Funding for Smaller UK Charities Providing Health and Care Services

The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust is accepting applications through its Ann Rylands Small Donations Programme, which supports smaller charities working to improve health and care provision.

Unrestricted grants of up to £5,000 are available. They may support core costs or a specific project, but cannot be used for research. Applicants are asked not to request a particular amount. Trustees will decide awards according to available resources and the suitability of the proposed work. Typical grants are between £2,000 and £3,000.

The funding is for::

• Improved quality of life for older people through health and care

• Improved quality of life for people with disabilities through health and care

• Improved quality of life for people with serious illness/chronic conditions through health and care

• Improved health and care for people needing palliative and end-of-life care

• Practical and emotional support to improve the health and care for people facing challenges with mental health

Applications may be submitted by charities registered for at least three years with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

Priority is given to charities whose main activities are health-related. Applicants should demonstrate that they can deliver effective services to their beneficiaries and provide evidence that their work is needed, high quality and represents value for money.

Preference may be given to medium-sized charities with annual income between £100,000 and £2 million. Organisations should be independent and not receive a substantial proportion of their income through government or local authority contracts.

Applications can be submitted whenever the online system is open and will be considered as soon as possible, depending on the volume received.

Applications are currently open with no deadline. For more information please visit Ann Rylands Small Donations -Sir Jules Thorn Trust

Theatres Trust Accepting Applications for Round 12 of the Small Grants Fund

Grants of up to £7,500 are available for not-for-profit theatres across the UK to deliver small essential works to improve a theatre's resilience, sustainability or accessibility, or to improve the diversity of audiences.

The Theatre Trust, supported by the Lindury Trust, will support small capital improvements and repairs, such as:

• Improvements and repairs to building fabric.

• Purchase of key plant and machinery.

• Purchase of capital items that improve physical access and the audience/participant experience.

• Purchase of equipment to improve digital access.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have a bona fide UK charitable or not-for-profit legal structure and be able to provide audited accounts for at least two years.

• Own or manage theatres with titles or signed leases of five years on buildings in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. 

• Be open and running a year-round, public programme of live performance, of no less than 30 performances a year of theatre, dance, comedy, or musicals.

• Have the property owner's permission to do the required work.

Priority will be given to improvements to buildings that protect theatre use and remove barriers to participation and attendance, and to projects where total project costs are less than £250,000 or where the grant is the sole external funder and/or is achievable within the total fund awarded.

The deadline for applications is 25 January 2027. For more information, please visit Small Grants Programme supported by The Linbury Trust

Community energy funding opportunity

Great British Energy (GBE) has launched a new £20 million Community Fund to support community owned clean energy projects in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

GBE Community Fund | Great British Energy  - the fund will help eligible community organisations test, develop and build community owned clean energy assets, with projects required to demonstrate community ownership and local retention of project benefits.

Funding is available across three stages of project development:

·      Stage 1 – Feasibility: up to £40,000
·      Stage 2 – Development: up to £100,000
·      Stage 3 – Capital: up to £3 million, capped at 50% of total project costs.

The current application window closes on 12-Nov-26 at 11:55pm. Further information is available on GBE Community Fund | Great British Energy

Connect Fund to offer up to £500k for Northern Ireland and GB voluntary and community groups

Applications for next round of grant scheme open at the start of November. Connect Fund is now in its third year and has already awarded £1.05m to 46 projects.

Belfast performing arts group welcomes new opportunities thanks to funding.

A fund described by a Belfast community group as offering a “lifeline to deepen relationships” will soon reopen for applications with a total of £500,000 on offer, as the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) prepares to launch the third round of its Connect Fund grant programme.

The Connect Fund strengthens collaboration between community and voluntary groups across the east and west of the UK, and has so far awarded over £1m to 46 projects across Northern Ireland and Great Britain. It funds projects that tackle shared challenges across the UK, bringing community and voluntary groups together to build long-lasting UK-wide partnerships. 

