For previous posts about grant funding please see this blog post>>
Voluntary organisations, charities schools and pre-schools can apply for grants of up to £500 from the WHSmith Trust. The WHSmith Trust is an independent registered charity that uses the proceeds of the compulsory carrier bag charges across the UK to offer the grants to support good causes in the local communities where WHSmith operates. There are two application rounds each year. The deadline for the current funding round is the 31st March 2018. Applications can be submitted via an online applications form.
Funding to Protect the Marine Environment (UK)
Sea-Changers has announced that the next deadline for applications is the 31st March 2018. Sea-changers vision is to create a world where the seas and shores are clean and healthy and marine species are protected. Funding is available for a range of UK based, marine conservation charities and not-for-profit organisations with projects in one of the following areas: Marine Reserves/Protected Marine Areas; Direct Marine Clean-up Action; Education, Campaigning and Awareness; Species Protection and Research. The maximum grant size is expected to be £600, although for exceptional projects funding of up to £1,000 may be considered. Projects that have previously been supported include the installation of a 2minutebeachclean station in Portrush, Northern Ireland and a long-term monitoring programme for local volunteer divers to contribute their observations of the health of the seagrass bed in Porthdinllaen, North Wales. Click here to view more projects supported.
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (UK)
The next deadline for applications to the Rights and Justice: Power and Accountability; Sustainable Future: Northern Ireland: and Cross-cutting themes programmes of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) is the 4th December 2017.
JRCT is interested in funding work which is about removing problems through radical solutions, and not simply about making problems easier to live with; that has a clear sense of objectives, and of how to achieve them; and is innovative and imaginative and where the grant has a good chance of making a difference. JCRT makes grants to a range of organisations including registered, excepted or exempt charities based in the UK for work that seeks to make positive change across the UK as a whole, or across one or more of its member countries – England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for a grant for unrestricted or core support, although support for specific programme or project funding is also available.
https://www.jrct.org.uk/when-to-apply
Funding for the Historic Regeneration of Towns and Cities (UK)
The Townscape Heritage Initiative is Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant giving programme that supports schemes to regenerate the historic environment in towns and cities across the United Kingdom.
The programme is designed to address problems in areas of particular social and economic need. The scheme is open to single organisations (such as Local Authorities) or partnerships of not for profit organisations and provides grants of between £100,000 and £2 million. If applicants receive a first-round pass, they will need to develop the scheme further within a 12-month development phase and then send a detailed second-round submission.
The second round is not competitive; a grant will be offered to the applicant if it meets the HLF’s criteria and priorities. The next closing date for stage 1 applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) Townscape Heritage Initiative is 12 noon on the 8th December 2017. Second-round applications can be submitted up to 12 months after first-round approval.
http://www.hlf.org.uk/HowToApply/programmes/Pages/Townscape_Heritage.aspx#.VArHA2NAf20
Funding for Digital Youth and Community Projects (UK)
GoThinkBig.co.uk, which is an online digital hub from O2 (O2 Think Big) is inviting applications from individuals to apply for funding of £500 to support social action projects that inspire others to unlock their potential and benefit the local community.
Projects should make use of digital technology and can be based around anything from skills workshops, podcasts, journalism pieces to live events, community initiatives or apps. To be eligible to apply, applicants should be aged 15-24 live in the UK and have a creative and unique project idea. Projects need to be completed within 6 months.
The closing date for applications is the 28th October 2017.
https://gothinkbig.co.uk/opportunities/youth-project-potential-unlocked-round-one – When you click on this link it offers several link choices – there is a specific funding strand for the environment: https://gothinkbig.co.uk/opportunities/the-environment-now-funding
The Magic Little Grants Fund (UK)
In association with Postcode Community Trust, Localgiving is offering local charities and community groups the opportunity to apply for grants of either £250 or £500 to deliver physical activities.
Grants can be used to support the general running costs of new and existing sports and physical activities. For example, this could include:
- Facilities hire
- Kit & equipment
- Coaching qualifications
- Other volunteer expenses etc.
