External funding

Funding for voluntary and community organisations

The council appreciates the contribution of the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) to our borough.

We know that these organisations are facing a growing demand for their services which can put a strain on their resources.

We created an external funding page to list all the current funding opportunities.

The page includes information on available grants, eligibility criteria and the application process.

If you have any questions or need support, please email the Grants Team at vcs@towerhamlets.gov.uk.


Current external funding

Answer:

Drapers' Charitable Fund Grant (UK)

The Drapers' Charitable Fund (DCF) provides grants to improve the lives of disadvantaged communities, especially in Greater London. The fund supports initiatives, related to education, social welfare, textiles, and heritage.

Eligibility

Registered charities, CICs, and arts organisations. Projects should focus on education and young people, social welfare (homelessness, prisoners), ex-servicemen and women, general welfare, disability, and textiles and heritage

Funding amount

There is no minimum or maximum amount but grants typically are up to £25,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the The Drapers Charitable Fund website.


Arts Council England - National Lottery Project Grants (England)

The National Lottery Project Grants scheme aims to support thousands of artists and community and cultural organisations.

The fund aims to create and sustain quality work. It also seeks to help people across England engage with arts and culture.

Projects must focus on one or more of these artforms and disciplines:

  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Dance
  • Visual arts
  • Literature
  • Combined arts
  • Musuem practice

Eligibility

Museums, libraries, individuals and organisations with projects focussing on the above artforms and disciplines. 

Funding amount

Grants of between £1,000 and £100,000 for a 3-year project.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

For information

Please visit the Arts Council England website.


The Golsoncott Foundation (UK)

The Golsoncott Foundation is an arts-funding trust whose objective is to promote, maintain, improve and advance the education of the public in the arts, particularly the fine arts and music.  

Eligibility

Registered charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), and arts organisations.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £5,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Golsoncott website.


The Victoria Wood Foundation

Established in memory of the celebrated comedian Victoria Wood, the Victoria Wood Foundation fosters Arts initiatives throughout the United Kingdom. Their funding prioritises arts projects in London and the North of England.  

Eligibility

Arts organisations and groups are invited to submit funding applications for consideration by the Foundation's trustees, who convene twice annually in July and December. To ensure timely review, applications should be received at least two weeks before the relevant meeting date. 

Funding amount

Grants of up to £5,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Victoria Wood Foundation website.


John Ellerman Foundation

The John Ellerman Foundation gives money to UK charities that make between £100,000 and £10m. Funding is available to charities that focus on the arts, environment, and social action. The grants it gives are usually between £10,000 and £50,000 each year, for up to three years.

The foundation's goal is to make people, society, and the natural world better by giving money.

Eligibility

UK Registered Charities.

Funding amount

Between £10,000 and £50,000 per year, for up to three years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the John Ellerman Foundation website.

Answer:

Sported – Cash4Clubs

Small grants of £2,000 are available to support clubs and organisations that help keep adults engaged in sport, particularly in areas of need.

Eligibility

Not-for-profit organisations, including charities, community groups and traditional sports clubs and teams are welcome to apply. To be eligible for funding, organisations applying must be clubs with a structured governance and constitution, registered charities, or companies without share capital.

Important: Cash4Clubs is funded by a betting, gaming and entertainment provider. For this reason, groups must only support adult members (18+) to be eligible for funding. You cannot apply if your organisation or club has junior members or runs any junior activities.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £2,000.

Closing date

Monday 8 December 2025.

More information

Visit the Cash4Clubs – Sported webpage for more information.


The Newby Trust - Education Grants

The Newby Trust funds local, regional or national charities registered and operating in the UK within the broad categories of education, health and social welfare. Through the Education programme, the Trust provides grants to enable people to benefit from educational opportunities and to support excellence.

Eligibility

The Trust is more likely to fund smaller or medium-sized charities with an annual income of less than £1,000,000.

Funding amount

Grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 are available

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Newby Trust website.


Blue Spark Foundation

The BlueSpark Foundation offers grants for kids' education and development. It funds activities like education, sports, and culture and aims to:

  • improve the educational opportunities for young people
  • enhance their self-confidence, teamwork skills, and future employability.

Eligibility

Beneficiaries - schools, community groups, clubs, societies, and non-profit organizations working with children and young people.

Location - Primarily within the UK, though specific eligibility might differ depending on individual grants.

