This week's Funding Bulletin (August 3rd - August 7th 2026)
- Eloise Hall
- 12 minutes ago
- 6 min read
A short summary of funding opportunities that have come to our attention this week.
The Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation
Small and medium-sized charities across the UK can apply for funding from the Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation to support people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
The Foundation offers Small Grants of up to £2,500 to UK-registered charities with an annual income under £500,000 for core, project or capital costs.
In addition, Large Grants of up to £75,000 are available to charities with an income of £1 million or less, based in Yorkshire or the North East, and are typically awarded over two to three years to support running costs, staffing, and service delivery.
Funding prioritises projects that help people access or sustain a safe and secure home, including support with financial hardship, housing access, tenancy sustainment, and health and wellbeing linked to poor housing. Previously funded projects have included homelessness prevention services, supported accommodation schemes, and initiatives providing essential household items for vulnerable individuals.
Current deadline: 7th September 2026
Green Allotments' New Allotment Site Fund
Environmental charity Green Allotments has announced that The New Allotment Site Fund is accepting applications from people in England who want to establish new non-profit allotment sites in their area.
The fund can support the purchase of land, with Green Allotments offering up to £50,000 per acre. The aim is to provide additional land for allotments, enabling more people to grow their own food and benefit from the associated health and wellbeing benefits.
Applicants must form an allotment society and help manage the new site. The charity will retain ownership of the land and lease it to the allotment society at a peppercorn rent. Applicants are encouraged to identify potential land before getting in touch.
Applicants must be aged 18 and over. Councils, statutory organisations and intermediary bodies are not eligible, while established Community Interest Companies are unlikely to be supported.
To read more: Creating new allotment sites - Green Allotments
The Nuffield Foundation's Racial Diversity UK Fund
The Nuffield Foundation has announced that its Racial Diversity UK Fund is open for applications, offering research grants of £15,000 to £500,000 to explore barriers and pathways to a racially just and inclusive UK society. The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust that funds research to advance social wellbeing and improve policy and practice.
The fund supports research on racial diversity in the UK, with the 2026 priority theme focusing on inter-generational changes, continuities and challenges in a racially diverse UK. Projects may examine issues such as identity and belonging, exclusion, aspirations and values, civic and political participation, and life chances.
Applications are encouraged from diverse backgrounds, particularly individuals and organisations from racially minoritised communities. Applicants must be employed by, or formally affiliated with, a UK-based organisation, including universities, research organisations and voluntary sector bodies. Partnership applications involving researchers and racially minoritised communities are strongly encouraged.
Funding can support projects that:
Contribute to public debate, policy or practice on racial inequalities, discrimination and disadvantage
Map pathways towards a UK that benefits from growing racial diversity
Use any methodological approach, including applied and participatory research
Current deadline: 5th October 2026
The Wise Music Foundation
Funding is available to small UK charities supporting vulnerable people facing hardship, distress, illness, or poverty.
The Wise Music Foundation offers grants of £500-£5,000, with an average award of £1,500.
Priority is given to projects that help:
Children
The homeless
The elderly
People with disabilities
The Foundation also supports a wider range of causes, including education, cultural activities, arts and heritage, health and disability support, overseas famine relief, food banks, and other charitable initiatives.
Charities with an annual turnover of up to £500,000 are eligible to apply.
Current deadline: 31st August 2026
To read more: Home - Wise Music Foundation
The Better Community Business Network
Charities, community groups, and other not-for-profit organisations are invited to apply for grants of up to £3,000 for initiatives that have a positive impact on their local community.
The Better Community Business Network Grant Initiative aims to improve the quality of life and expectations of people and their communities, especially those who come from disadvantaged or socially deprived backgrounds.
The types of causes supported include:
Arts and culture
Children and education
Disability
Elderly
Environment
Health
Homelessness / Poverty
Prisoners / Ex-offenders
Social cohesion / community
Sport and recreation
A total of £36,000 in funding is awarded annually to grassroots charities and community initiatives across the UK (excluding Northern Ireland).
Current deadline: 7th September 2026
To read more: GRANT INITIATIVE | BCBN
The Animal Defence Trust
The Animal Defence Trust, a UK-based charity dedicated to animal welfare, provides funding to support approved animal welfare charities working to rescue and care for animals that have suffered cruelty. Eligible organisations must be registered charities with a proven track record in animal welfare work.
The Trust's main objectives are protecting animals from suffering and mistreatment, promoting research to reduce animal use in scientific experiments, and ensuring proper accommodation for animals during transportation. It provides grant funding to registered charities in the United Kingdom and internationally that are actively involved in animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
The grants, which are for capital projects and running costs aim to support a wide range of activities, including providing shelter, medical treatment, and care for abused or neglected animals.
The Animal Defence Trust website provides no information on the minimum or maximum grants available.
Current deadline: 31st March 2027
To read more: The Animal Defence Trust
SAL's William and Jane Morris Fund
The William and Jane Morris Fund provides grants of between £500 and £5,000 to churches, chapels, and other places of worship built before 1896 for small programs of conservation work to decorative features and monuments.
To be eligible for funding, the work must be directed by a professional architect or established conservator and completed according to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) principles. Eligible work includes, but is not limited to, stained glass windows, sculpture, furniture, internal monuments, tombs, and wall paintings.
Some examples of previous grants include:
£1,000 to St Mary's Church, Cerne Abbas for the conservation of wall paintings.
£750 to Holy Trinity Church, St Austell to restore a monument to Joseph Sawle.
£1,600 to The Lye and Wollescote Chapels, Dudley for the repair of a weathervane.
Current deadline: 31st August 2026
To read more: Our Grant Programmes - Society of Antiquaries of London
The Fat Beehive Foundation
UK-registered charities can apply for funding of up to £2,500 to improve their online digital presence.
The Fat Beehive Foundation awards small grants to charities with an average income of less than £1,000,000 yearly to support hard-to-fund digital expenditures that other funders often do not cover.
Funding will help organisations to build websites and apps, digitise services, and purchase digital products.
Trustees are particularly keen to support traditionally hard-to-fund organisations, such as those supporting prisoners, refugees, or disadvantaged youth.
Current deadline: 30th September 2026
To read more: The Fat Beehive Foundation
Duchy of Lancaster's Benevolent Fund
The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund provides grants to charities and other benevolent organisations operating within Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Established in 1993, the fund receives income from the balance of Bona Vacantia estates that pass to the Duchy of Lancaster where a person dies without a will and no other legal ownership can be established.
Annual allocations are provided to the Lord-Lieutenants of Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Lancashire to support charitable organisations within their respective areas. Applications can be submitted online at any time throughout the year, with grants considered by a committee on a quarterly basis.
The maximum grant will be £5,000, and applications from a CIC will only be considered if the CIC is not-for-profit.
Current deadline: 1st October 2026
To read more: The Duchy of Lancaster - Merseyside Lieutenancy
Our past Funding Bulletins will also have grant opportunities that are still open!
Need support applying to any of the above? Get in touch with us at groups@wcvs.org.uk to access bespoke advice and one-to-one support with grant funding.
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