Funding & Training Focus - 04 February

Thank you, and plenty more funding to explore

A huge thank you to everyone who came along to the Renfrewshire Funding Fayre last week. There was such a good buzz in the room on the day, and it was genuinely lovely to see so many new connections being made and conversations starting. If you were not able to attend, or if you would like a refresher, you can download the slides from the presentations HERE and have another look through the content.

This month’s funding round-up continues that positive momentum, with a wide range of opportunities for organisations across Renfrewshire and beyond. From arts, music and creative projects to health, wellbeing, disability support, outdoor learning, food insecurity, employability and environmental action, there is a real mix of funds to suit different ideas, stages and ambitions.

Take a bit of time to browse what’s on offer and see what might fit your next plans. And as always, if you would like to talk anything through, sense-check an idea, or get help deciding where to focus your energy, I am very happy to help: mwollberg@engagerenfreshire.com

Funding

• CLOSING NEXT WEEK - Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund
• Art and Culture
• Children and Families
• Communities
• Environment, Nature and Climate Change
• Food Insecurity
• Health
• Housing
• Miscellaneous
• Vulnerable People
• Young People

Events/Training

• Free training from Planning Aid Scotland
• Care experience and support at school
• Scottish Community Mediation Centre Training

On 29 December, First Minister John Swinney announced an additional £3 million of funding for the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund nationally. 
 
For Renfrewshire this means an additional £50,000 is available for single-year applications only. 
 
Some considerations for those applying:

• Not open to any groups who have already had positive notification of funding (multi-year or single-year for 2026/2027)
• Open to unconstituted groups, maximum request amount - £2,000
• Maximum request amount for constituted groups -  £7,000
• Applications must meet the aims and objectives set in the single year guidance on our website
• This is non-recurring funding offered from Scottish Government and we do not expect to receive additional funding of this kind in 2027, please consider this when making your application

Important Dates:

• Deadline for applications: 5pm Wednesday 11 February please send all forms to info@engagerenfrewshire.com 
• Funds to be accepted by successful groups: no later than 31 March 2026
• All activity/projects to be completed by: February 2027.

 Please see the website for guidance and application form: https://engagerenfrewshire.org/engage-support/community-mental-health-wellbeing-fund.html

Funding to Support Arts and Music Projects
The Fidelio Trust is offering grants of up to £5,000 to talented early-career individuals and groups in the arts, particularly music, who would be unable to pursue their project or activity without financial support. An appropriate institution, college, Arts Festival or similar organisation must recommend Individuals and groups. Funding is available for special tuition or coaching costs, participation in external competitions, support for a specially arranged performance, and support for a musical composition. The closing date for applications is midday on 15 May 2026.

Funding for International Artistic Collaboration
Grants of up to £7,500 are available to support individuals and organisations working in the arts and creative industries to develop international cultural partnerships and co-create projects. The Four Nations International Fund is open to applicants based in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and is supported by £335,000 in co-investment from Creative Scotland, Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Wales / Wales Arts International. The fund supports in-person, digital and hybrid activity, including exchanges, residencies, partnership development, co-creation and networking projects involving partners from the home nations and international partners. Proposals exploring new approaches to international collaboration, or addressing global issues such as social justice, gender identity or environmental sustainability, are encouraged. The deadline for applications is 2pm on the 25th February 2026.

Funding Support for Museum-Based Health & Wellbeing Projects
Grants of £50,000 to £75,000 are available to museums across the UK to support the development or continuation of health and wellbeing programmes through the Museums Association’s Health and Wellbeing Fund. Applicants must show a strong track record in delivering health and wellbeing work to the wider community, a clear organisational commitment to this area, and a well-defined plan for future development. Funded projects may include mental health support, creative therapies, activities to reduce loneliness, physical health initiatives, and partnerships with healthcare or community organisations. Around ten grants will be awarded, with priority given to museums in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The fund has a multi-stage application process, with a closing date of 20 May 2026.

