VCEL Monthly Funding Update | April 2026
Welcome to the latest funding update from Volunteer Centre East Lothian.
Funding Categories:
1 | FUNDING NEWS
Meet the Funder Webinar: The Robertson Trust
Gurdeep Kaur from The Robertson Trust will host a presentation about who The Robertson Trust are, what they do and what funding opportunities are available with them. Gurdeep will give guidance on the current funding available, the eligibility criteria for those funds, and some guidance on applying. There will also be time for a Q&A session at the end.
Date: 21 April 2026, 11am - 12pm
Location: Online
Meet the Funder, The Robertson Trust Webinar - VCEL
VCEL: An Introduction to Funding Training, Module 3
In this session we will be focusing on evaluating your project and the monitoring you should be doing to enable you to produce a robust Evaluation Form for the Funder at the end of the timescale you have to utilise the funds. This is the final module of three and it is recommended that participants attend all three modules to get the most benefit from the training.
Date: 30 April 2026, 6pm - 7pm
Location: Volunteer Centre East Lothian, 56 High Street, Tranent, EH33 1HH
An Introduction to Funding Training, Module 3 - VCEL
2 | ARTS & CULTURE
Chamber Music Scotland - Concert Series Fund
Chamber Music Scotland supports chamber music across the country, plus fosters a network of over 50 volunteer-run music organisations across Scotland, particularly to communities in more rural areas where access to the arts is limited. Grants of £2,000 are available.
Deadline: 20 April 2026
Concert Series Fund - Chamber Music Scotland
North Berwick Trust - Young Person's Scholarship
This scholarship is open to young people seeking support to embark on further education or career training. This includes those with specific ambitions to further their careers in sport, music and art or other cultural or creative endeavours. This scholarship is designed to assist young people to move their life forward in a positive way. Priority is given to those who could not afford to do so without support.
North Berwick Trust welcomes applications to the Young Person’s Scholarship from young people age 14-25 who live or study in North Berwick.
Deadline: 22 April 2026
Young Person's Scholarship - North Berwick Trust
BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund
Funding to is available to support various audience related activities in the UK, including film festivals, distribution releases, multiplatform distribution proposals, touring film programmes, large scale and ambitious film programmes. Grants of between £20,000 and £200,000 are available, with an upper limit of £500,000 for projects of exceptional scale and ambition.
Deadline: Ongoing
BFI Get Funding
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Arts-based Learning Fund
The funding of up to £ 300,000 is intended to create a more equitable school system where high-quality arts-based learning is a core part of all children’s education. Applications will be accepted from:
• Arts and cultural organisations working in partnership with formal education settings (including state-funded primary and secondary schools, SEND specialist schools, Further Education colleges, alternative provision settings such as Pupil Referral Units, and some types of state-funded Early Years settings).
• Organisations that are developing established programmes of work and/or testing new approaches.
Deadline: Ongoing
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
Creative Scotland – Open Fund for Individuals
Supports a wide range of activity initiated by artists, writers, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland. The fund is intended to support periods of research, development and/or delivery of creative activity, such as specific projects and productions for up to 24 months. It can support an individual’s time where this is related to specific creative outcomes. Grants are available for amounts between £500 and £50,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
Creative Scotland
National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations
This fund aims to support organisations who seek funding to undertake creative activity such as a specific project or production, a programme of creative work, or a period of research and development. This includes funding for: a specific one-off project or production or a period of creative research and development or a longer term programme of work. It can also support organisations to undertake business and organisational development that will: enhance their business sustainability through the development of new or more diverse income streams, or consider broader organisational development costs. Eligible organisations can apply for funding between £1k and £100k for projects or programmes lasting up to 18 months.
Deadline: Ongoing
National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations
Young Sounds UK - Thrive
Grants of £100 to £2,000 are available for the UK's most talented young instrumentalists in any genre, aged five to 17 years of age who, because of financial need, may be prevented from fulfilling their creative potential.
Deadline: Ongoing
Young Sounds UK
BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund
Grants of between £20,000 and £200,000 are available to support various audience related activities in the UK, including film festivals, distribution releases, multiplatform distribution proposals, touring film programmes, large scale and ambitious film programmes. Applications are accepted all year round but must be submitted 16 weeks before any funded activity.
Deadline: Ongoing
BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund
Creative Scotland – National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations
Grants of between £1,000 and £100,000 are for constituted artistic, creative, or cultural organisations across Scotland to deliver a variety of creative projects and activities and enable business changes or development projects that make the organisation more financially sustainable. The fund is open all year round.
Deadline: Ongoing
Creative Scotland
3 | BUSINESS & ENTERPRISE
SWEF Business Grants
Grants are available for young entrepreneurs across the UK, aged between 18 and 30, to start or grow a new business.
The following levels of funding are available:
• Start-up grants of up to £500 for pre-revenue businesses or businesses turning over less than £500 per month.
• Business grants of up to £2,000 for businesses turning over more than £500 per month that have been trading for less than two years.
Deadline: Ongoing
SWEF
MMC Venture Capital
Equity investments available to early-stage UK SMEs that demonstrate high growth potential. Although MMC Ventures can provide investments to companies in any sector, they tend to focus support on the following:
• Business software and digital media
• Financial services
• E-commerce
• Business services
Deadline: Ongoing
MMC
Pentech Ventures
Pentech invests in teams who believe they can build a category leading software company. Areas of interest include:
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Big Data
• Infrastructure such as Blockchain
• Verticals that are enabled via the efficient use of AI and new infrastructure approaches such as FinServ, Health, and Enterprise Transformation
Initial investment is likely to be £500,000 to £2 million, with up to £10 million invested over the lifetime of the investment.
