Grants & support for London’s charitable sector

Funding for young women and girls in the criminal justice system or at risk of entering it

This new funding from the Triangle Trust 1949 Fund is open to organisations that solely work with women and girls, and that are led by women.

The Trust want to fund work with young women and girls who are either already caught up in the criminal justice system or are highly vulnerable and likely to enter it. Projects will need to either be working towards reducing reoffending behaviours or reducing first convictions. 

Work can take place with participants between 11 and 30. They are particularly interested in funding projects working with young women and girls who are either care-experienced, come from Black or minoritised/​racialised communities, are neurodiverse, excluded from school or vulnerable to being so, are involved with gangs and county lines, and work that is led by people with lived experience.

Grants of between £10,000 and £80,000 are available for a duration of one to two years. A maximum of £40,000 per year can be requested.

The closing date for submissions is midnight on Wednesday, 21 May 2025.

More information about the criteria and how to apply can be found at www.triangletrust.org.uk

Local Community Spaces Fund

The Local Community Spaces Fund from Asda Foundation will open on Wednesday, 7 May 2025. Grants are available from £10k — £20k for charities and not-for-profit organisations that benefit local people. 

This funding is available to community groups throughout the UK to provide a safe, accessible space for people to meet and be together.

The funding must contribute at least 50% of your total project cost, and can fund up to 90% of your total project cost.

Projects must meet at least one of the following objectives:

• Carry out essential repairs to enable the space to continue to function
• Renovate an existing space to accommodate more users/​activities
• Create a new community space where groups can meet and undertake activities
• Improve accessibility to, or within, a community building

Application deadline: 10am on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 – or earlier if oversubscribed. 

See: www.asdafoundation.org/our-grants

New fund to tackle hatred against Muslims

The government has announced a new fund to provide a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hate and support victims. 

Victims of hate, particularly those from minority backgrounds, may sometimes be unwilling to report incidents to the police. 

The fund is open to applications from a single organisation, or a group of organisations to work together to deliver an accurate record of hate incidents across England. 

Funding available: Up to £650,000 in the 2025–2026 financial year, and up to £1m in the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 financial years. The government will keep future funding under review.

The key objectives for the grant recipient will be to: 

• receive, record and analyse instances of anti-Muslim hate
• increase awareness of what a hate crime is, willingness to report it and the options available to those that witness or experience anti-Muslim hate
• make it easier for those that have been subject to anti-Muslim hate to report their experience
• monitor, record and report on online anti-Muslim hate
• facilitate appropriate support for victims

Deadline for applications: Sunday, 18 May 2025.

Learn more: www.gov.uk/government/news

Trading for Good: Community Business Programme 

If you’re leading a community business and are dedicated to making a positive impact while trading for community benefit, this is your chance to take your enterprise to the next level. 

Over nine months, gain invaluable skills in generating traded income whilst increasing resilience, and business sustainability. Benefit from a £4,000 Match Trading™ grant, expert-led learning, and a powerful peer support network.

Duration: 12 days over nine months, delivered in a mix of online and offline sessions. 

You can sign up for an information session on Wednesday, 7 May between 4–5pm. Applications close on Wednesday, 14 May 2025. The programme runs from October 2025 – July 2026.

More info: www.the-sse.org/courses

Grants to support work promoting human dignity and defending the rights of the most marginalised and excluded 

The A B Charitable Trust can provide grants of between £10,000 to £30,000 per year, for up to three years. They aim to provide unrestricted funding.

The Trust has four priority areas:

• The Human Rights Framework
• Access to Justice
• The Criminal Legal System and Penal Reform
• Migrants and Refugees

With four application deadlines each year, the next deadlines are Friday, 25 April and Friday, 25 July 2025. 

Learn more: www.abcharitabletrust.org.uk/apply

Funding to tackle homelessness and domestic and sexual abuse

London Councils is inviting proposals for the 2026–2030 Pan-London Grants Programme, a four-year initiative which will deliver vital services across the capital. 

The programme aims to tackle homelessness and domestic and sexual abuse, ensuring London’s most vulnerable residents receive the support they need.

This is a pan-London programme, all boroughs need to be included in delivery proposals. Small or local organisations would need to partner with other organisations to ensure their proposal meets the pan-London requirement. 

London Councils is offering finance workshops (full cost recovery budgeting) and grant application drop-in sessions to support applicants throughout the process. 

Application deadline: midday on Wednesday, 14 May 2025.

See: www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/preview-link

Small grants for charities working to address root causes of problems

The Chapman Charitable Trust can provide grants of £1,000 to £3,000 to charities seeking to address underlying problems, and where the funding can make a real difference.

