Grant Directories

Cycling Scotland offers a range of programmes and support, with funding from Transport Scotland, to help workplaces, schools, campuses, communities, and social housing providers across Scotland to be cycling friendly and attain nationally accredited awards. Through the Access to Bikes for Young People Funding programme, local authorities, schools, community groups and third sector organisations can apply for grants of up to £50,000 to provide children and young people with access to bikes. The Fund aims to support independent travel, reduce inequalities and improve health for disadvantaged young people, including young carers, care-experienced young people, those with disabilities, and those facing financial constraints or receiving benefits. The funding can be used to obtain new and reused bikes, including adaptive bikes, bike maintenance equipment, and cycling information boards.

Buttle UK provides funding to help children and young people in the UK living in financial hardship and dealing with multiple challenging social issues reach their potential. Through their Chances for Children Grants scheme, grants of up to £2,400 are available to registered charities, housing associations and public sector organisations to support the needs of vulnerable children and young people who have experienced a recent crisis or change in life that has had a significant and enduring impact to their social and emotional wellbeing and their educational engagement. Support might include items and activities to support learning and development such as laptops, books, wi-fi, educational toys, tuition, etc; clothing and school uniforms; and social, sporting and leisure activities; and items for children/young people’s bedrooms. Applications can be made at any time.

The Poundland Foundation is a grant making charity, whose aim is to transform communities and change lives across the UK. Through the ‘Kits for Kids’ scheme, grants of up to £750 are available to local children’s sports clubs or organisations working to improve children’s fitness and health. The scheme will award 250 grants to provide equipment and kit to help children get active again after the Coronavirus pandemic. Applications will be considered for any kind of team sport, from football to netball, hockey to volleyball. Money for the Foundation comes from in-store fundraising, carrier bag donations and micro-donations through chip and pin machines. 

The Hargreaves Foundation is a grant-making charitable foundation set up in 2020 by Peter Hargreaves and his family.  Applications are open for charities and educational institutions seeking funding to support those under the age of 18, and living with a mental health problem, physical disability or growing up in poverty through the mediums of sport and education.

Borders Radio Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

MFR Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Clyde 2 Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Clyde 1 Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Forth 2 Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Forth 1 Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Tay 2 Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Tay FM Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

West FM Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

Northsound1 Cash for Kids distributes money to registered charities, to individuals to pay for specialist equipment, to sports organisations and to specialist projects for schools & playgroups; Projects must be for the benefit of young people under the age of 18; who are disabled and have special needs or who come from underprivileged backgrounds.

UK Youth is a leading national charity committed to improving young lives.  Through the UK Youth Fund grants of up to £50,000 are available to deliver extra sessions in youth clubs and settings for young people or to enhance and expand existing sessions.

Variety is a children’s charity that aims to improve the lives of children and young people throughout the UK who are sick, disabled or disadvantaged. The Variety Great Days Out Fund provides free day trips for children which are intended to provide entertainment, fun, stimulation and variety. All events are accessible and examples of the types of place’s that are visited include: Theme Parks, Disney on Ice, Tower of London, Madame Tussauds, river trips, seaside visits, the zoo and the circus. 

Variety is a children’s charity that aims to improve the lives of children and young people throughout the UK who are sick, disabled or disadvantaged. The Variety Sunshine Coach Programme exists to enable schools and non-profit making groups and organisations catering for sick, disabled and/or disadvantaged children to obtain a Sunshine Coach. The Sunshine Coach should be used to take the children out on educational and recreational activities which would otherwise be unavailable to them. The vehicle should be in use at least 4 to 5 times per week by the applicant organisation. Four different types of coaches are available: 14-seater minibus; 17-seater minibus; 13-seater with tail lift; 17-seater with tail lift. Applicants will be required to make a donation to the Sunshine Coach Programme as part of the application.

Hays Travel Foundation was created in 2015. The foundation works with organisations that support people, who for one reason or another need help to achieve their potential. The foundations focus is on the following objectives: Education; Poverty; Health; Art’s and Culture; Sport. Support is provided to registered charities working with young people under the age of 25 in an area where Hays Travel operates.

