Grow Wild Community Programme - Reminder to Apply by 4th February

The Grow Wild Community Programme is offering around 23 grants of up to £2,000 to not-for-profit groups across the UK to transform urban spaces for the benefit of people and wildlife through planting and championing UK native plants or fungi.

Projects should enhance the biodiversity of the urban space with planting and growing as a core activity, be led by groups who care about the environment and will use sustainable materials and practices and have the potential to reach at least 300 people.

In addition, projects need to work with one or more of Grow Wild’s target audience:

• Young people aged 12-25.

• People experiencing some disadvantage or reduced access to services.

• People who are less engaged with others in their local community.

• People who face barriers to connecting with nature.

• Disabled people.

The grant can cover 100% of project specific costs, including seeds plants, soil, materials, events, workshop charges, specialist experts and contractor costs.

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations in the UK, including:

• Constituted voluntary/community organisations, groups or clubs. 

• Charities

• Not-for-profit companies

• Community Interest Companies (CICs)

• Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIOs)

• Community Benefit Societies

Grants of £2,000 are available and must be spent by the end of October 2026. There is also an opportunity for groups to apply for a £500 follow-on grant for spring 2027, to help support ongoing activities. 

The deadline for application is 4 February 2026. For more information please visit Community Programme | Grow Wild | Kew

Funding to Help People in NI Improve and Connect with the Local Aquatic Environment

Funding is available to community-focused organisations for projects to help people improve and to connect with Northern Ireland's aquatic environment.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency has launched the 2026/27 call for applications to the Water Quality Improvement Strand of its Environmental Challenge Fund Competition. The competition is open to applications from constituted not-for-profit organisations and local authorities, with projects beginning from Spring 2026.

All on the ground project activity must take place in Northern Ireland, with the three key themes for funding under this challenge competition as follows:

• Connecting people with the aquatic environment to achieve behavioural change.

• Conservation and restoration of aquatic environments.

• Nature-based solutions, particularly for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Capital grants of between £5,000 and £30,000 are available to cover up to 85% of eligible project costs. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that sufficient match funding is available to complete their project, and projects must be completed by 28 February 2027.

The deadline for applications is 18 February 2026. For more information please visit Environment Fund 2023 - 2028 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Stafford Trust Accepting Applications for Autumn 2026 Funding Round

The Stafford Trust is offering grants to support a wide variety of charities across the UK.

Typically grants of between £500 and £5,000 are awarded for projects that fall within the following areas:

• Child welfare.

• Medical research & support.

• Animal welfare.

• Services for personnel welfare.

• Sea rescue.

• Community projects.

• Overseas support.

• Adult welfare.

Funding can be used for a variety of costs, including capital projects, running costs, and salary support.

Registered charities across the UK can apply. However, priority will be given to charitable organisations operating in Scotland.

There are usually two trustee meetings per year, in Spring and Autumn, to consider applications. 

The deadline for applications to be considered at the Autumn 2026 trustee meeting is 30 June 2026. For more information please visit Apply for a grant – Stafford Trust

Hospital Saturday Fund Opens for 2026 Applications

Registered charities with medical/health objectives, hospices and medical organisations based and operating within the UK can apply once per calendar for funding to assist with medical projects, capital projects, medical care or research, hospice/respite care, and in support of medical training. Applications for running costs may also be considered.

There are two levels of awards:

• Standard Grants of £2,000

• Larger Grants of up to £10,000 to be used towards specific projects, research or equipment rather than running costs.

The 2026 deadlines for:

• Standard grant applications are 13 April, 14 July, 8 October 2026, and 5 January 2027

• Large grant applications are 16 March, 16 June, 10 September, and 2 December 2026.

For more information please visit Hospital Saturday Fund – Making Medical Grants to Improve the Health of Communities

Funding for Holiday Activities for Autistic Children and Young People – Opens 2nd February

This grants programme runs once a year.

The 2026 round will only fund autistic-specific holiday schemes. The programme will be for autistic-specific activity programmes that run in the school holidays in the UK, including sessions for siblings.

Not-for-profit organisations in the UK can apply for grants of up to £15,000 which are usually for part of the costs to run the activity schemes.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have a safeguarding policy.

• Have Public Liability Insurance.

• If paying staff, have Employer’s Liability Insurance.

