Deadline: 19th March 2024

Grow Wild is once again offering grants of up to £500 to young people in the UK aged 14-25 to bring their nature project to life this summer.

Individuals or groups of up to six people can apply for a grant to support an innovative project idea to celebrate why UK native plants and/or fungi are so special.

Organisations supporting young people with their project must be established, relevant and charitable in purpose or not for profit. This includes voluntary, youth or community groups, education bodies, arts or environmental charities, local authorities, other council bodies or health authorities.

Grant recipients will receive:

• £500 grant for the project which can be used for anything needed such as materials, equipment, resources or helpful training.
• Support and online training from Grow Wild.
• Opportunities to connect with a community of young nature enthusiasts completing projects across the UK.
• The chance to complete Kew's Young Environmental Leader Award designed to work alongside their Grow Wild project and recognise their achievements.

There is particular interest in applications from people who don’t know much about UK native species. 

Successful projects can be started in May 2024 and must be completed by the end of October 2024.

Deadline: 20th March 2024

People’s Health Trust has launched its Nature for Health funding programme which is part of its Health Justice Fund.

Grants of between £20,000 and £40,000 are available for not-for-profit organisations with an income of less than £1 million to improve mental health and provide greater access to natural spaces and nature-based activities for people (aged 11-18) experiencing mental health problems, socio-economic disadvantage, discrimination and marginalisation in Scotland and six regions in England.

For the purposes of this funding programme:

• Natural spaces can be in towns and cities, the countryside, or the coast, such as parks, community gardens, woodland, canals, lakes, rivers, beaches, and greened/reclaimed urban spaces.
• Nature-based activities can include creating, maintaining, accessing and using natural spaces.

The funded activity should last for two years. The grants can be used for running costs for the activities, for example, staff salaries, events, venue hire, small capital items, and can include a small contribution to organisational overheads.  Match funding of at least 25% of the grant value is required.

Applications will be accepted from incorporated organisations which have been set up for three months or unincorporated organisations/constituted organisations with an income of less than £1 million and a clear track record and evidence of supporting access to natural spaces and/or providing mental health support, particularly for communities experiencing marginalisation and discrimination.

Deadline: 15th May 2024

Suez Communities Trust is offering grants of between £3,000 and £50,000 for not-for-profit groups across England to deliver projects that make physical improvements to community facilities, or repair buildings of religious worship or buildings of architectural or historic interest.

Funding is available for capital improvement works to public amenity projects for community use. Examples may include:

• Village hall improvements.
• Nature reserves and conservation.
• Village greens.
• Community centres.
• Public playgrounds.
• Cycle paths.
• Sports fields and facilities.
• Country parks.
• Historic buildings, structures, or sites.

Improvements to places of religious worship will only be considered if they are Grade I designated. Projects to improve other historic buildings, structures or sites must be Grade I, II or II* or have another significant heritage designation, such as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Projects must be in communities surrounding a qualifying SUEZ Recycling and Recovery site and must be available and open to the public as a minimum for 4 evenings a week, 2 days a week, or 104 days a year.

There is a two-stage application process. Groups must first submit an online Expression of Interest but be invited to submit a full application. There are typically four funding rounds each year.

Deadline: 3rd June 2024

Abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, makes around 15 to 20 awards each year, and intends to award around £3 million annually to organisations undertaking charitable activities in the UK for projects focused on financial wellbeing. This includes voluntary organisations, think tanks, campaigning groups, research bodies and universities. Most funded projects will benefit residents from across the UK. However, the Trust is keen to support work in Scotland, including UK-wide work with a Scottish element.

There is no minimum or maximum size of grant. Grants typically range between £10,000 and £200,000, with most being between £50,000 and £120,000 in total. The funding may be spread over one, two or three years, and sometimes shorter periods, for example six months.

The funding is intended for strategic work, including policy work, campaigning and research that has the potential to improve financial wellbeing for those on low to middle incomes and on a national scale.

Eligible projects must focus on one or more of the following areas:

• Income.
• Spending.
• Assets.

Funding can be used for project costs and ongoing costs, including staff salaries and overheads. 

Heart Research UK (HRUK) will be offering grants of up to £15,000 again this year to registered charities and community interest companies (CICs) in the UK with an annual income of less than £1 million.

The funding is for new projects that work with communities to prevent heart disease, particularly for vulnerable and isolated groups of individuals (adults) who are at an increased risk of developing heart problems in the future. Projects that are likely to have a big impact and have considered novel ways to encourage people to look after their hearts and promote positive lifestyle changes are also sought.

Activities must have a primary focus on one or more of the following four risk factors for heart disease:

• Nutrition and Healthy Eating.
• Physical Activity.
• Smoking.
• Alcohol.

The funding can support salaries, overhead expenses/on costs and equipment that is necessary for the successful delivery of the project which should be for at least three months but no more than 12 months. 

The funding rotates around the UK at different times of the year.

The 2024 application windows are:

• England North (8 May to 5 June).

This is a competitive grant scheme as there is a funding pot of £15,000 for each region.

A mixture of grant and loan funding is available to support community organisations and social enterprises in England to undertake retrofitting energy generating and saving technology and building adaptations.

Blended grant and loan funding is available. There are two funding application stages:

• First stage – energy audit grants of up to £2,500 are available.
• Second stage – funding of £10,000 to £150,000 is available via a blend of grants (40%) and loans (60%).

The loan repayment term is twelve months to seven years. Loans have a 1% arrangement fee and headline interest rate of 6.5%.

In most cases loans are unsecured but are agreed on a case-by-case basis.

To be eligible applicants must:

• Be an incorporated entity, and not-for-profit, with clear social aims and objectives.
• Be small to medium-sized organisations who are locally controlled and focused.
• Social enterprises.
• Be based in England.
• Own their building or have a significant lease (12 years or more).