), Social enterprises, Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs). Organisations must operate solely within the UK. Projects must take place within 50 miles of an Arnold Clark branch. Funding can support: Education and extracurricular activities, Youth groups and sports clubs, Environmental initiatives, Community improvement projects, Equipment, uniforms, trips and materials, Venue hire and transport, Defibrillators, play parks and community gardens, Local community events.
Grant Size: Up to £2,500
Deadline for Applications: 30th September 2026

Woodland Trust’s Free Trees for Schools & Community Groups

About Us: The Woodland Trust’s Free Trees for Schools & Community Groups initiative provides free tree packs to not-for-profit organisations across the UK, helping communities improve outdoor spaces, support wildlife, reduce flooding and contribute to tackling climate change.
Criteria: Open to not-for-profit organisations across the UK, including: schools, sports clubs, faith groups, Scouts and Guides, local councils and residents’ associations.
Grant Size: Free tree packs of 15, 30, 105 or 420 saplings.
Deadline for Applications: Expected to close in January 2027

British Heart Foundation (BHF) Free Community Defibrillator Scheme

About Us: The British Heart Foundation (BHF) Free Community Defibrillator Scheme provides fully funded defibrillator packages to communities across the UK. The scheme aims to improve access to lifesaving defibrillators and increase survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
Criteria: Eligible applicants include: charities and community groups, sports clubs, faith organisations and community centres, parish councils and residents’ associations, Community Interest Companies (CICs), informal community groups and community-focused social enterprises. Applicants must be non-profit and community-focused.
Grant Size: A fully funded community defibrillator package.
Deadline for Applications: 28th February 2027, subject to funding availability and demand.

With thanks to GeckoFundraising Weekly, Wokingham & Bracknell Involve, Slough CVS for the information contained in this article.

Funding Opportunities in August

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Click on headers for further information.

The Souter Charitable Trust

About Us: The trust supports projects for the relief of human suffering in the UK and overseas.
Criteria: UK-registered charities that work to reduce hardship and improve people’s lives in the UK and overseas. The Trust particularly supports organisations guided by Christian values, although charities without a Christian focus are also welcome to apply.
Grant Size: £1,000 to £3,000
Deadline for Applications: 13th August 2026

B&Q Foundation

About Us: The B&Q Foundation supports UK charities working to improve the lives of people in need by funding projects that make homes safe, welcoming, and comfortable. We provide grants for essential home improvements and home starter kits—helping individuals and families facing homelessness, domestic abuse, disabilities, illness, or financial hardship to feel more settled and supported in their living spaces.
Criteria: To UK registered charities for projects that improve homes and accommodation, or provide home-starter kits, for people in need.
Grant Size: up to £10,000
Deadline for Applications: Opens 20th July 2026 and closes 14th August 2026

Delamere Dairy Foundation

About Us: An independent, self-governing registered charity in Great Britain that provides financial assistance and grants to support local communities.
Criteria: For charities and other not-for-profit organisations working in England, Scotland and Wales. Funding supports projects that benefit communities by advancing agriculture and environmental protection, improving opportunities for young people, promoting education, and helping to reduce financial hardship and illness.
Grant Size: £1,000 up to £5,000
Deadline for Applications: 14th August 2026

King Charles III Charitable Fund

About Us: A major grant-making organization in the UK that supports environmental conservation, education, health, and social inclusion.
Criteria: UK registered not-for-profit organisations with an annual income of between £25,000 and £500,000 can apply for small grants for up to three years.

The next round is focused on projects working across the following two themes:

Heritage and conservation – the preservation of historic and culturally important buildings and traditional craftmanship, together with the sustainable regeneration of communities and the built environment across the globe.
Education – supporting education, training and employability opportunities through which young people and adults can fulfil their potential.
Grant Size: up to £3,000
Deadline for Applications: Opens 5th August 2026 and closes 19th August 2026

CHIP Community Chest

About Us: CHIP is a charity backed by CHIC that works with Local Employment Groups to help people who are distant from the workplace into employment.
Criteria: Eligible applicants include community groups, charities, social enterprises, Community Interest Companies, uniformed groups and sports clubs, among others.
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for Applications: 21st August 2026