• Use professional trained staff and volunteers (not parents/guardians).

• Have bank account with two people to authorise or check on payments.

• Have an income of less than £1 million.

Please note there is a high demand for this programme and last year the grant round closed for applications one day after it opened.

The 2026 round will open for expressions of interest on 2 February 2026 with a deadline of 13 February 2026 (17:00). For more information please visit Holiday activity schemes for autistic children and young people | Three Guineas Trust

Central Good Relations Fund 2026/27 - Open for Applications

Applications for the 2026/27 Central Good Relations Fund (CGRF) funding programme are now open and will close on Friday 30 January 2026 at 4pm.

Successful projects must deliver within the funding year and contribute towards the delivery of one of the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy key priorities.

To help groups apply for funding, the Executive Office will be hosting three ‘CGRF Online Information Sessions’ via MS Teams.

Register to attend an online session:

• Session 1 – Wednesday 7 January 2026 @ 10.30am(external link opens in a new window / tab)

• Session 2 –Thursday 15 January @ 10.30am(external link opens in a new window / tab)

• Session 3 – Tuesday 20 January 2026 @ 2.30pm 

Further information available here

Goodyear Community Fund

The Goodyear Sports & Social Club was set up as part of the old Goodyear factory in Craigavon in 1977 by the factory workers. The club building was opened in 1982 and although the factory closed not long after this date the Sports & Social club was able to provide sports and social facilities to the local Community until the wind down of its activities in June 2024.

The Goodyear Community Fund was set up as a grant-making initiative designed to distribute the net sales proceeds of the original club building to support grassroots organisation’s within the greater Lurgan and Craigavon area.

The focus of the fund builds on the original ethos of the Goodyear Sports & Social Club in ensuring a positive legacy with the continued promotion of sport, arts, health & wellbeing and cross-community engagement.

The fund is launched in recognition and celebration of the contribution of voluntary groups and people locally and the aim is to make it a simple application process.

Grant size

Grants of between £1,000 to £5,000 are being made available to cover project and associated costs for your organisation.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be a Not-for-profit organisation or Community Amateur Sports club (CASC) or Charitable body operating within the Greater Lurgan and Craigavon area.

• Demonstrate a clear community benefit, particularly in areas of sport, arts, health & wellbeing and inclusion.

• Provide a governing document and a bank account in your organisation’s name.

• Confirm availability of accounts, and safeguarding policies if required

• Be able to deliver the project within 12 months of receiving funding.

Priority Areas

Funding will prioritise projects and organisations that can outline how they meet one or more of the following priorities:

• Have connected with the Goodyear Sports & Social Club since at any time since its foundation in 1977.

• Promote cross-community collaboration and inclusion.

• Support sports, arts, or charitable activities that enhance health & wellbeing.

• Address local needs.

• Support grassroots organisation’s within the greater Lurgan and Craigavon area.

• Encourage volunteerism and community leadership.

Ineligible Activities

The Foundation will not fund organisations or activities which promote causes that are contrary to our purposes. Causes and activities that are contrary to our purposes include, but may not be limited to, those outlined in our investment policy. We will not therefore fund organisations or activities which we determine are linked to the promotion of armaments, alcohol, human rights abuses, tobacco or pornography.

Timeline

• Applications open: Monday 5th January 2026

• Deadline for submission: Friday 30th January 2026 at 1pm

• Decisions communicated: Within 6 weeks of deadline for submission of applications

• Project delivery: Within 12 months of grant award

For more information, please visit Goodyear Community Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland

Connect Fund Round 2

The Connect Fund awards up to £1m over two years (25/26 and 26/27) to strengthen civic East-West collaboration on matters of shared interest, including mutual challenges and opportunities across a range of sectors that directly affect communities in Northern Ireland. Applicants can bid for projects with a value from £300 to £50,000 with a total of £500,000 available for Round 2.

The Connect Fund supports projects that deliver on one or more of the following objectives:

• Strengthen East-West connections by developing long lasting civic relationships;

• Propose an original approach to developing East-West connections;

• Support the development of cultural, sports and people-to-people links;

• Build leadership capability opportunities for community leaders on an East-West basis; and

• Facilitate positive and constructive dialogue on shared opportunities/challenges facing communities in the UK.

