FUNDERS

One-off grants are available to UK registered charities for projects that improve homes and communities spaces for those who are experiencing homelessness, in financial hardship, impacted by health, disability or other disadvantage or distress.    

Funding for the April 2025 round is focused solely on registered charities supporting people experiencing homelessness. The grants are to provide, maintain, repair or improve housing or community space for these charities.

Please note this focus may be adjusted for future rounds.

There are two levels of grants:

• Up to £5,000 for garden projects
• Up to £10,000 for building or indoor projects.

The B&Q Foundation will consider awarding higher value grants.

B&Q Foundation Grants 

Grants are available to businesses and organisations within the Barrow BID area for projects and events that positively impact the town centre or local businesses.  The scheme is designed to support local businesses and organisations with events, projects and initiatives that benefit the town centre or local businesses, or promote improvements to outside space, community space or facilities. 

Barrow BID Events Grant 

Funding is available for small community groups providing activities in Barrow.

Priority is given to projects with one of the following aims:

• Advancement of education.
• Relief of poverty.
• Benefits to health.
• Social inclusion.
• Raising aspirations.

Barrow Community Trust Fund

Cumbria Community Foundation

Benefact Trust exists to make a positive difference to people's lives by funding, guiding and celebrating the work of churches and Christian charities; empowering the most vulnerable and giving people, communities and places a renewed opportunity to flourish. 

Benefact Trust

One-off capital grants are available to registered charities in England and Wales, as well as those with 'accepted' and 'exempt' status, for projects in the areas of community, education, health and social welfare.  The aim of the foundation is to help raise the quality of life in England and Wales, particularly for the young, disadvantaged and older people. 

Bernard Sunley Foundation

A small number of grants are available each year to small not-for-profit groups with projects that address a community issue or support a local community initiative; and provide benefits to the local community.  Funding is intended to improve the quality of life and expectations of people and their communities, especially those who come from disadvantaged or socially deprived backgrounds.  

There are two application rounds in 2025:

• Round 1 opens on 28 April and closes on 8 June 2025. Shortlisted applicants notified on 2 July 2025. Awards announced on 16 July 2025.
• Round 2 opens on 8 September and closes on 31 October 2025.

Better Community Business Network Grant Initiative 

Biffa Award gives grants to community projects near landfill sites. We build communities and transform lives. 

Biffa Award - Community Buildings  

Biffa Award - Recreation

Big Local is a place-based investment programme supporting residents in 150 Big Local areas around England to lead change in their area. 

Local Trust - Big Local 

Bollington Town Council offers grants to local organisations which can demonstrate a clear need for financial support to achieve the aim of benefiting the local community in the following ways:

• By providing a service.
• Enhancing the quality of life.
• Improving the environment.

Bollington Town Council Grant Scheme 

Grants are available to VCSE organisations in Bolton for projects that benefit local communities and address current issues facing residents.  

The priority areas are:

• Start Well – giving children the best possible start in life.
• Live Well – improving the happiness and wellbeing of Bolton residents.
• Age Well – helping older people stay connected, active and healthy in their communities.
• Prosperous – supporting enterprise, inclusive employment and maximising social value for Bolton.
• Clean and Green – protecting, improving and enjoying our environment.
• Safe, Strong and Distinctive – creating safe, stronger, cohesive and more confident communities.

 Bolton CVS - Bolton's Fund  

Grants for charitable organisations with outdoor and character-building projects for young people in the North West England.

The programme is intended to promote:

• Outdoor and character-building projects for young people in the North West England.
• Educational, religious and cultural activities and institutions.

For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

Carol Fahy

The Bowland Charitable Trust

Bowland House

Phillips Road

Blackburn

Lancashire

BB1 5NA

Tel: 01254 688051

Email: carole.fahy@cannco.co.uk

Grants are available to a range of not-for-profit organisations for new or existing community and environmental projects that benefit local residents in Denbighshire, Flintshire, the Wirral and Sefton. 

Grantscape - Burbo Bank Extension Community Fund 

The Deo Gloria Trust is a registered charity. The objects of the Trust are 'to seek the glory of God by encouraging the furtherance and preaching of our Lord Jesus Christ'. The Trust receives its income from properties and investments. The Deo Gloria Trust offers funding to support Christian outreach projects in the UK.  

Deo Gloria Trust  

The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund offers grants to charitable organisations that are active in Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Lancashire for projects that benefit local communities and residents.

The Trustees are particularly interested in the following:

• Causes with which the Duchy has historical association such as church livings and estates within the boundaries of the three Counties and purposes which will benefit the community.
• Trusts, Associations and Institutions that maintain and preserve monuments, Estates and possessions of the Duchy which prove to be of benefit to the public and local community.
• Organisations which provide care and support for people who are older, infirm or disadvantaged members of society.
• Community Associations that benefit local people.
• Organisations for young people such as Scouts, Guides, Cadets, Youth Organisations etc.
• Support for educational initiatives that will have beneficial results for the local community.

Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund - Background Information

Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund - Greater Manchester

Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund - Lancashire

Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund - Merseyside

The G S Plaut Charitable Trust Limited provides grants which are available to organisations registered throughout the UK.  The scheme is intended to support work undertaken for charitable purposes.  For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

Enquiries, G S Plaut Charitable Trust Limited, 39 Bay Road, Wormit, Newport-on-Tay, Fife DD6 8LW
Email: GSPCTrust@gmail.com

The Foundation awards grants for capital, project and revenue costs to UK registered charities working within the UK in the areas of Welfare, Youth, Community, Arts, Faith, Environment, Education, Health and Museums & Heritage. 

Garfield Weston Foundation 

One-off grants for local voluntary and community organisations doing charitable work to improve social welfare in areas formerly served by a Hillards store in North and Central England. 

Eligible costs associated with projects may include (but are not limited to):

• Care for older people - luncheon clubs, outings, winter aid, combating isolation, social activities.
• Medical health - volunteer schemes, respite care, hospices.
• Physical/mental health - support for the less able.
• Children's charities - enhancing sports/social opportunities.
• Church-based projects - with a proven outreach factor.
• Education - reading support, literacy advocation, one-to-one support.

Gay and Peter Hartley’s Hillards Charitable Trust

Grants are available for charities and not-for-profit organisations across Greater Manchester to deliver projects and activities that promote donating, sharing, repairing, upcycling, and reuse.   

This fund aims to increase the amount of household items that are donated, shared, repaired, upcycled, and redistributed, and reduce the amount thrown away by:

• Increasing the number of community projects involved in donating, sharing, repairing, upcycling, and redistributing household items like clothes, shoes, bikes, furniture, tools, books, school uniforms, IT equipment, and food.
• Changing people’s behaviour and attitudes towards buying pre-loved or second-hand, borrowing, hiring, or renting items to reduce buying.
• Increasing community cohesion and improving mental wellbeing by bringing people together to share their knowledge, experiences, and household items for the benefit of others. 

Greater Manchester Environment Fund - Renew Community Fund 

Grants are available for charitable organisations in Cumbria to carry out projects in the areas of social needs; youth and employment; help for older people; the arts; the environment. 

The Hadfield Charitable Trust 

Grants are available for charitable purposes in Lancashire and South Cumbria. 

The Charity has made a large number of grants over the years to support a wide variety of charitable projects and in recent years, the emphasis has been on awarding smaller grants to a larger number of charitable causes, mainly in Lancashire and surrounding areas. 

Grants are available for charitable purposes, such as capital projects and grants for village halls.

Applicants that display a good degree of self help and local support will be favoured.

Harold and Alice Bridges Charity 

Grants are available for projects that support the wellbeing of Anglican clergy to ensure they remain healthy and effective in their ministry. 

Henry Smith Charity - Christian Projects 

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is an independent charity that promotes the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK by providing advice, information and financial assistance in the form of early project grants and loans for projects undertaken by charities and not-for-private profit organisations.

The Heritage Impact Fund is a £7 million social investment fund, launched in 2019, with the aim of enabling charitable organisations to deliver economic and social impact from the re-use of the UK’s heritage buildings.

It is administered by AHF and is provided as a joint initiative, with contributions from AHF (£1.42 million), the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£2.25 million), Historic England (£800,000), Historic Environment Scotland (£427,000), Cadw (£100,000) and the Department for Communities Northern Ireland. Additionally, Rathbone Greenbank Investments provides investment management and loan facilities to the AHF.

AHF Loan Funds

The Foundation supports general charitable purposes, working in the areas of welfare, education, medicine and religion. 

Hodge Foundation 

Grants are available for local not-for-profit projects that enhance, protect and conserve the natural and built environment in specified areas around Manchester Airport.  

Funding is intended to support community, social or environmental projects with a charitable focus within the Trust's Area of Benefit which covers an approximate 10-mile radius of the Airport, concentrating on the areas most exposed to aircraft noise, including:

• Stockport.
• South Manchester.
• Trafford.
• Parts of Cheshire East and Cheshire West. 

Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund 

Grants can be used to fund projects that will build the capacity of individuals and groups and contribute to delivering ward plan priorities, which can be acquired from the regeneration ward officers. Funding is intended for projects that fall under one of the following categories:

• Work and skills.
• Community groups.
• Improving the environment.
• Carbon reduction (tackling climate change).
• Other activities/events linked to ward priorities.

Manchester City Council - Neighbourhood Investment Fund

Grants are available to Anglican Church-owned or church-linked projects within the Diocese of Manchester to support new mission initiatives, or to develop current mission activities that tackle poverty. 

Applications will be accepted from parishes, or projects with a strong parish link, for projects that deliver benefits for residents of communities within the Diocese of Manchester. 

Manchester Diocesan Council for Social Aid - Small Grants Scheme 

The Grants for Good Fund has been launched to extend the impact of the Matthew Good Foundation, and allow small charities, community projects and social enterprises to apply for funding directly.