The fund is open to charitable organisations with an annual income of under £50,000. The application process is open to the 31st October 2017 and is open to all members of Localgiving that meet the criteria. Organisations that are not already a member of Localgiving are required to complete the Localgiving registration process before completing the application.
https://localgiving.org/what-we-do/magic-little-grants/
Co-operative Bank Donation Fund Opens for Applications (UK)
Organisations such as Registered Charities, Community Interest Companies, Co-operatives and Credit Unions; etc. that have a Community Directplus account with the Co-operative Bank have until 31st March 2018 to apply for funding of up to £1,000 from the Customer Donation Fund.
Since 2003 the Co-operative Bank Donation Fund has donated over £750,000 to 866 organisations. The money can be used to support special projects and fundraising activities; and all Community Directplus account holders are eligible to apply.
Examples of previous projects supported include:
Theatre company 20 Stories High which received funding towards three dictaphones, 12 MP3 players and the work of an experienced Technical Manager to help develop and stage a new production.
Wiltshire Wood Recycling, a not for profit organisations, which received funding towards new tools, boots, hard hats and high-viz jackets for the workers.
http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/business/community/community-directplus#customerdonationfund-2
Grants to help Schools Celebrate National Science and Engineering Week 2018 (UK)
To help celebrate National Science and Engineering week, the British Science Association, with funding from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, is providing grants for schools in challenging circumstances to organise their own science and engineering events.
Two types of grants are available:
- Kick Start grants of up to £300 for schools to run an activity during British Science Week
- Kick Start More grants of up to £700 for school to host a science event or activity which involves students and people from the local community.
The community can comprise of families/carers, members of local community groups, local businesses and local press. To be eligible, schools must have either a high proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds (over 30%); have a high proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium; and/or be a small school in a remote and rural location.
The closing date for applications is 12 noon on the 13th November 2017.
https://www.britishscienceweek.org/about-us/grants/kick-start-grant-scheme/
Funding for Links with Japan (UK)
£2,000 – £7,000 are available to promote and support interaction between the two countries. Daiwa Foundation Small Grants can cover all fields of activity, including educational and other projects and events. New initiatives are especially encouraged.
Projects that have received funding in the past include:
Beckfoot School (Bingley) which received a grant of £3,000 to support a two-week curriculum-based school exchange visit by ten students and two teachers to Hiroshima Kokusai High School.
Dene Magna School which received a grant of £4,000 to support a school exchange visit by three teachers and nine pupils to enhance links established in 2002 with two partner schools in Okinawa and to consolidate Japanese as part of its curriculum.
The next closing date for applications is the 31st March 2018.
http://www.dajf.org.uk/grants-awards-prizes/daiwa-foundation-small-grants
The Suez Communities Trust Now Accepting Applications at any Time (England & Scotland)
The Suez Communities Trust provides funds to not-for-profit organisations to improve public amenities that are available for leisure and recreation use by the general public; the maintenance, repair or restoration of a building, other structure or a site of archaeological interest which is a place of religious worship, or a site of historic or architectural or archaeological interest and is open to the public; and the conservation of biodiversity through the provision, conservation, restoration or enhancement of natural habitat or the maintenance or recovery of a species in its natural habitat.
Through the Landfill Communities Fund the Trust can offer grants of up to £20,000 through its Smaller Projects Fund and grants of up to £50,000 through its Primary Fund.
To be eligible, applicants needs to be a not – for profit organisations located within three miles of a qualifying SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK waste processing site. N.B. due to the rural nature of the Aberdeenshire funding zone this zone has a 10-mile radius.
http://www.suezcommunitiestrust.org.uk/
IGas Community Energy Fund Opens for Applications (England & Scotland)
IGas Energy Plc is one of the UK’s leading onshore hydrocarbon producers has announced that its Community Energy Fund has opened for applications.
Over the past nine years IGas has awarded nearly £1 million worth of grants to help local communities located close to the oil and gas production and exploration sites where they operate. The fund covers specific areas of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Cheshire and Scotland. IGas support projects that make a difference to life in the mainly rural communities where they operate. Organisations that are eligible to apply include community and voluntary organisations that are charitable, educational or benevolent in purpose; as well as local schools. Applicants will need to demonstrate need for their project, real community benefits and value for money.