Grants Available for Film & Immersive Development Programmes
Grants of up to £150,000 are available to UK-based organisations with experience delivering creative or professional development programmes. The funding supports structured initiatives, such as labs, workshops, and mentoring schemes, that help writers, directors, producers, and creators develop feature films or narrative immersive projects. Eligible costs include staff and freelance fees, participant payments, venue and equipment hire, travel, mentoring, creative development sessions, and access provision. The funding is offered through the British Film Institute National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund, which aims to increase genre diversity, support early-career producers, and back projects with strong UK and international audience potential. Both not-for-profit and for-profit organisations may apply, provided all funded activity is delivered on a not-for-profit basis. The application deadline is 16 March 2026.

Grants to Support Early Years Development for Deaf Children
Grants of up to £10,000 are available to community groups, charities, and not-for-profit organisations that support deaf children and their families. The funding is offered through the National Deaf Children’s Society’s Community Grants Programme and is intended for projects that support the development of deaf children in their early years (ages 0–5). Early childhood is a vital stage of development, especially for deaf children who may experience difficulties with language, communication, and social skills without appropriate support. Funded projects can include families, professionals, and older deaf children, as long as their involvement clearly supports early years development. The grant can be used to cover a range of costs, including venue hire, transport, promotional materials, sessional staff wages, interpreters, language tutors, and equipment. Applications can be submitted at any time, and they are reviewed at scheduled assessment points throughout the year.

Funding for Leisure Activities for Children with Additional Needs
The Happy Days Children’s Charity is inviting applications for funding towards trips, respite breaks and group activity holidays for disadvantaged children and young people with additional needs. The charity awards funding for different types of activities to support families with children aged 3-17 who have a disability, a special need or have been abused. Activities include family day trips, and family holiday breaks. Applications can be submitted by parents, guardians, grandparents or siblings, as well as GPs, consultants, nurses or social workers. Groups that work with special needs children, including SEN schools and women’s refuges, are also eligible to apply for funding for either a day trip, theatre visit, or a group activity holiday. Applications can be made at any time.

Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund opens for 2026 applications
Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund is now open for applications for 2026, offering financial support to community groups and charities across Renfrewshire, Glasgow, and East and West Dunbartonshire.
 The fund, which has donated more than £2 million since its launch in 2010, supports projects that deliver positive outcomes in employment, education, and environmental sustainability.
 In 2025, the FlightPath Fund awarded over £100,000 to more than 40 organisations, including schools, youth groups, hospices, and charities, helping to make a real difference in local communities.
Applications for the first-round of 2026 funding are now open. Community groups and charities based in eligible areas are invited to submit proposals that align with the fund’s key themes.

Aviva Foundation Launched
Aviva has launched the Aviva Foundation, bringing together its existing charitable funds into a single programme to increase the impact of its giving across the UK. The Foundation focuses on improving financial resilience and supporting community-led climate action, while continuing to fund both local and national organisations. It operates through two funding streams: the Financial Futures Fund, which provides multi-year grants to larger organisations tackling financial insecurity, and the Communities Fund, which supports smaller charities through a matched-funding model. In addition to funding, the Foundation aims to share learning from supported projects to help influence wider practice and policy across the sector. The next application deadline for the Financial Futures Fund is 15 April 2026. Applications to the Communities Fund can be submitted at any time.

Grants to Support Projects in Horticulture, Plant Sciences, Fine Art & Art History
UK charities and charitable organisations, including schools and colleges, can apply for grants to support projects in horticulture and plant sciences as well as the study, exhibition and conservation of fine art. The Finnis Scott Foundation is especially interested in supporting horticultural training through bursaries and apprenticeships. The sponsoring institution should submit applications; individuals may not apply directly. The Foundation will consider applications for one-off grants of up to £10,000; however, due to high demand, most grants are currently £5,000 or less. Exceptionally, grants of up to £60,000 are made when funds permit, payable over several years. The next application closing date is 4pm on 26 March 2026.

Grants of up to £5,000 Available to Promote Horticulture and Public Gardens
Organisations involved in horticulture, gardening, or botany can apply for grants of up to £5,000 from the Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust. Established in 1970, the Trust has awarded over £3.2 million to more than a thousand recipients, supporting projects that promote horticulture, conserve the environment through biodiversity, develop public gardens, and advance horticultural education. Eligible projects include the restoration of historic gardens, creation of new public garden spaces, horticultural research, publications, and plant study expeditions. Applications are currently open, and the next application deadline is the 15th February 2026.

