Grants & support for London’s charitable sector

Sign up to get our monthly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. 

Hear about the latest open funding opportunities and offers of free support for London’s charitable and social enterprise sector.

By subscribing to our new newsletter you consent to receiving emails from City Bridge Foundation and for your personal data to be processed in accordance with our privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

If you have any problems signing up, drop us a line at comms@citybridgefoundation.org.uk

Webinar bookings are now open for organisations working in social welfare advice, as we prepare to launch the first round of funding under our Access to Justice programme.

Access to Justice is the first of four City Bridge Foundation programmes launching as part of our ten-year funding policy, Standing with Londoners 2025–2035.

It’s aimed at ​‘led by and for’ organisations delivering free social welfare advice, engaging in social action, and supporting systems change: helping Londoners access their rights and find solutions to everyday problems in areas such as housing, welfare benefits, debt, employment, and immigration.

We only fund work that benefits Londoners in one or more of the 32 London boroughs and/​or the City of London.

Full programme information, including eligibility guidance and application details, will be live on our website from Monday 10 November.

You can now book your place for the live webinar, which will take place on Tuesday 11 November 2025, from 11.15am to 12pm.

Find out more and book your webinar place here: www.citybridgefoundation.org.uk/access-to-justice

This is a funded opportunity for charities, not-for-profits and community organisations to start or increase trading, earning income and building financial resilience.

The programme is designed for London-based organisations which are at least three years old, with £50k+ income, and with little or no trading history (less than 20% of income from trading).

The London Growth & Resilience Programme is delivered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and is funded by City Bridge Foundation. It offers an 18-month support package, combining two grants with hands on learning, mentoring and buyer connections. Successful applicants will get:

• A set up grant of £4,000 — £7,000 to kickstart their trading (to help with pilot costs, staff time, equipment, marketing etc)
   
• A Match Trading grant of up to £12,000 over 18 months. SSE will match your growth in trading income, paid quarterly (up to £2,000 per quarter)
   
• Ten tailored learning days (both in person and online), 1:1 mentoring, Business Support Panels and Market Making events with buyers
   
• Inclusive peer support with our expert partners (AVOCADO Foundation, Inclusion Unlimited, and Consortium)

Register your interest by 12pm (noon) on Thursday, 18 December 2025.

Online interviews will take place between 2–13 February 2026 and the programme will run between April 2026 and September 2027.

Learn more: www.the-sse.org/london-growth-resilience-programme

Communities for Children is a new £15 million funding programme dedicated to tackling rising child poverty in the UK.

Unlike traditional funding programmes, Communities for Children will not be open for general applications. Instead, funders will be work with local communities to identify lead organisations and partners.

The initiative is being co-funded by BBC Children in Need, The National Lottery Community Fund, City Bridge Foundation, Pears Foundation and The Hunter Foundation.

This is the first, major funder collaboration in the UK focused on finding and funding scalable solutions to support the impact of poverty on children. Communities for Children aims to support children living in the most economically deprived areas of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to thrive and fulfil their potential.

The initiative will include building strong local partnerships, engaging community leaders, and elevating the voices of children and young people – particularly those often left unheard. By doing so, the programme aims to challenge stigma, inspire change in local systems, and share learnings across communities.

Learn more on BBC Children in Need’s website: www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/grants

Better Youth Spaces is a capital grant programme funded by the UK Government and administered by Social Investment Business. Grants are available from £5,000 up to £100,000 per site (not per organisation). 

This second funding round can be used for capital equipment (including the purchase of vehicles), to help youth organisations to better support the young people they work with. The project must meet at least one of the fund objectives: 

• Improving the reach of activities provided
• Improving the safety of existing youth facilities
• Improve the youth sector’s capacity and quality to deliver a range of enrichment activities
• Improving the financial sustainability of youth facilities

Eligible organisations will be working in one or more 42 priority areas of England, selected on the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.

