Henry Smith Foundation Announces New Maternity Equity Fund for UK

The new Maternity Equity Fund will open for expressions of interest on 3 September 2026.

The Fund focuses on reducing avoidable harm and unfair maternity inequities during pregnancy and birth, with an emphasis on preventative, community-based support before issues escalate. While postnatal support may be part of an organisation's wider work, any award from this round must be used for preventative project costs only.

Grants totalling £185,000 are available across the round. Each award is structured as £61,600 in year one and £61,700 in years two and three. The Foundation expects to make around 35 awards. Recipients must allocate at least £2,500 to £5,000 of their grant each year to staff wellbeing, depending on the size of the organisation.

Eligible applicants include UK-registered charities and Charitable Incorporated Organisations, Community Interest Companies that are not-for-profit with an asset lock, and other not-for-profit charitable organisations whose work aligns with the Foundation's strategy. Applicants must have an annual income between £20,000 and £1.5 million, based on their most recent published accounts.

Projects must take place in the UK and focus on communities experiencing the greatest maternity inequities, including marginalised communities and communities in areas of highest deprivation, including rural areas. Applicants must also demonstrate experience of supporting communities affected by maternity inequity, with appropriate safeguarding, community trust, lived experience involvement and an understanding of trauma-informed and culturally-safe support. Partnership applications are welcome.

The flexible funding can be used to support delivery costs, staffing, supervision, training, wellbeing support, community engagement and other costs directly related to the work.

A live webinar will be held on 2 September 2026 (13:30 to 14:30). Registration is required and can be done via the Henry Smith Foundation website.

All the relevant documents are available now on the Henry Smith Foundation website.

There is a two-stage application process.

Expressions of Interest open at 9am on 3 September 2026 and close 14 October 2026 (17:00). For more information, please visit Maternity Equity - Henry Smith

Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund to Continue and Reopen in Late September

The Museums Association, which runs the Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund, has recently announced that the fund has been renewed for the next three years.

The fund is open to all Museums Association institutional member museums and galleries in the UK and supports work by museums and community organisations to strengthen communities, using collections.

The key points of the 19 August announcement are:

• There will continue to be two rounds of funding per year in 2027, 2028 and 2029. 

• The renewed criteria and guidance will be published and the fund will open for applications in the week commencing 28 September 2026.

• The overall purpose of the Communities and Collections Fund will be consistent with 2025-26.

• The Fund will still offer core grants and partnership project grants. Additional guidance will make it clearer what the funder is seeking in each type of grant application.

• The application processes will remain the same and the grant thresholds have increased with inflation.

The fund supports inclusive and community-led collections work in museums, towards social and climate justice. A list of the June 2026 grant recipients and their projects can be found on the Museums Association website.

Applications are expected to reopen the week of 28 September 2026. For more information, please visit Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund - Museums Association

Electrical Safety Fund Invites Applications for 2026 Funding Round

Electrical Safety First is offering charities, community interest companies (CICs), trusts, and registered not-for-profit organisations across the UK grants to deliver projects and activities that contribute to a reduction in electrical risks in UK homes.

Through the Electrical Safety Fund, grants of up to £10,000 are available for projects that fall in one of the following categories:

• Improve electrical safety education.

• Raise awareness of electrical safety risks and how people can stay safe.

• Remove, repair, or replace unsafe electrical products.

• Address electrical installation safety issues.

For home repair and direct intervention projects, recipients must be owner-occupants of their residential dwelling who are unable to afford the electrical work required, which must be defined as minor, and the householders must meet one of the following criteria:

• Live with a child under five years old.

• Live alone or with others and have reached state pension age. 

• Live alone or with others and are disabled or chronically ill.

• Live with others who have reached state pension age or are chronically disabled, or are under 18 years old.

This year, priority will be given to projects that combine approaches, such as PAT testing alongside education or awareness raising, and creative or innovative ideas that go beyond standard delivery.