Deadline: Ongoing
Pentech Ventures
Access to Work
Financial assistance is available to help organisations in Great Britain with any extra employment costs that result from employing a person with a disability. Access to Work provides grants to employers towards extra employment costs which result from an employee having a disability. The programme aims to provide practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers, in order to overcome work related obstacles which result from disability.
Deadline: Ongoing
Access to Work
Kaleidoscope Investments (Ki)
Kaleidoscope is aimed at giving financial backing to help disabled entrepreneurs in the UK start their own business. The fund will assist in the development of the businesses it invests in and ensure they make a worthwhile return for investors.
Deadline: Ongoing
Kaleidoscope Investments
Foundation Scotland - Social Investment Fund
Grant and loan investments are available to social enterprises, community organisations and charities across Scotland to benefit local communities. Objectives supported: Prevent and/or relieve poverty, Advance community development, Advance education and urban and rural regeneration.
Deadline: Ongoing
Foundation Scotland
Growth Impact Fund
Funding is available to early stage growing social enterprises and charitable organisations in the UK to address the structural barriers that diverse organisations face.
Deadline: Ongoing
Growth Impact Fund
Redundancy Payments - Financial Assistance
Assistance to help employers in the UK with severe cash flow problems to make necessary redundancy payments.
Deadline: Ongoing
Redundancy Payments
Scottish Community Alliance - Community Learning Exchange Fund
Grants up to £1,000 are available to local community groups in Scotland to facilitate learning exchanges with other community groups. To be eligible to apply, applicants can access the fund through the SCA’s member networks.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scottish Community Alliance
LaunchMe
LaunchMe is an accelerator programme for ambitious, social enterprise start-ups in Scotland. It aims to develop a pool of strong, capable and ambitious social enterprises that can go on to secure investment, so they can achieve social impact at scale.
Deadline: Ongoing
LaunchMe
The Prospectory - Idea Fund
The funding is intended to enable people to test out an innovative technical solution that can deliver a social or environmental benefit. The fund offers grants ranging from £250 to £3,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Prospectory
4 | CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Shared Care Scotland - Creative Breaks Grants Programme
Grants are available for third sector organisations in Scotland to develop and deliver short breaks projects and services for carers of adults (aged 21 and over), young carers (caring for children or adults) and the people they care for.
Deadline: 16 April 2026
Creative Breaks Grants - Shared Care Scotland
The Woodward Charitable Trust - Children's Summer Playscheme Grant
Grants are available for locally based small-scale registered charities in the UK to support children's summer playschemes. One-off grants of between £500 and £2,000 are available.
Deadline: 16 April 2026
The Woodward Charitable Trust
Happy Days Children's Charity
Funding for families with children aged 3-17 who are disabled, have a special need or have been abused. The Happy Days Charity is a national children's charity dedicated to providing holidays, days out, and theatre trips for disadvantaged young people with special needs. The Charity supports families with children aged 3-17 who have learning difficulties, physical or mental disabilities, acute, chronic or life limiting illnesses, been abused or neglected, witnessed domestic violence, been bereaved or act as carers for a parent or a sibling.
Deadline: Ongoing
Happy Days Children's Charity
Mother and Baby Unit Family Fund
A Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) is a specialist inpatient unit for people who:
• Develop severe mental health problems in the later stages of pregnancy
• Develop severe mental health problems during the year after their baby is born
You can claim towards the cost of travel, food and accommodation when you're visiting someone in an MBU, if you are the:
• Partner of the person who gave birth
• Baby's other parent
• Main carer of the person who gave birth
If you have children who are 16 and under, you can claim towards the costs travel, food and accommodation during their visits to the MBU too.
Deadline: Ongoing
Mother and Baby Unit Family Fund
Aberlour Urgent Assistance Fund
The Urgent Assistance Fund remains committed to providing emergency cash grants to help families who are struggling to provide essentials such as food, heating, beds and clothing for their children. Applications must be submitted via a sponsor. Sponsors can be frontline professionals working for a registered charity, housing association or public sector organisation who:
• Are working directly with the children/young person
• Have made a full assessment of the child’s or young person’s needs
Children and young people must meet the following criteria:
• Aged under 21 OR aged 25 and under if the young person is care experienced
• Living on a low income and experiencing financial hardship
• Have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on their wellbeing or their development and education
• The family or young person has recently taken action to improve their situation, are actively engaging with support and are moving on from the crisis.
Deadline: Ongoing
Aberlour
The True Colours Trust - UK Small Grants
Small grants are available to UK registered charities and community interest companies that are working to make a difference to the lives of disabled children (up to 25 yo) and their families in the UK. Grants of up to £10,000 are available.
Deadline: Ongoing
The True Colours Trust
Family Fund Trust
Grants are available to help families, or groups applying on their behalf, in the UK who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person up to the age of 18 years. The Trust believes services to families with severely disabled children are most effective when they can be adapted to families' individual needs and personal ways of coping. The Trust, therefore, encourages families to demonstrate the kind of support that would best meet their needs in easing the stress of caring for severely disabled children.
Deadline: Ongoing
Family Fund
Scottish Families - Family Recovery Initiative Fund
The Family Recovery Initiative Fund (FRIF) offers one-off grants of up to £5000 to groups that support families affected by alcohol and drugs in Scotland.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scottish Families Family Recovery Initiative Fund
Buttle UK - Chances for Children
Grants of up to £2,400 are available for children and young people who have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on their wellbeing and educational engagement.
Deadline: Ongoing
Buttle UK
Variety - Equipment Grants
Grants are available for specialist equipment for the direct use of children up to the age of 18 years who are sick, disabled or disadvantaged and are resident in the UK.