Woodroffe Benton Foundation

About Us: A UK-registered charity that provides small grants to smaller charities, schools, and non-profit organisations.
Criteria: Eligibility: UK charities with annual income under £1 million; must provide services within the UK. Funding Themes: Relief of hardship; care for the elderly; education; environmental conservation.
Grant Size: £500–£2,500
Deadline for Applications: Opens 1st August 2026 and closes 31st August 2026

Hinrichsen Foundation

About Us: To support new, contemporary and experimental music.
Criteria: For charities and organisations across the UK to deliver music projects that focus on the performance, commissioning, or recording of contemporary music.
Grant Size: up to £3,000
Deadline for Applications: 1st September 2026

Thomas Wall Trust

About Us: The Trust offers grants for specific projects that improve communication skills for disadvantaged adults and supports NEET people into employment.
Criteria: Available to registered charities to support projects that equip people (18 or older in order) from disadvantaged groups with the communication skills necessary to gain employment. Priority will be given to projects that target people experiencing multiple deprivation or other groups facing major hurdles to employment, especially women, people with physical, mental, or learning disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers.
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for Applications: 11th September 2026
Website: https://www.thomaswalltrust.org.uk/grants-for-registered-charities-2-2/

The Adamson Trust

About Us: A small, independent, self-funded charitable organisation to assist with part funding of holidays or respite breaks for children aged between 2 years and 17 years who suffer from life limiting physical or mental health conditions.
Criteria: Individual families, groups of children, schools, organisations, and other registered charities can apply to the Adamson Trust for financial assistance towards the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children with physical, mental, or emotional impairments. To be eligible, the child must be a UK resident and between the ages of 3 and 17. The Trust requires evidence of their disability or illness from a medical or social services professional. Grants from the Trust usually only cover a portion of the holiday expenses.
Grant Size: £250
Deadline for Applications: 30th September 2026

Veterans’ Foundation Small Grants programme

About Us: The Veterans’ Foundation provides grants to eligible organisations that provide assistance to serving and former members of the armed forces community, operational qualified seafarers and their immediate families.
Criteria: The programme is aimed mainly at small grassroots groups delivering community-based support, particularly those with low to medium income and those that have not previously received Veterans’ Foundation funding. Funding can support work addressing needs such as homelessness, employability, financial disadvantage, disability, welfare, mental health, family support and support in older age.
Grant Size: £500 to £5,000
Deadline for Applications: 30th September 2026

Wooden Spoon Grants

About Us: The charity funds projects that help disabled or disadvantaged children and youth under age 25.
Criteria: Schools, charities, and not-for-profit organisations in the UK can apply for Wooden Spoon Society Grants to support equipment for mentally, physically, and socially disadvantaged children.
Grant Size: under £5,000
Deadline for Applications: Rolling programme

The National Archives

About Us: The National Archives has opened applications for its Engagement Grants programme. This year’s theme is “Belonging”, supporting projects that use archives to help people and communities understand their place in shared histories, identities, and local life, while fostering connection, inclusion, and pride.
Criteria: Projects must use archives housed in museums, local authorities, universities, charities, community organisations, or similar institutions. Eligible costs include exhibitions, events, online or digital engagement, materials, staff time, travel and subsistence, and materials or software.
Grant Size: Up to £3,000
Deadline for Applications: 14th August 2026

Berkshire Community Foundation – Priority Grants

Funder: Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF). Programme: Priority Grants Round 2026. Funding available: Grants of up to £10,000.

Application window: 29 June – 13 August 2026.Who can apply: Charities, community groups and voluntary organisations delivering projects that benefit Berkshire residents and address local disadvantage and inequality.

Priority Theme 1 – Safety and Protection:

  • Domestic abuse and violence
  • Sexual exploitation and safeguarding
  • Trauma-informed support and crisis intervention
  • Safe accommodation and advocacy services
  • Prevention, education and early intervention

Priority Theme 2 – Homelessness and Basic Needs:

  • Homelessness prevention and support.
  • Poverty reduction and financial resilience
  • Access to food, essential goods and emergency support
  • Support for families facing multiple disadvantages
  • Child and young people’s poverty and wellbeing

Assessment priorities:

  • Strength of alignment with the priority themes
  • Evidence of local need
  • Measurable outcomes and impact
  • Readiness to deliver
  • Level of disadvantage being addressed

Not eligible if:

  • Applying for retrospective funding
  • Holding more than 12 months’ unrestricted reserves
  • Annual operating budget exceeds £2 million
  • Seeking funding for large capital projects
  • Applying as an individual

Application process: Completion of an eligibility quiz followed by an online application form and supporting documents.