Project focus - Activities that benefit young people like

  • educational programs and workshops
  • cultural events and activities
  • sports and physical activities
  • personal development initiatives.

Funding amount

Grants between £2,000 to £5,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Blue Spark Foundation website.

Answer:

National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund

Supports projects that embed climate action into daily life, especially among groups previously unengaged or facing barriers such as poverty or discrimination.

Eligibility

Charities, voluntary groups, charitable incorporated organisations, schools, universities, statutory bodies, and other not-for-profits, with a focus on formal partnerships between community, voluntary, and public sector organisations.

Funding amount

Grants from £500,000 to £1.5 million, with up to £3 million available for exceptional projects over seven years. Up to 25 projects will be funded.

Closing date

17 December 2025

More information

Please visit The National Lottery Community Fund website for more information.


Veolia Environmental Trust

Veolia Environmental Trust awards grants towards projects that improve community facilities and the natural environment. It looks to fund work that:

  • Promotes community action and wellbeing
  • Is inclusive and accessible to everyone and anyone to use
  • Inspires the creation of a sustainable carbon neutral community space
  • Protects and enhances biodiversity and natural habitats.

Eligibility and Funding amount

The Community Grant Scheme is available to constituted not-for-profit organisations. Grants of between £10,000 and £75,000 are available to create or improve buildings or outside spaces for the benefit of the community.

The Habitat and Biodiversity Grant Scheme is available to constituted not-for-profit organisations. Minimum grants of £10,000 are available for improvements to or the creation of natural habitats, creating a healthy environment where native species can thrive.

Closing date

The upcoming closing dates are:

  • 8 January 2026 at 12.00pm
  • 2 April 2026 at 12.00pm
  • 25 June 2026 at 12.00pm.

More information

Visit the Funding - Veolia Environmental trust webpage for more information.


The Green Roots Fund

City Hall’s Green Roots Fund supports projects to create and improve green and blue infrastructure in London. It focuses on making the environment better for all Londoners, while addressing issues such as inequality, climate resilience, biodiversity and protecting against climate change.

The fund aims to:

  1. Enhance blue and green spaces in London. This means making London’s neighbourhoods healthier, more nature-rich and climate resilient, so they are higher quality and natural spaces are better connected.
  2. Include and involve Londoners in blue and green spaces. This means ensuring access to green and blue infrastructure and its benefits for all Londoners, so they feel welcome and comfortable in green, blue and natural spaces. It also means involving diverse groups in management and decision making.

Eligibility

Formally constituted organisations with an organisational bank account.

Funding amount

Grants of between £10,000 and £500,000 are available over three years.

Closing date

Thursday 22 January 2026 at 2.00pm.

More information

Visit the Green Roots Fund | London City Hall webpage for more information.

Material Focus - Electricals Recycling Fund (UK)

Material Focus awards funding for projects that make it easier for UK householders to reuse and recycle their electrical goods. Through the Electricals Recycling Fund, grants of up to £100,000 are available for projects seeking to grow or develop existing household waste and recycling collection services for small household electricals, and grants of up to £50,000 for projects that seek to innovate new collection methods.

Eligibility

Any UK registered organisations including local authorities, waste collection authority areas, contractors, reuse organisations, not-for-profits, community sector organisations, producer compliance schemes, retailers and start-ups.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £100,000 are available for projects seeking to grow or develop existing household waste and recycling collection services for small household electricals.

Grants of up to £50,000 are available for projects that seek to innovate new collection methods.

Successful projects can spend funding on:

  • the purchase of new bins/collection points (‘bring banks’)
  • the adaptation of waste collection vehicles to include cages for kerbside WEEE
  • vehicle rental
  • installation of bins
  • communication and marketing materials
  • staffing costs to cover the time spent planning and delivering the project

Closing date

Applications can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please visit the Material Focus website.


Esmée Fairbairn: Our Natural World

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve our natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. It supports people and organisations who are doing everything they can to bring about the change the Foundation wants to see.

The Foundation’s grant funding is focused on work that will deliver long-term impact and create change for the future. This means it makes longer-term grants to organisations, rather than short-term or small-scale grants.

The Foundation’s current priorities under “Our Natural World” are Peat, Space for nature, Freshwater, Nature friendly farming and Fishing in tandem with nature.

Eligibility

Organisations with an annual turnover of more than £100,00.

