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.
Got an idea for the newsletter – we would love to hear from you!
Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund
Background
The Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund was formerly known as the Playing Fields Legacy Fund, which was established in 2012 by the late Angus Irvine as a response to what he felt was a failure of the 2012 London Olympics to provide its promised legacy for grass-roots sport. In 2018 the charity's trustees decided to join forces with Access Sport and form the new Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund (AIPFF), through which Access Sport will act as custodian of Angus's legacy.
Access Sport is a UK charity that aims to meet the urgent need to improve children and young people’s health and wellbeing, working solely with young people in deprived communities and with a strong emphasis on young disabled people.
Objectives of Fund
The funding is intended to improve the lives of children and young people (up to the age of 25 years), enabling them to access the transformative benefits of inclusive community sport.
Value Notes
Grants in the range from £2,500 to £5,000 are typically available, although a larger grant may be possible in some circumstances.
Match Funding Restrictions
The AIPFF will not fund 100% of facility builds or renovation projects (capital costs). Clubs requesting funds towards such projects will need to show some other funding has been secured or be willing to work with the Access Sport team to secure third party contributions.
Who Can Apply
Applications are accepted from local community groups and sports clubs (with priority given to sports clubs):
- Based in Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire, Greater London or the West Midlands
- Based in or serving a borough or ward within the top 20% Indices of Multiple Deprivation.
Restrictions
The following will not be funded:
- School projects or school facility improvements that do not have significant community involvement.
- Individuals.
Eligible Expenditure
Applications can be made for grants towards some or all the following types of projects with the intention of growing capacity to reach more young people:
- The development and improvement of playing fields and other facilities.
- The delivery of projects and programmes to prevent youth crime and anti-social behaviour.
- The development and training of volunteers including the provision of qualifications.
- The development of long-term sustainability, for example marketing and finance expertise.
- The organising, coaching and other key operational costs of running community sports activities.
Activities should focus on including young people (age 5 to 18 years old) who otherwise be excluded from sport such as:
- Disadvantaged young people.
- Women and girls.
- Young people from minority ethnic communities.
- Young offenders and those at risk of offending.
The funders will be looking for projects that provide a competitive cost per new participant from within the designated target groups and that have a commitment to long-term sustainability.
Location
Greater London, Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire and West Midlands
How To Apply
The committee meet four times a year. Applications that meet the criteria will be considered in January, April, July and October.
An online application form is available on the Access Sport website.
Woodroffe Benton Foundation
Background
The Woodroffe Benton Foundation is an independent grant making foundation.
Objectives of Fund
The Foundation aims to support charitable projects in the UK that provide care for the sick and elderly, conserve and improve the environment, promote education, and help those in need as a result of disaster or as a consequence of social and economic circumstances.
Value Notes
One-off grants of between £500 and £2,500 are available.
Who Can Apply
The Trustees prefer to support smaller charities.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a UK registered charity based in the UK with an annual income of less than £750,000.
- Have at least one full set of Accounts following charity registration.
Educational institutions are also eligible to apply for a grant whether or not they are a registered charity.
Restrictions
Funding is not normally available for the following:
- Organisations that operate primarily outside the UK or for the benefit of non-UK residents.
- Places of worship seeking funds for restoration or upgrade of facilities.
- Museums, historical or heritage organisations.
- Palliative care.
- Organisations that are not registered with the Charity Commission.
- Organisations that have been operating for less than 24 months and therefore do not have at least one full set of Accounts.
- Animal welfare organisations whose primary purpose is not conservation of the environment.
- Bodies affiliated to or a local branch of a national organisation, unless they have a separate charitable number and receive no financial support from the national charity.
- Individuals.
- Educational organisations based outside the Derbyshire region - although the trustees may choose to consider these.
- Students requesting a grant for tertiary education or a gap year.
It is unlikely that organisations with an annual income in excess of £750,000 will be provided with a grant under the small grants programme.
Eligible Expenditure
Funding is available, primarily, for the core operating costs of smaller organisations, as the Trustees prefer to contribute to these rather than to a specific project where the funding will be legally 'restricted' or to capital expenditure. However, applications in these latter categories are not excluded.
The focus of the August 2026 application round is on projects that support people, particularly those with physical or learning disabilities, to access the natural world and spend time outdoors.
Location
United Kingdom
How To Apply
The next funding round will be open from 1 August to 31 August 2026 and focus on projects that support people, particularly those with physical or learning disabilities, to access the natural world and spend time outdoors.
There are two funding rounds per year, usually in March and August.
Successful applicants will be contacted within two weeks of the meeting.
Contact the Woodroffe Benton Foundation for further information.
Contacts
For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:
- Trust Secretary
Woodroffe Benton Foundation
PO Box 309
Cirencester
GL7 9HA
Email: secretary@woodroffebenton.org.uk
The W F Southall Trust
Background
The W F Southall Trust is a Quaker-based family-run grant-making charitable trust, established in 1937 by Wilfred Francis Southall.
Grants are available to registered charities in the UK that are undertaking charitable projects in at least one of the following fields:
- Quaker Work and Witness.