At least 50% of their provision will be for children/​young people aged up to 18. A significant proportion of that provision must be open access youth provision for children and young people aged 11 to 18 years (or up to 25 years if they have special educational needs or disabilities, are leaving care, or considered ​‘at risk’ or vulnerable). 

Application deadline: 12 noon on Thursday, 6 November 2025.

Learn more: www.sibgroup.org.uk/funds/better-youth-spaces

BlueSpark provides funding for projects which aim to improve the education and development of children and young people (aged 5 to 22) by means of educational, cultural, sporting or other activities.

Funding is for relatively small-scale projects which might not happen at all or would only happen on a smaller scale without the support of BlueSpark. Many grants are under £2,000 and none are more than £5,000.

The grant provided by BlueSpark for any particular project must constitute a significant proportion of the costs of that project rather than being marginally incremental to its funding.

BlueSpark support a wide range of projects initiated by many different organisations and individuals. They value academic, vocational, artistic and sporting endeavour in equal measure but we are particularly keen to support projects which will help enhance the self-confidence, team working skills and future employability of children and young people.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis at approximately eight-week intervals.

Learn more: www.bluesparkfoundation.org.uk

The Common Ground Award can provide capital funding of up to £10,000 to voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations that are bringing people together from different backgrounds.

The funding can support the cost of constructing or renovating facilities, or the purchasing of equipment to deliver services.

The Award aims to recognise good practice across England, in promoting social cohesion, by directly investing in organisations making a positive impact. The award acknowledges that the VCSE sector does vital work in bringing communities together and fostering connection, in the face of political polarisation, declining trust, social isolation and economic insecurity.

Application deadline: Friday, 21 November 2025.

Learn more at: www.gov.uk/common-ground-award-prospectus

The North East London VCFSE Collaborative is inviting applications from voluntary, community or faith organisation employees based in North East London to apply for a workforce development grant.

This is a limited pot of small grants of up to £250. The grants are designed to support professional development opportunities for individuals working within Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise organisations that have an annual turnover of £150,000 or less.

Workforce development grants can be used to support a wide range of professional development activities, including training, mentoring, and other learning experiences. This may also include attending local or national events, conferences, or training sessions with a focus on tackling health inequalities or improving health and wellbeing within communities.

The Collaborative is seeking to fund approximately 17 applicants in each of the seven boroughs in North East London and will prioritise applicants in early career roles. You must be able to use your grant by 28 February 2026.

Application deadline: Monday, 10 November 2025.

Learn more: www.thcvs.org.uk/EoI-workforce-development.pdf

The David Riddell Memorial CIO offers discretionary grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 where they believe that their contribution will make a real difference to suicide awareness or prevention.

This funding is for suicide awareness and prevention programmes run for charitable purposes. Applications can include full cost recovery. Applications for core costs may be considered to the extent that the mission of the applicant organisation meets their grant criteria.

Priority will be given to innovative projects, and applications from smaller charities are particularly encouraged.

Applications are taken all year round and assessed on a rolling basis.

Learn more at: www.davidriddell.org/grants

The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation has a General Fund suitable for registered charities working across a wide range of issues.

Funding is specifically for project costs, with applicants advised to apply for no more than 50% of the total project cost. The Foundation generally prefer grant requests for over £5,000 and does not fund events or one-off activities.

The Foundation’s funding priorities include: Victims of modern slavery / Victims of domestic abuse / Ex-offenders and their families / Homelessness / Support for people with terminal illnesses, life limiting conditions and their carers / Drug and substance misuse / Support for people with intellectual disability / Care leavers / Worship and associated community outreach / Amateur sport / Care for the elderly.

Applications are considered at quarterly trustee meetings.

Learn more at: www.albertgubayfoundation.org/applications

London Resilient Communities is a London Resilience funded programme that supports the capital’s voluntary, community and faith sectors to be more resilient in the face of emergencies.