Funding Amount

Grants valued from £30,000 (no maximum) are available for core or project costs, including staff salaries and overheads. Unrestricted funding for charities is available. The majority of grants are for three to five years.

Closing Date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More Information

Please visit Our Natural World priorities | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for more information.


The NINEVEH Charitable Trust

The NINEVEH Charitable Trust supports a broad range of UK-based projects and activities that promote a better understanding of the environment and countryside, while facilitating improved access, education and research.

Its priorities are:

  • The health, welfare and education of the general public
  • The study and appreciation of agriculture, silviculture, ecology and land management
  • The study and appreciation of land and estate management that encourages conservation of the countryside.

Eligibility

UK registered charities and Community Interest Companies.

Funding amount

Applicants are advised to apply for up to £5,000 per year for up to 3 years.

Closing date

Applications are reviewed and selected on a quarterly basis.

More information

Please visit The Nineveh Charitable Trust website for more information.


Metropolitan Public Gardens Association (MPGA)

The MPGA has been giving small grants to community projects across the 33 London boroughs for over 130 years. Its funding enables Londoners to create better and greener public spaces in their communities. MPGA also gives horticultural advice when appropriate. 

Eligibility

Organisations and groups that maintain and improve public open spaces.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £1,500 are available.

Closing date

Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis and can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please visit the MPGA website.

Answer:

Cory Group Community Fund

The aim of the Community Fund is to support groups and projects that strengthen local communities, with a particular focus on activities that support Cory’s wider goals of:

  • enhancing the local environment
  • preventing waste and growing the reuse economy
  • developing skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), sustainability, recycling, reuseand waste management, as well as on the River Thames.

Grants can be used for running costs, essential items and equipment, capital projects, one-off events, staff, volunteer or training costs.

Eligibility

  • Voluntary or community organisations
  • Registered charities
  • Constituted groups or clubs
  • Not-for-profit companies and Community Interest Companies.

Funding amount

Grants of up to £7,500 are available.

Closing date

Friday 21 November

More information

For full details and to apply, The Cory Group Community Fund webpage.


London City Airport Community Fund

He London City Airport Fund supports charities and not-for-profit organisations that improve quality of life in local communities by:

  • building stronger, safer and healthier communities
  • creating more sustainable and greener communities
  • raising aspirations of East Londoners creating pathways into employment

Eligibility

Voluntary and community organisations based in:

  • Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Epping Forest District Council 
  • Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Lambeth, Lewisham 
  • Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest 

Funding amount

Between £300 and £3,000

Closing date

Upcoming submission deadlines are:

  • 2 January 2026 (5pm)
  • 26 June 2026 (5pm)

More information

For full details and to apply visit the London City Airport Community Fund website.


North London Forensic Collaborative Small Grants (NLFC)

NLFC is offering a small grant programme to voluntary sector, faith, and grassroot organisations as part of its aspiration to build relationships and work together to tackle inequalities and improve quality outcomes for forensic service users.

The term “forensic service users” is used to describe people who access adult forensic mental health services, as an inpatient in an adult secure service, or in the community under the care of a specialist community forensic team. 

Eligibility

Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations based in North London that currently operate within one of the Integrated Care System regions (North East London, North West London, North Central London).

Funding Amount

Grants range from £500 to £4,999. For projects supporting employment pathways, including work-based placements or training leading to jobs, larger grants of up to £9,999 are available.

Closing Date

Applications are welcome until March 2026, or until all funds are spent.

More Information

Please visit the North London NHS Foundation Trust website for more information.


The Garfield Weston Foundation - Projects/Specific activity grant

The Garfield Weston Foundation is a charitable grant-making foundation. Grants can be used for running costs, for a specific activity, or for capital projects. The Foundation is flexible and funds what charities need the most.

Eligibility

UK registered charities and CIOs (Charitable Incorporated Organisations).

Funding amount

£1,000 to several million pounds, depending on the size and scope of the work.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

For information

Please visit the Garfield Weston Foundation website.


Arnold Clark Community Fund

Grants of up to £2,500 are available to UK charities, community and voluntary organisations and CICs whose work directly supports those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

Applications are particularly welcome from smaller voluntary and community organisations who are working with those most affected by and vulnerable to the increased cost of living. 

Eligibility

Registered UK charities and community groups that are within a 50-mile radius of an Arnold Clark branch.