Minister for Northern Ireland Sarah Owen visited Belfast performance art group and Connect Fund recipient Bbeyond, to see the positive impact of the funding on the ground. The group has formed the NI-GB Performance Art Network in partnership with TactileBosch in Wales, the Belfast School of Art, and the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury. The project will help Northern Ireland performance artists engage with the wider UK creative landscape, developing leadership skills and cultural understanding. 

Minister Owen said:

“Bbeyond’s exciting plans to support Northern Ireland performance artists highlight the Connect Fund’s creativity and diversity.

“While strengthening relationships between community and voluntary groups in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, the Connect Fund has supported a variety of innovative schemes.

“I encourage local groups with proposals to build East-West relationships to apply for the next funding opportunity when it opens in November.”

Bbeyond Programme Manager Bronagh Lawson said: 

“Personal and organisational connections outside of Northern Ireland are vital for the arts.

“The Connect Fund has been a lifeline to deepen relationships, forge new connections and bring real opportunities to our members. 

“East-West understanding has started to open up, and when artists get together you can be sure the result will be well beyond your original predicted outcome!”

Over the last two years, Connect Fund grants have enriched community and voluntary organisations, enabling them to stage theatre production tours and musical performances, host cross-Nation summits and leadership forums, and launch youth programmes.

Successful applicants have strengthened East-West connections by developing civic relationships; supporting the development of links based around culture, sports and people; building leadership capability; and facilitating constructive dialogue on opportunities and challenges facing UK communities. 

Previous successful applications and their partner organisations were located across the UK.

Round 3 of the Connect Fund will open for applications at  https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/  from 00.01 on November 2 2026 until 17:00 on December 18 2026.

Each applicant can bid for between £300 and £50,000 to deliver their project, and return applicants are welcome to apply, with project delivery running from April 1 2027 to March 31 2028. 

Alec Dickson Trust

We support young people who, through volunteering or community service, aim to enhance the lives of others, particularly those most marginalised by society.

We’re looking for projects that identify a specific need, and propose to carry out activities that will clearly help to address this need. We’re particularly interested in projects that will. have a deep and meaningful effect on those it reaches, as well as projects that are as long lasting and sustainable as possible.

Ultimately we’re looking for youth volunteering projects that help to improve communities.

The fund closes on 4th October 2026 at 5pm.

Further information available here

Henry Smith Foundation: Domestic Abuse Counselling Fund

Through this fund, we want to help sustain access to specialist domestic abuse counselling. We will provide five-year grants to organisations that have a deep understanding of domestic abuse and the needs of victim-survivors, enabling them to continue providing counselling that helps people recover and rebuild their lives.

Expressions of Interest open today, 23 September 2026.  The deadline to submit your EOI is Wednesday 21 October at 5pm.

Further information available here

Kelly Family Charitable Trust

The Trust favour charities whose activities involve all or most family members where possible, in initiatives that support and encourage the family to work as a cohesive unit in tackling problems that face one or more of its members. The objective is to reinforce the benefit and support that family members as a unit can give to each other.

The three areas of activity that the charity wishes to support are:

• Interventions that support families and help them in ways that prevent the fracture of the family unit, eg practical family support, relationship counselling, mediation

• Families where sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, alcohol abuse and drug abuse threaten the integrity of the family unit

• Prisoners and in particular their families, during and after the period of imprisonment

Applications must be submitted by 1st March

Further information available here

Funding Futures: Exciting new funding opportunity for young social entrepreneurs

Know someone aged 16-30 who wants to help create a fairer future?

UnLtd's Funding Futures Programme offers up to £18,000 of funding for young social entrepreneurs tackling financial exclusion and fighting poverty in their communities.

Whether they're at ideas stage or already making impact, we're looking for founders who want to create opportunities for those who would otherwise be left behind. This might mean:

• Helping people from marginalised communities gain new skills so they can find better jobs.

• Finding new ways to support people struggling with debt.

• Improving digital literacy for vulnerable people and those facing language barriers, helping them protect themselves from fraud and financial exploitation.

• Helping school leavers in deprived areas find pathways into meaningful work.

... but that's just a start. We want to hear from anyone aged 16-30 with practical, sustainable plans to boost financial resilience in marginalised communities and build a fairer future.