The deadline for applications is 27 September 2026. For more information, please visit Grants and Funding | Electrical Safety First

Henry Moore Foundation Accepting Applications for Autumn 2026 Funding Round

Henry Moore Foundation Accepting Applications for Autumn 2026 Funding Round

Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations for projects and activities that promote the growth and development of sculpture across historical, modern, and contemporary registers, and research that expands the appreciation of sculpture.

The Henry Moore Foundation offers funding in the following categories:

• New projects and commissions: Grants of up to £20,000 to encourage new thinking about sculpture or sculpture history or contribute to public awareness and appreciation of sculpture.

• Acquisitions and collections: Grants of up to £20,000 for museums and galleries to acquire or conserve sculpture for their collections, cataloguing, and display costs.

• Research and development:

• Long-term grants of up to £20,000 for projects that require funding for more than one year, such as a permanent collection catalogue.

• Small research grants of up to £2,500 for academics, curators, and independent scholars for research costs on the history and interpretation of sculpture.

• Conferences, lectures, and publications: Grants of up to £5000 to publish a new book or journal, or to stage a conference or other event related to sculpture.

There are typically four deadlines per year. This funding round is for projects starting or opening to the public, no sooner than 1 January 2027.

The next application deadline is 1 September 2026. For more information please visit Henry Moore Grants

Gardens Trust Accepting Applications for Community Grants

Grants of up to £10,000 are available for volunteer groups across the UK to help seed-fund projects that will improve, enhance, and support historic designed landscapes

The Gardens Trust's Community Grants Programme will support both capital and revenue costs related to historic designed landscape projects. Priority will be given to:

• Seed-funding or pump-priming for a sustainable activity, such as a restoration plan, Friends Group set-up costs, research project, or volunteer training schemes.

• Applications that reflect the Trust priorities around conservation, knowledge sharing, and encouraging participation and enjoyment of historic landscapes.

Preference will be given to smaller charities and projects where a grant can have more significant impact, and projects that will be sustainably completed within 18 months of the application.

The deadline for applications is 16 October 2026. For more information please visit The Gardens Trust Community Grant - The Gardens Trust

Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Teacher Development Fund to Open End of August

This annual funding programme supports the Foundation's vision of a 'more equitable school system where high-quality arts-based learning is a core part of all children's education'. 

The purpose of this fund is to support teachers to develop arts-based approaches which create equitable classrooms where all children learn and thrive. It aims to do this through supporting teachers and school leaders to develop the necessary skills, knowledge, confidence and experience.

The Fund is focused on:

• Pupils who experience systemic inequity and enabling them to access and make progress in their learning.

• Supporting arts organisations and schools working in equal partnerships to exchange and enrich their expertise.

• Recognising teachers are critical to pupils' outcomes.

• Creating high-quality inspiring professional learning for teachers.

• Enabling teachers and artist practitioners to learn and work together in the classroom.

• Building a body of evidence and practice and understanding how the work improves equity for pupils.

• Generating sustainable changes in teaching and learning in schools for the long-term.

Grants of up to £165,000 per application are available for projects that last for two academic years.

To be eligible, lead applicants must be one of the following:

• Primary schools operating in the state sector. They can be mainstream, SEND or Alternative Provision settings, working with primary-age children.

• Arts organisations can be charities, community organisations, social enterprises and not-for-profit companies active in the arts and culture sector

There is a two-stage application process.

First stage applications are to open at the end of August 2026 and close on 11 November 2026. For more information please visit Teacher Development Fund | Paul Hamlyn Foundation

Small Performing Arts Grants for UK Projects

UK registered charities or local authority-run venues, with a turnover of less than £1.5 million per annum, may apply now for grants of around £4,000 for projects that fit either of the following priorities:

• New Works in Performing Arts: the commissioning, development, production and/or performance of new works in music, theatre, dance and performance across all genres

• Artists' Professional Development: to support artists' professional development through programmes that address a clear need or gap in development.  These programmes can be aimed at early or mid-career artists, but they need to reflect current context and practices.