Funding amount

The following grants are available:

  • Community Support grants up to £1,000
  • Cost of living grants up to £2,500

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling monthly basis, but may be paused due to high demand. Because of this, early applications are recommended.

More information

For full details and to apply, visit the Arnold Clark Community Fund page


AB Charitable Trust Open Programme

The AB Charitable Trust (ABCT) supports work that promotes human dignity and defends the human rights of the most marginalised and excluded people. Organisations can apply under the following priorities:

Eligibility

UK registered charities with annual income between £150,000 and £1.5 million

Funding amount

Open Programme grants are usually between £10,000 to £30,000 per year and are awarded from one to three years.

Closing date

Upcoming closing dates are:

  • 30 January 2026
  • 24 April 2026

For information

Please visit the ABCT Open Programme webpage.


Matthew Good Foundation – Grants for Good

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.

This programme offers unrestricted funds that can be used for any costs, including core running costs.

Eligibility

UK-based local community groups, charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises with income under £50,000.Applicants must have a bank account in the organisation’s name.

Funding amount

£15,000 is shared between five shortlisted projects each quarter.

Closing date

Quarterly application windows.

More information

Visit the Grants for Good webpage for more information.


Esmée Fairbairn: Creative, Confident Communities

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve our natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. It supports people and organisations who are doing everything they can to bring about the change they want to see.

The Foundation’s grant funding is focussed on work that will deliver long-term impact and create change for the future. This means that it makes longer-term grants to organisations, rather than short-term or small-scale grants.

The Foundation’s  current priorities under “A Fairer Future” are:

  • Communities working together for change
  • Community driven enterprise and regeneration
  • Community-led art and creativity.

Eligibility

Organisations with an annual turnover of more than £100,000.

Funding Amount

Grants valued from £30,000 (no maximum) are available for core or project costs, including staff salaries and overheads. Unrestricted funding for charities is available. The majority of grants are for three to five years.

Closing Date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More Information

Please visit Creative, Confident Communities priorities | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for more information.


Sanctuary Housing Community Investment Fund

The Community Investment Fund aims to develop successful and sustainable communities in the areas where Sanctuary Housing operates.

The Fund’s current funding priorities are:

  • ‎Employment, education, skills and training‎
  • Health and Wellbeing‎
  • Community safety and Infrastructure‎
  • Environment‎
  • Financial inclusion.

Eligibility

Charities, community groups, residents’ associations and voluntary organisations operating in areas where Sanctuary Housing works are welcome to make an enquiry. Please note, match funding requirements apply.

Closing Date

Enquiries are currently welcome, with no closing date stated.

More Information

Please visit the Sanctuary Housing website for more information.


The Cooks Charity – Elizabeth Fund

The aim of the Elizabeth Fund is to provide small, one-off grants to deserving food-related and/or cooking projects or good causes, which would not otherwise be supported by the Cooks Charity’s normal annual grant-giving.

Eligibility

Qualifying projects are to be connected with the City of London, to include the City Fringe boroughs of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark and the City of Westminster in some way.

Funding amount

Up to £1,000.

Closing date

N/A

More information

Visit The Elizabeth Fund webpage for more information.


 Shanly Foundation – Core Grants

The Shanly Foundation aims to support causes that help individuals and benefit the local community, including support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the homeless, those with mental health issues and people with physical disabilities, injury or life-limiting illness.

Eligibility

  • Registered charities, CICs, CIOs, and organisations exempt or excepted under Charity Commission guidance.
  • Funding supports core costs and unrestricted activity for groups assisting disabled individuals, the elderly, and disadvantaged communities.
  • Organisations focused on rehabilitation, homelessness, local sports and social clubs, Scouts and Guides, youth outdoor centres

Funding amount

The foundation typically awards core grants ranging from £1,000 to £25,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Shanly Foundation website.


Trust for London

Trust for London, established in 1891, is the largest independent charity focused on poverty and inequality in London.

The Trust funds organisations and projects working towards Social Justice and/or Economic Justice. Click here for details about the priority areas of work that sit under each of these strategic aims.

Trust for London provides both project funding and unrestricted funding.

Eligibility

The Trust funds:

  • Registered Charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO)
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • Companies Limited by Guarantee (CLG)
  • Trusts
  • Unincorporated Associations
  • Cooperative Societies
  • Trade unions

£500 Access Payments are available to those requiring accessibility-related support to apply.