Deadline: Ongoing
Variety
The Percy Bilton Charity - Grants for Organisations
Grants up to £5,000 are available to UK registered charities with primary objectives to assist one or more of the following groups:
• Disadvantaged/underprivileged young people (under 25 years old)
• People with disabilities (physical or learning disabilities or mental health problems)
• Older people (aged over 60)
Deadline: Ongoing
The Percy Bilton Charity
Tesco Stronger Starts Grants
Grants up to £1,500 are available to all schools, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations, with priority given to projects that provide food and support to young people.
Deadline: Ongoing
Tesco Stronger Starts Grants
5 | COMMUNITY FUNDING
North Berwick Trust Forever Fund
Grants of up to £32,000, with a two year term, are available for projects and initiatives that deliver against the Trust’s funding themes:
• To support and enhance recreational, cultural and sporting activities and facilities for the community
• To support and enhance educational and lifelong learning opportunities for the community
• To conserve and enhance the natural environment and public green space in North Berwick, and improve the sustainability of the community
• To conserve and enhance the historic and built environment of North Berwick
• To help those in need in the community
• To ensure that funds are available to benefit the North Berwick community in the long term
• To sustain and develop North Berwick Trust
Deadline: 22 April 2026
Forever Funds - North Berwick Trust
Schroder Charity Trust
Funding of up to £5,000 available. Applications will be considered for work under the following two objectives:
1. Enabling children and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to thrive and achieve their potential in education and employment. Priorities:
• Enhancing early years school readiness for children in vulnerable families
• Developing reading and literacy skills
• Enhancing financial literacy
• Helping young people pursue vocational careers and apprenticeships
• Enhancing employment outcomes for young offenders (aged 18-25)
• Providing tutoring to develop attainment at primary and secondary school
2. Strengthening communities through services and opportunities which enhance the wellbeing and life outcomes of vulnerable and disadvantaged people. Priorities:
• Providing services and advice to help people out of financial hardship and material poverty
• Enhancing life outcomes for children in the care system
• Reducing social isolation and maximising independence for older people
• Building confidence, resilience, life skills and wellbeing through youthwork
• Supporting the homeless and those at risk of homelessness into sustainable housing.
Deadline: 30 April 2026
Schroder Charity Trust
Scotmid Co-op - Community Support
Grants of up to £500 are available to local voluntary and community groups and charities for projects that support local communities served by Scotmid stores. A successful grant may come in the form of money or Society vouchers or a combination of the two.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scotmid Co-op
Thomas Wall Trust - Grants for Individuals
The individual grants programme aims to support motivated adults living in the UK to undertake education and training that will increase their chances of employment. Grants of up to £1,500 are available to undertake accredited vocational training up to level 3 (Qualification levels explained) and towards other costs associated with studying.
Deadline: Ongoing
Thomas Wall Trust
Anton Jurgens Charitable Trust
Grants are available to UK based charities for projects that support people of all ages who are socially disadvantaged and/or have disabilities.
Deadline: Ongoing
Anton Jurgens Charitable Trust
Pub is the Hub
Pub is the Hub encourages rural pub owners, licensees, and their local communities to work together to support, retain and locate local services, where possible, within the pub, whilst often improving the viability of the business itself. The provider may be able to assist some projects through its own Community Services Fund, which aims to support projects as a fund of last resort, where no local funding for services currently exists. A grant of up to £3,000 may be provided. Pub is The Hub does not always have funds to be a direct provider of grants or loans for individual diversification projects. It does, however, provide advice help and support at no cost to licensees and seek to work with the local authorities to find the potential funding sources.
Deadline: Ongoing
Pub is the Hub
Forte Charitable Foundation
Grants are available for small and medium sized local charities and not-for-profit organisations in the UK with a track record of success working to address local issues in communities of extreme urban deprivation or deprived rural areas. Projects will be expected to focus on community support. This could include community transport schemes in Rural locations (with a population of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants in a village/town) in England, Scotland and Wales. Applicant organisations' postcodes must be ranked within the most deprived 50% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation. To check the SIMD ranking of your project area, check on the SIMD website map and click on the area to see the ranking. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation is a relative measure of deprivation across 6,976 small areas (called data zones). If an area is identified as ‘deprived’, this can relate to people having a low income but it can also mean fewer resources or opportunities. If the area has a ranking of under 3,488 it should be eligible to apply. Support can be available from your local Community
Development Officer.
Small grants are available of £2,000 to £10,000 for one year. (Successful applicants can reapply for a further two years. No further applications can be made after the completion of a third grant.) The amount requested must not be for more than 50% of the total cost of the project. Grant recipients must be able to start spending the grant within three months of the award being made.
Deadline: Ongoing
Forte Charitable Foundation
The Robertson Trust - Community Spaces Fund
Funding is intended to support the running costs of local community centres, hubs or anchor organisations that are delivering and/or hosting a range of services and activities in places with high levels of deprivation. Examples of eligible work include:
• The running costs of an accessible community hub based in a town with high levels of
deprivation. The hub hosts and delivers services for local people, including community meals, family activities, a youth group and drop-in sessions with partner organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and local employability service.
• The running costs of a village hall in a rural community where there are no other community facilities. The hall hosts a range of groups and services, such as a parent and toddler group, a food pantry, and warm space, and provides access to IT facilities.
Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 per year for up to three years are available to registered charities working in Scotland. Organisations should demonstrate the various services they deliver and/or host related to preventing or reducing poverty and trauma for local people.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Robertson Trust
The Royal Countryside Fund - Supporting Rural Communities
The UK-wide Supporting Rural Communities grant programme launched on Friday 10th January 2025. This new differentiated funding will support transformative, community-led initiatives across the UK, unlocking the huge potential for positive change in rural communities. The aim is to support innovative solutions that will “power up, not prop up” communities, inspiring change and encouraging economic vibrancy. Organisations can apply for grants of up to £25,000 over a period of 24 months to deliver activities along the themes of:
• Keeping young people in the countryside
• Powering up rural communities
• Increasing environmental sustainability
• Building emergency resilience in rural areas
Support will be focused on isolated rural areas where the activity is required due to a lack of alternative services. Projects must be community led and show that they actively listen to, understand and respond to the needs of their local community. The fund is also looking for community organisations that demonstrate one or more of the following characteristics:
• Working towards a long-term vision
• Facilitating collaboration/connectedness
• Demonstrating innovation
Deadline: Ongoing
The Royal Countryside Fund
National Lottery Awards for All - Scotland
The National Lottery Awards for All programme is a partnership between The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland, Sportscotland and Creative Scotland. For arts and sports projects, applications can be made for up to £10,000 supporting projects for up to 12 months. For community-led projects (that are not primarily arts or sport
focused), applications can be made for up to £20,000 per year supporting projects for up to two years. Groups can only hold one National Lottery Awards for All grant at a time.
Deadline: Ongoing
National Lottery Awards for All - Scotland
Cruden Foundation
This fund aims to support charitable projects and activities in Scotland for the benefit of people living there. Funding is intended to support projects with a strong focus on community welfare, medical support and research, the arts, education, and conservation. Most grants are in the £2,500 to £5,000 range, although both smaller and larger grants can also be requested.
Deadline: Ongoing
Cruden Foundation
Foundation Scotland
Grants for projects in all sectors of the local community. Each foundation has its own character appropriate to the location and grants may be made to a wide range of activities including health, children and young people, arts and culture, the environment, and services.
Community foundations can meet all areas of community need, including but not limited to: • Arts and culture
• Education
• Environment
• Health
• Community development
• Children and young people
• Older people
• Employment and training
Deadline: Ongoing
Foundation Scotland
The Robertson Trust – Wee Grants
Grants of up to £5,000 are available. Revenue and capital funding for constituted community groups and small charities who support people who are experiencing (or are at high risk of experiencing) poverty and trauma, with an annual income of under £30,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Robertson Trust – Wee Grants
National Lottery Community Fund - The UK Fund
Grants of £500,000 to £5 million are available to not-for-profit groups for projects which forge connections between communities to create a better-connected society across the UK.
Deadline: Ongoing
National Lottery Community Fund - The UK Fund
6 | ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION
Scotmid Co-op - Community Orchard Grants
Small grants are available to community groups in Scotland to plant fruit trees and shrubs near Scotmid stores. Grants of up to £200 are available. Funding can be used to purchase fruit bearing shrubs or trees. Community groups and charities in proximity to Scotmid stores can apply. Groups should verify their eligibility on the Scotmid website.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scotmid Coop Community Orchard
Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF)
Funding is available to enable investment in tangible, effective marine and coastal restoration projects in Scotland, undertaken by organisations across all sectors. The main aim of the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) is to support practical improvements to Scottish marine and coastal ecosystems. Although it is anticipated that most applications for enhancement projects will initially focus on salt marsh, seagrass, sand dunes, native oysters, marine birds and cetaceans; the funder is keen to receive proposals for research to inform a broader range of potential marine and coastal enhancement opportunities across all relevant species and habitats.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund
Pets Foundation - Preventing Pet Relinquishment Grants
Grants are available for projects which aim to keep pets with their owners and out of rescue, including projects providing emergency pet fostering for people facing crisis, subsidised veterinary care, neutering schemes and pet food banks. Grants of up to £80,000 per year are available. Multi-year funding applications, up to a three-year period, will be considered.
Deadline: Ongoing
Pets Foundation
Scottish Forestry Community Fund
Grants are available to voluntary and community organisations, development trusts, social enterprises, charities and local authorities for projects and activities that encourage people to use woods more. The funding aims to encourage and support greater use of woods by people to improve their health, wellbeing and life chances. Applicants will need to provide match funding for projects above £1,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scottish Forestry Community Fund
Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleets
Grants are intended to support Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK with the costs of electric vehicle infrastructure and chargepoints on their business premises.
Deadline: Ongoing
Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Grant
Pets Foundation - Rescue Centre Grants
Grants are available for charities and non-profit organisations in the UK whose main objective is the rescue and rehoming of domestic pets in the UK. The Pets Foundation provides three grant programmes:
• Rescue Centres – to support organisations whose main activities are the rescue and rehoming of UK pets.
• Pets Assisting People – to support organisations whose main activities are one or more of the following: The provision of temporary or ongoing assistance to ensure pets can remain with their owners, where rehoming takes place only when it is not possible to reunite the pet with their owner. Changing the lives of adults and children through the provision of animal-based activities or practical assistance.
• Preventing Pet Relinquishment – to support projects that aim to keep pets with their owners and out of rescue.
Deadline: Ongoing
Pets Foundation
Plug-in Vehicle Grant (PIVG) Scheme
As announced by the Chancellor at the Autumn Budget, £120 million will be provided in 2025-26 to support the purchase of new electric vans via the Plug-in Vehicle Grant and to support the manufacture of wheelchair accessible EVs. The amount of the grant depends on which category the vehicle is in.
Deadline: Ongoing
Plug-in Vehicle Grant (PIVG) Scheme
Soil Association Exchange - Exchange Market
A pilot funding scheme rewarding arable farmers in the UK for reducing emissions within their supply chains through tailored, verified plans. Farmers can join Exchange Market by having a completed Exchange baseline and a recent Farm Carbon Toolkit assessment. The Soil Association Exchange will then work with applicants to create a verified emissions reduction plan. With annual payments based on verified results, the programme ensures transparency and accountability at every step. Farmers in the scheme can earn up to £60 per tonne of carbon reduced annually, with 50% of payments provided upfront to support their transition.
Deadline: Ongoing
Soil Association Exchange
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation - Grants
The minimum grant size is £30,000 and available to organisations doing legally charitable work in the UK that focuses on the Foundation's funding priorities of improving the natural world, securing a fairer future, and strengthening the bonds in communities in the UK.