As well as offering a range of free, online support, a small grants scheme will open for communities to apply to on Monday 3 November 2025. Two grants will be available:

• Developing a Community Emergency Plan: £500
• Becoming a Community Resilience Hub: £1,000

Successful applicants will also have access to a series of online sessions providing further expert support, and the opportunity to network with their fellow grantees.

Application deadline: 12pm noon on Monday, 1 December 2025.

Learn more at: www.groundwork.org.uk/london-resilient-communities

This funding, run by the GLA’s Energy Team, is for local communities to install renewable energy technologies and measures that lower bills and help share climate knowledge.

This fund will support projects that:

• reduce greenhouse gas emissions in London
• lead to collective action to reduce, manage and generate energy
• promote community-led development and delivery of energy projects that provide direct benefit to the local community
• increase community awareness and action on clean energy
• increase the resilience of communities vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and high energy costs

This eighth phase of the London Community Energy Fund will offer up to £630,000, in total, across three streams:

• Feasibility grants of up to £10,000 per project. This is to support the early stages of community energy projects
   
• Development grants of up to £10,000 per project. This is to cover the costs to get a community energy project ​‘investor ready’, i.e. ready to be financed
   
• Delivery grants of up to a third of the capital value of the project, capped at £60,000

Application deadline: 11:59pm on Sunday 7 December 2025.

Learn more: www.london.gov.uk/london-community-energy-fund

The Football Foundation has opened a new fund aimed at providing every woman and girl with a safe, welcoming and accessible place to play football.

The Lionesses HERe to Play Fund offers grants to clubs and organisations to make their facilities more inclusive, such as clearer signage, sanitary bins, conversion of open showers to cubicle showers, and private spaces for baby change and breastfeeding.

You can apply for a grant of up to £25,000, with 75% funded by the Football Foundation. You’ll have to provide the final 25% match funding. The minimum grant you can apply for is £1,500.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Learn more: www.footballfoundation.org.uk/lionesses-here-to-play-fund

Home Instead can offer small grants to projects that support members through activities and projects that support wellbeing or reduce social isolation and/​or loneliness.

Small grass roots organisations can apply for funding up to £500. Small local registered charities can apply for funding up to £1,500. Funding should largely support people aged over 55. Examples of suitable activities include:

• Regular weekly or monthly events and activities such as weekly cinema clubs, weekly knit and natters, or lunch clubs
• One-off activities such as a day trip or a Christmas lunch
• Activities such as yoga or a guest speaker for your group such as a local historian

Funding applications can be submitted four times per year — in January, April, July and October.

Find out more: www.homeinstead.co.uk/apply-for-a-grant

New funding from the National Lottery can support community-led projects that improve the environment and help people connect with and enjoy nature where they live.

Eligible projects should meet one of the following priorities:

• help people connect with and care for nature in their area
• make a positive difference to the environment

Grants can range from £300 to £20,000. You can use the funding to:

• start a new activity or continue an existing one
• help your organisation adapt to new challenges
• run one-off events that have a clear environmental benefit

Application deadline: Wednesday, 17 December 2025.

Learn more: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding

The Ironmongers’ Company offers funding to projects that deliver clearly defined educational benefits to a specific group of children or young people.

Projects could, for example, support special educational needs, or foster social, emotional or life skills. Preference will be given to projects piloting new approaches where the outcomes will be disseminated to a wider audience.

Grants range from £3,000 up to around £10,000. Preference will be given to requests where the grant would cover a significant element of the project costs (at least 50%) and to applications from smaller charities.

Projects in this round of funding must:

• Commence after 30 April 2026 (grants must be spent within twelve months from the date of the award)
• Be for children and young people under the age of 25 who are disadvantaged
• Consist of educational activities that develop learning, motivation and skills

Application deadline: 5pm on Tuesday, 18 November 2025.

Learn more: www.ironmongers.org/helping-charitable-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

A special Funder Plus offer for organisations which are or have been funded by City Bridge Foundation.