Funding amount

Grants range from £40,000 to £80,000 per year, for up to 5 years.

Closing date

Applications can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please read the Trust’s funding guidelines, then visit the Trust for London website.


Morrisons Foundation

The newly established Morrisons Foundation is looking to award approximately £2 million a year for community projects that improve people’s lives. Funding objectives of this fund are:

  • Tackling poverty and social deprivation.
  • Enhancing Community Spaces, facilities and services.
  • Improving Health & wellbeing.

Eligibility

Registered charities with an income of less than £1m .

Funding amount

Grants are available for up to £10,000 for capital spend or direct project delivery

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Morrisons Foundation website.


 The National Lottery Awards for All England

The funding supports new activities, ongoing ones, or organisational adaptations.

Projects must do at least one of these things:

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

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from:

  • constituted voluntary or community organisation
  • constituted group or club
  • registered charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • Not-For-Profit companies
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • school (if your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory bodies (including local authorities, town, parish and community council)
  • community benefit societies.

Funding amount

£300 to £20,000 for up to two years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the National Lottery Awards for All England website.


The National Lottery UK Fund

The fund is for organisations wanting to help communities connect better. Organisations  are encouraged to apply for funding for projects that:

  • strengthen relationships between people whose experiences of life have not been the same. For example, relationships between people of different ethnic backgrounds, generations, occupations, or geographies
  • create connections between online and offline worlds
  • help make sure people from all backgrounds can shape the future of their communities.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from:

  • constituted voluntary or community organisation
  • constituted group or club
  • registered charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • Not-For-Profit companies
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • school (if your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory bodies (including local authorities, town, parish, and community council)
  • community benefit societies

Funding amount

This UK-wide funding offers £500,000 to £5 million for projects tackling national issues over 2-10 years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the The UK Fund website.


The National Lottery Reaching Communities England

This funding supports projects and groups improving their community. The National Lottery defines community as people in the same area or with similar interests or experiences.

Projects or organisations applying for funding must do at least one of these things:

  • bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
  • improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
  • help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.

This fund is flexible and can respond to your community’s needs, therefore the following funding options are available:

  • for the long or short term
  • for a specific activity, or for broader costs to help your organisation or community
  • for one organisation or to bring organisations together
  • to support people, communities, and organisations most affected by the cost-of-living crisis
  • to help organisations address the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on how they work, now and in the future.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from:

  • constituted voluntary or community organisation
  • constituted group or club
  • registered charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • Not-For-Profit companies
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • school (if your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory bodies (including local authorities, town, parish, and community council)
  • community benefit societies.

Funding amount

£20,001 or more, for up to five years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Reaching Communities England website.


The National Lottery Partnerships

This funding is for organisations working together in partnership to help their community. The National Lottery defines community as people in one area or with similar interests or experiences.

Eligibility

Applications are accepted from:

  • constituted voluntary or community organisation
  • constituted group or club
  • registered charities
  • Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • Not-For-Profit companies
  • Community Interest Companies (CIC)
  • school (if your project benefits and involves the communities around the school)
  • statutory bodies (including local authorities, town, parish, and community council)
  • community benefit societies.

Funding amount

£20,001 or more, for up to five years.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the National Lottery Partnerships Fund website.


The Weavers Company

Funding for projects that support offenders and ex-offenders, including supporting them into work, and for helping specific groups within the criminal justice sector, who are less popular with funders. Funding also available for projects aiding disadvantaged young people, including immigrants, in realising their potential and engaging in society.

Eligibility

Registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations, and in exceptional circumstances, community interest companies can apply. Applicants must demonstrate efforts to secure other funding and future sustainability.

Funding amount

Small Grants Programme offering up to £5,000, and a Main Grants Programme with no maximum limit. Funding covers both project and core costs.

Closing date

13 November 2025

More information

Please visit The Weavers' Company website.

Answer:

7Stars Foundation

The7stars foundation awards grants to charities supporting young people, aged 18 years and under, across the UK. Its grants aim to further the potential and opportunity of children and young people who are surviving abuse, at risk of or experiencing homelessness, caring for a loved one, and challenged by addiction (either personally or through a member of their family).