Deadline: Ongoing
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
Swire Charitable Trust
Grants are available for UK registered charities working to deliver positive and lasting change to UK society under three programme areas:
• Opportunity
• Environment
• Heritage
Deadline: Ongoing
Swire Charitable Trust
Electric Vehicle Chargepoint and Infrastructure Grant for Landlords
Funding to install electric vehicle chargepoints as a landlord, social housing provider or property factor.
Deadline: Ongoing
Electric Vehicle Chargepoint and Infrastructure Grant
7 | GENERAL FUNDING
The RS MacDonald Charitable Trust
Funding is available for registered charities in Scotland in the following areas: tackling child abuse and neglect; visual impairment; neurological conditions; medical research; and animal welfare. The Trust's principal areas of interest are:
• Tackling child abuse and neglect
• Visual impairment
• Neurological conditions
• Medical research
• Animal welfare
Small grant applications are accepted any time.
Deadline: Ongoing
The RS MacDonald Charitable Trust
De Brye Charitable Trust
Grants are available for charitable organisations that provide care and housing for the aged, orphans and neglected children or aid physically disabled children and the blind. The majority of grants are between £500 and £5,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
Enquiries: 01727 869141 (The Trust does not have a website or an email address.)
Rhododendron Trust
Grants are available to UK registered charities who are working for the welfare of the disadvantaged in the UK and overseas as well as some cultural and wildlife projects.
Deadline: Ongoing
Rhododendron Trust
The Mickel Fund
Grants of up to £10,000 are available. Funding is available for projects in Scotland that address one or more of the following categories:
• The advancement of education
• The prevention or relief of poverty
• The advancement of health and saving of lives
• The advancement of the arts, heritage, culture and science
• The advancement of public participation in sports
Deadline: Ongoing
The Mickel Fund
Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust
The Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust offers grants to registered charities active in Great Britain. The funding is intended to support projects relating to young people, people with disabilities, the environment and the arts. Grants usually range from £500 to £2,500.
Deadline: Ongoing
Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust
National Lottery Awards for All – Scotland
For arts and sports projects, applications can be made for up to £10,000 supporting projects for up to 12 months. For community-led projects (that are not primarily arts or sport focused), applications can be made for up to £20,000 per year supporting projects for up to two years.
Deadline: Ongoing
National Lottery Awards for All – Scotland
The MacRobert Trust
Grants are available for UK registered charities with a preference for organisations based in Scotland which have projects that address the themes set out by The MacRobert Trust.
• Theme 1: Armed Forces & Good Citizenship
• Theme 2: Education & Professional Excellence
• Theme 3: Local Community & Other MacRobert Interests
Deadline: Various
The MacRobert Trust
Matthew Good Foundation - Grants for Good Fund
A small number of grants are available for local community groups, charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises in the UK for projects that have a positive impact on communities, people, or the environment.
Deadline: Ongoing
Matthew Good Foundation
The Rozelle Trust
The Trust will generally support smaller charities, especially those working at grass roots and local community level where the funds will be able to make a significant difference. Awards will be made to support a wide range of charitable activities to benefit young people and children, those experiencing poverty, and the disabled.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Rozelle Trust
Foundation Scotland
Some of the funds are available on a Scotland-wide basis, and others are aimed at specific geographical areas or themes. You’ll find grant size and criteria information on each fund’s page, together with any unique criteria. Also, every fund lists a deadline for applications, and there may be more than one round of funding each year. When searching, be sure to note all the key dates in the fund listing.
Deadline: Various
Foundation Scotland
8 | HEALTH
Blue Light Card Foundation - Wellbeing Fund
The funding is intended to support the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the entire Blue Light Community - across health, emergency, social care, and armed forces - recognising their vital role in society. There is particular interest in applications for projects that support individuals across multiple Blue Light services, fostering collaboration and shared learning. Priority will be given to initiatives that include clear, well-developed plans for continuing the work beyond the life of the grant. Grants of up to a maximum of £25,000 are available.
Deadline: Ongoing
Blue Light Card Foundation
Gardening With Disabilities Trust
Small grants are available to groups and individuals in the UK who suffer all kinds of chronic disabilities - mental and physical - to help them get gardening again.
Deadline: Ongoing
Gardening With Disabilities Trust
Parkinson’s UK Physical Activity Grants Programme
Grants are available for activity providers, communities, networks and organisations across the UK to develop new opportunities for people with Parkinson’s to become and stay active or help increase their levels of physical activity. Grants of between £500 and £3,000 are available. Applications will be accepted from activity providers, national governing bodies, Parkinson’s groups and branches, and sports and healthcare professionals.
Deadline: Ongoing
Parkinson’s UK
RNIB Technology Grants
The funding is intended for UK residents who are registered blind or partially sighted people and who have been refused funding from their local authority for the items they need. The grant will support the cost of any item that is on the RNIB list of approved equipment.
Deadline: Ongoing
RNIB
Anton Jurgens Charitable Trust
Grants are available to UK based charities for projects that support people of all ages who are socially disadvantaged and/or have disabilities.
Deadline: Ongoing
Anton Jurgens Charitable Trust
Vegetarian for Life Grants
Funding is available for charities and charitable organisations supporting older vegetarians and vegans.
Deadline: Ongoing
Vegetarian for Life
The Hargreaves Foundation
Grants are available for charities and educational institutions that support those under the age of 18 years, and living with a mental health condition, disability or growing up in poverty through the mediums of sport and education.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Hargreaves Foundation
Scottish Families - The Family Recovery Initiative Fund (FRIF)
One-off grants of up to £5,000 are available to organisations and groups working to support families affected by alcohol and drugs in Scotland.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scottish Families - The Family Recovery Initiative Fund (FRIF)
Barchester's Charitable Foundation
Grants are available for small local groups and small local charities to improve the quality of life and combat loneliness in older people as well as adults with a physical or mental disability. Grants for individuals and groups available.