Projects funded in the past range included:
A primary school in West Sussex that engaged pupils to help elderly neighbours with their computers, to a project in the north of Scotland training unemployed people in building skills to support community groups and organisations. Money has also been allocated to several rural villages to buy potentially life-saving defibrillators.
The closing date for applications is the 28th February 2018. Applicants need to register their interest before applying.
http://www.igascommunityfund.co.uk/projects.html
Lybster Parent Council – outdoor adventures
Awarded a grant of £3,500, this project is designed to enhance the land surrounding the village school football pitch and provide additional recreational space and activities. Plans include the planting of trees, shrubs and wild flowers and the creation of an obstacle course, imaginative play zones and outdoor structures such as a stage where the children can perform.
Funding for School Libraries (Scotland)
School Library Managers can now apply for funding from the Scottish Library Improvement Fund. The funding is administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council on behalf of the Scottish Government. A total fund of £100,000 is available, there are no minimum or maximum grant amounts but projects must be completed within twelve months. A range of activities can be funded including: Research, Impact Analysis, Service Development, Staff Training, Partnership working, Creation of New Resources or Services, Case Studies, Promotion of Standards and Good Practice Guides.
All applications must have a link to one or more of the following priorities:
- Reader Development
- Information Literacy
- Digital Creativity
- Health and Social Wellbeing.
The closing date for applications is the 27th October 2017.
http://scottishlibraries.org/funding/school-library-improvement-fund/
The ScotRail Cultural and Arts Fund – New Closing Date Announced (Scotland)
Foundation Scotland has announced that the closing date for the next round of The ScotRail Cultural and Arts Fund is the 18th December 2017.
Funding of between £500 and £2,000 is available to individuals/sole traders and constituted community groups working in Scotland with an income of no more than £100,000 per year. The fund aims to support arts, community recreation, and sports activities near a train station or with a travel or safety theme. To be eligible applications must fit within one of the following themes:
- Promotion of performing arts, visual arts, literature, community arts and cultural traditions
- Support for artists and artistic organisations to work with communities
- Public art e.g. sculptures in open spaces
- Children’s play areas
- Local activity programmes
- Increasing participation in sport and physical activity
- Sports events and outreach programmes.
https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/programmes/scotrail-cultural-and-arts-fund/
Historic Scotland’s Organisational Support Fund (Scotland)
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced that its Organisational Support Fund is open for applications. The Organisational Support Fund can provide financial support to organisations responsible for the operation, management or safeguarding of historic environment assets.
Funding is available for:
- The operation, management or safeguarding of historic environment assets
- To assist in the delivery of defined projects/ activities
- And/or to provide resilience funding where organisations are experiencing financial or organisational difficulties.
HES accepts applications for the Organisational Support Fund throughout the year, however, these are considered in one batch with the next closing date being the 30th September 2018.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/grants-and-funding/our-grants/organisational-support-fund/
Funding for Heritage Projects (UK)
Grants of over £100,000 are available to support a wide variety of larger heritage projects. The funding which is being made available through the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Heritage Grant Scheme is available to not-for-profit organisations; and partnerships led by not-for-profit organisations for any project relating to national, regional and local heritage. This can include This can include archaeological digs, preserve a historic places of worship, helping people learn long-lost traditional skills, look after rare species and habitats, etc. Projects supported in the past include a grant of £730,000 to the Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust Limited to transform Richmond Station in North Yorkshire into a self-sustaining heritage and leisure attraction for the local community. Heritage Grants applications go through a two-round process. This is so that organisations can apply at an early stage of planning their project and get an idea of whether they have a good chance of getting a grant before they send a proposal in greater detail. The next closing date for applications is the 7th December 2017.
“With our help you could set up an archaeological dig, preserve a historic place of worship, help people learn long-lost traditional skills, look after rare species and habitats, and much more.”