Please note a key change from the previous round, Connect Fund Round 2 will feature a single application window from 7 January 2026 - 12 February 2026, unlike the monthly rolling submission process during Round 1. This will allow applicants to deliver their projects between April 2026 and March 2027. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/latest-connect-fund-round-offers-500000-to-northern-ireland-community-and-voluntary-groups 

The Connect Fund Round 2 Roadshow will provide information to support the generation of strong, high-quality applications and allow an opportunity for interested groups to ask any questions they may have. To book a place please visit Connect Fund Round 2 Roadshow Registration

Alliance for Youth Organising – Explore Grants

Closing date 16/02/2026

Grants are available for organisations across the UK working to support youth organising to test new ideas that explore knowledge or action gaps in the youth organising field. 

This fund aims to support projects exploring gaps in action or understanding for the youth organising field through the action learning model. 

Five grants of £15,000 are available 

Organisations that work to support youth organising and wish to test new models of youth organising through experimentation and learning can apply.

Groups should be committed to collaboration and knowledge-sharing with other organisations, networks, and movements.

Collaborative applications are welcomed where there is a lead organisation with a clear agreement about how the project will be managed and how funds will be used. 

Funding is for organisations to test out new ideas to explore important questions around how to expand the reach of youth organising on behalf of the field or wider environment.

The Alliance has identified the following questions as valuable:

• Organising deserts: How can the youth organising field expand access to organising and political education to places and young people who are not currently being reached? The Alliance is particularly interested in:

• The potential to collaborate with youth practitioners to expose more young people to organising methodologies.

• The potential to use sport or culture as a way of bringing more young people into organising.

• The power structures and dynamics that limit the growth of youth organising.

• Disability inclusion: How can the youth organising field better support disabled young people to get involved in organising?

• Far right and polarisation: How can the youth organising field respond to the far right and increasing polarisation? The Alliance is particularly interested in ideas that bridge the difference and promote dialogue and joy.

• Internationalism: How can the youth organising field build stronger practical internationalism that undermines ongoing colonial power dynamics? The Alliance is particularly interested in building connections and networks with young people and communities in the Global South (however, this grant is for UK-based organisations only).

• Strengthening and connecting the youth organising field: How might the youth organising field strengthen peer networks and create more opportunities for groups to connect, collaborate, and learn from one another? 

This fund will be accepting applications between 1 December 2025 and 16 February 2026.

Grants will be awarded in April 2026 and grant holders will be expected to share their learning in November 2026.

The Alliance will host two online information sessions (dates to be confirmed).

Guidance notes and an application form are available from the Alliance for Youth Organising website. 

For more information please visit Explore Fund

James Tudor Foundation - Mental Health Grant

Closing date 06/02/2026

Grants are available to UK registered charities addressing mental health issues affecting children and young people, and adults.

The Foundation aims to support UK charities with a focus on mental health. Projects are funded to help children and young people recover from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), plus support parents affected by ACEs, mental illness or addiction.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events in childhood that negatively affects mental health, and includes:

• Sexual abuse.

• Physical abuse or neglect.

• Emotional abuse or neglect.

• Living in a household where there is domestic violence.

• Living with a parent with substance abuse.

• Living with a parent who has a mental illness.

• Losing a parent through death, abandonment, or divorce. 

• Having a parent in prison.

Grants up to £25,000 are available.

Grants are usually for one year, but may occasionally be for three years.

Match funding is not a specified requirement.

UK-registered healthcare charities may apply for the Mental Health programme. The charity must have an annual income below £20 million and at least five years’ audited or independently examined accounts.

The charities can be either regionally or nationally based.

Applications should demonstrate that the organisations is patient led in shaping, running and improving their services. Additionally, real impact through their own evaluations or independent research should be highlighted.

Projects should be evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions that will overcome and prevent ACEs. The programme supports children and young people affected by ACEs, plus parents (to help break the cycle of trauma across generations):

• Children and young people

• Only charities that have a specialist, single focus on one or more of the following are supported: childhood sexual abuse; living in a household where there is domestic violence, and/or physical and/or emotional neglect; living with a parent who has a mental illness and/or substance abuse.