- Environmental Action and Sustainability.
- Peace and Reconciliation.
- Social Action.
Objectives of Fund
The scheme is intended to support registered charities in the UK that are undertaking charitable projects in at least one of the following fields:
- Quaker Work and Witness.
- Environmental Action and Sustainability.
- Peace and Reconciliation.
- Social Action.
Value Notes
Most grants are between £1,000 and £5,000 for one year.
Multi-year funding of up to three years may be available for charities that the Trust has previously supported.
A few large grants are available but are normally for Quaker-based causes.
Match Funding Restrictions
The Trust prefers to see some financial commitment from other sources.
Who Can Apply
Charities registered in the UK with a financial turnover of less than £1 million can apply.
Charities should be working in at least one of the following four areas:
- Quaker Work and Witness.
- Environmental Action and Sustainability.
- Peace and Reconciliation.
- Social Action.
The Trust tends to favour charities that:
- Have a clearly defined mission and purpose.
- Communicate a good understanding of the issues they seek to address.
- Demonstrate how the funding will make a meaningful and, where possible, measurable contribution to change.
- Demonstrate how they are contributing to positive change in ways that reflect an understanding of local needs and broader societal and systemic dynamics.
- Are bold, creative, and innovative in their approach to work.
- Are involved in identifying and/or tackling the root causes of the issues that the organisation has been established to address.
- Promote social justice, inclusion, and diversity.
- Challenge structural inequalities and injustice.
- Demonstrate practices that reflect a commitment to redistributing power.
- Demonstrate clear support from and engagement with the communities in which they are based and in which they operate.
Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Retrospective costs.
- Replacement funding where statutory support has been withdrawn.
- Organisations that support the bearing of arms, or the arms trade.
- Charity lotteries, prize draws and gambling-related activities.
- The purchase of alcohol.
- The purchase of fossil fuels.
- Emergency appeals, or emergency relief work.
- Private schools.
- Medical activities.
- Counselling services.
- Animal welfare.
- The advancement or promotion of a faith group or religion, except for the work of the Religious Society of Friends and organisations that are unambiguously connected to or aligned with it.
- Organisations that are well-known household names, including 'umbrella' organisations.
Eligible Expenditure
Funding is available for capital and revenue costs associated with work that that addresses at least one of the specified areas.
Location
UK
How To Apply
The next deadline for applications is 11 September 2026. However, this fund may close early if oversubscribed.
Contact the W F Southall Trust for further information.
Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund
Background
The Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund was formerly known as the Playing Fields Legacy Fund, which was established in 2012 by the late Angus Irvine as a response to what he felt was a failure of the 2012 London Olympics to provide its promised legacy for grass-roots sport. In 2018 the charity's trustees decided to join forces with Access Sport and form the new Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund (AIPFF), through which Access Sport will act as custodian of Angus's legacy.
Access Sport is a UK charity that aims to meet the urgent need to improve children and young people’s health and wellbeing, working solely with young people in deprived communities and with a strong emphasis on young disabled people.
Objectives of Fund
The funding is intended to improve the lives of children and young people (up to the age of 25 years), enabling them to access the transformative benefits of inclusive community sport.
Value Notes
Grants in the range from £2,500 to £5,000 are typically available, although a larger grant may be possible in some circumstances.
Match Funding Restrictions
The AIPFF will not fund 100% of facility builds or renovation projects (capital costs). Clubs requesting funds towards such projects will need to show some other funding has been secured or be willing to work with the Access Sport team to secure third party contributions.
Who Can Apply
Applications are accepted from local community groups and sports clubs (with priority given to sports clubs):
- Based in Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire, Greater London or the West Midlands
- Based in or serving a borough or ward within the top 20% Indices of Multiple Deprivation.
Restrictions
The following will not be funded:
- School projects or school facility improvements that do not have significant community involvement.
- Individuals.
Eligible Expenditure
Applications can be made for grants towards some or all the following types of projects with the intention of growing capacity to reach more young people:
- The development and improvement of playing fields and other facilities.
- The delivery of projects and programmes to prevent youth crime and anti-social behaviour.
- The development and training of volunteers including the provision of qualifications.
- The development of long-term sustainability, for example marketing and finance expertise.
- The organising, coaching and other key operational costs of running community sports activities.
Activities should focus on including young people (age 5 to 18 years old) who otherwise be excluded from sport such as:
- Disadvantaged young people.
- Women and girls.
- Young people from minority ethnic communities.
- Young offenders and those at risk of offending.
The funders will be looking for projects that provide a competitive cost per new participant from within the designated target groups and that have a commitment to long-term sustainability.
Location
Greater London, Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire and West Midlands
How To Apply
The committee meet four times a year. Applications that meet the criteria will be considered in January, April, July and October.
An online application form is available on the Access Sport website.
Woodroffe Benton Foundation
Background
The Woodroffe Benton Foundation is an independent grant making foundation.
Objectives of Fund
The Foundation aims to support charitable projects in the UK that provide care for the sick and elderly, conserve and improve the environment, promote education, and help those in need as a result of disaster or as a consequence of social and economic circumstances.