Funding Available for Large-Scale Projects to Reduce Food Insecurity
Not-for-profit organisations working in partnership, such as charities, community interest companies (CICs), charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), schools, universities, and public bodies can apply funding to help people access healthy, affordable food in environmentally sustainable ways. The National Lottery Community Fund is inviting applications to its Climate Action Fund – Food Systems, offering grants of between £2.5 million to £7 million for long-term projects that aim to improve the UK’s food system and reduce food insecurity. Projects should address the root causes of food insecurity by making lasting changes to how food is produced, distributed, and accessed. Grants typically range from £3 million to £5 million, last between three and seven years, and can cover costs such as staff, transport, utilities, equipment, and community support. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Funding for Medical Health Charities
Registered charities, hospices and medical organisations within the UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Republic of Ireland can apply for grants to support medical projects, care, research or medical training. The Hospital Saturday Fund provides two types of funding: standard grants of up to £2,000 or €3,000; or large grants of up to £10,000 or €13,500. The Fund will also consider grants for running costs, however large grant applications should be towards specific projects, research or equipment rather than running costs. Organisations can apply for a standard grant by the 13th April 2026, or a large grant by the 16th March 2026.

Grants Available to Chrities Providing Physical Health Services
Grants of up to £25,000 per year for up to 3 years are available to health charities. The funding supports proven therapeutic treatments, specialist health information, and direct healthcare services that address unmet physical health needs. Eligible applicants must be UK-registered charities operating solely in the UK, with an annual income below £20 million and at least five years of accounts. Priority will be given to organisations delivering physical therapies, condition-specific support, services for marginalised communities, and certain regional air ambulance services. The funding is being made available through the James Tudor Foundation's Physical Health programme, and the deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest is 6 February 2026. Organisations successful at this stage will then be invited to submit a full application.

Grants of Up to £9,000 Available for Wellbeing and Social Inclusion Projects
Registered UK-based non-profit organisations can apply for grants of up to £3,000 per year for up to three years through the King Charles III Charitable Fund’s Small Grants Programme. The Fund supports organisations and projects that make a meaningful difference in key areas such as social inclusion, health and wellbeing, education, environment, countryside, heritage and conservation. This funding round will support Social Inclusion and Health and Wellbeing projects. Eligible organisations must have an annual income between £25,000 and £500,000, have been operating for at least two years, and propose projects with a total cost under £50,000. The programme is highly competitive, with over 1,400 applications submitted and around 100 grants awarded in the last funding round. The deadline for applications is 12 noon 11 February 2026.

Grants & Loans for Social Housing Projects
Grants and interest-free loans are available to small registered charities providing affordable homes for vulnerable people in need in England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands & Isle of Man. The Quaker Housing Trust provides support through two separate programmes to help housing projects that meet the needs of people undergoing transitions in their lives, such as those seeking asylum, recovering from addiction, leaving prison, or moving from domestic abuse. Best Practice Grants of up to £6,000 are offered to support projects in their early stages of development, while the Main Grants and Loans Programme awards a mixture of grants and loans up to £50,000 (with maximum grants of £20,000) to fund housing projects. For this funding round, Trust is particularly interested in receiving applications from projects supporting older people. The next application deadline is the 26th March 2026.

Funding for Charities Tackling Inequality & Poverty
Charities and community organisations will soon be able to apply for grants of up to £50,000 to support projects that improve the lives of disadvantaged and marginalised people across England, Scotland and Wales. Funded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the People’s Postcode Lottery Trusts supports hundreds of good causes that help reduce poverty, support marginalised groups, tackle inequality, and improve mental health. Priority will be given to smaller organisations with an annual income under £250,000 and those working in deprived or marginalised communities.

Funding round dates for 2026 are:
Round 1: 9am 25th March - 12 noon 1st April
Round 2: 9am 24th June - 12 noon 1st July
Round 3: 9am 24th September - 12 noon 1st October

Funding to Support Vulnerable Migrants
Not for profit organisations and private law firms working with vulnerable young migrants can apply for grants of up to £30,000. The grants can be used to support legal work that benefits young migrants living in poverty who face significant disadvantage or discrimination as a result of their immigration status. Applicants should note that the average grant size is around £12,000 and £15,000. The funding is being made available through the Strategic Legal Fund (SLF) for Vulnerable Young Migrants, and the closing date for applications is 30 March 2026.