• Parental support

• Specialist charities that solely focus on supporting parents and complex family challenges by delivering: help for parents to confront their own ACEs and help to break the intergenerational cycle of trauma and abuse; and help for families where a parent or caregiver has a mental illness or substance addiction (and is at risk of harming their children). 

The funding is flexible, designed to contribute towards overall service delivery. However, grants can also be made for a specific project

The next funding round opens 5 January and closes 6 February 2026 (17:00).

There is a two-stage application process for applications:

• The first step is to submit an Expression of Interest. To access the Expression of Interest online form, groups must complete the relevant Eligibility Checker. 

• Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full application.

From 2026-27, board meetings will be held every four months (October, February and June).

Applications are only accepted via the website.

Contact the James Tudor Foundation for further information - James Tudor Foundation | What we fund

Coastal Foundation Fund Accepting Applications for 2026 Funding Round

Sea Changers is offering grants of up to £2500 for community groups and other not-for-profit organisations to help prevent negative impacts on UK coastal and marine environments and species by reducing marine litter through the provision of well-located coastal water fountains that will significantly reduce the use of non-reusable plastic drinks bottles.

The Coastal Fountain Fund will support groups to cover the cost of purchasing a water fountain unit for installation in a busy or environmentally important coastal location. Priority will be given to new applicants who have not previously received funding.

Funding is only for the cost of purchasing a water fountain. Installation or maintenance costs will not be considered.

The deadline for applications is 28 February 2026. For more information, please visit Coastal Fountain Fund 2026 | Sea-Changers

Funding for UK Charities to Support STEM Projects in 2026

The Ironmongers’ Foundation offers grants of up to £10,000 to support initiatives that encourage young people aged 11 to 18 from disadvantaged backgrounds to study science subjects at school and go on to pursue STEM-related further education or vocational training, particularly in the area of Materials Science.

The Foundation considers Materials Science to be science applied to understanding the production, properties and engineering applications of materials. This may be considered from the perspective of physics, chemistry, mathematics or vocational studies.  

Applications are accepted from registered or exempt charities in the UK. Projects involving corporate partners must have charitable purposes and be for public benefit, not private gain.

The funding is for activities that:

• Are additional to those funded by government or other sources e.g. covered by school budgets.

• Are within the UK, with a preference for urban areas outside London and particularly areas in the north and midlands with a manufacturing presence.

• Have clear objectives and measurable outcomes, providing repeat engagement and focusing on how they will enhance the Science Capital of young learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. A written evaluation report demonstrating how impact has been measured must be provided on completion.

The Foundation prefers to support smaller projects where it is the sole funder or its contribution makes a real difference.  

Applications will not be accepted from schools.  

Applications are considered three times a year.  

Applications will next open in January 2026 with a deadline of 1 April 2026. For more information, please visit STEM Projects | Ironmongers' Company

Applications to Support ACE Mental Health Projects to Open in Early January

UK registered charities seeking funding for projects that help children and young people recover from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), plus support parents affected by ACEs, mental illness or addiction can apply for grants of up to £25,000 from early January 2026.

Application will be considered from UK-registered healthcare charities with an annual income below £20 million and at least five years’ audited or independently examined accounts. Charities can be either regionally or nationally based.

Projects should be evidence-based, trauma-informed interventions that will overcome and prevent ACEs. The programme supports children and young people affected by ACEs, plus parents (to help break the cycle of trauma across generations):

• Children and young people

• Only charities that have a specialist, single focus on one or more of the following are supported: childhood sexual abuse; living in a household where there is domestic violence, and/or physical and/or emotional neglect; living with a parent who has a mental illness and/or substance abuse.

• Parental support

• Specialist charities that solely focus on supporting parents and complex family challenges by delivering: help for parents to confront their own ACEs and help to break the intergenerational cycle of trauma and abuse; and help for families where a parent or caregiver has a mental illness or substance addiction (and is at risk of harming their children). 

The funding is flexible, designed to contribute towards overall service delivery. However, grants can also be made for a specific project.

Applications open 5 January 2026 with a deadline of 6 February 2026. For more information, please visit Mental Health Support Grant | James Tudor Foundation

Grow Wild Community Programme Opens Applications for 2026 Projects

The Grow Wild Community Programme is offering around 23 grants of up to £2,000 to not-for-profit groups across the UK to transform urban spaces for the benefit of people and wildlife through planting and championing UK native plants or fungi.

