Funding & Training Focus

A fresh round of funding opportunities has landed, and there’s plenty to explore this week

From improving community spaces and supporting environmental action, to projects focused on arts, wellbeing, and young people, there’s something here for a wide range of groups and ideas. A few deadlines are coming up soon, so it’s a good time to have a quick scan and see what might be a good fit for you.

We’re also sharing a great new resource from the Scottish Fundraising Adjudication Panel. They’ve put together a series of short, engaging animations that break down key fundraising ideas into bite-sized, easy-to-understand pieces. Definitely worth a look if you’re thinking about applying for funding: https://goodfundraising.scot/three-new-animations/

If anything catches your eye or you’d like a second pair of eyes on an application, just get in touch – always happy to help: mwollberg@engagerenfrewshire.com


Funding

• Art and Culture
• Children & Families
• Communities
• Environment, Nature and Climate Change
• Ethic Minorities
• Health
• Housing
• Learning Disabilities 
• Miscellaneous
• The Sure Fund

Training/Additional Support

• Trustee Recruitment Support
• Writing Successful Funding Applications
• Families Outside CPD Accredited Training
• What works? Exploring Digital Inclusion with Third Sectors

Funding

Traditional Arts and Culture Fund
The Traditional Arts and Culture Fund is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and delivered by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), the national network for traditional arts in Scotland. TRACS works to promote, develop, and sustain traditional music, song, storytelling, dance and crafts across the country, supporting artists, communities, and organisations at all levels.
Applications to the Traditional Arts and Culture Fund are welcome from both organisations and individuals. The fund is designed to support traditional artists and organisations to create, perform, tour, and showcase work, as well as to develop professional skills and learning opportunities. The fund offers small grants of up to £1,200. Next deadline: 11 May 2026


Funding for Arts, Health & Heritage Projects
Grants are available to UK-registered charities for arts, creative health and heritage crafts projects that improve the lives of disadvantaged people. The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust typically awards grants of between £500 and £8,000 for project and core costs, with unrestricted funding available to charities with annual income below £250,000. Activities could include community music-making, arts-based health projects, short breaks for young carers, animal-assisted therapy, horticulture, and projects that use traditional craft skills to support training and employment. Large charities must submit a first-stage application by 8 May 2026. Small charities and shortlisted large charities must apply by 1 June 2026.

Scottish Children’s Lottery Trust
The Scottish Children's Lottery Trust will support applications which:

• Will work with the most vulnerable children and young people who are at a demonstrably high risk of being negatively impacted by poverty.
• Demonstrate involvement of individuals and communities that understand and have Bright Futures Fund: up to £1,000

Small Fund: up to £5,000
Medium Fund: maximum award of £7,500
They ask for charities to have a level of match funding in place to support their project or activity. Next deadline: 24 Apr 2026

Grants of up to £25,000 Available to Improve Community Buildings & Outdoor Spaces
Grants of between £10,000 and £20,000 are available to community organisations operating spaces such as youth clubs, village halls, community cafés and homeless shelters. The Asda Foundation’s Local Community Spaces Fund will award over £1 million in 2026 to support around 70 projects focused on repairing, maintaining, and improving venues that bring people together and help reduce social isolation. Funding can support essential works such as kitchen and bathroom refurbishments, roof and floor repairs, disabled access improvements, heating systems, window and door upgrades, security measures, and internal decoration. Eligible applicants are UK-based not-for-profit organisations with an annual income below £400,000. Applications open on 14 April and close on 28 April 2026, although the fund may close earlier if demand is high.

Funding for Community Projects that Benefit Local People
Home care provider Caremark has launched a new funding competition to support local projects that make a positive difference to people’s lives. Three grants of £3,000 will be awarded to projects that create a meaningful, lasting impact. This could include equipment for sports and activity groups, supplies for community gardens, improvements to community centres and village halls, and resources for food banks, support services, and early years settings. The competition is open to charities, community groups, schools, pre-schools, and community-run or local authority-run projects across the UK. Twelve projects will be shortlisted for a public vote, with the three receiving the highest number of votes each awarded a grant. The Community Care Fund closes to entries on 31 May 2026.

SPAR Community Cashback Scheme
Convenience retailer SPAR is inviting applications for its Community Cashback Scheme, which awards grants to voluntary or community organisations, schools and charities which make a difference within their local area. The scheme allows shoppers across the UK to apply for a grant of up to £10,000 for an organisation or charity they feel deserves funding. Applicants will need to share the exceptional contribution a local organisation has made to their community and what the grant would be put towards. Seven organisations were awarded funding in 2025. A total of £20,000 is available in this round. Applications will open on 9th April and close on 13th May 2026.

Grants to Improve Parks & Greenspaces
Community and Friends groups can apply for grants of between £500 and £1,500 to improve and revitalise parks and greenspaces across Scotland. The Parks4Life Community Fund, delivered in partnership with Greenspace Scotland and MyParkScotland, aims to help groups improve, promote and develop a park or greenspace, particularly in deprived areas. Funding could be used to deliver an event to attract visitors to the park, training for volunteers, a park clean or a small planting scheme. The fund can also help groups improve their sustainability by purchasing tools and equipment or running initiatives to attract new members. The closing date for applications is 1 May 2026.

Grants for Environmental and Social Wellbeing Projects
UK-registered charities can apply for grants to support projects that improve the environment, strengthen communities, or promote wellbeing. The funding is provided by the Calisen Impact Charitable Trust. The Trust supports community projects that encourage sustainable energy use and promote inclusive, safe, and diverse places to learn and work. Past projects include partnerships with Eco-Schools, which help schools gain Green Flag accreditation and engage children in environmental action. The Trust has also supported Youth Zones, which provide nutritious meals for disadvantaged young people. The Trust has not specified a total fund value or maximum grant amount. The next application deadline is 30 June 2026.

