This week's Funding Bulletin (October 27th - October 31st 2025)

eloisehallwcvs
Oct 31
7 min read

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

VOLA's Community Grants Programme

Voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations can apply for grants of between £20,000 and £40,000 through VOLA’s new Community Grants Programme.

The funding aims to support 18- to 21-year-olds in the Liverpool City Region who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

Funded by the UK Government under the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer and Get Britain Working initiatives, this £711,000 programme will enable local VCFSE organisations to deliver projects that build young people’s confidence, skills, and pathways into work or study.

All funded activity must be completed by the 31st March 2026.

The Charles Hayward Foundation

UK registered charities working in the areas of Social and Criminal Justice can apply for funding to deliver projects that prevent people from entering the criminal justice system and to support those already in it to rebuild their lives.

Funding is being provided through the Charles Hayward Foundation’s Main Grants Programme, which supports projects over one to three years with grants ranging from £15,000 to £25,000 per annum.

The Foundation will fund projects in the following categories:

Targeted early intervention programmes aimed at reaching the most troubled and vulnerable families in a community.
Tailored preventative and diversionary projects for young people at risk of offending, including interventions identifying and addressing the particular needs of girls and young women.
Programmes combining prison-based and community interventions dealing with the rehabilitation of offenders, accommodation and support on release, maintaining family relationships, mentoring, and creating pathways to employment.
Schemes offering viable alternatives to custody, in particular for women and young people.
Programmes of support that alleviate the consequences of domestic abuse.

Charities with an annual income of between £350,000 and £4 million are eligible to apply.

Current deadline: 30th January 2026

The Masonic Charitable Foundation Charity Grants Programme

Funding is available for registered charities in England and Wales that support disadvantaged children and young people.

The funding which is being made available through the Masonic Charitable Foundation Charity Grants programme offers two types of grants:

Small Grants, ranging from £1,000 to £5,000, are available to charities with an annual income between £25,000 and £500,000 and can be used for any purpose (unrestricted).
Large Grants, ranging from £10,000 to £60,000, are available to charities with an annual income between £500,000 and £5 million. These grants must be used for specific projects with defined goals and budgets. Funds may be spent on salaries, equipment, training, monitoring, and administration.

Projects should focus on one or more of the following areas:

Supporting children affected by domestic abuse
Addressing the needs of children in early years (ages 0–5) with a focus on poverty and neglect
Helping children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Charities interested in applying should first submit an expression of interest (EOI), which can be submitted at any time. If shortlisted, applicants will be invited to complete a full application.

Airbnb Best of British Fund

Airbnb, in partnership with VisitBritain, has launched a £1 million fund to boost tourism across the UK.

The “Best of British” fund aims to help small businesses, social enterprises, charities, and cultural organisations attract more visitors by turning local traditions into engaging experiences.

Organisations can apply for grants of up to £100,000 to support stays, attractions and experiences that represent the best of British.

Eligible projects should fall into at least one of the following categories:

Nature & Outdoors - submissions that encourage visitors to get outside and explore the very best of UK's rich and diverse landscape

Food & Dining - submissions that showcase the best of UK food culture, from pubs and street food to world- class cuisine

Music & Arts - submissions that shine a light on UK's global creative influence, from local festivals and theatre to iconic cultural stories

Culture & Heritage - submissions which protect, restore or celebrate UK's rich history and traditions

Examples include local festivals, traditional events like bog snorkelling, and regional culinary showcases.

Current deadline: 23rd November 2025

To read more: Back the Best of British - Airbnb

The Thomas Wall Trust

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to registered charities to support projects that equip people (18 or older in order) from disadvantaged groups with the communication skills necessary to gain employment.

Priority will be given to projects that target people experiencing multiple deprivation or other groups facing major hurdles to employment, especially women, people with physical, mental or learning disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers.

To be eligible, applicants must:

Be a UK charity that has been registered with the Charity Commission for at least 3 years
Be a project or running costs for a charity that equips people (aged 18 and over) with the skills ready for employment
Have an annual turnover of between £25,000 - £500,000

Beneficiaries must gain at least one accredited vocational qualification during delivery or within two months of project completion.