Projects should enhance the biodiversity of the urban space with planting and growing as a core activity, be led by groups who care about the environment and will use sustainable materials and practices and have the potential to reach at least 300 people.

In addition, projects need to work with one or more of Grow Wild’s target audience:

• Young people aged 12-25.

• People experiencing some disadvantage or reduced access to services.

• People who are less engaged with others in their local community.

• People who face barriers to connecting with nature.

• Disabled people.

The grant can cover 100% of project specific costs, including seeds plants, soil, materials, events, workshop charges, specialist experts and contractor costs.

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations in the UK, including:

• Constituted voluntary/community organisations, groups or clubs. 

• Charities

• Not-for-profit companies

• Community Interest Companies (CICs)

• Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIOs)

• Community Benefit Societies

Grants of £2,000 are available and must be spent by the end of October 2026. There is also an opportunity for groups to apply for a £500 follow-on grant for spring 2027, to help support ongoing activities. 

The deadline for application is 4 February 2026. For more information please visit Community Programme | Grow Wild | Kew

Crest Awards Engage Grants Open for Applications 6 January 2026

Grants are available twice a year for UK schools in challenging circumstances to run CREST Awards with students (aged 3 to 19 years) who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

CREST Awards aim to inspire children and young people to think and behave like scientists and engineers. It is the British Science Association’s (BSA) flagship education programme for student-led project work in STEM. Once students complete CREST projects, they are recognised with a CREST Award certificate from the BSA.

A grant of £350 is available for schools to run CREST awards which can be spent on materials, equipment, a field trip, teacher CPD, etc. In addition, awardees will also receive up to £350 CREST Awards for free.

The funding is only available for ‘school’ settings. This includes schools; colleges; Ofsted-registered early years settings; nurseries; and preschools.

Applicants need to meet at least one of the following three criteria:

• At least 30% of pupils are eligible for free school meals or equivalent.

• At least 30% of pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds.

• Is based in a remote and rural location. 

Priority will be given to schools whose planned engagement clearly demonstrates a commitment to the following: 

• Involving and supporting children and young people eligible for pupil premium, from ethnic minority backgrounds, with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or from any other groups of young people more likely to be underrepresented in STEM.

• Supporting girls and non-binary young people to develop their STEM skills, understanding and passions. 

• Engaging children and young people with lower prior attainment or in mixed attainment science groupings, and those who would not normally choose to participate in STEM activities. 

• Activities that are cross-curricular and/or involve collaboration between science and other subject areas, particularly if it is outside STEM (e.g. history, art, music). 

• Engagement that involves whole classes or whole year groups. 

• Engagement outside of traditional science contexts like STEM clubs and lessons. 

 Applications are scheduled to open 6 January 2026 with a deadline of 3 February 2026. For more information, please visit Engage funding | CREST Awards

Tourism NI Fund Supports Large-Scale Events

Funding is available to support events in Northern Ireland which have the potential to attract out-of-state visitors and high levels of international media coverage.

The International Tourism Events Fund (ITEF) provided by Tourism Northern Ireland is inviting applications from legally constituted tourism and events organisations from across the public, private and voluntary sectors. The funding, which may be used to support the delivery of events occurring between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, covers a range of expenses, including marketing, performance, health and safety, venue, production, accreditation, training, security, evaluation and staffing.

There is a maximum funding value of 50% of eligible costs for private, public and voluntary sector events, with the maximum funding request from Tourism NI capped at £100,000. The minimum award that may be offered is £30,000.

Funding requests will be accepted with an aimed return of investment of 10:1, and events must have an overall minimum expenditure of £200,000 prior to receiving monies from Tourism NI.

The deadline for applications is 12 January 2026. For more information please visit Events Industry Support in Northern Ireland

The Bright Path Fund

Aim of the Fund

The Bright Path Fund is supported by Homewards NI and Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

The Bright Path Fund is focused on utilising the Private Rented Sector (PRS) to unlock homes for young people leaving care, alongside the provision of tenancy and mental health & wellbeing support. The Fund will be delivered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, in support of housing projects within The Royal Foundation’s Homewards programme.

In this phase, the fund will seek to support a pilot project across Northern Ireland which is sustainable, scalable, and inspirational for third parties to adopt.

