Grant Directories

The London Marathon Foundation funds projects and initiatives that inspire children and adults across the UK to lead active lives. Through the Active Spaces Fund the foundation provides grants of between £10,000 and £80,000 to capital projects to help with building and renovating facilities, spaces and places for sport and physical activity which is essential to ensure that children, young people and underserved communities can lead active and healthy lives.

The CLA Charitable Trust funds charities and not-for-profit organisations in England and Wales to support projects that help disabled or disadvantaged people access the benefits of nature and the countryside. Through their funding programme, the Trust awards grants of up to £5,000 to support projects that improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people who are disabled or disadvantaged by helping them to visit and participate in recreational and educational opportunities in the countryside. Applications are particularly welcomed for projects for children and young people who are disadvantaged financially, physically, mentally, or from areas of deprivation. The funding will support projects, capital works and running costs.

Led by the Mayor of London, in partnership with the London Marathon Foundation and Sport England, Go! London provides funding to charities, community groups, and voluntary organisations delivering sport and physical activity to underserved young people in London. Through the Foundation Grants programme, grants of up to £40,000 are available to support projects that encourage children and young people aged 4-24 to take part in sport and physical activity, and improve the sustainability of the groups delivering these activities. Grants are available for a maximum of two years, with the average grant awarded between £25,000 and £30,000. Funding can support both project and core costs. Priority will be given to applications from equity-led groups, and those led by-and-for young people.

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.

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.

The Youth Hostel Association aims to help all, especially young people of limited means, to a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside. The YHA provide breaks at some of their most iconic and inspiring locations, and aims to support children who are experiencing exceptionally challenging lives and their families to access positive life changing experiences, creating memories that last a lifetime. The Family Breaks Programme will provide accommodation for a maximum of two nights and will provide breakfast and evening meal for a maximum of 2 adults their children under the age of 18. All applications must be supported by a professional, this can be a teacher, support worker, or a health or social care worker.

BlueSpark Foundation is a registered charity which supports the education and development of children and young people by providing grants for educational, cultural, sporting and other projects. Community groups, colleges and schools in England can apply for grants for relatively small-scale projects which are for the public benefit and which otherwise might not happen or would only happen on a lesser scale. In schools, the projects which are supported may relate to intra or extra-curricular activities. The foundation is particularly keen to support projects which the Trustees consider will help enhance the self-confidence, team working skills and future employability of children and young people.

The HS2 Community and Environment Fund (CEF) has been established to offset the disruption caused to local communities throughout the construction phase of HS2. The aim of the CEF is to award grants of up to £75,000 to projects that will benefit communities along the route. Supported projects could include, for example: Pedestrian, equestrian or cycle access; landscape and nature conservation / enhancement; enhancement / replacement of sports and recreational facilities; refurbishment / re-use of historic buildings and monuments. Capital and revenue costs can be funded.

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.

The National Lottery Community Fund's Youth Investment Fund will support voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) youth organisations to deliver, expand and create high quality local youth provision in targeted communities across England. Grants can fund current services and activities but priority may be given to organisations looking to expand existing services and develop new ones. Proportionate overheads are eligible, and up to £50,000 of the grant can be used to help with the refurbishment of existing youth facilities, the development of new ones, and the purchase of equipment.

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.

Essex Community Foundation (ECF) is one of 48 community foundations across the UK. Essex Community Foundation awards grants to voluntary or community groups and other not for profit organisations, which are charitable in purpose and are working for the benefit of people in Essex, Southend or Thurrock. ECF's support generally falls under the broad heading of social welfare; successful applications will demonstrate the following: A strong case for support; clear aims and objectives; wherever possible that the organisation or project is user led; that the grant will make a real difference to people within their community. ECF supports core costs / revenue costs, new or continuing projects, one-off initiatives and capital costs and particularly small, grass roots organisations.

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 Hockey Foundation primarily makes grants to a wide range of organisations that meet one of the following chosen areas of focus: Young people and hockey; Young people and sport in Milton Keynes; Enabling the development of hockey at youth or community level and Smaller Charities.
Grants can be awarded to clubs, limited companies, registered charities and other bodies however all applications must be supported by England Hockey. Awards are usually made to organisations working with young people (under 21 years old) and can be for medium to long-term projects (i.e. over one year) or for shorter-term one-off projects. A maximum limit of 3 years of support can be provided (either an instalment grant or three separate applications).

The Peter Cruddas Foundation gives priority to programmes calculated to offer disadvantaged and disengaged young people in England and Wales pathways into education, training and employment. The Foundation can only donate to registered charities in the UK for use in the UK.  Current priorities are for Charities in England and Wales.  Revenue grants will be made in three priority areas: Pathways and support for disadvantaged young people aged 16 to 30 into education, training or employment: Work experience for 16 - 30 year olds: Youth work in London particularly evening work for 16 - 30 year olds. The funding amount is discretionary and projects can be funded for more than one year, although the Foundation does not intend to continually repeat funding organisations. Deadline dates of the 1st March and 1st September have been introduced.  Charities are encouraged to apply at any time and before the twice yearly deadline dates.

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.

The William Wates Memorial Trust focuses on helping the most disadvantaged young people keep away from a life of crime and violence, and to fulfill their potential, to target sport, art and education for children aged between 5 years and 19 years old, to support charities that train the trainer so that a ‘ripple effect' of positive change can happen far beyond the grant and to target charities in London and the South East. 

Reaching Communities provide grants to help improve local communities and the lives of people most in need, including hard to reach communities. There is a small revenue and a capital scheme and a larger buildings only fund. All projects must address one or more of the following outcomes. People have better chances in life, with better access to training and development to improve their life skills;  Stronger communities, with more active citizens, working together to tackle their problems;  Improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy; and Healthier and more active people and communities.

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; Special 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.