Berkshire Community Foundation’s Priority Grants Round 2026 provides grants of up to £10,000 to support charities and community organisations tackling some of Berkshire’s most pressing social challenges. This year’s programme focuses on two key themes: Safety and Protection and Homelessness and Basic Needs, funding projects that support vulnerable people experiencing issues such as domestic abuse, exploitation, homelessness, poverty and financial hardship. BCF is seeking applications from organisations that can clearly evidence local need, deliver measurable impact and improve outcomes for disadvantaged residents across Berkshire. The programme offers an opportunity for local organisations to secure funding for projects that strengthen community resilience and provide vital support to those most in need.

Apply now for up to £1k through Veolia’s Sustainability Fund

Veolia, the UK’s leading resource management company, has launched this year’s Sustainability Fund.

The Sustainability Fund provides grants of up to £1,000 to connect people with their local environment and community.

Veolia works in partnership with West Berkshire Council in the treatment of recycling and waste disposal across the county.

The Sustainability Fund has reopened for 2026, following the Fund’s biggest year yet in 2025 with six projects being given a total of £6,000 funding across the county. This brings the total number of projects funded, since 2022, to 21 and £21,000 awarded.
Veolia’s Sustainability Fund is open to not-for-profit organisations, community groups, or individuals in areas where the company delivers recycling and waste treatment services for the community. Up to £1,000 in funding is available per project.
Funding criteria
The Sustainability Fund welcomes applications from a wide range of environmental and social projects. Projects should meet at least one of the following criteria:
● Enhances biodiversity
● Promotes sustainable waste behaviours
● Protects the environment by using recycled, reused or reclaimed materials.
● Strengthens and connects local communities, including but not limited to employment support programmes, rehabilitation projects and youth development initiatives
All projects will be assessed on merit, with particular recognition given to those that demonstrate long-term or ongoing community benefits.
How to apply
Applications can be made via Veolia’s website at veolia.co.uk/Sustainability-Fund.
Deadline for applications
The fund will be open for applications until Wednesday 30 September.

Heritage Crafts – Endangered Crafts Fund

About Us: Heritage Crafts supports traditional and heritage craft skills in the UK. Its Endangered Crafts Fund provides small grants to help protect crafts at risk of disappearing.
Criteria: Open to craft practitioners and organisations in the UK.
The craft must be listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered on the current Heritage Crafts Red List.
Projects can support the long-term survival of crafts, skills transfer, apprenticeships, training, equipment, business development and new routes to market.
Grant Size: Up to £2,500
Deadline for Applications: 5pm, Friday 16 October 2026.

Aldi Sport Fund – England and Wales

A limited number of one-off grants are available for local sports clubs across England and Wales to support work in their local community.

Applications deadline – 31 August 2026

Berkshire Historic Churches Trust

Grants are available for Christian churches of any denomination in Berkshire to support the cost of building repairs.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

Aviva Foundation – Financial Futures Fund

Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations in the UK that are delivering bold, long-term solutions to help people build financial resilience.

Applications deadline: The deadline for applications to round two is 7 October 2026.

Rewilding Britain – Rewilding Innovation Fund

Grants are available to boost locally led land and marine nature recovery projects across Britain.

Applications deadline: 5 September 2026.

Bernard Sunley Foundation

  • Funder: Bernard Sunley Foundation.
  • Purpose: To support capital projects that improve quality of life and create lasting benefits for communities across England and Wales.
  • Funding available:
    • Small Grants: Up to £5,000
    • Medium Grants: Up to £20,000
    • Large Grants: £25,000 and above
  • Who can apply: Charities and charitable organisations with an annual income of under £10 million.
  • Geographical area: England and Wales.
  • Funding themes:
    • Community
    • Education
    • Health
    • Social Welfare
  • What can be funded:
    • New buildings and extensions
    • Major refurbishments
    • Essential equipment
    • Vehicles and transport
    • Improvements to community facilities and service delivery spaces
  • Project size: Eligible capital projects should typically have a total value between £10,000 and £5 million.
  • Examples of supported projects:
    • Community centres and hubs
    • Special educational facilities
    • Hospices and healthcare buildings
    • Facilities supporting older people, disabled people, veterans, ex-offenders and vulnerable groups
    • Minibuses and other essential transport provision
  • What cannot be funded:
    • Core running costs
    • Salaries
    • Revenue costs
    • Feasibility studies
    • Non-capital expenditure
  • Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
  • Decision timescale:
    • Small grants: typically within 3 months
    • Larger grants: up to 6 months depending on project size