Our partner Locality will be delivering a virtual roundtable event, bringing together speakers, brokerage experts and a case study, to help you understand what corporates look for in community partners.

This 90-minute roundtable will enable you to think about your ask and how to position this into an offer. It is aimed at organisations that wish to approach corporates but do not know where to start.

If you have some experience in this topic, you are invited to share your learning with peers at this event.

This event is offered as part of City Bridge Foundation’s Funder Plus programme. Attendees must either be in receipt of a current grant from City Bridge Foundation or receiving our Funder Plus support. Past recipients of our Funder Plus support are also welcome to join this session.

You will gain:

• An understanding of what corporates look for when seeking a community partner
• Types of support available from corporates
• Insights from a case study partnership
• Tips on what you need to consider when seeking a corporate partner and whether it is right for you

In order to include as many organisations as possible, places will be limited to two people per organisation.

Date: 10.30am — 12pm noon on Tuesday, 9 December 2025.

To book your place please use this Event booking form.

This free one-day course from Media Trust will show you how to grow your charity’s presence and reach through community outreach, local partnerships, print materials, and in-person engagement.

The session, which will be held in London, will give you practical strategies you can put into action straight away. Regardless of whether your communications role is paid, part-time or voluntary, these sessions are designed with you in mind.

Spaces are limited to 15 participants per session, so reserve your free space today. The venue will be announced shortly.

Date: Wednesday 14 January 2026, 10am-4pm.

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

A free, two-day conference for people working in the community to build resilience and awareness around the consequences of climate change.

Based at the UCL East Campus in Stratford, London E20, the Climate Resilience Assembly is a hands-on, peer-to-peer learning event where community practitioners, organisers, and local leaders share their lived experiences — their successes, challenges, and practical tips — with others starting or scaling their journey.

Over two days there will be series of workshops on a wide range of topics, including: community mapping / community climate action plans / community power and energy / food systems / flood preparedness / heat preparedness / wellbeing and mental health / and community storytelling.

Find out more: www.islingtonclimatecentre.co.uk/cra

This free Media Trust programme will teach early-career creatives from under-represented backgrounds how to use AI responsibly and confidently in their everyday work – all in just two weeks!

The online AI Essentials Bootcamps run for two weeks, featuring two live workshops per week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, alongside additional independent learning through an eLearning platform.

Two upcoming courses are available:
Bootcamp 1: 11 November – 20 November 2025 (Tuesday & Thursday mornings)
Bootcamp 2: 25 November – 4 December 2025 (Tuesday & Thursday mornings)

Learn more: mediatrust.org/ai-essentials-bootcamp-for-talent

The Trustee Recruitment Cycle is a free, comprehensive online guide to help your charity build an effective and diverse board.

It’s packed with guidance, templates and insights from other charities. Follow it step by step or dip in at any stage of the process. You will find skills and diversity audits, role descriptions, induction guides and more.

The Cycle has been updated as part of Reach Volunteering’s upgrade to its digital volunteer recruitment platform. New elements include recruiting trustees with lived experience and setting up a board shadowing programme.

See the guide here: www.reachvolunteering.org.uk/trustee-recruitment-cycle

Breakthrough is a new, eight-week accelerator programme built exclusively for disabled entrepreneurs ready to build, grow, and lead.

Designed in partnership with Lloyds, Breakthrough offers more than just business support. It’s a bold commitment to reshaping how disabled entrepreneurship is recognised and resourced.

The programme focuses on unlocking the creativity, resilience, and strategic thinking disabled founders already possess — and providing the tools to turn that into scalable, sustainable success.

The programme also offers you a platform to pitch to investors and an opportunity to access a £18k grant funding pot.

There are 20 spaces available for this accelerator. Application deadline: 11:59pm on Wednesday, 12 November 2025.

Learn more: www.foundervine.com/breakthrough

LinkedIn | Bluesky | Instagram