Funding

Through the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, arts organisations and charities working with schools, colleges and other formal education settings can apply for grants of £30,000 – £300,000 to deliver high-quality arts-based learning projects lasting two to four years. The Arts-based Learning Fund aims to improve the lives and achievements of children and young people experiencing inequality

The JJ Charitable Trust is inviting applications to its Literacy Small Grants Scheme, supporting charities and community groups which help children and young people aged 5 – 18 years old develop and improve literacy skills. The programme is particularly focused on supporting those with special educational needs, including dyslexia, and prioritises projects which benefit individuals in disadvantaged communities or those at risk of exclusion from education, employment, and wider society. Grants ranging £5,000 – £20,000 are available to support both new and existing literacy initiatives over a period of one to three years.

The Young Women in Mind Fund is a strategic grant programme from The Pilgrim Trust and partners, supporting charities to strengthen and expand therapeutic mental health services for young women and girls across the UK. The programme is aimed at organisations with an established and proven track record seeking to deepen impact, address barriers to access, and improve the quality and reach of their provision. Grants of £200,000 – £500,000 are available over three years. The application process takes place in two stages: Stage One applications must be submitted by Monday 22 June 2026.

The Wise Music Foundation offers grant funding to small UK charities supporting vulnerable people facing hardship, distress, illness, or poverty. Grants range from £500 – £5,000, with an average award of £1,500. The next closing date is Sunday 31 May 2026.

Tenants’ Choice is Falkirk Council’s participatory budgeting scheme to specifically benefit Falkirk Council tenants, designed to give tenants a say in how their rent can be used for small projects in their community. The 2025/6 Tenants’ Choice has a total fund of £35,000. Constituted groups are able to apply for up to £5,000 for projects which will benefit tenants and the communities where they live.

The Big Change That Lasts Fund is The Robertson Trust’s strategic funding programme, supporting ambitious, long‑term change for people, and communities, experiencing poverty and trauma in Scotland. The Fund is designed for charities and social sector organisations which are seeking to deliver transformational outcomes, rather than short‑term activity, and can demonstrate strong leadership, learning, and adaptability. Funding is restricted but flexible, enabling organisations to focus on what is most needed to achieve lasting impact.

The Lintel Trust Small Grant Fund is currently open for applications, looking to support impactful projects which drive real change where it is needed most, and address housing challenges. The Trust is offering grants of £500 or £1,000 to support local projects which improve people’s lives in social housing communities. These grants are specifically designed to fund initiatives which make a real difference, such as helping residents stay connected, learn digital skills, and maintain their independence. There are four application deadlines in 2026, with the next closing date on Wednesday 12 August 2026.

The Triangle Trust supports organisations working with vulnerable people, and is currently focusing on improving outcomes for young women and girls affected by offending, exploitation and related disadvantage. Trustees are looking to fund projects which are focused on young women and girls who already have a history of offending, or who are at high risk of registering a first offence. The deadline for submitting an EOI form is Thursday 21 May 2026.

Volunteering Matters’ Action Earth 2026 is now open for applications. Action Earth has small grants of up to £250 for volunteer groups across Scotland in urban areas, or near population centres, who are boosting biodiversity through planting and habitat builds. This could include creating or improving community gardens, shared greenspaces, wildflower meadows, local ponds, community woodlands and other wildlife homes.