Wokingham Borough Council Spark Connection in the Community

The Sparks Community Award is now open, offering grants of £100 to £2,000 for projects that support adults with a disability, health condition or caring responsibilities. Whether it’s starting a community cooking class, creating accessible activities or trying something completely new; if your idea helps people feel included and able to take part in community life, we’d love to hear from you. The application process is simple and funding decisions are made by a panel of local residents. We particularly welcome people who’ve never applied for funding before, as well as established groups exploring new approaches. The award is part of our Social Care Future commitment, working towards communities where everyone can live in the place they call home, with the people and things they love. If you have any questions you can email our Social Care Future team.

Grow Wild Youth Grants

About Us: We are calling on young individuals to come up with a project idea to champion UK native plants and/or fungi.
Criteria: Applications will be accepted from young people aged 16 to 25 years old who live in the UK and who can find a supporting organisation, such as a school, university, youth club or a local community group, to help them deliver the project.
Grant Size: up to £500
Deadline for applications: 24th February 2026

Better World Books – Literacy Grant

About Us: We celebrate the essential role that libraries of all types play in sparking curiosity, connection, and a lifelong passion for reading.
Criteria: Nonprofit organisations, libraries, schools and community groups are eligible to apply. Grants are awarded to libraries, educational nonprofit organisations, and community groups to support projects that advance literacy, enhance educational opportunities, and improve access to reading for underserved populations.
Grant Size: Up to £10,000
Deadline for applications: 28th February 2026

McCarthy Stone Foundation Dementia Grants

About Us: The McCarthy Stone Foundation is offering grants to help with the project costs of running dementia clubs and memory cafes in areas of high deprivation affecting older people in Great Britain.
Criteria: Community organisations, registered charities, exempt charities and CICs limited by guarantee may apply. Applications are accepted from England, Scotland and Wales, but priority will be given to those groups working in more deprived areas.
Grant Size: Up to £7,500
Deadline for applications: 16th March 2026
Website:

Screwfix Foundation

About Us: We are passionate about making a difference to communities across the UK. We are
a grant giving charity with a clear purpose to support projects that improve, repair and maintain homes and community facilities used by those in need throughout the UK.
Criteria: We currently offer local registered charities and not for profit organisations funding.
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for applications: 10th May 2026

The Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust

About Us: The purpose of the trust is to support horticultural projects for public benefit.
Criteria: Organisations involved in horticulture, gardening, or botany can apply for grants
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for applications: 15th August 2026

Anchor Foundation

About Us: Funding for Christian Charities Promoting Social Inclusion.
Criteria: Christian Charities in the UK or overseas that encourage social inclusion through ministries of healing and the arts.
Grant Size: up to £12,000
Deadline for applications: 31st July 2026

KFC Youth Foundation

About Us: Funding For Projects That Assist Disadvantaged Young People.
Criteria: Grants of are available for projects that empower disadvantaged young people aged 11–25 in the UK to fulfil their potential by providing safe spaces, diversionary activities, and opportunities to build life skills such as confidence, resilience, and job readiness. The funding is provided by the KFC Foundation and is open to local charities and registered community interest in areas of high deprivation.
Grant Size: up to £6,000
Deadline for applications: 27th February 2026

Laughology

About Us: Putting the fun into funding.
Criteria: For grassroots, not-for-profit organisations across the UK to deliver projects that help to build strong, resilient communities. Funding is for projects that enable sustainable outcomes aligned with the following priorities: Mental health, Wellbeing, Inclusion and Skills development.
Grant Size: £5,000
Deadline for applications: Opens 2nd March 2026 and closes 27th March 2026

Sasha Love Foundation

About Us: The Sasha Foundation (TSF) was set up to support charities that work with mental health issues in memory of Sasha Love.
Criteria: UK-based registered charities and grassroots organisations for projects supporting young people affected by depression, mental health challenges, and drug-related issues.
Grant Size: up to £10,000
Deadline for applications: 1st April 2026

Seed Corn Grants

About Us: To support early-stage, exploratory projects that spark new ideas and approaches to community engagement with heritage.
Criteria: These grants are designed for community groups, Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) or other heritage organisations looking to test concepts, build partnerships, or pilot activities.
Grant Size: Between £500 and £5,000
Deadline for applications: 17th April 2026