Preference is for smaller projects, or specific elements of projects, where a contribution can have a greater impact.

To ensure their grantmaking is spread across the UK, there is particular interest in applications from outside London and Southeast of England.

The deadline for applications is 31 August 2026. For more information please visit Welcome to The Leche Trust | The Leche Trust

Together for Families

Together for Families is a partnership model that will transform how children, young people and families are supported across Northern Ireland.  It shifts the current system from reactive, high-cost statutory intervention to earlier, community-based support so that families can access the right help at the right time, closer to home. 

Together for Families was developed under the Children’s Social Care Services Reform Programme and informed by learning from a significant Northern Ireland Lottery programme delivered between 2014 and 2021 – Reaching Out – Supporting Families(external link opens in a new window / tab) and the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services led by Professor Ray Jones which reported in June 2023. 

Why it matters

Across Northern Ireland, families are facing increasing pressures – including poverty, mental health challenges and rising demand on services.  Too often, support only arrives once problems have escalated to crisis.

At March 2025

• There were 4,188 children in care with admissions to care up by 24% since 2020/21

• There were 2,283 children on the Child Protection Register.

• It is projected that the looked after population will grow by a further 18% (around 750 children) by 2029. 

Together for Families responds by strengthening early, joined-up support that: 

• Prevents issues escalating for children and families. 

• Reduces pressure on crisis services 

• Improves long-term outcomes for children and young people 

• Delivers better value for the public purse 

What’s changing?

• £29.2 million of public-sector transformation funding working alongside £30 million of The National Lottery Community Fund investment. 

• Stronger collaboration across services, reducing fragmentation and duplication 

• A whole-family approach, recognising that children’s wellbeing is linked to the wellbeing of parents and carers 

• Learning and culture change to support long-term system transformation 

What the Programme delivers

• Strengthened Family Support Hubs – additional resource to the 29 Family Support Hubs that facilitate access to early support for families across Northern Ireland. The additional resource will enable Hubs to provide direct support to families.

• New Enhanced Family Support Service – funding from the National Lottery Community Fund will support the delivery of 15 Enhanced Family Support Projects (3 in each HSC Trust area).  These projects, delivered in partnership with the VCSE, will provide early support to families whose needs go beyond what Family Support Hubs can offer but who fall below the threshold for statutory intervention. 

• Intensive family support – support for families where children, who are already known to children’s social care services, are at risk of being taken into care or to support the safe return home of children already in care by making existing services available to more families and by implementing a regionally agreed model. 

• Family Support Services List – to support all parts of the service model by creating a menu of services operating across the full range of family need available to families who are referred to a multi-agency panel operating in each HSC Trust. 

• A model that evolves to meet need - Together for Families will be supported by a robust evaluation framework which will be put in place in the early stage of the Programme. The collection and analysis of data and a focus on the delivery of improved outcomes for children and families will be central to the Programme.  

How can I find out more?

• Arrangements are being put in place now to support delivery of Together for Families.  You can check out 'latest news' for further information and if you would like to be added to the distribution list for the Together for Families updates you can email togetherforfamilies@health-ni.gov.uk

Together for Families Webinars and Information Sessions  

W F Southall Trust Accepting Applications for Second 2026 Funding Round

Grants are available for registered charities across the UK with an annual income of less than £1 million to deliver projects and activities that align with the align with the W F Southhall Trust's key areas of interest.

Funding can be used for costs associated with work that addresses at least one of the following areas:

• Quaker Work and Witness.

• Peace and Reconciliation.

• Environmental Action and Sustainability.

• Social Action.

Priority will be given to organisations that:

• Communicate a good understanding of the issues they seek to address.

• Demonstrate how the funding will make a meaningful and, where possible, measurable contribution to change. 

• Demonstrate how they are contributing to positive change in ways that reflect an understanding of local needs and broader societal and systemic dynamics.

• Are bold, creative, and innovative in their approach to work. 

• Are involved in identifying and/or tackling the root causes of the issues that the organisation has been established to address. 