Current deadline: 22nd December 2025

The Forte Charitable Foundation

The Forte Charitable Foundation is currently accepting applications for its Small and Major Grants programmes, aimed at supporting UK-based charitable organisations addressing deprivation in urban and rural communities. These grants are designed to fund core costs, salaries, running expenses and project costs for organisations with a demonstrable track record of success in tackling local issues.

The Small Grants programme offers single-year grants ranging from £2,000 to £10,000, targeting organisations with an annual income of up to £250,000. Projects must focus on community support and be located in areas within the bottom 15% (urban) or 50% (rural) of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Applicants are required to secure 50% of the total project costs from other sources.

The Major Grants programme provides single-year grants between £10,000 and £50,000, and multi-year grants up to £100,000 over three years, for organisations with an annual income up to £500,000. These grants focus on family support initiatives, including early intervention, assistance for families coping with addiction and support for prisoners' families. Applicants must demonstrate that their work is conducted in areas of extreme urban deprivation or deprived rural districts, as defined by the IMD.

Youth Music's Shift the Scene Fund

Youth Music has launched a new £2.25 million funding programme to transform access to creative opportunities for Disabled children and young people in England. The Shift the Scene Fund offers grants of up to £200,000 to established organisations that are already working inclusively across music, the arts and other creative disciplines.

The fund, shaped by Youth Music’s Excluded by Design research and a dedicated steering group of Disabled practitioners, aims to “shift the scene” by ensuring Disabled voices lead in arts and creative spaces.

Organisations must demonstrate that Disabled people are meaningfully involved throughout — not just as participants, but also as staff, freelancers, and decision-makers. The fund prioritises those adopting the social model of disability, designing for accessibility from the outset and embedding inclusion.

While music projects may be considered, the majority of funding will support non-music creative disciplines.

Individuals, new groups, schools, and those without a proven track record of working with Disabled young people are not eligible. One-off or short-term initiatives are also excluded.

Current deadline: 28th November 2025

To read more: Shift the Scene Fund | Youth Music

Garden's Trust Community Grants Programme

Grants of up to £8,000 are available for volunteer-led projects that support historic designed landscapes across the UK.

Provided through the Gardens Trust Community Grants programme, the funding helps volunteer groups promote the conservation, understanding and enjoyment of these landscapes, which can include historic parks, gardens and cemeteries.

Intended as seed funding, the grants aim to help kick-start or develop initiatives such as restoration planning, establishing Friends groups, conducting research or delivering volunteer training schemes.

Current deadline: 14th November 2025

The AB Charitable Trust's Open Programme

The AB Charitable Trust (ABCT), a grant-making foundation focused on promoting and defending human rights in the UK and supporting marginalised and excluded groups whose rights are at risk or under threat, has announced that its Open Programme is currently accepting applications from UK registered charities that address the root causes of injustice and inequality in the UK.

Through its Open Programme, ABCT offers grants ranging from £10,000 to £30,000 per year, for up to three years. The programme provides both core funding (unrestricted grants) and project funding (restricted grants), enabling charities to deliver essential activities that protect and promote human rights.

The Trust prioritises support for charities operating in the following thematic areas:

The Human Rights Framework

Funding is available for organisations working to uphold, enhance, and implement the UK's human rights protection frameworks. This includes defending civic space, safeguarding the right to protest, and holding the government accountable for its human rights obligations.

Access to Justice

ABCT supports work that ensures fair access to legal advice and representation. Grants are available for organisations that promote the rule of law and seek to strengthen the justice system, especially for those facing discrimination or disadvantage.

The Criminal Legal System and Penal Reform

The Trust funds organisations aiming to create a more just and equitable criminal justice system. This includes advocacy for penal reform and efforts to reduce the harms caused by incarceration.

Migrants and Refugees

Organisations that support migrants, refugees, and people seeking asylum in the UK are eligible for funding. This includes service provision, policy and advocacy work, campaigning, narrative change, and community organising to promote a fair and humane immigration system.

Applicants must be UK-registered charities with annual incomes between £150,000 and £1.5 million.