BBC Children in Need – Small Grants Programme (UK)
Not for profit organisations such as schools; registered charities; voluntary organisations; churches; and community interest groups; etc. can apply for grants of up to £10,000 per year for up to 3 years for projects that help children and young people overcome the effects of illness, distress, abuse or neglect; disability; behavioural or psychological difficulties; and poverty and deprivation. Projects supported in the past include Trewirgie Junior School which received a grant of £9,760 to provide after school sailing sessions to disadvantage children aged 7-11; the Midlothian Association of Play which received a grant of £9,996 to run holiday playschemes with trips and activities for young people living in low income areas. The closing date for applications is the 1st December 2017.
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/pudsey/grants/CN0187_Grants_Listings_Scotland.pdf – list of grants made in Scotland
Veolia Environmental Trust Grants (UK)
The Veolia Environmental Trust, has announced that the next closing date for stage 1 applications is the 30th November 2017 for projects starting between the 26th March and the 5th June 2018. Constituted, not-for-profit groups within the vicinity of a qualifying Veolia site, can apply for grants of between £10,000 and £75,000 towards community buildings; parks and paths, play and recreational facilities; and nature reserves. To qualify for funding, projects must have a total cost of under £250,000 (including VAT and professional costs). There is a two-stage application process and applicants successful at stage 1 must have secured 20% of funding towards the project prior to submitting a full (stage 2) application.
Comic Relief is Investing £2 Million in Small Community Organisations (UK)
Comic Relief has announced a new £2 million programme to support small community led organisations across the UK.
The Core Strength Local Communities Grants programme provides funding of between £1,000 and £10,000 for up to 12 months to small local community organisations for essential core running costs. Only small groups with an annual income of up to £100,000 will eligible to apply. The initiative will sit under the Comic Relief programme of Building Stronger Communities – supporting groups who work to make their communities more connected, empowered and productive. The programme will be managed by UK Community Foundations on behalf of Comic Relief.
Application windows will open at different times across the UK, between August 2017 until July 2018. Please contact your local Community Foundation to find out more information.
Funding to Regenerate Public Parks and Cemeteries (UK)
Grants of between £100,000 and £5 million are available to regenerate public parks and cemeteries.
Applications are being accepted from local authorities and not for profit organisations that own public parks and cemeteries. To be eligible applicants will need to show that:
- The community values the park or cemetery as part of their heritage
- They meet local social, economic and environmental needs
- The management actively involves local people.
Applications to the Heritage Lottery Fund go through a two-round application process. This is so organisations can apply at an early stage of planning their project and get an idea of whether they’re likely to receive a grant. At the first-round applicants can also ask for funding to develop their project.
Recent awards include:
A £1.84 million grant to restore Castle Park in Cheshire back to its original historic landscape and to improve sports facilities, the play area, and cafe and kiosk facilities.
A £3.5million grant to restore the historic landscaping and buildings, upgrading footpaths, entrances, furniture and signage of Brockwell Park which is located between Brixton, Norwood and Dulwich.
The closing date for applications is the 28th February 2018.
https://www.hlf.org.uk/looking-funding/our-grant-programmes/parks-people
Goldsmiths Grant for Teachers (UK)
Teachers and Head Teachers with a minimum of 5 years’ practical school teaching experience in the UK can apply for grants of up to £3,000 to enhance their personal and professional development.
In addition, the Company will pay a maximum of £2,000 supply cover to the school. Grants offer the opportunity to take time out from the classroom in order to undertake an original project in the UK or abroad and can cover costs including travel, accommodation and materials. Applications will be judged on their potential to enhance a teacher’s professional life and benefit his/her students on completion.
Examples of projects that may be supported include:
Comparisons of best practice in teaching and school administration at home or abroad or personal development projects e.g. creative writing, arts, science, music, languages and coaching.
Applications must be submitted by 1 December 2017
https://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/charity/education/grants-teachers/
Example of a previous grant:
Reach Out Reporter
The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity is delighted to be able to provide the financial support for the launch of Reach Out Reporter, a new online news service to help UK primary school teachers bring topical science into their everyday teaching and learning. Created by Imperial College, London and Tigtag (the award-winning primary science resource company), Reach Out Reporter aims to introduce primary school children to the wonders of the world around them with topical films and other learning resources based on the latest science news and topical issues.