Matthew Good Foundation - Grants for Good Fund 

The Mayor of Sefton's Charity Fund offers grants to smaller charitable and voluntary groups based and operating in Sefton that do not have a national profile and whose work benefits the residents of Sefton. 

Mayor of Sefton's Charity Fund 

The Foundation is offering grants to help get new projects off the ground that will benefit the local community.

The funding is for specific projects which make a difference to people’s lives, with special consideration for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

The Morrisons Foundation 

The National Churches Trust is the national charity dedicated to supporting and promoting places of worship of historic, architectural and community value used by Christian denominations throughout the UK through advice, support and funding.

The Trust supports church and chapel buildings open for worship throughout the UK. It funds urgent repairs and modernisation, provides expert advice on church maintenance and on how churches can continue to serve local communities and promote church heritage and tourism.s.

National Churches Trust - Medium Grants

National Churches Trust - Large Grants

Grants for places of worship in Scotland, Wales and Northwest of England (Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria) for small repairs and maintenance to help keep historic churches and chapels thriving.  The Cherish Grants programme is administered by the National Churches Trust who has been awarded a £1.9 million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to boost skills, resources and funding for historic places of worship over a three-year period.  The funding is for listed and unlisted Christian places of worship, of any denomination, to help with the costs of urgent and essential maintenance and repair projects as well as the costs of developing a church building project. 

National Churches Trust - Cherish Grants 

National Lottery Awards for All is a small grants programme provided by the National Lottery Community Fund.

The funding is intended for projects that support communities to thrive by:

• Building strong relationships in and across communities.
• Improving the places and spaces that matter to communities.
• Helping more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.
• Supporting people, communities and organisations that are facing increased demands and challenges as a direct result of the cost-of-living crisis.

National Lottery - Awards for All England

Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations to deliver projects that help places of worship across the UK tackle heritage challenges systemically, become more sustainable, share their heritage, and welcome people from all backgrounds, including those who rarely visit.  Individual places of worship are not eligible for funding through this strategic initiative, nor single site applications for capital works-only projects. This funding is for projects that improve or transform nine identified heritage locations through collaborative projects with local partners and organisations. 

National Lottery Heritage Fund - Strategic Initiatives 

The funding is intended for projects that support communities to thrive by:

• Building strong relationships in and across communities.
• Improving the places and spaces that matter to communities.
• Helping more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.

The National Lottery Community Fund - Reaching Communities England 

Grants are available for charities and voluntary organisations working with disadvantaged people in Greater Manchester. The Charity Service is a registered charity supporting third sector organisations in Greater Manchester. The funding is intended for local organisations working with people who are disadvantaged, sick, have a disability, or living in poverty in the area.
The Charity Service – Greater Manchester Grants

Grants will commonly be in response to appeals in support of welfare for those who are disadvantaged, young, elderly, disabled, as well as maritime and Service causes, education, training and employment opportunities, community benefit, historic and religious buildings, the environment, music and the arts. For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

Secretary to the Trustees, W.A. Handley Charity Trust, 32 Portland Terrace, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
NE2 1QP  Tel: 0191 281 1292  Fax: 0191 212 0075
Email: davidmilligan@ryecroft-glenton.co.uk

The broad purpose of UK Community Foundations is to promote and support local charitable and community activity.  This is achieved through managing donor funds, building endowments and making grants to charities and community groups.  Community foundations are created by and for local people. 

UK Community Foundations

Grants are available to local community and charity groups for projects in Manchester that improve their local communities; with particular interest in supporting groups as they recover from the pandemic.  Funding is intended to assist local charities, community groups and organisations working to improve the lives and life chances of people living in Manchester and to help develop stronger communities by encouraging more citizens to be active in working together to strengthen their community. 

The fund is looking to support projects which have one or more of the following themes:

• Helping the early years: supporting children 0-4 years old, and their parents, to make the best start possible in terms of learning, health and/or nutrition.
• Combating loneliness and social exclusion: supporting groups of people who are at risk of exclusion from community life, for example as a result of advanced age or disability.
• Protecting and improving open spaces: delivering work which ensures public spaces are maintained and improved for the benefit of local people, or expanding access to open spaces for all members of the community.
• Offering positive youth activities: providing sustainable, structured programmes/activities to help communities of young people to live safely and successfully.

 We Love MCR Charity - Stronger Communities Fund 

Grants and other resources are available to support educational projects with strong underlying Christian values that enable people to transform their lives and the life of their communities in the UK. 

The Trust provides grants to charities and other not-for-profit organisations for faith-motivated religious education and community transformation projects in the UK. 

Westhill Endowment Trust

Grants are available for locally based voluntary and not for profit groups to help with the set up of new community initiatives or the purchase of new equipment or refurbishment costs for existing groups.  

 Funding is available for projects that demonstrate lasting community benefit. The funding can be used to support the cost to purchase new equipment, the refurbishment of village halls and/or community centres, start-up costs of a new group or community initiative and a variety of other purposes. 

Westmorland and Furness Council - Community Fund