• Promote social justice, inclusion, and diversity. 

• Challenge structural inequalities and injustice.

• Demonstrate practices that reflect a commitment to redistributing power. 

• Demonstrate clear support from and engagement with the communities in which they are based and in which they operate.

Most grants awarded are for between £1,000 and £5,000. Most grants are one-off; however, multi-year grants of up to three years may be considered for organisations that the Trust has previously supported.

The deadline for applications is 11 September 2026. However, this fund may close early if oversubscribed. For more information please visit The Southall Trust – A grant-making family charitable trust

Barclays’ Female Coaches for Girls Grant Accepting UK Applications

Barclays is providing small grants again this year to get more women in the UK qualified as coaches for girls.

This fund is available to all clubs and groups that run football, cricket or tennis activities for women and/or girls who wish to get more female coaches qualified. 

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations, including community groups, youth groups, and traditional sports clubs, who are submitting on behalf of the individuals who want to undertake their coaching qualifications. Groups who have already received a grant from the Barclays Community Sport Fund can also apply.

The fund provides grants of £200 to cover the cost of a Level 1 or equivalent introductory qualification and any additional safeguarding and first aid requirements for their chosen sport. 

To be eligible for funding, the female coaches must be:

• Aged 16+ (or 18+ depending on specific course eligibility).

• Already coaching girls or would like to start.

• Part of a club or group with women and/or girls' provision where they would like to begin or continue coaching (eg, current player, parent of a player, volunteer etc).

• Ready to undertake their coaching qualification within 12 months (subject to course availability).

There is particular interest in applications from female coaches from diverse backgrounds and with lived experience, to help ensure the programme reflects the communities it serves.

Delivery of activities must be community focused. Activities can take place at school facilities. However, the funding cannot be used for coaches who are solely coaching school sessions during curriculum time or after school clubs.

The deadline for applications is 4 November 2026. For more information please visit Barclays Community Sport Fund - Sported

Want a free 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿?

Local community groups can now apply for a FREE defibrillator through the British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland!

Successful applicants will receive:

✅ A defibrillator and cabinet

✅ Installation costs covered (where needed)

✅ Free replacement parts for up to 10 years

If you're involved in a sports club, community centre, church group, social club or local organisation, I would encourage you to apply.

Every minute counts during a cardiac arrest. This simple piece of equipment could save someone's life.

🔗 Find out more and apply here: www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-free-defibrillator-for-your-community

Please share with any local groups who might benefit. #SaveALife #CommunityDefibrillators

Blue Light Card Foundation’s Workplace Wellbeing Fund Opens for Applications

This year, the Blue Light Card Foundation is offering 20 grants of £2,000 each to blue light teams across the UK to help boost their wellbeing whether on shift, on station, or at base.

The grants, which will be decided by a public vote, are intended to make a positive impact on the team's wellbeing in their workplace.

This could include:

• Refreshing a staff rest room or common space.

• Setting up a wellbeing initiative (eg, yoga or mindfulness sessions).

• Stocking a snack drawer or hydration station.

• Creating a quiet zone or garden area.

• Organising team-building or morale-boosting activities

Consideration will be given to whatever makes a positive impact on the team's wellbeing, making the team feel healthier, more connected or more supported at work.

Applications will be accepted from individuals or teams who are currently working in a blue light role. Applications must be on behalf of a team, unit or workplace group, not as an individual for personal use.

30 shortlisted ideas will go to a public vote with the 20 winners announced on 23 October 2026.

Applications will be accepted from 27 July to 7 August 2026. For more information, please visit Workplace Wellbeing Fund – Blue Light Card Foundation

Strategic Legal Fund Accepting UK Applications

The Strategic Legal Fund provides financial support for legal work in the UK that seeks to influence law, policy and practice affecting asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. The focus is on cases that extend beyond individual outcomes and contribute to wider systemic change.