The fund is focused on care-experienced young people aged 17-21 with low support needs.

This pilot will act as a diversionary housing pathway for this cohort who are either aging out of care or those whose return to family has broken down post leaving care.

The fund (£620,000) is available to deliver both accommodation provision and support provision. We expect the funding to deliver a minimum of 30 units in year one and a minimum of 50 units in year two. For applications, we are seeking a lead provider, although consortium models are welcomed.

For more information, please visit The Bright Path Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland

Closing date is 26th January 2026

Support While Waiting Grant Scheme 2025/2026

The purpose of the Support While Waiting Grant Scheme is to provide meaningful, community-based support to individuals while they await treatment on Health and Social Care (HSC) waiting lists.

It is intended that it will help to maintain or improve people’s health and wellbeing during extended waiting periods by funding projects that offer practical assistance, mental health support, and which encourage self-management.

It will also contribute to building capacity within the voluntary and community sector to deliver high-quality support programmes, aiming to ease pressure on statutory HSC services, consistent with the principles of the Neighbourhood Model of Care within the HSC Reset Plan.

Available Funding 2025/26

The Department will provide a funding pot of £0.5m to the Support While Waiting Grant Scheme.

Voluntary and community sector organisations will be eligible to apply for grants between £5,000 and £30,000 to deliver programmes that support individuals on HSC waiting lists.

Applicants may only submit one application to the Support While Waiting Grant Scheme.

Funding is a one-off payment which will be awarded by the end of March 2026 and programmes should start as soon as feasibly possible thereafter. All funds must be fully spent and activity completed by 31 March 2027. Recipients must notify the Department as soon as any underspend is identified, and all underspend must be repaid to the Department no later than 31 March 2027.

Applicants must also confirm that the funding requested does not duplicate any other sources of funding already secured for the same purpose.

To be eligible for funding, an organisation must meet the following requirements:

Applicants must:

i.   Be a voluntary or community sector organisation* operating in Northern Ireland. (*Community Interest Companies (CICs) are not eligible to apply)

ii.  Demonstrate a track record in delivering health, wellbeing, or social support programmes.

iii. Propose a project that directly supports individuals currently on HSC waiting lists 
(inpatient, daycase, outpatient) in Northern Ireland with the aim of optimising their health, wellbeing, or daily functioning during the wait.

iv. Confirm appropriate governance as follows:

a) Legal Status and Governance

• Be an independent, not-for-profit organisation with a clear constitution or rules that set out its aims, objectives, and how it operates. It must be bona fide, self-governing, and not controlled by any for-profit body.

• Key policies/governance in place (e.g. safeguarding, current Access NI checks, equality, health & safety, complaints).

b) Financial Management

• A bank account in the organisation’s name.

• Annual accounts and appropriate financial controls to manage and report on grant funding.

c) Risk & Assurance

• Appropriate insurance cover.

d) Capability to Deliver

• Experience of providing health, wellbeing or social support services.

• Systems for monitoring outcomes and reporting to funders.

Funded programmes must demonstrate how they meet the following requirements:

(a) Target Group

• Participants must be currently on an HSC waiting lists for inpatient, outpatient, or daycase treatment.

• Applicants must clearly state how individuals on waiting lists will be identified and engaged. Acceptable methods include:

  • Referral partnerships with HSC Trusts or GPs

  • Verification through appointment/waiting list letters

  • Self-declaration processes supported by appropriate checks

(b) Free at Point of Access

• All sessions and activities must be free for participants.

(c) Accessible Delivery

• Sessions should be designed to reduce barriers to participation (e.g. accessible venues, online/hybrid delivery options, consideration of transport costs).

(d) Person-Centred Practical Support

• Projects should provide support that helps participants maintain or improve their health and wellbeing while waiting. Examples include:

  • Physical activity and mobility programmes

  • Nutrition and healthy lifestyle support

  • Pain management or condition-specific self-care

  • Mental health support and stress reduction

  • Peer support groups and social connection

(e) Accessibility, Inclusivity and Safety

• Projects must be accessible and inclusive for participants with diverse needs (disabilities, language needs, carers, families).

• Safeguarding policies and risk assessments must be in place.

• Projects should actively work to reduce health inequalities and promote equality of opportunity.