Value Notes
One-off grants of between £500 and £2,500 are available.
Who Can Apply
The Trustees prefer to support smaller charities.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a UK registered charity based in the UK with an annual income of less than £750,000.
- Have at least one full set of Accounts following charity registration.
Educational institutions are also eligible to apply for a grant whether or not they are a registered charity.
Restrictions
Funding is not normally available for the following:
- Organisations that operate primarily outside the UK or for the benefit of non-UK residents.
- Places of worship seeking funds for restoration or upgrade of facilities.
- Museums, historical or heritage organisations.
- Palliative care.
- Organisations that are not registered with the Charity Commission.
- Organisations that have been operating for less than 24 months and therefore do not have at least one full set of Accounts.
- Animal welfare organisations whose primary purpose is not conservation of the environment.
- Bodies affiliated to or a local branch of a national organisation, unless they have a separate charitable number and receive no financial support from the national charity.
- Individuals.
- Educational organisations based outside the Derbyshire region - although the trustees may choose to consider these.
- Students requesting a grant for tertiary education or a gap year.
It is unlikely that organisations with an annual income in excess of £750,000 will be provided with a grant under the small grants programme.
Eligible Expenditure
Funding is available, primarily, for the core operating costs of smaller organisations, as the Trustees prefer to contribute to these rather than to a specific project where the funding will be legally 'restricted' or to capital expenditure. However, applications in these latter categories are not excluded.
The focus of the August 2026 application round is on projects that support people, particularly those with physical or learning disabilities, to access the natural world and spend time outdoors.
Location
United Kingdom
How To Apply
The next funding round will be open from 1 August to 31 August 2026 and focus on projects that support people, particularly those with physical or learning disabilities, to access the natural world and spend time outdoors.
There are two funding rounds per year, usually in March and August.
Successful applicants will be contacted within two weeks of the meeting.
Contact the Woodroffe Benton Foundation for further information.
Contacts
For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:
- Trust Secretary
Woodroffe Benton Foundation
PO Box 309
Cirencester
GL7 9HA
Email: secretary@woodroffebenton.org.uk
The W F Southall Trust
Background
The W F Southall Trust is a Quaker-based family-run grant-making charitable trust, established in 1937 by Wilfred Francis Southall.
Grants are available to registered charities in the UK that are undertaking charitable projects in at least one of the following fields:
- Quaker Work and Witness.
- Environmental Action and Sustainability.
- Peace and Reconciliation.
- Social Action.
Objectives of Fund
The scheme is intended to support registered charities in the UK that are undertaking charitable projects in at least one of the following fields:
- Quaker Work and Witness.
- Environmental Action and Sustainability.
- Peace and Reconciliation.
- Social Action.
Value Notes
Most grants are between £1,000 and £5,000 for one year.
Multi-year funding of up to three years may be available for charities that the Trust has previously supported.
A few large grants are available but are normally for Quaker-based causes.
Match Funding Restrictions
The Trust prefers to see some financial commitment from other sources.
Who Can Apply
Charities registered in the UK with a financial turnover of less than £1 million can apply.
Charities should be working in at least one of the following four areas:
- Quaker Work and Witness.
- Environmental Action and Sustainability.
- Peace and Reconciliation.
- Social Action.
The Trust tends to favour charities that:
- Have a clearly defined mission and purpose.
- Communicate a good understanding of the issues they seek to address.
- Demonstrate how the funding will make a meaningful and, where possible, measurable contribution to change.
- Demonstrate how they are contributing to positive change in ways that reflect an understanding of local needs and broader societal and systemic dynamics.
- Are bold, creative, and innovative in their approach to work.
- Are involved in identifying and/or tackling the root causes of the issues that the organisation has been established to address.
- Promote social justice, inclusion, and diversity.
- Challenge structural inequalities and injustice.
- Demonstrate practices that reflect a commitment to redistributing power.
- Demonstrate clear support from and engagement with the communities in which they are based and in which they operate.
Restrictions
The following are not eligible for funding:
- Retrospective costs.
- Replacement funding where statutory support has been withdrawn.
- Organisations that support the bearing of arms, or the arms trade.
- Charity lotteries, prize draws and gambling-related activities.
- The purchase of alcohol.
- The purchase of fossil fuels.
- Emergency appeals, or emergency relief work.
- Private schools.
- Medical activities.
- Counselling services.
- Animal welfare.
- The advancement or promotion of a faith group or religion, except for the work of the Religious Society of Friends and organisations that are unambiguously connected to or aligned with it.
- Organisations that are well-known household names, including 'umbrella' organisations.
Eligible Expenditure
Funding is available for capital and revenue costs associated with work that that addresses at least one of the specified areas.
Location
UK
How To Apply
The next deadline for applications is 11 September 2026. However, this fund may close early if oversubscribed.
Contact the W F Southall Trust for further information.
Have a question about funding?
Need help on sourcing funding? or help writing a bid? get in touch
-
Community Resilience Lead Officer
JR -
Team
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