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This week's Funding Bulletin (January 26th - January 30th 2026)

A short summary of funding opportunities that have came to our attention this week.

Wirral CVS Funding Opportunities

Step Up Resilience Fund


The Step Up Resilience Fund is designed to support VCFSE organisations to strengthen their resilience, sustainability and capacity, rather than to fund new service delivery.


This fund recognises the vital role that existing community organisations play in improving health and wellbeing across Wirral. To be eligible, organisations must be able to demonstrate how their current core activity contributes to one or more of the Wirral Health & Wellbeing Strategy Gamechangers, such as:

  • Employment

  • Early years

  • Violence reduction

  • Cardiovascular health

  • Fuel poverty


Funding can be used to invest in the systems, skills, governance, and planning that enable organisations to continue and strengthen the work they already do. This might include workforce development, governance improvements, digital systems or strategic planning.


Applicants do not need to design a new project. Instead, Wirral CVS is interested in understanding how your existing work aligns with public health priorities, and how organisational development support will help you deliver that work more effectively and sustainably over the long term.


Current deadline: 15th February 2026



Arts & Culture Fund


The Arts & Culture Fund is open to VCFSE organisations delivering arts and cultural activities that benefit Wirral communities. Grants of up to £5,000 are available.


This fund focuses on strengthening the sustainability and resilience of organisations working in the arts and culture sector, while also increasing volunteer engagement.


Funding can be used to:

  • Build organisational capacity, including governance, workforce development, financial planning, and digital skills

  • Support innovative approaches to income generation and long-term sustainability

  • Enhance the ability of organisations to respond to challenges and opportunities in the sector

  • Enable arts and culture organisations to adapt, grow, and secure their future


Eligible applicants include registered charities, CICs, CIOs and unincorporated associations with a governing document, provided they are delivering arts or cultural activity that benefits people and communities in Wirral.


Current deadline: 12th February 2026



General Funding Opportunities

Buttle UK's Chances for Children Programme


Grants of up to £2,400 are available to vulnerable children and young people who have experienced significant crises affecting their wellbeing and education. The funding is provided through the Chances for Children grants programme and aims to offer tailored support packages to meet individual needs.


The grants can be used to fund essential items and activities that support learning and development. This may include laptops, books, Wi-Fi access, educational resources, and extra-curricular activities.


The programme is delivered by Buttle UK, one of the UK’s largest grant-giving organisations supporting children and young people in crisis. It helps those who have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, neglect by a parent or carer, or domestic abuse, either directly or as a witness.


Support is available for children aged 2 to 18 who live with parents or carers, as well as young people up to age 20 who are living independently. Young people must be engaged in at least 12 hours of education or training each week. To be eligible, applicants must be on a low income, experiencing financial hardship, and have moved beyond the immediate crisis while continuing to engage with support services.


The grants are intended to complement existing statutory support, not replace it. They offer flexible funding that can make a meaningful difference to a young person’s life.


Applications must be submitted by frontline professionals who work directly with the child or young person. These professionals must be based in registered charities, housing associations, or public sector organisations. They are responsible for completing a detailed needs assessment and managing the funds if the application is successful.



CRASH


Homelessness charities and hospices in England and Wales can apply for advice, support and grant funding to help with their construction projects. The grant is being provided by the Construction Industry's Charity (CRASH), and can be used for a variety of purposes, including refurbishing or renovating buildings, building new facilities, improving accessibility, and installing energy-saving measures.


The aim is to help homelessness charities and hospices in England and Wales improve their facilities.


The grant is open to registered charities that provide services to single homeless people over the age of 18 or people in need of end-of-life care. Applicants must have legal hold on the building in question for at least 5 years.


Please phone CRASH in advance of making your application to discuss any potential project and the ways in which CRASH may be able to help.



DCMS' Local Covenant Partnerships Fund


The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is seeking a lead organisation to deliver a new £11.59 million fund aimed at improving access to vital community support services.


The Local Covenant Partnerships Fund will support civil society organisations and local authorities to deliver more joined-up, preventative care in 15 areas across England, focusing on services such as mental health, adult social care, women’s refuges, and child poverty.


The work of the grant recipient(s) will help to achieve the following objectives by March 2029:

  • Build and strengthen sustainable partnership infrastructure between VCSEs and other local stakeholders

  • Driving up levels of local level investment in the work of the VCSE sector

  • Improving the evidence base and wider understanding on what works in partnership development between VCSEs and public sector partners, and the socio-economic value this delivers.


The fund will focus on communities most affected by the cost-of-living crisis, with target areas to be identified later this year in partnership with the successful applicant and local stakeholders.


Civil society organisations with experience in building relationships between multiple stakeholders at a local level and driving investment in the VCSE sector are invited to apply to deliver the fund over the next three years.


Current deadline: 23rd February 2026



The Architectural Heritage Fund's Heritage Revival Fund


The Architectural Heritage Fund has announced further investment in the Heritage Revival Fund to support community-led organisations across England in repurposing neglected historic buildings. This additional funding will increase total capital investment in the programme to £46 million over the next four years.


The programme aims to bring disused heritage buildings, particularly those in town centres, back into community use, creating sustainable new uses such as community hubs, cultural venues, workspaces or affordable housing.


Support is available for projects at all stages of development, from early feasibility and project planning through to capital works.


Eligible applicants include charitable trusts, community benefit societies, cooperatives, parish councils and community interest companies.


The programme supports Project Viability Grants, Project Development Grants, and Capital Works Grants.


The scheme is administered by the Architectural Heritage Fund with support from Historic England and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.


Further information will be made available in due course.