Reach Out Reporter explores a wide range of science-based stories each week – from hurricane-chasing meteorologists to how space litter is affecting life on earth – and aims to promote cross-curricular learning. The service is updated with new content on a weekly basis, and is available free of charge. We hope that in addition to teachers, the resource can also be used by anyone in the UK, including parents and children outside of the classroom as a tool for home learning.
Scottish Rural Development Programme – Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (Scotland)
Individuals, constituted groups and businesses in Scotland that process agricultural products into food products or are involved in collaborative working within the food chain have until the 19th November 2017 to apply for funding from the Scottish Rural Development Programme.
The Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation scheme provides support to suppliers and producers who are working to make Scotland a Good Food Nation, where it is second nature to produce, buy, serve and eat fresh, healthy food. Funding is available for start-up grants for new food processing businesses and development grants for existing businesses and can be used for both capital and non-capital projects. The amount of funding available is dependent on the size of the business (please see the Rural Payments website for details).
Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust (UK / International)
The next deadline for applications to the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust is 15th January 2018.
Charities registered in the UK and working to offer sanctuary, rehoming and rehabilitation to animals in the UK and/or internationally can apply. The maximum funding available is £35,000 and to be eligible to apply the applicant organisations should:
- Be a UK registered charity
- Have independently examined up to date annual accounts
- Have an active re-homing and rehabilitation policy for animals taken into care.
Organisations involved with conservation of wildlife, the rescue, rehabilitation and (where possible) release of animals are also eligible to apply. The funding can be used for general running costs or capital purchases.
http://www.jeansainsburyanimalwelfare.org.uk/policies.html
Ashden UK Awards 2018 – Open for Applications (UK)
The Ashden Awards reward organisations in the private, public and not for profit sectors that deliver sustainable energy at the local level, and through this bring social, economic and environmental benefits. The themes for 2018 are focused on the developments required to move the UK rapidly towards a low-carbon economy. In 2018 the Ashden Awards we will make a total of up to four UK Awards.
The themes for 2017 are focused on the on work to reduce and manage demand for energy. In particular, the Awards are looking for pioneering enterprises and programmes that are demonstrating achievement in any of the following areas:
- Sustainable buildings
- Energy innovation
- Clean air in towns and cities (sustainable Transport)
- Facilitating energy market transformation for sustainability.
The winner of each awards category will receive a prize of £10,000 as well as national media exposure. The Ashden Awards will also be giving separate awards for international organisations, details of which are available on www.ashden.org.
The deadline for applications is 11.59 GMT on 7 November 2017.
Funding for the Conservation of Mammals in the United Kingdom (UK)
The People’s Trust for Endangered Species is inviting applications from voluntary conservation organisations, scientific researchers, individuals and consortia under its UK Mammals Grant Scheme.
Funding of between £10,000 and £20,000 is available for research projects that relates to the conservation of mammals in the British Isles and Eire. Funding will be made available under three themes, these are:
- Monitoring Mammals
- Habitat availability, loss and modification
- Human Impacts and Migration.
The trust aims to fund scientific research, practical habitat management work, reintroduction and monitoring programmes and educational projects.
The deadline for applications is the 31st October 2017.
http://www.ptes.org/index.php?cat=89
Weir Charitable Trust (Scotland)
The next closing date for applications to the Weir Charitable Trust is the 28th February 2018.
Small community groups and charities based in Scotland can apply to for funding of up to £25,000 to support projects relating to:
- Sport
- Health
- Culture
- Animal Welfare
- Recreational Facilities.
To be eligible, the applicant organisation will need to have an income of £100,000 or less per year. Projects supported in the past include:
Borders Talking Newspaper (BTN), a charity which makes free weekly audio recordings of local newspapers from the Scottish Borders and circulates them on memory stick to around 150 people.
Dads Rock which is the only preschool playgroup in Edinburgh specifically for dads and male carers.
http://weircharitabletrust.com/
Example of Weir Charitable Trust grant:The Polar Academy
The Polar Academy is a Bo’ness-based charity with the aim of inspiring and positively changing young peoples’ lives through Arctic exploration.