The Bernard Sunley Foundation provides capital funding to charities and community organisations undertaking projects that create lasting improvements for the people they support. Grants are available for building projects, refurbishments, vehicles and essential equipment across the Foundation’s four funding areas: Community, Education, Health and Social Welfare. With funding ranging from small contributions of up to £5,000 through to major grants of £25,000 and above, the programme is particularly suitable for organisations seeking support for infrastructure projects that will enhance facilities, improve access to services and strengthen long-term community impact. The Foundation welcomes applications throughout the year and has a strong track record of supporting practical projects that deliver tangible benefits for disadvantaged and vulnerable people.


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

Connecting Communities in Berkshire Launches New Strategy for 2026-2030

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Helping Berkshire communities thrive for the next 50 years

Connecting Communities in Berkshire (CCB) is proud to launch our new Strategic Plan for 2026-2030, setting out an ambitious vision for stronger, more resilient and sustainable communities across Berkshire.

For more than 50 years, we have worked alongside local communities, helping people tackle challenges, seize opportunities, and shape their own futures. Our new strategy builds on this legacy while responding to the issues communities tell us matter most today: affordable housing, rising energy costs, social isolation, and access to essential services.

A vision for thriving communities

Our vision is simple: for all communities in Berkshire to be strong, resilient, sustainable, and able to take control of their own futures. [

We believe that most communities already have the knowledge, skills and passion they need to create positive change. Our role is to help unlock that potential, ensuring that nobody is disadvantaged because of where they live. When communities thrive, everyone benefits through better health, stronger connections, safer homes and greater opportunities.

Listening to what communities need

The development of our strategy has been shaped by what communities across Berkshire are telling us. Key concerns include:

  • The shortage of affordable homes for local people and key workers.
  • Increasing energy costs and fuel poverty.
  • Growing social isolation and loneliness.
  • Difficulties accessing healthcare and other essential services, particularly in rural areas.

Over the next five years, we will focus our efforts where we can make the greatest difference, working alongside residents, community groups, partners and funders to develop practical, long-term solutions.

Building on proven success

The strategy builds on the impact we are already delivering across Berkshire.

Through our 21st Century Halls programme, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, we are helping village halls become sustainable, accessible and energy-efficient community hubs. These vital spaces support local activities, services and connections that help communities flourish.

We will continue our work supporting affordable housing solutions, providing independent energy advice, tackling fuel poverty, promoting adult learning, and strengthening community networks across the county.

Five pillars for vibrant communities

At the heart of the strategy are five pillars that underpin thriving communities:

  • Community – creating places where people feel connected and supported.
  • Services – ensuring access to health, wellbeing and essential local services.
  • Connections – improving social connections, transport and digital inclusion.
  • Sustainability – supporting resilient communities and environmentally responsible solutions.
  • Your Role – encouraging volunteering, participation and local leadership.

Together, these pillars provide a framework for creating communities where people can live well, participate fully and feel connected to the places they call home.

Working at every level

What makes CCB different is our ability to work across the whole community system. We combine trusted grassroots relationships with strategic partnerships and policy influence, ensuring local voices are heard and reflected in decision-making.

As part of the national ACRE network, we are also able to connect local issues with wider conversations about rural services, housing, energy and community development, helping Berkshire communities benefit from national expertise and influence.

Looking ahead

As we begin this new chapter, we remain committed to listening, learning and evolving. Over the coming months we will strengthen partnerships, develop innovative approaches to tackling isolation, and build on the success of our village halls programme to ensure community spaces remain vibrant and future-ready.

We look forward to working with our members, partners, funders and communities to turn this vision into reality.

Together, we can help Berkshire communities thrive. To read the full document please click here.