The Foundation’s  current areas of focus are Addiction, Abuse, Homelessness, Child Carers.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • be UK registered charities, council-run children’s homes, or schools
  • Have a turnover of under £1.5m
  • Have delivered services pre-2020
  • Not be volunteer led
  • Not have more than 30% free reserves.

Funding amount

Up to £2,500 for project funding.

The Foundation also fully funds apprenticeships through its Apprenticeships grant funding stream.

Closing date

Upcoming application windows are:

  • 1 December to 1 February for March 2026 funding review
  • 1 March and 30 April for June 2026 funding review
  • 1 June to 31 August for October 2026 funding review.

More information

Please visit the 7stars Foundation website.


London Marathon Foundation - Active Spaces Fund

The London Marathon Foundation promotes active living in the UK. Its Active Spaces Fund offers £10,000 to £80,000 grants. These funds help build or upgrade sports facilities. The aim is to keep children, young people, and underprivileged communities active and healthy.

Eligibility

Registered charities and community organisations in London. Organisations applying must Support the foundations priority audiences to be active (children, young people and underserved groups and communities).  

Funding amount

Grants of between £10,000 and £80,000 are available

Closing date

Applications can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please visit the London Marathon Foundation website.


Paul Hamlyn Youth Fund

Paul Hamlyn funds organisations who work with young people (14–25) to drive change so that future generations of young people can thrive.

The Youth Fund aims to make sure young people have agency and autonomy to drive strategic and systemic change that transform their transitions to adulthood.

Eligibility

The Foundation is interested in funding:

  • not-for-profit organisations with a turnover between £30,000 and £3.5million
  • organisations where at least 50% of the organisation’s focus is on work with and for young people aged 14-25 who experience systemic inequity
  • targeted work with and for young people who face life transitions which may be challenging or create barriers (for example into or out of education, care settings, housing)
  • work that recognizes young people’s multiple and overlapping identities (for example race, gender, sexual orientation, class, faith, migration status, ability)
  • organisations that work in an asset-based way
  • work that grows the impact of what you already do. The Foundation is not looking to fund new or untested approaches, projects or finite pieces of work

Funding amount

Grants of £30,000–£50,000 per year for three years (max grant £150,000). It prefers to fund organisations at the maximum amount and term.

The funding must be used to cover core operating costs (salaries, organisation and delivery costs).

Closing date

Applications can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please visit the Paul Hamlyn Foundation website.


 Hargreaves Foundation (UK)

The Hargreaves Foundation, established in 2020 by Peter Hargreaves and his family, is a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting young people facing challenges. The foundation provides grants to organisations that use sport and education to assist individuals under 18 who are living with mental health issues, physical disabilities, or poverty.

Eligibility

  • Registered Charities or Charitable Incorporated Organisations.
  • Schools and Further Education Colleges (usually exempt charities).
  • NHS Trusts.

Funding amount

The Trustees intend to distribute the Foundation’s annual income of approximately £2 million each year. There is no specified minimum or maximum grant size.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Hargreaves Foundation website.


The Mercers Company Older people and Housing

The Mercers’ Company Older People and Housing Programme Fund supports organisations working to prevent loneliness and isolation among older people.

Eligibility

Not-for-profit organisations working toward one or more of the following priorities:

  • Combatting Loneliness Faced by Older People
  • Combatting Poverty Faced by Older People

Funding amount

Grant size: £50,000 to £120,000

Closing date

Applications can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please visit The Mercers Company website.


Masonic SEN & Disabilities Fund

The Masonic Charitable Foundation has opened its small and large grant funds targeted at charities working toward improving the lives of children with special educational needs and disabilities.  

Eligibility

Not-for-profit organisations working to improve the wellbeing and independence of

children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Small Grants - Smaller charities with an annual income between £25,000 and £500,000. Large Grants - Larger charities with an annual income between £500,000 and £5 million.

Funding amount

Grant size: Small Grants £1,000 - £5,000. Large Grants £10,000 - £60,000

Closing date

Applicants are invited to submit an expression of interest, and if successful, will be invited to complete a full application. Expressions of interest can be submitted at any time.

More information

Please visit the Masonic Charitable Foundation website.


The Ironmongers Grants to Charities

The Ironmongers’ Company supports projects aiding disadvantaged youth. These projects help children and young people achieve their full potential.

The company wants projects that give clear educational benefits to a specific group of children or young people.

The types of projects supported include special educational needs, or which foster social, emotional or life skills.