Holiday Activity Schemes for Autistic Children & Young People
UK not-for-profit organisations will soon be able to apply for grants of up to £15,000 to run holiday activity schemes for autistic children, young people, and their siblings. These grants support play and activity schemes specifically designed for autistic children and young people during the school holidays. Grants are typically paid towards part of the costs of running the programmes. Organisations with an annual income of less than £1 million will be eligible to apply. The funding is provided by the Three Guineas Trust, which will accept expressions of interest from the 2nd February 2026 until the 13th February 2026. Demand for this funding is expected to be high.

Funding to Support the Education of Young People with Physical or Learning Disabilities
Schools, charitable organisations, and other groups in Scotland supporting the education of young people aged 21 or under who have a physical or learning disability or are socially disadvantaged can apply for funding from the John Watson Trust. Whilst the Trust operates primarily within Edinburgh and the Lothians, it may also award grants Scotland-wide to eligible individuals and organisations, including schools, established charitable organisations and other groups supporting disadvantaged young people. Grants can cover expenses such as special or additional tuition, school trips, bus passes, school supplies and equipment, and laptops for students with special education needs.  Although applicants can apply for grants of any size, most grants made to individuals by John Watson’s Trust will be in the range of £200 to £2000. The next closing date is 6 March 2026.

Grants Available to Support Children and Young People who have Experienced Significant Crises
Grants of up to £2,400 are available to vulnerable children and young people who have experienced significant crises impacting their well-being and education. The funding which is being provided through the Buttle UK Chances for Children grants programme aims to provide tailored support packages that can include essential items and activities to enhance learning and development, such as laptops, books, Wi-Fi access, educational materials, and extra-curricular activities. Eligible beneficiaries include children aged 2-18 living with parents or carers, and young people up to age 20 living independently, provided they are engaged in at least 12 hours of education or training per week. Applicants must be living on a low income, experiencing financial hardship, and have moved beyond the immediate crisis while actively engaging with support services. Applications are submitted by frontline professionals from registered charities, housing associations, or public sector organisations who work directly with the young person. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with no specified closing date and are typically processed within three working days, with some cases qualifying for same-day decisions.

Training

Planning Aid Scotland are pleased to share our new programme of free training funded by the Scottish Government through the National Planning Hub.
 
The training is free and open to anyone across Scotland. It provides a clear introduction to engaging with the planning system, with a particular focus on renewable energy, community engagement and place-based planning.

The sessions are available to any community or individuals across Scotland who want to engage more confidently in decisions that affect their places.
 
The programme includes the following sessions:

• Online & engaged: Learn how to use Placecheck (Wed 11 Feb)
• How to analyse community feedback (Thu 12 Feb)

How to benefit from a renewable energy as a community (Thu 19 Feb)

Wednesday 18 March, 4.30-6pm 
 
This webinar aims to support all adults who live with, work with, and support care experienced children and young people to understand children’s rights to support at school.  
 
We’ll discuss: 

•  care experience as an additional support need 
• what support at school can look like  
• steps you can take if things aren’t working 
• our new online hub, Navigate, which is all about care experience + education 

 Sign-up for free here! 
 

Mediation ‘taster’ workshop (1.25 hours)
Heard of mediation but not sure what it means? This short workshop explores some of the principles of mediation and outlines the process.
Dates:  22 April   07 September  08 December
 
Introduction to restorative skills (1.25 hours)
This ‘taster’ workshop provides a short introduction to the definitions used in the restorative world, together with some of the practical skills that restorative practitioners need.
Dates: 29 April   16 September
 
Introduction to Restorative Practice (1 day)
Based on our well-respected and accredited six-day Restorative Skills course, this workshop provides managers, team leaders and workers an understanding of:

• the restorative process
• restorative skills required of a facilitator
• an outline of the restorative meeting

Dates: 20 May   21 October.
 
For more information on any of these courses and how to book a place, visit our calendar now!