The fund supports organisations and solicitors undertaking strategic legal work for individuals living in poverty who face disadvantage or discrimination linked to their immigration status. Areas covered include immigration, asylum, human rights, education, housing, welfare benefits, discrimination, access to justice and community care.

Grants of up to £30,000 are available per application, although smaller requests are encouraged. The average award ranges between £12,000 and £15,000. Funding is typically provided for up to 12 months, with most awards lasting six months or less.

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organisations and law firms offering specialist legal advice. Solicitors must demonstrate that supported work is not profit-making and includes a pro bono element.

Funding can be used for reasonable revenue costs such as staffing, volunteer expenses, travel and subcontracting. Supported activities include pre-litigation research and third-party interventions in existing cases.

The next deadlines for application are 7 September 2026 and 26 October 2026. For more information, please visit About the SLF - Strategic Legal Fund

Funding to Improve Quality of Life for People with Physical or Learning Disabilities (UK)

UK registered charities with an annual income of less than £750,000, who have been operating for at least two years, can apply for a one-off grant of between £500 and £2,500 for projects that improve the quality of life and social engagement for people with severe physical and/or learning disabilities within the UK.

This round is focused on projects that support people, particularly those with physical or learning disabilities, to access the natural world and spend time outdoors.

The funding is primarily for core operating costs rather than for a specific project; however, the latter will not be excluded.

The funding does not support organisations that operate primarily outside the UK or for the benefit of non-UK residents.

There are usually two funding rounds per year.

Applications for round two will be accepted from 1 August to 31 August 2026. For more information please visit Woodroffe Benton Foundation

Tesco Fruit and Veg Grants Accepting UK Applications

Tesco's Fruit and Veg Grants programme supports organisations working with children and young people to improve access to healthy food across the UK.

The funding is intended to help deliver activities that increase the availability of fruit and vegetables and support physical and mental wellbeing.

Grants are awarded through a customer voting process in Tesco stores. Three local projects are shortlisted at a time, with awards of up to £1,500 for the project receiving the most votes, up to £1,000 for second place and up to £500 for third place. Shortlisting takes place every four months.

The initiative is open to schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations, including voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, parish and town councils, local authorities and housing organisations. Community Interest Companies must be limited by guarantee and have been operating for at least two years.

Funding can be used for a range of activities focused on healthy eating. This includes breakfast and after-school clubs providing fruit and vegetables, holiday clubs offering healthy meals and snacks, growing projects, cooking sessions, youth clubs, sports clubs and initiatives addressing holiday hunger. Support may also be provided for foodbanks assisting families.

The programme is administered by the community charity Groundwork in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and by Greenspace Scotland in Scotland.

Applications can be made at any time during the year. For more information please visit Fruit and Veg Grants - Tesco Fundraising | Tesco PLC

National Lottery Rural Engagement Arts Programme

The purpose of the Rural Engagement Arts Programme (REAP) is to provide an integrated, cohesive approach to the needs of local rural communities while recognising some specific issues they face.

The primary theme of REAP is combatting isolation and loneliness, promoting social inclusion and to improve equality of access and opportunity to arts provision across all Section 75 groups, encouraging greater participation in the arts within all communities.

Participating in the arts, and coming together as communities, can make a vital contribution to improving health and wellbeing, building confidence, and integrating communities. The Arts Council has worked with local authority community development and arts officers to ensure that information on REAP is available and that this public funding is as widely distributed as possible.

Groups can apply for one-off projects or for a programme of events. Projects do not have to be new - existing, successful programmes which meet the strategic themes of REAP, are also eligible for support.

You can apply for an award between £500 and £10,000 for a project. Projects can last up to 1 year duration and can take place on any dates between 1 December 2026 and 30 November 2027.

The deadline for applications is Thursday 24 September 2026 at 12 noon.

For more information please visit National Lottery Rural Engagement Arts Programme | Arts Council NI

Small Eco Awards

The climate and nature emergency affects us all. But local action can make a real difference. We want to fund projects that have environmental sustainability as their main aim.