The Trust’s funding is available for charities working on:

• promoting physical and mental wellbeing
• conserving our natural environment and promoting the sustainable use of resources
• increasing the accessibility of the arts, especially for young people

The trustees meet twice a year, in March and September. Applications received before the beginning of those months will be considered at the relevant meeting.

Learn more: www.chapmancharitabletrust.org.uk/guidelines

Active Spaces Fund from the London Marathon Foundation

Funding for projects in London that improve spaces and facilities and help the least active children, young people and underserved groups and communities to lead active and healthy lives. 

The Active Spaces Fund is designed to support projects helping one or more of the following audiences to be active: children and young people, people from ethnically diverse groups, people from lower socio-economic groups, women and girls, people with disabilities, people with long-term health conditions, older people (65+) or the LGBTQ+ community

Projects should: 

• Take place in areas of greatest need. For example, areas with fewer spaces and facilities for physical activity or where communities are likely to be affected by high levels of deprivation
• Have a close connection to the community they support. For example, delivery staff come from the community
• Have plans to improve and activate a space, places or facility beyond the funding period

Typically, grants can be between £10,000 and £80,000. Next application deadline: Tuesday, 8 July 2025

More info: www.londonmarathonfoundation.org/active-spaces-fund

Funding from the Goldsmiths’ Foundation

Grants of between £30,000 — £50,000 to support organisations focussing on vocational skills and training, working at the intersection of creativity and social change.

Funding can cover operating/​core costs or funds for a project. The Goldsmiths Foundation aims to: 

• Build capacity and resources for technical and vocational skills development in creative industries, especially within historically underfunded communities
• Realise the role that skills development, and creative people, makers and designers can play in addressing issues of social justice.
• Create the infrastructure for a more equitable creative industry sector.

Application deadline is 10am on Monday, 5 May 2025. 

Learn more: www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/inaugural-grants-programme

Funding to help prevent and tackle the consequences of adverse childhood experiences

Grants from The Leathersellers to prevent and/​or reduce the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Eligible charities and charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs) can apply for an unrestricted grant of between £20,000–£25,000 per year for a period of up to four years.

Applying organisations should have an organisational income of between £200k and £2m in 2025–26. Their core focus should be to prevent and/​or reduce the impact of ACEs by providing services to children, young people and/​or adults. 

Expressions of Interest close at 5pm on Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Learn more: www.leathersellers.co.uk/grant/charity-main-grants

The Leathersellers’ Foundation Small Grants Programme

One-off grants of up to £5,000 to support work delivering activities to meet an identified need for vulnerable members of the community.

There are eight application windows throughout the year, with the next opening at 10am on Tuesday, 6 May 2025. Each window closes when 40 applications have been received. That can happen within one hour. 

It is recommended that applicants draft their applications using the offline Word version of the form, available on the Foundation’s website.

These grants are available to charities and charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs) with at least one year’s published accounts, and a planned expenditure of under £200,000 during the financial year in which you’re applying for funding.

Learn more: www.leathersellers.co.uk/grant/small-grants-programme

Our Funder Plus offer for funded organisations

Every organisation funded by City Bridge Foundation can apply for free, additional support that goes beyond funding. This is our Funder Plus offer. 

For instance, we can provide fee support your organisation’s development and governance, fundraising or business planning.

Eligible funded organisation can benefit from free access to training courses, attendance at conferences, and/​or peer-to-peer learning. Many more support options are available. City Bridge Foundation offers all of this at no financial cost to your organisation.

Learn more at www.citybridgefoundation.org.uk/funder-plus

Spotlight Talks: Approaching AI 

We’re excited to invite you to our fourth Spotlight Talks event, taking place online via Zoom on Wednesday, 7 May, from 10am to 11:30am. 

This event is open to all charitable organisations, you do not have to be in receipt of funding from City Bridge Foundation to attend. 

Our free session will explore how AI (artificial intelligence) is reshaping the way charities and organisations work, and unlocking new opportunities to boost efficiency, engagement, and impact. We’ll be offering tips for people at all stages of their AI journey. 

We’ll be joined on the panel by: 

• Erica Thornton (Breck Foundation) 
• Geraud de Ville de Goyet (Barking and Dagenham Giving) 
• Joey Ceunen (Carefree) 
• Jonathan Waddingham (Lightful) 

Together, they’ll share their experiences with AI: what inspired them to start using it, how it’s helping their organisations, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way. 

Jonathan Waddingham will also offer practical advice for charities looking to get started with AI, including how to approach AI, embedding best practice and other useful resources. There will be time for questions and open discussion following the panel. 

To register please click on the button below and complete our short registration form by midnight on Friday, 2 May 2025. Please complete one form per person attending. You will be sent an email with the Zoom link after you submit this form. 