Award winners will benefit from personalised support, peer learning, expert advice and practical workshops and residentials to help them grow their social enterprise, reach more people and build lasting impact.

Applications open from October 1. Apply via the UnLtd website.

Sign up to one of our information sessions on Tuesday 13th October or Tuesday 3rd November

Funds open for applications

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland are pleased to announce the following funds are opened for applications:

• Carn Hill Community Benefit Fund

• Cloonty Community Benefit Fund  

• Dunmore Community Benefit Fund

• Dunbeg Community Benefit Fund

• Corby Knowe Community Benefit Fund

• Monnaboy Community Benefit Fund

• Corlacky Community Benefit Fund
  
  You can find details of these, along with all other Community Foundation funds currently open for application, at the link below:
  
  https://communityfoundationni.org/achieving-impact/available-grants/.   

The Foyle Foundation Fund

Purpose of the Fund:

The Foyle Foundation was formed to implement the will of the late Christina Foyle. She was the daughter of William Foyle who, with his brother, founded the former family-owned bookshop Foyles in Charing Cross Road, London.

The Foundation completed its grant giving programme at the end of 2025, marking 25 years of giving to the fields of the arts, learning, community small grants, state school libraries and health.

The Foyle Foundation has appointed the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland to deliver a final small grants fund on its behalf for community organisations in Northern Ireland.

The fund aims to support ‘projects which generate income or cost savings, contributing to financial sustainability’.

Eligibility:

We recognise that this fund has a broad aim, and we have kept it as such to maximise flexibility for applicants and to enable you to shape proposals to your specific organisational priorities & opportunities.

However, to keep the process manageable we have agreed the following eligibility criterion for potential applicants.

We will not consider applications from sports clubs, CICs, Parent Teacher Associations or organisations with an annual income (in your most recent annual accounts) of more than £300,000.

In addition, you should be able to spend your grant within 12 months of award i.e. by end December 2027.

Priorities:

We will prioritise applications which clearly demonstrate how the funding requested will support income generation and/or generate future cost savings, and which make the strongest return on investment cases.

We will prioritise applications which most clearly demonstrate how the funding requested will support future financial sustainability.

In the event of oversubscription, we will prioritise strong applications from organisations with an annual income of less than £150,000.

By way of example your proposal could focus on:

• The development of fee earning services;

• Generating income through renting out space within your premises;

• Reducing your running costs through energy efficiency improvements or other measures;

• The development of a social enterprise business plan/activities.

Amount of funding available:

You can apply for up to £5,000.

We anticipate making approximately 40 awards.

Closing date - 16th November 2026

For more information please visit The Foyle Foundation Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland

Corlacky Community Benefit Fund

The fund’s aim is to provide financial support towards the development of locally beneficial community-based projects and initiatives within a 7km radius of Corlacky Wind Farm.

Applications are invited from charities and community organisations based within a 7km radius of the Corlacky Wind Farm site. 

Applicants can apply for financial support for any one or more of the following purposes:

• The advancement of education; and/or

• The advancement of environmental protection or improvement; and/or

• Projects for environmental and/or biodiversity benefit; and/or

• Improving the health of residents; and/or

• Promoting care & support of vulnerable people; and/or

• Promoting recreational or sporting activities; and/or The advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science;

• and/or Improving or maintaining community buildings or facilities; and/or Social and local community development; and/or

• The promotion of culture and knowledge; and/or

• Support for young people and sports; and/or

• Promoting ERG’s culture and sustainability of renewable energies; and/or

• Supporting social development leveraging on ERG’s business activities; and/or

• Supporting the “call of ideas” for the innovation in the nearby areas; and/or

• Education in relation to sustainability, the development of renewables, and the fight against climate change.

Priority will be given to:

• Education programmes for the next generation on the topics of Sustainability and Renewable Energy

• Collaborative projects

• Projects that aim to improve the health of residents, particularly mental health

• Projects that promote care & support of vulnerable people, particularly relating to the cost of living/fuel poverty

Amount of funding available: Grants up to £3,000

Closing date for applications: 8th October 2026

For more information please visit Corlacky Community Benefit Fund  - Community Foundation Northern Ireland

Heart of the Community Fund

Applications are now open for the Heart of the Community Fund | Arts and Culture grant round, supporting arts organisations and community-based arts programmes across the island of Ireland.