We’ll fund projects that meet at least one of our priorities:

• help people connect with and care for nature in their area

• make a positive difference to the environment

• help people tackle pollution in their communities

You can use our funding to:

• start a new activity or continue an existing one (if it meets our priorities)

• help your organisation or community (or both) adapt to new challenges

• run one-off events that have a clear environmental benefit

This funding is for projects based in one of the following countries:

• Northern Ireland

• Scotland

• Wales

For more information, please visit Small Eco Awards | The National Lottery Community Fund

The Allen Lane Foundation

The Allen Lane Foundation aims are to fund work which will make a lasting difference to people’s lives rather than simply alleviating the symptoms or current problems, is aimed at reducing isolation, stigma and discrimination, or encourages or enables groups that experience marginalisation and/or discrimination to share in the life of the whole community.

Programmes we fund:
Asylum Seeks & Refugee
Gypsy, Roma & Traveller Communities
People with Mental Health Issues
Offenders & Ex-Offenders
Older People
People affected by Violence or Abuse
Young People

Applications received by early August will be considered by board in October.

Further information available here

The Honourable The Irish Society's grant programmes are now open

The Honourable The Irish Society's grant programmes are now open for applications. You can find all of the relevant details including detailed guidance on how to apply at the Society’s website https://honourableirishsociety.org.uk/our-programmes/
 
Through our grant-making activity, the Society seeks to support projects and initiatives that contribute to thriving communities by enhancing access to early years provision; celebrating and animating our shared heritage, enhancing the natural environment in particular our waterways, and deliver lasting public benefit across our areas of operation.
 
Please note that the Society’s area of benefit is focused on:

• Derry City and Strabane District Council

• Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council

• the northern half of Mid Ulster District Council. 

Applications are invited under the Society's current grant programmes, including:

Growing Together: Supporting community and voluntary organisations delivering early years services for children and families across County Londonderry.  With a particular focus on disadvantaged communities and reconciliation through early years practice.
 
Living Heritage, Shared Futures: Supporting projects that celebrate, preserve and share the rich cultural, historical and built heritage of our communities, while encouraging participation, learning and greater understanding.
 
Living Rivers, Living Communities: Supporting initiatives that protect, enhance and promote the sustainable management of rivers, waterways and associated habitats, while creating benefits for communities and the natural environment.
 
Applications received by Monday 1 September 2026 will be considered for presentation to the Society's October 2026 Grants Committee meeting.
 
Organisations are encouraged to submit applications well in advance of the deadline to allow sufficient time for processing and assessment. We welcome applications from eligible organisations whose work aligns with the Society's charitable objectives and grant programme priorities. To find out more about the process or to view a copy of our application questions, please visit https://honourableirishsociety.org.uk/our-programmes/how-to-apply/

B&Q Foundation Offers Grants for Home Starter Kits

One-off grants are available for UK registered charities who are providing home-starter packs for people in need to move into their home.

The funding is intended for UK charities working to improve the lives of people in need by supporting projects that make homes safe, welcoming, and comfortable.

Grants support home starter kits to help individuals and families facing homelessness, domestic abuse, disabilities, illness, or financial hardship to feel more settled and supported in their living spaces.

Grants of up to £10,000 are available for kits, with a maximum allocation of £500 per kit. Kits to be delivered within 12 months.

The grants can support:

• Small electrical appliances e.g. microwaves, TV.

• White goods.

• Decoration e.g. pictures, throws, etc.

• Furniture

• Bedding

• Cleaning items, DIY tools

• Flooring, Paint

• Kitchen utensils

• Storage

• Home retailer gift cards

• Curtains/blinds

• Lighting fixtures/lamps

• Safety items, eg, smoke alarms

• Gardening tools, plants, outdoor furniture

• Basic home repair materials

• Laundry essentials, eg, drying racks, baskets.

Charities are notified on the outcome of an application by email within 12 weeks of the round closing.

The next deadline for applications is 14 August 2026. For more information please visit B&Q Foundation 2026- Home Starter Kits | Neighbourly