The King Charles III Charitable Fund's Small Grants Programme


The King Charles III Charitable Fund has reopened its Small Grants Programme, offering grants of up to £3,000 per year for up to 3 years. The funding supports small UK non-profit organisations working in areas such as the environment, countryside, education, heritage, health, and social inclusion.


To be eligible, organisations must:

  • Be a non-profit based in the UK with an annual income between £25,000 and £500,000.

  • Have been operating for at least two years.

  • Hold less than six months of unrestricted reserves.

  • Submit a project with a total cost of under £50,000.


The programme runs three funding rounds per year, each focusing on two of the fund’s six themes.


This funding round will support Social Inclusion and Health and Wellbeing projects.


The type of projects that can be supported include (this list in not exhaustive):

Health & Wellbeing

  • Improving physical and mental health outcomes for participants, including those with long-term health conditions, disabilities, or those facing disadvantage.

  • Supporting services that promote wellbeing, resilience, recovery or healthy lifestyles (for example, arts and therapies, wellbeing workshops, activity programmes, support for carers or families).

  • Addressing health inequalities, offering support in areas or for groups with limited access to health and wellbeing resources

Social Inclusion

  • Activities that reduce social isolation and bring people together, especially those at risk of loneliness or exclusion.


Initiatives that relieve poverty or other social disadvantages, including community support, advocacy, or programmes addressing barriers faced by marginalised groups.


Work that strengthens community engagement and participation, helping people build connections, confidence and a sense of belonging. Examples could include peer support groups, community hubs, mentoring schemes, outreach work, and inclusive social events.


Competition is strong: in the last round, over 1,400 applications were submitted, but only about 100 grants were awarded. Successful applications usually show clear community benefit, strong outcomes, and a clear financial need.


Current deadline: 11th February 2026



The National Lottery Community Fund's Climate Action Fund


The National Lottery Community Fund has opened applications to its Climate Action Fund – Food Systems, offering funding of up to £7 million for partnership projects that aim to strengthen the UK’s food systems and reduce food insecurity.


The funding will support long-term projects that increase access to healthy, affordable food in environmentally sustainable ways.


It will do this by supporting projects that:

  • Work with nature to create resilient, sustainable and equitable food systems (this is called agroecology)

  • Address the root cause of long-term problems, not just the symptoms (this is called systems change)


Projects must work towards systems change in the way that:

  • Community organisations grow and produce food – using agroecological methods

  • Food gets distributed – aiming for equitable access to healthy, affordable food for all

  • Offers people and communities different food options – especially those experiencing poverty, disadvantage or discrimination


Grants typically range from £3 million to £5 million for projects lasting between three and seven years, with up to ten projects expected to be funded.


Eligible costs include staff costs, transport, utilities, equipment and costs that help organisations support communities and smaller partner organisations.


Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organisations working in partnership, such as charities, CICs, CIOs, schools, universities and public bodies.


Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Decisions can take up to nine months.



GiveStar's Adventure for Good Grants


GiveStar has announced that the Adventure for Good Grant has reopened for applications.


The Adventure for Good Grant is a major funding initiative designed to support individuals undertaking ambitious charity challenges. The grant aims to remove practical and financial barriers for people planning extraordinary adventures that raise funds for charitable causes.


The grant is provided by GiveStar, a fundraising platform operated by TapTap Giving Ltd, which supports challenge-based fundraising for registered charities. Through this initiative, GiveStar is backing bold projects such as endurance expeditions, world-record attempts, long-distance treks and other high-impact adventures that inspire public engagement and charitable giving.


For the 2026 funding round, GiveStar has committed a total grant pot of £250,000, which will be distributed among successful applicants. Individual grant awards will vary depending on the scope, ambition and logistical requirements of each challenge. Funding can be used to offset essential costs, including travel, equipment, entry fees, permits, and visas, directly related to the fundraising activity.


Applications are open to individuals or small teams aged 18 or over who are raising funds for a UK- or US-registered charity. Successful applicants are expected to fundraise through the GiveStar platform and demonstrate a clear charitable purpose behind their challenge.


In addition to financial support, grant recipients will join GiveStar’s AllStars programme, gaining access to expert mentoring, campaign planning advice, public relations support and networking opportunities.


Current deadline: 20th February 2026



The People's Postcode Trusts


Charities and community organisations will soon be able to apply for funding to support projects that improve the lives of disadvantaged and marginalised people across England, Scotland and Wales.


The People’s National Postcode Trusts are funded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. Together, they support hundreds of good causes that aim to:

  • Prevent or reduce the impact of poverty

  • Support marginalised groups

  • Tackle inequality

  • Improve mental health


Eligible organisations include registered charities, community interest companies, and charitable community benefit societies. Grants of up to £50,000 are available over a three-year period, with the amount awarded depending on the organisation’s annual income.


Applications must be submitted through one of six regional Trusts. Each Trust covers a specific area of the country and has its own application deadline. Please use the links below for more information about each Trust.


Priority will be given to organisations that:

  • Have an annual income of £250,000 or less

  • Work in communities ranked among the most deprived 15% in England, Scotland or Wales

  • Focus on supporting marginalised groups, such as disabled people, communities experiencing racial inequality, and LGBT+ people

  • Are based in areas that have not received funding recently


Current deadline: 1st April 2026



The Henry Smith Charity


Schools, youth groups, not-for-profit organisations, and charities can apply for grants of £500 to £3,000 to support recreational trips or holidays within the UK for groups of disabled or disadvantaged children (aged 13 or under).


Applications from the 20% most deprived areas in the UK will receive priority. Funded by the Henry Smith Charity, grants can cover up to two-thirds of the cost of a holiday or trip lasting one to seven days.


Current deadline: 19th March 2026



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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