The following costs are eligible:

• Volunteer expenses

• Up to 25% of a permanent member of staff’s annual salary, where the cost is directly attributable to the delivery of the proposed programme

• Session costs for qualified practitioners and/or therapists

• Materials and resources required for programme delivery

• Reasonable overheads– capped at 10% of total grant

• Venue hire for programme delivery

• Direct cost of marketing, promotional, educational or awareness activity (leaflets, posters, etc) provided this is proportionate and targeted. 

The grant cannot be used to fund:

• Capital costs, such as building purchase, construction or major refurbishment

• Property running costs, e.g. rent and rates

• Salary costs already supported through other grants or funding sources

• Costs incurred before the grant award letter is issued (retrospective costs)

• Alcohol, cigarettes or other substances or activities considered harmful to health

• Gifts or entertainment

• Costs not clearly linked to supporting individuals on waiting lists

• Loan repayments of debt servicing 

The Department is now seeking applications for funding. The Grant Scheme will open on 4 December 2025 and close at noon on 30 January 2026.

For a further overview of the Scheme, please click on the link to the FAQ document below.

Support While Waiting Grant Scheme FAQ document

The application form and guidance are available by clicking below:

Application form and guidance for grants from £5,000 - £30,000

Please read the application guidance carefully before starting an application.

You may email a completed application form to:

WaitingWell@health-ni.gov.uk

Completed paper application forms can be posted to:

Support While Waiting Grant Scheme
Floor D1
Castle Buildings
Stormont Estate
BT4 3SQ

Completed forms must be received electronically or via post prior to the application deadline of 12pm on Friday 30January 2026.

Late applications will not be accepted.
 

Funding for Children Experiencing Disadvantage to Take a UK Holiday in 2026

This grants programme helps to provide opportunities for children aged 13 years or younger who face financial hardship, systemic inequity or disability to go on a short recreational holiday or outing they would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. Priority is given to fun and new experiences, such as camping, adventure activities, or visits to the seaside. Trips must take place within the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands.

Youth groups and UK based non-profits with an organisational income below £2 million and schools in the UK can apply for a one-off grant of between £500 and £3,000 (an increase of £250 for 2026) to support a day trip or a longer residential of up to a week for groups of children aged 13 years or younger.

Trips should be to low-cost places. Trips to high-cost places such as expensive theme parks, musicals or sporting events will not be considered as the funder wishes to support as many applications as possible. The average cost per child per day in 2025 was £64, though higher costs will be covered for groups with children who need additional support to meet their additional needs.

Applications should be received at least six weeks before the date of the trip.

This fund is open for applications three times a year and applications are accepted based on when the trip is happening.

Applications for trips between 12 January and 30 April 2026 open 1 December 2025 and close 10 March 2026. For more information, please visit Holiday grants - Henry Smith

New Fund to Support Youth Organising Across the UK Launches in December 2025

Alliance for Youth Organising is launching the Anchor Grants Fund, offering unrestricted funding for organisations across the UK working to support youth organising to strengthen, sustain, and expand their core work and build youth power.  

The Anchor Grants Fund will support organisations that already have a track record of supporting youth organising and do one or more of the following:

• Provide training, coaching, or capacity building, specifically for youth organising groups.

• Run organising and/or political education training programmes, or leadership development specifically for young organisers or activists.

• Offer resources, advice, guidance, tools, or platforms that strengthen youth organising capacity or help new groups to be established.

• Facilitate networks or coalitions that connect and strengthen youth organising.

• Provide legal, communications, or other specialist support services to young organisers.

• Offer fiscal sponsorship, incubation, or infrastructure support for young organisers.

Priority will be given to:

• Youth-led organisations.

• Supporting organising in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, or in rural areas or small towns in England.

• Supporting organising led by young people from marginalised and minoritised communities.

• Supporting youth organising that strengthens international solidarity and learning from outside the UK (although funding is for UK-based organisations only).

• Supporting organisations that engage young people who are new to organising.

Grants of up to £40,000 per year for two years are available. Successful applicants will also receive an additional £5,000 to support learning and to provide strategic insight into the Alliance to shape its future strategy.

Applications will be accepted between 1 December 2025 and 26 January 2026.

For more information please visit Core Fund