Deadline: Ongoing
Barchester's Charitable Foundation
Fletchers Foundation
Grants are available to charities and organisations in the UK working to support individuals or families who have suffered life changing circumstances as a result of illness (born with or acquired), severe personal injury, accident or medical negligence.
Deadline: Ongoing
Fletchers Foundation
9 | LAND & PROPERTY
Screwfix Foundation
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to UK registered charities and not-for-profit organisations for projects that improve, fix, and repair buildings, homes and facilities specifically used by people in need across the UK.
Deadline: 10 May 2026
Screwfix Foundation
B&Q Foundation - Home Improvement Grants
The funding is intended for UK charities working to improve the lives of people in need by supporting projects that make homes safe, welcoming, and comfortable. Grants are for essential home improvements and home starter kits—helping individuals and families facing homelessness, domestic abuse, disabilities, illness, or financial hardship to feel more settled and supported in their living spaces. Grants of up to £10,000 are available for home improvement projects that will be completed in the next 12 months.
Deadline: 15 May 2026
B&Q Foundation
Scottish Government - Housing Infrastructure Fund
Grants available to registered social landlords and local authorities in Scotland for the unlocking of sites to provide new affordable housing which aligns with the 'Housing to 2040' strategy.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scottish Government - Housing Infrastructure Fund
National Heritage Memorial Fund
Funding for charities, not-for-profit organisations and public bodies to help with the cost of acquiring historic land, buildings, works of fine and decorative art and other objects of interest which are important to national heritage.
Deadline: Ongoing
National Heritage Memorial Fund
Scottish Land Fund
Grants between £5,000 and £1,000,000 are available to organisations in both urban and rural Scotland which are community-led, community-controlled and defined by a geographic area that can demonstrate significant positive impact for the community as a whole. Applicants will have the opportunity to test out and develop their ideas with support from a Scottish Land Fund Adviser.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scottish Land Fund
10 | POVERTY & COST OF LIVING CRISIS
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
Grants up to £50,000 are available to large charitable groups and organisations in the UK for projects that further the objectives of the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, particularly those that educate young people in rural areas and the relief of poverty in rural areas. The Trustees meet twice a year to consider applications received. These meetings are currently held in June and November.
Deadline: 24 April 2026
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust
Discretionary Grants are available to support charities and community projects with the cost of electricity supply connections - either to a new property or to upgrade an existing supply. For community projects a grant of routinely between 50% and 75% may be awarded and the benefit to the community will influence the grant. Applications are also accepted from individuals most in need for domestic properties.
Deadline: 14 May 2026
Scottish Hydro Electric Community Trust
Trefoil – Lilias Finlay Holiday Fund
Trefoil offers holiday grants to children and families who meet our development needs criteria. Applicants for holiday grants should be under eighteen years old and living in Scotland. Trefoil only funds holidays in the UK and does not support overseas trips. Applications for holiday grants are open and considered all year. Please apply at least 12 weeks before your holiday. Your applications should be supported by two references. Holiday grants are open and considered all year.
Deadline: Organisational grants - 07 August 2026
Deadline: Holiday grants - ongoing
Trefoil
The Grocers' Charity Grant
One-off grants are available to small UK registered charities for work in the specific areas of: relief of poverty, disability and inclusion, the elderly, health, military, environment and conservation, and the arts and heritage. The application link will open on 30 March 2026.
Deadline: 01 September 2026
The Grocers' Charity
Aberlour Urgent Assistance Fund
The Urgent Assistance Fund remains committed to providing emergency cash grants to help families who are struggling to provide essentials such as food, heating, beds and clothing for their children. Applications must be submitted via a sponsor. Sponsors can be frontline professionals working for a registered charity, housing association or public sector organisation who:
• Are working directly with the children/young person
Have made a full assessment of the child’s or young person’s needs
Children and young people must meet the following criteria:
• Aged under 21 OR aged 25 and under if the young person is care experienced.
• Living on a low income and experiencing financial hardship.
• Have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on their wellbeing, their development and education, the family or young person has recently taken action to improve their situation, are actively engaging with support and are moving on from the crisis.
Deadline: Ongoing
Aberlour
Mother and Baby Unit Family Fund
A Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) is a specialist inpatient unit for people who:
• Develop severe mental health problems in the later stages of pregnancy
• Develop severe mental health problems during the year after their baby is born
You can claim towards the cost of travel, food and accommodation when you're visiting someone in an MBU, if you are the:
• Partner of the person who gave birth
• Baby's other parent
• Main carer of the person who gave birth
If you have children who are 16 and under, you can claim towards the costs travel, food and accommodation during their visits to the MBU too.
Deadline: Ongoing
Mother and Baby Unit Family Fund
National Lottery Community Fund - Fairer Life Chances (Scotland)
Grants are available to voluntary and community and public sector organisations in Scotland for projects that support children, young people and families, or help people to be healthier and have better access to support, with a focus on those experiencing poverty, discrimination and disadvantage. Grants of between £20,001 and £500,000 are available. However, it is expected that most grants will be for £250,000 or less.
Deadline: Ongoing
National Lottery Community Fund
BBC Children in Need, Family Fund - Emergency Essentials Programme
Funding for the purchase of essential items to meet the most basic needs of children and young people in the UK who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances. Where possible, items will be provided directly rather than awarding a cash grant.