£500,000 Available for Ethnic Minority-Led Organisations
Grants of £500 to £15,000 are available to ethnic minority-led third sector organisations in Scotland with annual incomes below £100,000 through the 2026 round of the Ethnic Minority Development Fund, which has a total budget of £500,000. Funding is provided as project grants and can support a combination of revenue, core, and small capital costs, including staffing, training, equipment, events, and minor refurbishment. Projects must benefit ethnic minority communities and address priorities such as community connection, early support, or improving places. Applications close at 5pm on 26 May 2026, with decisions expected in late August 2026. The funding is being provided by CEMVO Scotland through the Ethnic Minority Development Fund.

Funding to Help People with Parkinson's to Become & Stay Active
Community groups and organisations across the UK can apply for grants of up to £3,000 to help people with Parkinson's become and stay active. The funding supports new activities that encourage people affected by Parkinson’s, particularly those from marginalised or underrepresented communities, to participate in physical activity and sports. Activities could include walking groups, dance classes, or more accessible initiatives such as arts-based programmes or gardening activities. The funding is delivered through the Parkinson’s UK Physical Activity Grants Programme and can be used to cover costs such as equipment, facility hire, coaching fees, training, and equipment maintenance. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funding has been allocated.

Grants of up to £5,000 for Charities Supporting People at Risk of Homelessness
Grants of £5,000 are available to UK-registered and exempt charities with a minimum annual income and expenditure of £1 million for project-based work supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Funding is restricted to project costs, including staff salaries where roles are dedicated to delivery, and cannot be used for unrestricted or core expenditure. Eligible activities focus on life skills such as food education, healthy living and budgeting, with priority given to projects supporting individuals leaving the armed forces, prison or care. Only one application per charity is permitted, and the deadline is 30 April 2026. The funding is being provided by the Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust.

Funding for Organisations Tackling Youth Homelessness & Housing Inequity
Funding is available for organisations addressing youth homelessness and racial inequity within the UK housing system. A Place to Belong: Every Step of the Way, funded by Comic Relief in partnership with Omaze, offers core-flexible funding through two pathways. The Service Delivery pathway provides up to £200,000 over three to five years for organisations delivering holistic support to 16 to 25-year-olds at risk of or experiencing homelessness in specified English regions. The Systemic Change pathway offers up to £450,000 over three to seven years for organisations working across the UK to influence policy and challenge structural racism in housing and homelessness. Applicants must have an annual income between £200,000 and £10 million. The deadline for proposals is 12pm on 30 April 2026

Funding for Projects that Address Severe Learning Disabilities
UK charities, voluntary organisations, and schools can apply for grants to support children and adults with severe learning difficulties and autism. The funding is made available through the Baily Thomas General grants programme and can be used to purchase equipment, support capital works, and cover project and core costs. Previous grants have been used to support capital works for residential, nursing and respite care, and schools; employment schemes including woodwork, crafts, printing and horticulture; play schemes and play therapy schemes; day and social activities centres; support for families, including respite schemes; independent living schemes; support in the community schemes; and Snoezelen rooms. The next deadline for applications seeking funding over £5,000 is 31 August 2026. Applications for £5,000 and below can be submitted at any time.

The Grocer's Charity - Grants
The Grocers’ Charity typically provides one-off grants for U.K. registered charities working in the following areas:

• Relief of Poverty
• Elderly
• Disability and Inclusion
• Health
• Military
• The Arts
• Heritage
• Environment and Conservation
• Children and Young People (0-25)

Next deadline: 1 Sep 2026

The SURE Fund is offering small grants (up to £20,000 each) to support community‑led projects that reduce alcohol and drug related harm, support recovery, and help build stronger, more connected communities.

Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) brings together partners to reduce the harms caused by problematic alcohol and drug use.

As part of their ongoing commitment to applying a community led approach the ADP will work in partnership with Engage Renfrewshire to deliver a community grants programme (The SURE Fund) supporting grass root responses to preventing and reducing alcohol and drug related harm in Renfrewshire.

Read the full fund guidance to see if your project is eligible, learn what the money can and can't fund, and see a timeline for delivery of the fund.

Applications close on 13 May

Additional Support/Training

Trustee Recruitment Support

2 Workshops - 28 April and 12 May 2026

This sequence of two workshops will support a cohort of up to 8 charities in getting ready to go live with trustee recruitment. This includes getting ready to make use of LinkedIN as part of the method for reaching a wider audience of potential new trustees.

There will be follow-up actions for the cohort to complete between workshop 1 and workshop 2, to take forward the action plan we discuss in workshop 1.

By the end of workshops, the cohort of charities will be ready to put into action the steps to activate their trustee recruitment.

Pre-work for workshop 1 will be to ensure you have a copy of your charity’s governing document available to bring to the online workshop.

Book here

Writing Successful Funding Applications

05 May 2026 at 10am 

Practical training for third sector organisations on writing strong funding applications, clear outcomes and realistic budgets

A practical and informative training session to help community groups and third sector organisations strengthen their funding applications. The session covers the basics of writing strong applications, understanding what funders are really looking for, writing clear outcomes, and using tools to evidence national and local need. We will also look at creating realistic budgets and using AI safely when preparing applications.

This training is ideal for people with limited experience of funding applications who want to build confidence and improve how they answer funders’ questions.

What will you gain from attending?

This session will support participants to:

• Better understand the current funding landscape
• Write clear project plans and outcomes
• Evidence community need using reliable data
• Create realistic budgets
• Use AI safely and appropriately when preparing applications

What do you need to bring?

Laptop if possible.

Book here