Grants of up to £5 Million Available to Foster Stronger Community Connections

by Libby Mahoney

Voluntary and community organisations, statutory bodies, charities and partnerships can apply for grants of £500,000 to £5 million, spread over 2 to 10 years, to support projects that bring diverse communities together.

The National Lottery Community Fund’s UK Fund is open to applications from organisations seeking to scale up proven work that tackles inequality and delivers systemic change. Rather than funding new ideas, the programme supports projects that are already making an impact and have the potential to grow their reach or deepen their effectiveness.

Eligible projects must benefit communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage, or discrimination, and operate across at least two UK nations—or demonstrate clear plans to share learning nationally.

The fund focuses on five strategic priorities:

  • Strengthening relationships between people with different life experiences
  • Creating meaningful online or digital connections for those isolated from face-to-face interaction
  • Enabling people to shape the future of their communities
  • Supporting children and young people facing challenges to influence systems affecting them
  • Increasing organisational capacity to involve young people meaningfully

Only around 20 projects will be funded annually, with decisions typically made within six months of submission.

The programme operates on a rolling basis, with no fixed deadline.

For more information click here.

Don’t forget that SCVO’s Development Team offers a FREE ‘critical friend service’ to groups that deliver in Sandwell and support Sandwell residents to help you build a stronger case for investment from the funder! (If you are from outside the borough, we may still be able to help through our fee-based SCVO+ service). Drop us a line at support@scvo.info to find out more.

Alternatively, why not have a look at our FREE funding portal to find more funding opportunities for your group or take a look at our fortnightly funding digest by clicking here.