If you are unable to attend this date but would like to see a recording of the Spotlight Talks presentation, please complete the form so we have your details. We will share a recording of the session with everyone who registers. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Communication and marketing skills workshop 

As part of our Funder Plus offer, our partner Barley Communications will be providing a free Communication & Marketing Skills workshop for up to ten of our funded organisations. 

This offer is only open to organisations funded by City Bridge Foundation. 

The final agenda will be determined by the needs of the organisations who attend, but could cover topics such as marketing strategy and planning, digital marketing and social media, influencer marketing, website & search engine optimisation, brand developing and narrative, etc. 

The workshop will be held at the Guildhall in the City of London, from 10am to 1pm, followed by lunch (provided). This promises to be an exciting and informative learning opportunity for those able to attend. The specific date has yet to be confirmed. 

To express your interest in joining, please complete the form below by midnight on Wednesday, 30 April 2025. Please answer all of the questions so that we can get an idea of what you would like to get from the day. Only one place is available per organisation. 

As places are strictly limited we cannot guarantee a place for everyone, but we will reply to everyone who expresses an interest.

Accessibility at the Guildhall

How to complete a risk assessment for your charity property

This engaging and informative session will provide practical guidance to help ensure your building is safe for everyone who uses it.

Experts from the Ethical Property Foundation will help you: 

• Understand risk 
• Navigate a risk assessment 
• Understand basic Health and Safety legislation.
• Fulfil your responsibilities 
• Connect risk assessment and insurance 
• Prioritise improvements 

This free, online Zoom session will take place at lunchtime (12–1pm) on Tuesday, 20 May 2025. 

Learn more: www.propertyhelp.org/events

Supported by City Bridge Foundation.

Good Finance Live: Building knowledge and partnerships for social investment

Good Finance Live is a one day, hybrid event taking place on Tuesday, 29 April 2025 in Friends House, Euston, London.

This is an opportunity for charity and social enterprise leaders who are actively seeking social investment to make valuable connections and delve into what repayable finance really entails.

The event is free for leaders of charities and social enterprises. City Bridge Foundation will be in attendance.

Approximate timings 9am – 5pm (panel sessions taking place between 11am and 3pm).

Learn more and sign up at: www.goodfinance.org.uk

Free short films for women and girls’ charities

Media Trust Films is launching a new initiative to create free short films for charities that support women and girls.

In partnership with The Crucible Foundation, they’re looking for 10 women and girls’ charities tackling issues such as domestic violence, harassment and trafficking to take part. Successful applicants will be matched with a skilled volunteer filmmaker to co-create a powerful film that amplifies their work, at no cost to the charity.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to tell your charity’s vital story through film.

Q&A session for charities: 1–2pm on Friday, 25 April 2025. Applications close: Friday, 2 May 2025

Learn more: www.mediatrust.org/communications-support

Trusteeship and influencing in the new political landscape

This free event from NPC is open to all trustees, with a particular focus on those of small and medium-sized organisations.

Navigating a constantly changing political landscape is difficult for any organisation, particularly when charity advocacy is under scrutiny. But influencing policy can be a great way for charities to deliver social change. And trustees need to know how to support this.

At this event, participants can learn:

• What opportunities and challenges the new government brings for trustees 
• The current legal and regulatory landscape for influencing 
• How best to work with a new government nationally and locally.

This online Zoom session will take place at lunchtime (1–2pm) on Wednesday, 4 June 2025. 

See: www.thinknpc.org/events-and-training

Strengthening Black-led organisations across London

Applications are open for another Build, Hustle, Grow programme from Do it Now Now, in connection with London Now Now.

Designed for organisations with annual revenues between £10,000 and £50,000, this free, six-month programme offers hands-on training, expert mentorship, and practical resources to strengthen leadership and financial resilience. 

Whether you’re building your organisation’s long-term sustainability or scaling your impact, Build, Hustle, Grow is here to support your journey.

Applications are open until Friday, 23 May 2025. Don’t miss your chance to join a dynamic cohort of leaders shaping London’s future.

Learn more: www.doitnownow.com

Pantoum for Community Gardens

Continuing City Bridge Foundation’s use of poetry to celebrate our five iconic bridges, our role as a major funder, and the work of the many organisations we support, our poet-in-residence Cecilia Knapp has produced a new poem, Pantoum for Community Gardens.

A pantoum is a poem of four-line stanzas, with repetition of certain lines. Working with Hackney Herbal, The Orchard Project and The Poetry Society, our new poem draws inspiration from the beauty of London’s community gardens and the dedication of the volunteers who care for them.

Watch and listen below ⬇️

Follow us on social media