The Fore: Apply for Funding

Registration closes: 13th December 2023 (midday)

The Fore aims to fund and support small charities that make a big impact. 

Unrestricted grants are offered to help applicants become more efficient, particularly for small organisations working with marginalised groups that are led by people in the community that may have found it hard to access trust and foundation funding in the past.

Available funding is up to £30,000 (over one to three years).

The grant programme is open to:

The Fore will run three funding rounds each year – Spring, Summer and Autumn. 

Registration for Spring 2024 Funding opens 6th December 2023 (midday)

Registration closes 13th December 2023 (midday)

To visit website for more information, and to apply, click here.

VocTech Activate grant fund

Applications Open: 02 January 2024
Applications closes: 31 January 2024

Value: £30,000 and £60,000 for projects lasting up to 12 months.

The VocTech Trust supports the use of technology to improve adult vocational learning and skills.

The VocTech Activate 2024 grant programme will support and enable the development of early ideas for digital tools and approaches that can potentially assist people in gaining skills for work.

Funding applications are opened to Individuals, organisations, and partnerships. All applicants, however, are encouraged to attend a grant workshop before applying for the fund.

To find out more, and to register a place on the workshop please click here.

The Power of Music Fund – Supporting people living with dementia through music

Closing date: 22 December 2023

The Power of Music Fund is managed by the National Academy for Social Prescribing.  Research suggests that music can offer significant social, emotional and cognitive benefits for people living with dementia. 

Two types of grants offered are: 

  • Small grants of either £1,000 or £2,000 per year for hyper local music provision are available on a multiyear basis.  
  • We will offer one grant of £500,000 over 3 years to a centre of excellence.

The small grants we will help to:

  • Deliver funds to grassroots projects as part of social prescribing, especially in parts of the country where the needs are greatest, to cover basic costs such as room hire and travel. 
  • Provide support for people living with dementia and their families, improving their physical and mental wellbeing and creating moments of joy and connection through music. 
  • Connect the work of grassroots groups to the health system, improving access to activities and strengthening community connection. 

Through the Centre of Excellence the NASP will:

  • Create a robust, transferable and scalable business case, with economic analysis, to enable local health systems to invest in new models of community support for dementia utilising music and maximising local community assets at a place-based level. 
  • See a step change in the approach taken by the new NHS Integrated Care Partnerships in their approach to dementia; a transferable, scalable model to embed music as a fundamental element in key care pathways including community provision and support at primary care. To achieve clarity on the risks, challenges, critical success factors and opportunities, especially cost savings.  
  • Foster effective collaboration at local system/ place level between community assets supporting people with dementia, NHS dementia and primary care, and Integrated Care Partnerships (which include universities, social care, and other relevant partners) to drive improvements in care and support for people with dementia building on the Power of Music.

For more information, or to apply, click here.

Morrisons Foundation

The funding is aimed at specific projects which make a difference to people’s lives, with special consideration for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

This is open is open to UK Registered Charities.

Funding is up to £25,000.

The projects should benefit the local community and can cover a wide range of areas including:

  • Health
  • Education
  • Arts and culture
  • Community
  • Other

Click here for the Morrisons Foundation website.

The Ironmongers’ Company

Deadline 15th December 2023

The Ironmongers’ Company offer grants for projects in the UK that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people under the age of 25 years to fulfill their potential.

The maximum grant you can apply for it £10,000. All funds much be spend within 12 months from the date of receiving the award.

to be eligible, the project must meet the following criteria below:

  • Be for children and young people under the age of 25 who are disadvantaged
  • Consist of educational activities that develop learning, motivation and skills
  • Have clear aims and objectives to be met within a planned timescale
  • Be within the UK

Click here for The Ironmongers’ Company website.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation – Arts-based Learning Fund

No deadline

Arts-based Learning Fund aims to support projects that enables pupils in formal education settings, particularly those experiencing systemic inequality or disadvantage, to thrive through engagement with high quality, arts-based learning.

The funders five priorities for the UK are:

  • Investing in young people
  • Migration and integration
  • Arts access and participation
  • Education and learning through the arts
  • Nurturing ideas and people

Applicants can apply for £30,000 to £400,000 for up to two or three years. Majority of successful grants have ranged from £150,000 to £250,000 over two to three years.

Click here for the Paul Hamlyn Foundation website.

The National Lottery Community Fund: The UK Fund

The UK Fund has come from the new NLCF strategy, ‘It starts with community.’ The aim of this fund is to support organisations that want to do more to help communities come together and help make a better-connected society.

It is suggested that before applying applicants should watch the pre-recorded webinar on the NLCF website.

NLCF want to fund projects that:

  • Strengthen relationships between people whose experiences of life have not been the same. For example, relationships between people of different ethnic backgrounds, generations, occupations or geographies
  • Create connections between online and offline worlds
  • Help make sure people from all backgrounds can shape the future of their communities.

You can apply for funding from £500,000 to £5m.

Click here for the NLCF website.

Young Gamechangers Fund – Round One

Deadline to apply: 19 December 2023 (noon).

The Co-op Foundation, in partnership with Co-op and the #iwill Fund, enables young people to transform communities into safer, more sustainable, and more inclusive places to live, with the support of £4.5m.

The Young Gamechangers Fund is putting young people at the heart of change. The funders are looking for young activists, campaigners, disrupters, co-operators, and social entrepreneurs to lead youth-led social action across the UK.

Two types of funding are available: 

  • Funding for individuals
  • Funding for groups or organisations with an annual income of less than £250,000

Find out more about the Fund and how to apply by clicking here.

Veterans’ Career Development Fund

Closing date: 8 January 2024, (5:00pm)

Grants of up to £70,000 are available for projects of up to two years.

The aim of this programme is to fund those projects that will enable Veterans and their families who face challenges in the wider labour market, to enter into stable long-term employment, through ennabling them to gain formal qualifications and training.

Applications are invited from:
• UK Universities,
• UK registered charities and
• UK registered CICs

Click here to find out more.