Deadline: Ongoing
Family Fund
British Gas Energy Trust
Grants are available to individuals and families across Great Britain to be used to help write off their energy debts, regardless of energy provider. The Trust offers two funds:
• Individuals and Families Fund - Open to Credit and Pre-Payment Meter customers
• British Gas Energy Support Fund – now closed
Both are intended to tackle fuel poverty by clearing the energy debts of struggling households and respond to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. You do not need to be a British Gas customer to apply for this fund - you can be a British Gas Customer, or a customer from another supplier with arrears of up to £1,700.
Deadline: Ongoing
British Gas Energy Trust
The Robertson Trust - Wee Grants
Grants of £300 to £2,000 are available for up to one year for small charities and community groups in Scotland carrying out charitable work in local communities to address poverty and trauma
Deadline: Ongoing
The Robertson Trust
COSARAF – Hardship Grants
Grants of up to £2,000 but only in exceptional circumstances will individuals receive a grant of more than £500 these are available for third party social organisations to support individuals and families across the UK who are in financial need and have exhausted all other sources of funding.
Deadline: Ongoing
COSARAF
Faith in Community Scotland - Greener Spaces, Fairer Places
Grants of up to £500 are available to local faith groups and other related organisations for projects that address poverty and climate change in communities across Scotland.
Deadline: Ongoing
Faith in Community Scotland
Family Fund Trust
Grants up to £300 are available to support families and individuals for essential personal and household needs to assist families and individuals with low incomes, particularly those living on benefits.
Deadline: Ongoing
Family Fund Trust
Foux Foundation
Grants are available for registered charities across the United Kingdom and Ireland to deliver a variety of projects and activities that address health, education, youth opportunity, and the relief of poverty
Deadline: Ongoing
Foux Foundation
Happy Days Children's Charity
Funding for families with children aged 3-17 who are disabled, have a special need or have been abused.
Deadline: Ongoing
Happy Days Children's Charity
Cavell
Cavell helps registered nurses, midwives, nursing associates and maternity support workers, both working and retired, when they’re going through tough times. This is often due to illness, disability, older age, domestic abuse and the impact of the rise in living costs.
Deadline: Ongoing
Cavell
The Rozelle Trust
Financial assistance is available to smaller charities in Scotland that work to support the poor and disadvantaged in their local communities.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Rozelle Trust
Forte Charitable Foundation
Grants of £2,000 to £10,000 are available for small and medium sized local charities and not-for-profit organisations in the UK with a track record of success working to address local issues in communities of deprived rural areas.
Deadline: Ongoing
Forte Charitable Foundation
Victim Support Scotland - Emergency Assistance Fund
Grants are available to support people affected by crime across Scotland and provide a wide range of goods and services to people who would typically lack access to financial help.
Deadline: Ongoing
Victim Support Scotland
Pets Foundation - Preventing Pet Relinquishment Grants
Grants of up to £80,000 per year are available for projects which aim to keep pets with their owners and out of rescue, including projects providing emergency pet fostering for people facing crisis, subsidised veterinary care, neutering schemes and pet food banks.
Deadline: Ongoing
Pets Foundation
Thomas Wall Trust - Grants for Individuals
The individual grants programme aims to support motivated adults living in the UK to undertake education and training that will increase their chances of employment. Grants of up to £1,500 are available to undertake accredited vocational training up to level 3 (Qualification levels explained) and towards other costs associated with studying.
Deadline: Ongoing
Thomas Wall Trust
Veterans' Foundation
Grants are available for small and medium-sized charities and not-for-profit organisations that provide support to those in need among serving Armed Forces personnel, veterans, operationally qualified seafarers and their immediate families across the UK. Maximum value: £75,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
Veterans' Foundation
The Robertson Trust - Nurturing Relationships
Grants are available to registered charities working to support nurturing relationships within families and communities, to help break the cycle between persistent poverty and intergenerational trauma, and to support recovery.
• Small Grants - £30,000 to £200,000
• Large Grants - £200,000 to £2 million
Deadline: Ongoing
The Robertson Trust
Family Action - Welfare Grants Programme
The Welfare Grants Programme is aimed at people who already receive means-tested benefits but still need a little helping hand to afford basics or replace essentials like a broken washing machine. Together with emotional support this can help individuals and families avoid a bigger crisis and get back on track. The fund is open for applications for people over the age of 60 who live anywhere in the UK including Greater London. Applications can only be made by a suitable referring organisation such as a statutory agency or charity that provides health or social care, housing associations, probation services and GP’s. Members of the public cannot apply themselves directly. Welfare Grants
Deadline: Ongoing
Family Action
The Mickel Fund
Grants are available for registered charities for projects in Scotland that address the charitable objectives of the Fund.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Mickel Fund
11 | SPORT FUNDING
Sport Scotland - Sports Facilities Fund
Grants are available for the provision or upgrading of sports facilities in local communities throughout Scotland. The Sports Facilities Fund aims to support capital projects that provide opportunities for people to get involved in and participate in sport and physical activity in Scotland.
• Grants of to 50% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of £200,000 may be awarded.
• A higher percentage of investment can be awarded to community led projects within or serving the most deprived areas (Deciles 1 and 2 on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation up to 75% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of £250,000.
Deadlines: 01 September
Sport Scotland
Sports Charity Scotland
Grants are available to charitable organisations in Scotland who operate within sectors representing children, young people and sport. The funding is intended to provide support which can make a significant difference to the delivery of existing activities that will benefit children and young people, the disabled and disadvantaged in Scotland. Most awards made are between £500 and £5,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
Sports Charity Scotland
Sport Scotland - Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis Fund
The aim of the fund is to support the creation of indoor tennis facilities in area of high demand across Scotland, as well as to provide investment in pre-existing facilities. This is part of a wider strategy to create a national community tennis network and generate working partnerships across local communities while increasing participation in tennis clubs across Scotland.
Deadline: Ongoing
Sport Scotland
RYA Foundation
Grants are available for sailing clubs in the UK to promote participation in boating by those who are disadvantaged by reason of youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances.