For this grant round, we will accept applications from organisations on the island of Ireland working in two areas:

(i) Arts and Culture Organisations

(ii) Community Organisations with Arts-based Programmes

Arts and Culture Organisations: This funding strand is intended for organisations that work in the promotion, preservation, and development of all art forms. Organisations applying under this stream may apply for core funding to support their ongoing activities and operations.

Community Organisations with Arts-based Programmes: This funding strand is intended for organisations seeking grants for a community-based arts project. Applicants must provide details of how the funding will be used, and all expenditure must relate directly to the programme or project for which funding is requested.

For more information, please visit Heart of the Community Fund - Ireland Funds

Round 2 of the 2026 Community Awards is now open for applications!

The Community Awards are part of Belfast Harbour’s ongoing commitment to advance prosperity and create vibrant places and communities by supporting the work of grassroots and charitable organisations across Northern Ireland.

Entries are now open for the second round of the awards, offering eligible groups and organisations individual grants of up to £5,000.

Details on applications and entry criteria are available by clicking on the guidelines below.

To submit your entry please click HERE

Deadline for applications is Friday, September 25th at 5pm

For more information please visit Belfast Harbour | Community Awards

Belfast City Airport Community Fund now open

Belfast City Airport's Community Fund is now open for applications.

Grants of £1,000 to £5,000 are available for local community projects across Greater Belfast and North Down, alongside a new £10,000 Environmental Grant for biodiversity and sustainability initiatives. 

Further information and application details can be found here: https://www.belfastcityairport.com/Sustainability/Our-Community

Get to Know: The National Lottery Heritage Fund

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is hosting a series of free ‘Get to Know Us’ events in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area.

These are designed for groups and organisations who might think heritage isn’t for them and have never applied for The National Lottery Heritage Fund before.

No prior heritage experience is needed! Community groups, charities, voluntary organisations and other constituted associations who may be interested in exploring how heritage projects can benefit their communities are encouraged to come along.

These friendly, informal sessions will introduce attendees to the wide range of heritage we support, the types of projects and organisations that can receive funding, available grant opportunities and practical tips for developing a heritage project idea.

Events will take place in the following areas:

• Dromore Town Hall, Dromore, 8 October 2026, 7-8.30pm (sign up via Ticketsource here)

• Tommy Makem Arts and Community Centre, Keady, 12 October 2026, 7-8.30pm (sign up via Ticketsource here)

• Millennium Court, Portadown, 20 October 2026, 7-8.30pm (sign up via Ticketsource here)

If you’d like to attend, it’s essential that you sign up in advance via Ticketsource to secure your place. Each event is limited to 30 people. To sign up, please use the above links for your chosen date.

The Heritage Fund hope that you can join them and look forward to welcoming organisations to the event.

Phoenix Community Fund Offers Small Grants for Local Projects in Northern Ireland

Phoenix Energy has opened applications to its Phoenix Community Fund, which provides small grants for local events and activities in Northern Ireland.

The scheme offers grants of up to £500 to support inclusive local projects and activities that are open to a cross section of the community.

The funding aims to support activities that reduce social isolation and barriers to inclusion, promote equality in the community and assist biodiversity groups and organisations seeking to enhance local biodiversity and environmental impact.

Applications are accepted from community organisations based within the Phoenix Energy licence area of Northern Ireland. To be eligible, applicants must hold a bank account registered in the community organisation's name.

Support can be used towards the delivery of local activities and projects that align with the programme's objectives.

Applications must be submitted in sufficient time to ensure that supported projects can take place by 1 March 2027. For more information, please visit The Phoenix Community Fund | Phoenix Energy

Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Grants Programme Accepting Applications for Autumn 2026 Funding Round

Kellogg's, in partnership with Forever Manchester, is accepting applications for the Breakfast Club Grants Programme.

Grants of up to £1,000 are available for state schools across the UK to help fund breakfast clubs aimed at pupils between reception class and year 13 to ensure that those who need it most receive a morning meal.