Hostelling Scotland believe that every young person should have the opportunity to explore and experience Scotland, and to reap the benefits of a residential trip away. The Hostelling Scotland Explorer Fund aims to enable this by supporting disadvantaged young people from youth groups and schools to stay in a Hostelling Scotland youth hostel anywhere in Scotland. Groups can choose to go to any Hostelling Scotland hostel within the Hostelling Scotland network for a minimum of 1 night and a maximum of 3 nights, the grant will cover accommodation and catering costs, successful groups will be asked to pay a contribution of £100 per group. Groups should be a minimum of 10 and maximum of 30 young people.

Any sports club that is registered with its sports' National Governing body or local authority can apply for up to £2,000 for staff and or volunteers to take part in training, gain qualifications and certifications related to sport or to help with the renovation of current facilities. Previous clubs supported include a new female basketball team and a sailing club wanting to kit out its new Yeoman 20 keelboat. No preference is given to types of sport or the age of people involved with the club, but sports clubs that play an active role in the community are preferred.

Millward Charitable Trust makes grants to organisations involved with community buildings, facilities and open spaces, social welfare projects, for the performing arts, medical research and animal welfare.

The Playing Fields Legacy Fund (PFLF) provides grants to local community groups, sports clubs and charities. Applications can be made for grants towards some or all of the following types of projects with the intention of growing capacity to reach more young people: The development and improvement of playing fields and other facilities; The development and training of volunteers including the provision of qualifications; The purchase of specialist disability equipment; The development of long-term sustainability, for example marketing and finance expertise; The organising, coaching and other key operational costs of running sports activities. Grants will typically be in the range from £2.5k - £5k although a larger grant may be possible in some circumstances. Where it can be demonstrated that a grant will help unlock additional funding from other funders, this is encouraged.

The Central Social and Recreational Trust (CSRT) is a grant-giving organisation who aim to improve the conditions of life for those under the age of twenty one and of all other persons who by reasons of poverty, social and economic circumstances are unable to obtain facilities for recreational or other leisure time occupations . Funding of up to £1,000 is available to clubs/organisations which are affiliated to their governing body (such as the Amateur Boxing Association of England, National Association of Clubs for Young People etc.). Funding can be used for equipment to be used by all members, and maintenance of the property as long as it is owned by the club or has a significant lease. The majority of people who benefit from the grant must be under 21 years old.

FCC Communities Foundation is a not-for-profit business that helps benefit the lives of people who live close to landfill sites by awarding grants for community, biodiversity and heritage projects. The FCC Community Action Fund is designed to deliver amenity projects within 10 miles of a FCC Environment landfill site in FCC Communities operating area. The following types of amenity can be funded: Village Halls, community centres, public play areas. multi sport games areas, sport and recreation grounds, churches, nature reserves, public gardens and woodlands, Museums. Funding is available of between £2,000 and £100,000 for projects with a maximum total project cost of £500,000.

The Field Studies Council is an independent educational charity committed to raising awareness about the natural world. They work through a network of 17 residential and day Centres in the UK providing courses for schools and colleges at all levels in addition to adult Individuals & Families courses, outreach education, training and consultancy. The Kids Fund aims to bring environmental understanding to disadvantaged young people by attending a course at a Field Studies Council centre. It helps disadvantaged young people to attend a course who may otherwise be excluded due to some form of disadvantage - health, mobility, deprivation or financial. Funding will normally be up to 75% of the cost of your group's course to an FSC Field Centre. Applications can be submitted at any time with decisions being made in February, June and October.

BBC Children in Need Small Grants programme distributes grants of up to £10,000 to not for profit organisations such as Registered charities; Voluntary organisations; Schools ; Churches; and Community groups, etc  that work with disadvantaged children below the age of 18 living in the UK. . In particular, grants are available for projects that help children and young people of 18 years and under experiencing illness, distress, abuse or neglect; any kind of disability; behavioural or psychological difficulties; and / or living in poverty or situations of deprivation. Applications should demonstrate how your project will change the lives of children for the better.

Voluntary and community groups, schools, community and town councils and health bodies can apply for grants of between £300 and £20,000 for projects which help improve local communities and the lives of people most in need. Projects must meet at least one of their three aims: bring people together and build strong relationships in and across communities; improve the places and spaces that matter to communities; help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage. Funding is available for activities including: putting on events, activities or performances; buying equipment; running training courses; starting a new group; educational toys and games; volunteer's expenses or professional fees; transport costs and refurbishment.