Deadline: Ongoing
RYA Foundation
Boost Charitable Trust
Small grants are available to charities and not-for-profit organisations with a focus on helping disabled and disadvantaged individuals in the UK to participate in sport. Boost has awarded grants across five areas of disadvantage: Social exclusion, Financial hardship, Physical and learning disabilities, Mental health, Medical research and relief.
Deadline: Ongoing
Boost Charitable Trust
SportsAid Award
Assistance for unfunded talented young sportsmen and women (12-18 years old or up to 35 for disability sports) who participate in specific sports and are preparing to compete in major international competition.
Deadline: Ongoing
SportsAid
12 | YOUNG PEOPLE
Youth Scotland - Safe Spaces Youth Work Fund
Grants of up to £2,000 are available for youth groups across Scotland working with vulnerable young people to provide safe spaces and run topic-focused sessions.
Deadline: 24 April 2026
Safe Spaces Youth Work Fund - Youth Scotland
Educational Opportunity Foundation
Grants are available for UK registered charities to advance educational opportunities for vulnerable or deprived children and young people in the UK under the age of 25. £30,000 to £90,000 is available (maximum £30,000 per year for multi-year projects). Funding is for projects which support care experienced young people (under the age of 25 and living in the UK), including unaccompanied young refugees, to achieve any of the following:
• Improve attendance, engagement and achievement in school, alternative education or further education.
• Access and successfully complete higher education.
• Improve employability through training outside of the formal education system.
Deadline: 20 April 2026
Educational Opportunity Foundation
Scottish Gambling Education Hub – Gambling Education Youth Fund
Grants of up to £500 are available for groups of young people across Scotland to deliver gambling education and prevention projects and activities. The Scottish Gambling Education Hub is a Fast Forward Programme, in partnership with GambleAware, that supports young people’s health and well-being by promoting gambling education and prevention across Scotland. This fund aims to enable youth workers and young people to transform their ideas into action and create their own local gambling education and prevention project.
Deadline: Ongoing
Scottish Gambling Education Hub
Sofronie Foundation
Grants are available for charities and not-for-profit organisations across the UK to deliver educational or vocational projects to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people. Funding is for interventions that:
• Increase access to higher education – Educational programmes for young people that raise aspirations, build confidence, and develop skills in preparation for university.
• Increase access to vocational training – Initiatives that provide young people with practical skills or offer opportunities of work experience in preparation for future employment.
Deadline: Ongoing
Sofronie Foundation
Wooden Spoon Charity
Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations that are working in the UK to support the lives of children and young people with a cognitive age under 25 years who are disadvantaged physically, mentally, or socially.
Deadline: Ongoing
Wooden Spoon Charity
Cash For Kids - Holiday Hunger Grants
Grants are available to charities, voluntary and community groups to provide food and activities for disadvantaged children and young people during the school holidays. No minimum or maximum values are stated, but awards are usually between £1,000 and £3,000.
Deadline: Ongoing
Cash For Kids
Ernest Cook Trust - Outdoor Essentials Grant
Grants are available to UK state funded primary and secondary schools to enable them to get their pupils learning outdoors. The current round of funding offers grants for the following options:
• Nature and Nurture – school grounds improvements
• Transport and Travel – transport costs to outdoor learning venues
• Wellies and Waterproofs – outdoor clothing
Deadline: Ongoing
Ernest Cook Trust
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park – Engagement Travel Grants
Grants of up to £250 are available for schools and groups working with disadvantaged people across Scotland to cover transport costs for educational trips to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. There is no deadline and applications can be made at any time. Guidance notes and an application form are available from the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park website.
Deadline: Ongoing
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park
National Lottery Community Fund - Fairer Life Chances (Scotland)
Grants are available to voluntary and community and public sector organisations in Scotland for projects that support children, young people and families, or help people to be healthier and have better access to support, with a focus on those experiencing poverty, discrimination and disadvantage. The Fund is intended for projects working to achieve the following objectives:
• Children, young people and families thrive
• People have better relationships, connections, and physical or mental health
Deadline: Ongoing
The National Lottery Community Fund
The Hargreaves Foundation
Grants are available for charities and educational institutions that support those under the age of 18 years, and living with a mental health condition, disability or growing up in poverty through the mediums of sport and education. The Foundation aims to distribute a total of around £2 million in grants per year. There is no minimum or maximum grant size. The following organisations can apply:
• Registered Charities or Charitable Incorporated Organisations
• Schools and Further Education Colleges (usually exempt charities)
NHS Trusts.
Deadline: Ongoing
The Hargreaves Foundation
Trefoil – Lilias Finlay Holiday Fund
Trefoil offers holiday grants to children and families who meet the development needs criteria. Applicants for holiday grants should be under eighteen years old and living in Scotland. Trefoil only funds holidays in the UK and does not support overseas trips. Applications for holiday grants are open and considered all year. Please apply at least 12 weeks before your holiday. Your applications should be supported by two references.
Deadline: Ongoing
Trefoil
Leslie Sell Charitable Trust
Grants for trips or projects associated with the Scouts or Guides movement within the UK. Please note the Trustees are unable to consider applications for trips or events submitted within four months of your proposed departure or event date due to processing times.
Deadline: Ongoing
Leslie Sell Charitable Trust
National Lottery Community Fund - Young Start Fund
Grants of between £20,001 and £100,000 for up to three years are available to voluntary and community organisations in Scotland for work that helps young people (aged 8 to 24) to become more confident and play an active part in realising their potential.
Deadline: Ongoing
National Lottery Community Fund
Foux Foundation
Grants are available for registered charities across the United Kingdom and Ireland (and worldwide) to deliver a variety of projects and activities that address health, education, youth opportunity, and the relief of poverty.
Deadline: Ongoing
Foux Foundation
