Funding Opportunities & Resources

Top Tips - Keep it simple!

Make your application as easy to read as possible - the people who are assessing your application may not have a lot of time or much knowledge of the work you do so being clear is key.

Avoid complicated wording or acronyms if funders understand what you are asking for and how you meet their criteria, they are much more likely to say yes to funding your activity.

Don't Forget

Don’t forget if you are just starting out our get started guides have a range of information including setting up a group writing a constitution and finding and applying for funding

More information about the team and what we can offer can be found on our web pages.

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National Garden Scheme - Community Gardens Grants

Background

The Community Gardens Grants scheme was set up in 2011 by the National Garden Scheme and managed in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society. From 2019 the Award became wholly managed by the National Garden Scheme. In November 2024, the Julia Rausing Trust announce a £1.5 million grant to the National Garden Scheme for the Community Garden Grants programme.

The Award was set up in memory of Elspeth Thompson, a garden writer and journalist and supporter of the National Garden Scheme who died in 2010.

Objectives of Fund

The funding is for gardening projects carried out within local communities in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

The scheme is committed to:

• Sustainability in gardening so proposals need to demonstrate that they will be using sustainable gardening methods – for instance being as far as possible peat-free.
• Celebrating biodiversity so projects that encourage biodiversity and wildlife, while not essential, will be a positive.

Value Notes

Grants of between £1,500 and £5,000 are available.

Match Funding Restrictions

Match funding is not a requirement but organisations should state in their application if they have obtained, or are applying for, funding from elsewhere, giving the amount and the source.

Who Can Apply

Applicants must be a fully set up community group, registered charity or Community Interest Company (CIC) with a functioning non-personal bank account.

Previous Success

Recent grant recipients include:

• The Fathom Trust used their grant to create an apothecary garden so they could expand upon the social and therapeutic gardening activities already taking place at their hub in the Brecon Beacons. They have partnered with local GP surgeries and accept referrals from mental health teams and charities like Mind.
• St Peters Community Wellbeing Projects in Bethnal Green, London used their grant to improve their gardening space which supports local elderly and/or vulnerable BAME women through participation in community gardening activities.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Local authorities including parish councils.
• Schools including pre-schools
• Volunteer expenses.
• Salaries or wages.
• Promotional costs (eg, production or printing of leaflets).
• Hire of large mechanical tools (eg, large shredder, JCB etc).
• Transport to visit gardens.
• Insurance.
• Educational course fees or training costs.
• Groups that received a grant the prior year.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding is for the creation of a garden or a similar project (such as an allotment) with horticultural focus for the benefit of the local community.

The project should aim to bring a community together by creating a space people can share, by the acquisition and sharing of gardening knowledge and skills and by inspiring a love of gardening.

The funding can be used for a number of things, including but not limited to:

• Plants and containers
• Materials for flower or vegetable beds and other hard landscaping
• Greenhouses, polytunnels and sheds
• Seating
• Hand tools and certain garden power tools (eg strimmers)
• Materials for providing refreshment.

Location

England, Wales and Northern Ireland

How To Apply

Applications for 2026 Community Garden Grants are now open with a deadline of 20 October 2025 (12 noon).

The current application guidelines are available on the website of the National Garden Scheme.

The application process is in two parts.

• Firstly, there is an initial check on eligibility.
• The link to the second part will be sent by email.

Note only the first 300 eligible submissions will be considered for a grant.

Applicants will be informed whether they have been successful via email in April 2026.

Contact the National Garden Scheme for further information.

https://ngs.org.uk/who-we-are/community-garden-grants/

Cash4Clubs

Background

Set up in 2008, Cash4Clubs is a grant programme funded by Flutter UK & Ireland, part of Flutter Entertainment, the global sports betting, gaming and entertainment provider. For this reason, groups must have adult members (18+) in order to be eligible for funding.

Cash4Clubs is working with Sported, the UK's largest network of community sports groups, to get the funds to the clubs who need it most.

Objectives of Fund

The 2025 programme is focused on supporting adult participation in sport. Funding is available to groups that support over 18s only.

Since Cash4Clubs aims to get vital funds to clubs that need it most, priority will be given to applications from groups working in areas of high deprivation and engaging adults from specific under-represented groups. That means those who:

• Are supporting adults living in an area of high deprivation. (Using Government Indices of Multiple Deprivation and the Pobal HP Deprivation Index).
• Increase access to sport for one or more under-represented groups, including women, people from racially diverse communities, people with disabilities and people from the LGBTQ+ community.
• Encourage adults who would not usually engage in sport to take part. Examples include activities that support physical and mental wellbeing or tackle issues such as loneliness and rural isolation.
• Address broader social issues for the local community, for example tackling crime and anti-social behaviour or supporting community cohesion.

Value Notes

There is a total fund of £500,000 for 2025/26.

250 unrestricted grants of £2,000 are available (€2000 in Ireland).

The funding should be spent within a six-month period.

Who Can Apply

Applications are accepted from not-for-profit organisations, including charities, community groups and traditional sports clubs.

To be eligible for funding, applicants must:

• Be either registered charities or clubs with a structured governance and constitution.
• Demonstrate that they are using sport for wider social purposes and aiming to increase participation of adults from underrepresented groups. There is particular interest in reaching groups working in areas of higher deprivation.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Organisations who work with young people aged under 18.
• Projects which are aimed at or support young people aged under 18.
• Trips abroad.
• Costs associated with elite sport or talent development.
• Applications from individuals or organisations/clubs that run junior activities.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding is unrestricted and can be used for anything that will support the organisation to continue and/or grow their sports activities for adults.