Projects trying new approaches get priority. Share results with wider audience.

Eligibility

Grants are only given to registered charities.

Funding amount

Grants range from a few hundred pounds up to around £10,000. The average grant awarded is £4,000.

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Ironmonger's website.


Tesco Stronger Starts

Priority will be given to projects that provide food and support to young people. The types of projects Tesco Community Grants aims to fund are:

  • breakfast clubs, holiday clubs, food banks, and Meals on Wheels
  • equipment or non-statutory services for nurseries, schools, such as forest schools, library books, equipment for Brownie, Guide or Scout groups, such as camping equipment, and badges. 
  • play areas
  • counselling and support services for young people
  • services or equipment to support children and young people’s health
  • equipment/ kit for a youth sports team.

Eligibility

Registered charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Funding amount

Grants up to £1,500

Closing date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More information

Please visit the Stronger starts website.

Answer:

The North East London VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise) Collaborative – Workforce Development Grant

These small grants of up to £250 are designed to support professional development opportunities for individuals working within VCFSE organisations that have an annual turnover of £150,000 or less.

Workforce development grants can be used to support a wide range of professional development activities, including training, mentoring, and other learning experiences. This may also include support for attending local or national events, conferences, or training sessions with a focus on tackling health inequalities or improving health and wellbeing within communities.

Eligibility

VCFSE organisations that have an annual turnover of £150,000 or less.

Funding amount

£250.

Closing date

Monday 10 November 2025.

More information

Visit the NEL VCFSE Collaborative – Tower Hamlets CVS webpage for more information.


Help the Homeless

Help the Homeless is a grant-giving trust, founded in 1975, to help homeless people off the streets and enable them to live healthy, independent lives. Funding for capital costs are available to small charitable organisations from across the UK.

Eligibility

Applications are welcome from organisations:

  • Registered with the Charity Commission
  • With annual turnover of less than £500,000
  • Applying for funding towards the costs of capital projects. The Trust does not accept applications towards running/core costs, or for computers and IT equipment.
  • Who have not applied for a Help the Homeless grant for two or more years.

Funding Amount

Grants of up to £5,000.

Closing Date

The upcoming quarterly deadline for applications for funding is 5pm on 15th December.

More Information

Please visit the Help the Homeless website.


The Esmée Fairbairn - Communities and Collections Fund

The Communities and Collections Fund offers core grants to single museum organisations for strategic development of their inclusive collections work; and partnership project grants for museums and community organisations working equitably with collections to achieve shared aims for inclusion.

Eligibility

Museums, and community organisations working in partnership with museums.

Funding amount

Not specified.

Closing date

The next deadline is 21 January 2026.

More information

Visit the Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund - Museums Association webpage for more information.


The Rose Foundation

Funding for refurbishment projects of less than £200,000, including general refurbishments or a specific scheme, repairs, creating disabled access, or fulfilling Health and Safety requirements or fire protection.

Eligibility

Registered charities and exempt bodies in London.

Funding amount

Grants between £5,000 and £10,000.

Closing date

31 March 2026

More information

Please visit The Rose Foundation website for more information.


Motability Foundation – Organisation Grants

The Motability Foundation supports organisations which help disabled people to make journeys. It makes grants to organisations providing services for disabled people, or working to make transport more accessible.

Eligibility

Eight grants are currently open to applications. Visit each grant theme webpage for details about eligibility and restrictions.

Funding amount

Grants starting from £50,000 are available, for projects up to three years.

Closing date

Various upcoming closing dates, depending on the grant theme.

More information

For more information, please visit the Organisation grants | Motability Foundation webpage.


Esmée Fairbairn - A Fairer Future

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve our natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. It supports people and organisations who are doing everything they can to bring about the change the Foundation wants to see.

The Foundation’s grant funding is focussed on work that will deliver long-term impact and create change for the future. This means it makes longer-term grants to organisations, rather than short-term or small-scale grants.

The Foundation’s  current priorities under “A Fairer Future” are:

Eligibility

Organisations with an annual turnover of more than £100,000.

Funding Amount

Grants valued from £30,000 (no maximum) are available for core or project costs, including staff salaries and overheads. Unrestricted funding for charities is available. The majority of grants are for three to five years.

Closing Date

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

More Information

Please visit A Fairer Future priorities | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for more information.