The Polar Academy – www.thepolaracademy.org
It was founded and is run by Scotland’s greatest living Polar Explorer, Craig Mathieson who is one of only 12 polar explorers in the world to have skied to both the south and north poles.
We are thrilled to support this year’s 2017/2018 expedition with pupils from Lochgelly High School in Fife. The award will be invested in the expedition team’s weekly training programme in Scotland and charity running costs, before the expedition team depart for 10-days in Arctic Greenland in April 2018.
Craig has worked tirelessly, since forming The Polar Academy in 2014, to transform the lives of young people in Scotland crushed by a lack of self-confidence and self esteem. In just four years The Polar Academy has already engaged more than 50,000 pupils across the country as every pupil participating returns to share their story with other young adults in their local authority area.
LESS CO2: Free Energy Efficiency Training for Schools (UK)
The LESS CO2 sustainable schools programme is a free energy efficiency programme available to any UK school including council run, academy or independent schools.
Funded via the Ashden Trust, the programme consists of a series of half day workshops spread through the year, peer mentoring, expert advice and resources. Through participation in the programme, staff are empowered and equipped to make changes and improvements to their school to reduce their energy usage, save money on bills and lower their CO2 emissions. Schools work together, learning from each other in clusters of 15 schools in a suitable geographical area, attending four local workshops throughout a year. The workshops teach the school’s representatives about energy saving in their buildings, how to engage with their fellow staff and students about energy, and educate them about the link between sustainability, energy use and efficiency. So far, 269 schools have benefitted from the scheme with those taking part saving on average £2,600 (and 10 tonnes of carbon) in their first year.
Every school in the UK is eligible to apply by registering an interest on the LESS CO2 website at any time.
Support for Environmental Outreach Education for Disadvantaged Young People (UK)
Schools, colleges and youth groups can receive up to 80% towards the costs of providing environmental outreach education for groups of disadvantaged young people through the Field Studies Council’s Kids Fund.
The Field Studies Council is an independent educational charity committed to raising awareness about the natural world and works through a network of residential and day Centres in the UK to provide outreach education and training. The funding is available to help young people aged 14 – 18 (25 for those with special needs) attend a course who may otherwise be excluded due to some form of disadvantage – health, mobility, deprivation or financial. One free staff/adult place is provided for every 12 young people; additional adults pay 20% +VAT. This includes all equipment, tuition and waterproof hire costs. Food and accommodation are included for residential courses.
The next closing date for applications is the 1st November 2017.
http://www.field-studies-council.org/about/fsc-kids-fund/applying-to-fsc-kids-fund.aspx
Holiday Grants for Children (UK)
Schools, youth groups, not for profit organisations and charities have until the 17th November 2017 to apply for grants of £500 to £2,500 to support recreational trips or holidays within the UK for groups of children experiencing disadvantage or who have disabilities.
Funded by the Henry Smith Charity, grants can cover up to two-thirds of the cost of a holiday or trip lasting one to seven days. In this round, trips must be taken before the end of December 2017. For more details and to apply, complete the eligibility quiz on the website and submit the application form online at least 6 weeks before the trip is due to take place.
Although the deadline is the 17th November 2017, decisions are made on a first come-first served basis until all the funds have been allocated.
http://www.henrysmithcharity.org.uk/holiday-grants-for-children.html
Funding for Christian Charities Promoting Social Inclusion (UK)
The Anchor Foundation provides grants of between £500 and £10,000 per year to Christian Charities that encourage social inclusion through ministries of healing and the arts. Funding can be awarded for up to three years.
The Foundation will consider applications for either capital or revenue funding. Only in exceptional circumstances will grants be given for building work.
Previously funded projects include:
The Karis Neighbour Scheme which received a grant of £700 for revenue costs at a drop-in centre for women refugees in Birmingham.
Discovery Camps which received a grant of £1500 to subsidise holidays for children arranged by churches in and around Dundee.
Scargill House which received a grant of £5,000 to facilitate cross cultural engagement and understanding amongst children using arts based residential courses in Yorkshire.
The next closing date for applications is the 31st January 2018.