Typical examples of costs might include a contribution towards:

• Venue hire
• Utilities such as heating or lighting
• Coaching costs
• Volunteer expenses
• Equipment
• Kit
• Marketing and communications
• Training and qualifications
• Insurances and affiliations

Location

United Kingdom and Ireland

How To Apply

Applications will be accepted from 8 September 2025 to 8 December 2025. Notification of decisions by end of January 2026.

The guidelines and information on the application process are available on the Cash4Clubs website.

Contact the Sported team for further information.

Documents & links

• Cash4Clubs

Contacts

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

1. Sported team
   Sported Foundation
   House of Sport (4th Floor)
   190 Great Dover Street
   London
   SE1 4YB
   Tel: 0203 848 4670
   Email: grants@sported.org.uk

Groundwork Grassroot Grants

Background

The Grassroots Grants Programme is provided by the Postcode Local Trust, Postcode Places Trust, and Postcode Society Trust, and is administered by Groundwork.

Objectives of Fund

This fund aims to support flexible, unrestricted grants for small grassroots organisations that are working to make a positive difference in local communities, particularly those working to support marginalised or vulnerable groups.

Value Notes

Unrestricted grants of between £500 and £2,000 are available.

Who Can Apply

Small, local, constituted voluntary and community organisations, including registered charities, with an annual income of less than £25,000 in the last financial year can apply.

Community interest companies (CICs) can apply if they have been in operating for two years with an asset lock (schedule one and two only).

Priority will be given to organisations that meet the following criteria:

• Funding is for work in communities that rank as being within the top 15% on the English Indices of Deprivation.
• Organisations that work with and support communities that are classed as marginalised or vulnerable.

Applicants must provide a copy of their governing document.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Individuals.
• Community interest companies (CICs) that are less than two years old.
• Schedule three CICs.
• For-profit organisations.
• Non-constituted organisations.
• Local authorities.
• Parish/town councils.
• Schools, academies, nurseries, and preschools.
• Parent teacher associations (PTAs) and friends of PTA organisations.
• Colleges/universities.
• Organisations with solely religious objects in their governing document.
• Retrospective costs.
• Political donations.
• Fundraising activities or challenges.
• Activities that collect funds for redistribution to other charities or individuals.
• Overseas appeals.
• Expeditions or overseas travel.
• Promotion of a religious or political cause.
• Activities that the state has a legal obligation to provide.
• Payment of loans, fines, or penalties.
• Funding being allocated to the organisation’s reserves.
• Medical research, clinical treatment, medical staff in a clinical setting where the diagnosis and/or prescribing of clinical advice or medication is taking place, and medical equipment.
• Animal welfare. However, applications involving animals that focus on the human element, such as therapy animals, may be considered.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding is to support the work of groups that provide vital services in their local communities, such as:

• Access to food or basic essentials.
• Improvements to local greenspace.
• Cultural, support, or wellbeing activities.
• Volunteering opportunities to improve the local environment or support other people.

Grants are unrestricted, and can be used flexibly for costs such as:

• Paying staff or volunteer expenses.
• Costs for equipment or materials.
• Core, ongoing running costs of the organisation, such as rent, utilities, and other general running costs.
• Training for staff and volunteers.
• Consultant time to help develop the organisation or key policies.

Location

England.

How To Apply

The deadline for applications is 14 October 2025 (noon).

Guidance notes and an online application form are available from the Groundwork website.

https://www.groundwork.org.uk/grassroots-grants/

Value Notes

There are two levels of funding:

• Grants of up to £500 for small grass roots organisations.
• Grants of up to £1,500 for small local registered charities. Larger grants can be considered for exceptional projects.

The funder will only fully fund a grant request where the applicant holds no more than three months operating costs in reserve. For organisations that have more than this, up to 50% of the project costs will be funded.

Match Funding Restrictions

Match funding of up to 50% of project costs is required for organisations that have more than three months operating costs in reserve.

Who Can Apply

Applications are accepted from small community groups and charities in the UK.

Priority will be given to applications that have a connection to, and are championed by, a local Home Instead office.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have a bank account in the same name of the group they are applying for funding under.
• Have a policy of being open and inclusive of all, irrespective of race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.
• Show that their group members are over 55 years old or the project for which they seek funding benefits people aged over 55 years.

Registered charities must be able to attach a copy of their governing documents and their last set of accounts as part of their application.

Applications will be considered from groups, associations and charities that do not service the over 50s directly but the project they require funding for does, ie, a local school wishes to hold a special afternoon tea for its local care home residents.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Salaries
• Core/running costs
• Capital and/or revenue projects
• Set up costs
• The same project twice in one year

Eligible Expenditure

Grants are for wellbeing activities and projects that benefit people aged over 55 years and reduce social isolation and/or loneliness.

Funding can be used for:

• Regular weekly or monthly events and activities such as weekly cinema club, weekly knit and natter or Thursday lunch club.
• One off activities such as a day trip or a Christmas lunch.
• Activities such as yoga or a guest speaker for the group such as a local historian.

Location

UK

How To Apply

There are four application windows per year: January, April, July and October.

Applications received outside of these windows will not be processed.

Applications received in:

• January will be processed and awarded in February
• April will be processed and awarded in May
• July will be processed and awarded in August
• October will be processed and awarded in November.

Applicants should complete the online form on the Home Instead Charities website. Small registered charities must attach their governing document and last set of accounts to their application.

Contact Home Instead Charities for further information.

https://www.homeinstead.co.uk/charities/how-we-do-it/apply-for-a-grant/