Rural Housing Week: helping rural communities stay vibrant and sustainable

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This #RuralHousingWeek, we’re highlighting the work of Maria Kelly, CCB’s Rural Housing Enabler for Berkshire, and the important role Rural Housing Enablers play in helping communities understand and address local housing needs.

Many rural communities are facing growing challenges. House prices and private rents often far exceed local wages, making it difficult for young people, families, key workers and older residents to remain in the villages where they grew up, work or have support networks. Without affordable homes, rural communities risk losing the people who help keep local schools, businesses and community life thriving. [see-media.foleon.com]

As Berkshire’s Rural Housing Enabler, Maria acts as an independent bridge between communities, local authorities, housing providers and landowners, helping villages understand their housing needs and explore locally-supported solutions. [see-media.foleon.com]

One of the key pieces of work Maria has led this year is the development of the Rural Affordable Housing Needs Model for Berkshire. Drawing on census data, housing market information and housing register data from Berkshire’s local authorities, it provides a parish-level picture of where affordable housing need is most acute and the likely scale of annual need.

While the model is not intended to replace local housing needs surveys, it helps shine a spotlight on often-overlooked rural housing issues and strengthens the evidence base for future rural housing work across Berkshire.

The data has also helped us better understand another issue frequently raised by rural residents: the loss of affordable homes through market sales. By combining local survey feedback with information from housing providers and Rural Housing Enablers across the ACRE network, we’re building a clearer picture of the challenges facing rural affordable housing and helping ensure these issues are heard by decision-makers at a national level.

Rural Housing Week is a timely reminder that affordable housing isn’t about large-scale development—it’s about meeting local needs, supporting thriving communities and ensuring local people have the opportunity to live in the places they call home. [see-media.foleon.com]

If you’d like to find out more about affordable housing needs in your community, or the support available through Berkshire’s Rural Housing Enabler service, we’d love to hear from you.

July Funding Opportunities

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Berkshire Community Foundation

About Us: A registered local charity in the UK that raises money from philanthropists, businesses, and trusts, and distributes it as grants to vital grassroots and voluntary causes across the Royal County of Berkshire.
Criteria: Must benefit Berkshire residents; constituted non‑profits; 12 months’ accounts; appropriate safeguarding; cannot apply if holding >12 months’ unrestricted reserves or if annual budget >£2m. This round focuses on urgent local needs including domestic abuse, safeguarding, trauma‑informed support, homelessness, poverty, essential goods, crisis intervention, and family and youth wellbeing. 
Grant Size: Up to £10,000
Deadline for Applications: Opens 29th June 2026; closes 13th August 2026.


The Matthew Good Foundation

About Us: Grants for Good is funded by the John Good Group and 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. 
Criteria: Small charities, not-for-profit groups, and social entrepreneurs.
Grant Size: Share £15,000 between five shortlisted projects – maximum grant £5,000
Deadline for Applications: 15th September 2026

The Ancaster Trust

About Us: A grant-making micro-charity awarding small grants to registered charities across the UK and overseas.
Criteria:  UK‑registered charities delivering mental health and wellbeing support, with a strong preference for small, community‑based organisations.
Grant Size: £500–£1,000
Deadline for Applications: Rolling programme

Alec Dickson Trust

About Us: We support young people who, through volunteering or community service, aim to enhance the lives of others, particularly those most marginalised by society. 
Criteria: Grants to support youth‑led volunteering projects run by young people aged 14–30 across the UK.
Grant Size: up to £500 
Deadline for Applications: Rolling programme
Website: https://www.alecdicksontrust.org.uk/

The Woodroffe Benton Foundation

Small grants for UK‑registered charities; typically £500–£2,500. Funding Themes: Relief of hardship; care for the elderly; education; environmental conservation. Eligibility: UK charities with annual income under £1 million; must provide services within the UK. Deadlines — Trustees meet quarterly; deadlines usually 1 February, 1 May, 1 August, 1 November.

What They Fund — Core costs, project costs, and capital items; preference for small, local charities with clear impact.

What They Do Not Fund — Individuals, CICs, large national charities, overseas work, animal welfare, medical research.

Application Process — Simple online form; decisions communicated after trustee meetings.