Priority will be given to schools that either:

• Have 35% and above of children eligible for pupil premium funding (for England) and eligible for free school meals (Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales); or

• Are based in an area which is classified as falling in the 10% of most deprived areas (30% for secondary schools) according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Funding can be used for costs associated with project delivery. For example, this could include food, staffing costs, or items like play or kitchen equipment.

Only one grant per school in each academic year is available. A limited number of grants are available, and the fund may close at short notice if oversubscribed. Non-state schools are not eligible to apply.

Applications can be submitted at any time. For more information please visit Grants For Schools | Kellogg's

Beyond the Bin Fund Set to Reopen for UK Cup Recycling

The Beyond the Bin Fund is expected to reopen shortly, offering grant support for projects that increase the recycling or reuse of on-the-go paper cups in the UK. The Fund is delivered through the National Cup Recycling Scheme (NCRS), which is administered by Valpak.

Grants of up to £50,000 will be available for projects developing solutions to improve paper cup recyclability and recovery. Supported activity can include awareness campaigns designed to increase recycling rates, improvements to collection and recycling infrastructure and research aimed at tackling key technical or operational barriers.

The Fund is open to a wide range of UK based applicants. Eligible organisations include businesses and brands such as coffee chains, retailers and venues, as well as local authorities and councils, universities and research institutions, startups and social enterprises. Partnerships and collaborations may also apply, provided one organisation is identified as the lead applicant.

Grant money can be used to cover staff time and other project delivery costs. Eligible expenditure includes project materials and equipment, communications, venue or travel expenses, data and evaluation, professional fees and reasonable project-related overheads.

Further information about the next round is expected to be confirmed imminently. For more information please visit Beyond the Bin Fund | Recycling Paper Cups

Foras na Gaeilge Colmcille Small Grants Scheme Opens for Applications in Ireland

Foras na Gaeilge is inviting applications to the Colmcille Small Grant Scheme, which provides grants to support research and planning for joint Gaelic language projects and partnerships between Ireland and Scotland.

Colmcille is a partnership between Foras na Gaeilge in Ireland and Bòrd na Gàidhlig in Scotland. Its aim is to promote interaction and cooperation between speakers of Irish and Scottish Gaelic and strengthen the two language communities.

The Small Grant Scheme supports the research, development and planning needed to establish joint initiatives.

The maximum grant available under the scheme is £1,750.

Applications are accepted from eligible organisations based on the island of Ireland that can promote relationships between Irish and Scottish Gaelic language communities and that have the required documentation in place. Organisations in Scotland can access support for Colmcille activity through Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Eligible costs include research, partnership planning, language use plans, workshops and training, with necessary travel, accommodation and subsistence supported subject to prior agreement.

The deadline for applications is 18 December 2026. For more information please visit Funding Schemes - Foras Na Gaeilge

Asda Foundation’s Foodbank Fundamental Fund Opens with Short Application Window

Groups in the UK who distribute food and other essential items for disadvantaged members of the local community have two weeks to apply for a grant of up to £1,000.

The funding is for groups whose core focus is providing food aid to their service users, for example, food banks, community pantries, social supermarkets, soup kitchens, breakfast clubs. (Please note that any group that does not already offer a food provision as its core purpose may not apply for this grant.)

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be not-for-profit.

• Have an annual income below £250,000.

• Have governing documents.

• Have a safeguarding policy.

• Have a bank account (that accepts cheques) in the group's name and be able to provide proof.

The grants can only be used for:

• Essential food (including baby food/formula).

• Basic hygiene items (including toiletries, nappies and baby wipes).

• White goods (eg, fridge, freezer).

• Storage and essential fixtures/fittings (containers, shelving).

• Fuel costs for delivering food provisions to isolated members of the community.

Applicants are advised to apply early as the scheme may close early if a high volume of applications is received.

In addition, if certain geographical areas are oversubscribed, they may close before the full grant programme does.

Applications accepted from 8 September to 22 September 2026. For more information please visit Foodbank Fundamentals Fund | Asda Foundation