This week's Funding Bulletin (September 21st - September 25th 2026)
A short summary of funding opportunities that have come to our attention this week.
Wirral CVS' Board Building Fund (Opening Monday)
Applications will open on Monday 28th September for registered charities in Wirral to apply for grants of up to £1,000 towards external training and development for volunteer trustees.
The funding can support training for an individual trustee, a Chair, Vice-Chair or Treasurer, several trustees or a full board. Eligible formats include external courses, specifically commissioned board training, online learning and face-to-face provision. The deadline to apply will be midnight on Monday 12th October.
Applicants must be registered charities and members of Wirral CVS. The proposed training must be delivered by a reputable provider that is independent of the applicant organisation. Register today by clicking the button below to ensure you're ready to apply next Monday!
Closing date: 12th October 2026
The Henry Smith Foundation's Domestic Abuse Counselling Fund
The Henry Smith Foundation has announced that its Domestic Abuse: Counselling Fund is now open for applications. The programme will offer five-year grants of £250,000 to specialist organisations providing longer-term counselling for survivors of domestic abuse.
The fund aims to sustain access to person-centred, holistic and trauma-informed counselling, with services expected to provide at least 12 sessions. Applicants must have at least three years’ experience delivering counselling to victim-survivors. Five grants will be ring-fenced for organisations supporting children and/or young people.
Current deadline: 21st October 2026
To read more: Domestic Abuse: Counselling Fund - Henry Smith
UK Government's Common Ground Award
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has opened the second round of the Common Ground Award, with up to £2.5 million available for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in England. The fund supports organisations that bring people from different backgrounds together and strengthen community cohesion and resilience.
Individual organisations can apply for £20,000 to £50,000, with awards of up to £100,000 possible in exceptional cases. Consortiums can apply for £100,000 to £250,000.
The funding could be used towards:
Refurbishing or expanding a community centre or shared meeting space
Constructing new facilities that enable different communities to meet
Improving existing buildings so they can host more inclusive community activities
Purchasing furniture, laptops or other essential equipment for shared community use
Buying sports or activity equipment used by different groups through joint programmes
Capital improvements that allow organisations to expand activities bringing together people of different faiths, ethnicities, ages, cultures, nationalities or geographical communities
Current deadline: 12th October 2026
To read more: Common Ground Award 2026 to 2027: prospectus - GOV.UK
Help the Homeless
Small homeless charities can apply for capital grants of up to £5,000 to help individuals rebuild their lives.
Eligible applicants must be registered charities with an annual turnover below £500,000 and less than six months of unrestricted reserves. Typically, funding is awarded to organisations running residential or training facilities designed to provide homeless people with direct support and pathways to independence.
This funding is made available by Help the Homeless, a grant-giving trust founded in 1975 to assist people off the streets and into healthier, more independent lives.
Projects previously supported include the Booth Centre in Manchester, which received £1,500 for centre improvements, and the Amber Foundation, which was awarded £3,000 to purchase new bedroom furniture for its residential centre in Devon.
Current deadline: 20th December 2026
To read more: Applying for Funding — Help the Homeless
The National Deaf Children's Society's Community Grants Programme
The National Deaf Children’s Society’s Community Grants Programme offers grants of up to £ 10,000 to community groups, charities, and not-for-profit organisations supporting deaf children and their families across the UK.
In this round, funding will support projects and activities that promote the development of deaf children in their early years (ages 0–5). This stage is crucial, particularly for children who may face challenges with language, communication, and social skills without the right support.
Projects may involve families, professionals, and older deaf children, provided they contribute to early years development.
Funding can cover costs such as:
Venue hire
Transport
Promotional costs
Wages for sessional workers, interpreters and language tutors
Equipment that is essential for the project, such as play equipment or technology
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with set assessment dates throughout the year.
To read more: Community grants | NDCS
The Matthew Good Foundation's Grants for Good Fund
The Matthew Good Foundation has opened the next round of its Grants for Good Fund. The aim is to support small charities, not-for-profit groups, and social entrepreneurs passionate about making a difference to people, their community, or the environment.
The Fund will share £15,000 among five shortlisted projects every three months, to be voted on by John Good Group employees. The project that receives the most votes will receive a grant of £5,000; second place £3,500; third place £2,500; and fourth and fifth place both £2,000.
In addition to established projects and charities, the Foundation wants to hear from people with innovative ideas that need funding to get their projects up and running.
To be eligible, applicants must have earned less than £50,000 in the last 12 months.
Current deadline: 15th December 2026
Wooden Spoon Society's Capital Grants Programme
Schools and not-for-profit organisations can apply for funding through the Wooden Spoon Society's Capital Grants programme. Wooden Spoon is a British and Irish Rugby charity that supports projects that help mentally and physically disadvantaged children under the cognitive age of 25. Each year, the charity supports around 70 projects.
Through the programme, funding is available for:
Buildings and extensions
Equipment and activity aids
Sensory rooms and gardens
Playgrounds and sports areas
Soft playrooms
The funding available is for capital items only and will not support revenue costs such as staffing and other ongoing costs. There is no maximum grant limit; however, it is unlikely that a project of a physical nature that is under £2,000 will have sufficient substance and scale to qualify.
Wooden Spoon’s contribution may be up to 100% of the cost, though beneficiary organisations will be encouraged, where practicable, to raise a proportion themselves.
Since its founding in 1983, the Wooden Spoon Society has awarded over £31 million in grants to more than 1,400 projects.
If a project is educational, health and wellbeing or disability sports-focused, a key sport (preferably rugby) element must be used to engage children and young people.
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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