The Woodroffe Benton Foundation offers small grants of £500–£2,500 to UK‑registered charities with annual income under £1 million, supporting work in hardship relief, care for the elderly, education, and environmental conservation. Funding can cover core costs, project delivery, or capital items, with a strong preference for small, local organisations demonstrating clear community impact. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed at quarterly trustee meetings, with typical deadlines of 1 February, 1 May, 1 August, and 1 November. The Foundation does not fund individuals, CICs, large national charities, overseas work, or medical research, focusing instead on grassroots organisations delivering practical, measurable support within the UK.

Get Berkshire Active- Workforce Development Grant

Eligibility
Berkshire‑based deliverers — Must live or work in Berkshire and be delivering or planning to deliver physical activity locally.

Age requirement — Applicants must be 16+.

Course identified — Must have a confirmed course/qualification with dates.

Impact reporting — Must agree to share a short update on the grant’s impact.

Funding Priorities
Inclusive workforce growth — Increasing the number of people delivering sport/physical activity across Berkshire.

Under‑represented groups — Priority for delivery aimed at:

Women & girls

Older adults

People with disabilities or long‑term conditions

Ethnically diverse communities

Low‑income or high‑need areas

Grant Amounts
Maximum award — Up to £300 per applicant.

Eligible courses — Only Level 1 and Level 2 equivalent courses are funded.

The Berkshire Get Active Workforce Development Grant supports coaches, leaders and activators across Berkshire with up to £300 toward Level 1 or Level 2 training courses that enhance their ability to deliver inclusive physical activity. The fund prioritises applicants working with under‑represented groups—including women and girls, older adults, disabled people, ethnically diverse communities, and residents in low‑income areas—and assesses applications based on impact, need, inclusion, and how learning will be applied. Open to anyone aged 16+ who lives or works in Berkshire and has a confirmed course booked, the grant aims to strengthen the local physical‑activity workforce and expand opportunities for those least likely to be active

The Card Factory Foundation

About Us: We ensure essential support is distributed and delivered directly when and where it matters most, enabling people and communities to navigate crisis and build a more stable future.
Criteria: UK‑based charities, CICs, community groups, and not‑for‑profits; must demonstrate clear local benefit. Projects that improve wellbeing, reduce isolation, support families, enhance community spaces, or help people facing hardship.
Grant Size: £250–£2,500
Deadline for Applications: Rolling programme


The Adint Charitable Trust

About Us: The Trust offers funding to UK registered charities for a range of general charitable work.
Criteria: Registered charities for general charitable purposes, but has a preference for education, training, disability, sport and/or recreation.
Grant Size: £5,000 to £10,000
Deadline for Applications: Rolling programme
Website: https://www.actiontogether.org.uk/adint-charitable-trust

New Grassroots Grants

Groundwork is delivering grants programme for small community and voluntary organisations with an annual income of £25,000 or less, providing unrestricted grants of up to £2,000.

They are looking to support organisations that are making a positive difference in their local communities, particularly those working with vulnerable people. They will need to be delivering work in at least one of the following areas:

Enabling participation in the arts

Improving green spaces and increasing access to the outdoors

Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty

Providing support to improve mental health

Supporting marginalised groups and/or tackling inequality

Application deadline – 30 September 2026

Ernest Cook Trust – Communities Grant

Grants are available to support charities and non-profit organisations who encourage young people from underserved communities to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature.

Applications are currently open

Barchester Healthcare Foundation

Grants are available for small local groups and small local charities to improve the quality of life and combat loneliness in older people as well as adults with a physical or mental disability in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Applications deadline: 31 July 2026.

Randal Foundation

Eligibility
Small grassroots charities — UK organisations with turnover under £50,000 can receive unrestricted small grants, usually via partner Community Foundations rather than direct application.

Project‑based applicants — UK or international charities with turnover under £500,000 may apply during specific funding calls.

Invitation‑only programmes — Large organisations may be funded only through trustee‑identified partnerships (not open to general applications).

Funding Priorities
Saving lives — Healthcare for vulnerable people, crisis medical interventions, suicide prevention, emergency response.

Improving lives — Poverty alleviation, mental‑health support, women and children at risk, prisoner rehabilitation, education access.

Grassroots impact — Strengthening small local charities delivering essential community support.