The Concertina Charitable Trust

About Us: The funding is intended to provide musical entertainment and related activities that enhance the health and well-being of elderly individuals. This includes support for care homes and smaller organisations that may struggle to secure funding from other sources.
Criteria: The Trust is particularly focused on supporting smaller charitable organisations in England and Wales that provide cultural activities for the elderly. Organisations must demonstrate a clear benefit to the elderly community.
Grant Size: £250
Deadline for applications: 30th April 2026

CityFibre Community Fund – Small Grants Applications

CityFibre is the UK’s largest open access, fibre-only operator, with services live in cities, towns and villages across the country. But it’s our investment in quality and our commitment to getting it right the first time for people and the planet that’s making us the network of choice for many residential, business, mobile and public sector sites nationwide.

The CityFibre Community Fund supports digital inclusion, innovation and community engagement in areas where CityFibre operates. CityFibre aims to address key digital challenges, enhance social value, and foster stronger community connections by offering a small grants programme.
Register an account.
Start your application (save it in-progress).
Submit your application to be reviewed.

Thames Valley Research Engagement Network – Small Grants

About Us: Thames Valley Research Engagement Network, part of NHS England’s Research Engagement Network, is offering short-term awards (Feb–Apr 2026) to Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) groups in the Thames Valley area.
Criteria: VCFSE groups in the Thames Valley passionate about improving health through research.
Grant Size: £800
Deadline for applications: ASAP
Website: https://researchengagementnetwork.notion.site/research-engagement-ecosystem

Host a community conversation – Mount Vernon Cancer Centre Consultation

About Us: We are inviting voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to help us reach people whose voices are often unheard in formal consultations.
Criteria: To organisations to host one structured community conversation (60–90 minutes) about proposed changes to cancer services.
Grant Size: £750
Deadline for applications: 4th March 2026
Website: https://mvccreview.nhs.uk/get-involved

easyfundraising Impact Fund

About Us: The funding is intended to help charities, schools, sports clubs, and community groups cover practical costs and sustain their activities. It aims to support grassroots organisations in delivering community benefit and strengthening their capacity to continue their work.
Criteria: Applications are open to not-for-profit organisations in the UK, including: Registered charities, Sports clubs and teams, Schools and education settings, Social enterprises, CICs, After school and youth groups and Churches and religious organisations.
Grant Size: £500
Deadline for applications: 5th April 2026

The Schroder Charity Trust

About Us: The Schroder Charity Trust is an independent grant-making family trust which supports charitable activities.
Criteria:The programme is open to UK-registered charities with annual incomes between £150,000 and £1,000,000 whose work supports children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in education and employment, or strengthens communities by improving wellbeing and life outcomes for vulnerable groups.
Grant Size: up to £5,000
Deadline for applications: 30th April 2026

Tesco Stronger Starts

Up to £1,500 available to help children access healthy food

Since 2016 Tesco have supported thousands of local community projects and good causes across the UK. With an aim of helping children and young people thrive, we work to ensure young people build a solid foundation for life, making communities stronger too.

This funding can help you make a difference and create a meaningful impact.

Schools, charities, and not-for-profit organisations supporting children and young people are invited to apply for up to £1,500 for causes that improve access to healthy, nutritious food.

From enhancing school provision to supporting local community services, we welcome organisations that use healthy food to support the physical and mental health of children and young people across the UK to apply. This could include:

• Breakfast/after-school clubs that provide food for pupils
• Growing projects in allotments/planters for use in the school kitchen or for children to take home and learn about food
• Sports clubs that provide food as part of the project
• Holiday clubs that provide healthy meals and snacks
• Counselling/mental health support projects that provide a healthy snack as part of the provision

People’s Postcode Lottery Grassroots Grants

For a third year, People’s Postcode Lottery Grassroots Grants is open for applications!

With unrestricted funding of up to £2,000 available to organisations making a positive difference to their communities across England, this grant programme is possible thanks to funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

This funding is unrestricted for voluntary or community organisations, including registered charities/companies, whose annual turnover is no more than £25,000. Whether used to cover organisational costs, support your important work, or meet your community’s needs, we want to help you provide your vital services.

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.

Thank you to Sough CVS and Wokingham & Bracknell Involve for the information contained in this article.