Grant Amounts
Small grants — Unrestricted grants via Community Foundations; typically £3,000 (up to £10% of annual revenue for many groups).

Main project grants — £5,000–£30,000, completed within 12 months; offered only during fixed calls.

Large strategic partnerships — Multi‑year, high‑value investments identified by trustees; not open for application.

Application Notes
No rolling applications — All grants are through fixed calls published on the website; applicants must demonstrate measurable life‑saving or life‑improving impact.

Due diligence — Strong focus on evidence, attribution, and clear demonstration of impact.

Decision time — Up to 12 weeks for project‑grant calls.

What the Foundation Typically Funds
Healthcare interventions — Surgical care in crisis settings, hospital partnerships, maternal health.

Mental‑health programmes — Trauma‑informed peer support, suicide‑prevention research.

Community poverty support — Grassroots charities providing essential local services.

Women & children at risk — Anti‑trafficking, domestic‑violence support.

The Randal Charitable Foundation funds work that saves and significantly improves lives in the UK and globally, offering small unrestricted grants for grassroots charities, £5,000–£30,000 project grants through fixed calls, and large multi‑year strategic partnerships by invitation. Priority areas include healthcare for vulnerable people, mental‑health support, poverty alleviation, women and children at risk, and prisoner rehabilitation. Most programmes are not open year‑round; instead, the Foundation releases specific calls aligned with its strategic pillars. Applicants must demonstrate clear, evidence‑based impact, with decisions typically made within 12 weeks.

Rewilding Britain- Rewilding Innovation Fund

Eligibility
Eligible applicants — Community groups, charities, landowners, farmers, and local partnerships across Britain.

Rewilding focus — Projects must align with Rewilding Britain’s principles: restoring natural processes, boosting biodiversity, and enabling nature‑led recovery.

Innovation requirement — Must test a new idea, method, or approach that advances rewilding practice.

Network membership — Applicants must be part of the Rewilding Network (free to join).

Funding Priorities
Nature recovery — Projects that restore ecosystems, habitats, species, or natural processes.

Community‑led rewilding — Local groups trialling new ways to involve communities in nature restoration.

Landscape innovation — Tools, techniques or pilots that can be replicated across Britain.

Climate resilience — Nature‑based solutions that reduce flooding, improve soils, or store carbon.

Grant Amounts
Typical awards — £2,000–£15,000.

Eligible costs — Equipment, mapping, feasibility studies, specialist advice, pilot projects, community engagement tools.

Ineligible costs — Core salaries, long‑term delivery, land purchase, major capital works.

Application Notes
Two rounds per year — Spring and Autumn.

Short application form — Online form + supporting documents.

Decision time — Usually within 6–8 weeks.

Reporting — Short learning report to share insights with the Rewilding Network.

What the Fund Typically Supports
Pilot rewilding trials — Beaver feasibility studies, natural flood management pilots, species reintroductions.

Community engagement tools — Citizen science, mapping, storytelling, volunteer training.

Technical innovation — Habitat monitoring tech, new grazing systems, ecological modelling.

Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Innovation Fund supports bold, experimental rewilding projects that restore nature and test new approaches to ecological recovery. Grants of £2,000–£15,000 help community groups, landowners and organisations pilot innovative ideas—from natural flood management and species reintroduction feasibility studies to new community engagement tools and ecological monitoring techniques. Applicants must be part of the Rewilding Network and demonstrate clear innovation, strong rewilding principles, and potential for wider learning. With two rounds per year and a focus on practical, replicable solutions, the fund aims to accelerate nature recovery and climate resilience across Britain.

Apply for up to £1,000 through Veolia’s Sustainability Fund

Veolia’s Sustainability Fund is now open for 2026, offering grants of up to £1,000 to support environmental and community projects across West Berkshire.

Open to not-for-profit organisations, community groups and individuals, the fund supports projects that:

  • Enhance biodiversity
  • Promote sustainable waste behaviours
  • Use recycled, reused or reclaimed materials
  • Strengthen and connect local communities

Applicants can also request in-kind support or volunteers to help deliver their project.

Since launching in 2022, the fund has awarded £21,000 to 21 local projects, including a community hub at Mapledurham Lock, Carbon Literacy education programmes, and the Bucklebury Repair Café.

Applications are open until 30 September 2026.

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