Children, young people and families
The John Watson Trust
The Trust awards grants for educational purposes to children and young people under 21 who have a physical or learning disability or who are socially disadvantaged. The Trust operates primarily within Edinburgh and the Lothians, however, may also award grants Scotland-wide to eligible individuals and organisations that include schools, established charitable organisations and other groups supporting disadvantaged young people.
The Toy Trust Fund
Grants up to £5,000 are available to registered charities to fund equipment and services to support disabled and disadvantaged children under the age of 13 across the UK. The Toy Trust fund helps disadvantaged children and their families to alleviate suffering; support children through awful experiences; encourage achievement through adversity. Groups that have carried out some form of effective fundraising by themselves are particularly encouraged to apply.
The Adamson Trust
Funding is available for the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children with physical, mental, or emotional impairments. To be eligible, the child must be a resident in the UK, between the ages of 3 and 17, and the Trust requires evidence of their disability or illness from a medical or social services professional. Grants from the Trust usually only cover a portion of the holiday expenses.
Henry Smith Charity - Holiday Grants
Grants between £500 and £2,750 are available to support recreational trips or holidays within the UK for groups of disabled or disadvantaged children aged 13 or under. Priority will be given to applications coming from the 20% most deprived areas in the UK. Funded by the Henry Smith Charity, grants can cover up to two-thirds of the cost of a holiday or trip lasting one to seven days.
Armed Forces Families Fund - Early Years programme
Grants are available between £5-£50K for projects which help enhance early childhood education and childcare settings of young children from Armed Forces families. Eligible to early childhood education and childcare providers operating where Armed Forces families live or work and must offer group-based childcare and have at least 50% of Service children on roll (unless under a cluster).
The Ironmongers' Company Grants
Grants of up to £10,000 for registered charities that work with disadvantaged children under the age of 25 with a particular interest in projects that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to fulfil their potential and educational activities that develop learning, motivation and skills. Preference will be given to projects piloting new approaches to disseminate the outcomes to a wider audience.
The7stars Foundation
The7stars Foundation offers a range of grants to charities supporting young people, aged 16 years and under, across the UK. Targeted to further the potential and opportunity of children and young people who are surviving abuse, at risk of or experiencing homelessness, caring for a loved one, and challenged by addiction.
NFU Mutual Charitable Trust - Funding for Rural Community and Education Projects
Grants of between £1,000 and £50,000 are available for initiatives that support charities in the UK working in agriculture and rural development. The Trust focuses on providing funding to larger initiatives, which would have a significant impact on the rural community. The Trustees are particularly interested in initiatives in the areas of education of young people in rural areas and relief of poverty within rural areas.
Cash for Kids Cost of Living Fund
A new £1 million fund has been launched by Cash for Kids to support the UK’s most vulnerable families who have a genuine need for support and are suffering from disadvantage due to the crisis, allowing them to apply for grants of £50 per child which can be used for basic essentials such as food, heating, clothing, and school uniform. Service providers who support vulnerable children, including schools, social services, health professionals and charities, can apply on behalf of the families they work with.
Cattanach Charitable Trust
Grants up to £25,000 are available for charities that support children from birth to three years old, who are affected by deprivation. They will fund project costs but prefer to support revenue streams such as funding for salaries.
The British and Foreign Schools Society Main Fund
BFSS supports charitable organisations running UK and International projects to improve access to education or the quality of education for vulnerable or deprived children and young people under the age of 25. For UK projects, they will only consider applications that are specifically targeted towards:
- Young people displaced by conflict
- Young carers
- Care experienced young people
Projects must be new and innovative interventions to improve their educational outcomes and life chances.
Grants of between £30,000 and £100,000 are available (maximum £30,000 per year for multi-year projects) to UK-registered charities with an annual income of between £5,000 and £2.5 million, and at least three years of continuous accounts.
The Maple Trust
The focus of the Trust’s grant-making is now on Children and Young People – Scotland-wide. The Trust will consider applications for grants from UK charities with preference being given to charitable organisations operating from Scotland and with an annual income of less than £500,000.
Chances for Children Grants
Buttle UK offers individually tailored grants of up to £2,400 for children and young people who have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on their wellbeing and educational engagement. Applications accepted from frontline professionals working for a registered charity.
Young Start
Through Young Start the National Lottery Community Fund is offering funding from £20,001 to £100,000 to help children and young people aged eight to 24 across Scotland become more confident, so they can realise their own potential.
Children in Need Core Grants
Grants up to £15,000 are available for not-for-profit organisations and up to £120,000 for registered charities supporting children and young people aged 18 or under.
Children in Need Emergency Essentials Programme
The Emergency Essentials Programme supports children and young people who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances and is delivered by Family Fund Business Services. The programme provides items that meet a child’s most basic needs such as a bed to sleep in, a cooker to provide a hot meal and other items or services critical to a child’s wellbeing. Applications must be completed by a registered referrer who is part of an organisation supporting the family or young person and capable of assessing their needs. The referrer’s organisation should be able to administer and supervise the grant on our behalf.
Children in Need Project Grants
Grants of up to £40,000 per year are available for up to three years to support the project costs of registered charities and not-for-profit organisations working with disadvantaged children and young people aged 18 years or under living in the UK. The funding will support the delivery of a specific project and could be spent on project staff costs, trips and outings, volunteer expenses and/or moveable equipment. Groups requesting £15,000 or less will receive a quicker decision. Expressions of interest should be submitted in the first instance.
Wooden Spoon Grants
Wooden Spoon funds projects that enhance and support the lives of children and young people with a cognitive age under 25 who are disadvantaged physically, mentally, or socially. The project must work directly with children and young people and have a positive influence on their lives through the activities or services provided.
The Family Fund
The Family Fund is the largest charity in the UK to provide grants and information to families raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people on a low income. They have two grant schemes available to provide support to those in that category most impacted by the recent steep rise in the cost of living. The Family Fund main grant scheme provides grants to parents of children for essential clothing, white goods, equipment, or family breaks, while the Your Opportunity programme helps fund things that can reduce the barriers faced by disabled young people.
Youth Fund
Not-for-profit youth organisations supporting disadvantaged young people (aged 14 – 25) can apply for grants of up to £150,000 spread over three years to help young people who face complex transitions to adulthood. The purpose of the fund is to help youth organisations to sustain or expand their work. The funding is available to support the core operating costs of the applicant organisation. Examples of what can be funded include developing volunteers; additional fundraising or income generation capacity; and upgrading IT systems or websites to reach young people online.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Youth Fund
Not-for-profit youth organisations supporting disadvantaged young people (aged 14 – 25) can apply for grants of up to £150,000 spread over three years to help young people who face complex transitions to adulthood. The purpose of the fund is to help youth organisations to sustain or expand their work. The funding is available to support the core operating costs of the applicant organisation. Examples of what can be funded include developing volunteers; additional fundraising or income generation capacity; upgrading IT systems or websites to reach young people online; etc.
The Cosaraf Charitable Foundation
Please note applications can be made at any time and are assessed every six weeks
The foundation provides funding of up to £2,000 to social organisations for local projects across the UK that help strengthen communities, enable young people to realise their potential and empower women and girls. Supporting individuals and families who are struggling with everyday costs such as basic living expenses, household items and utilities, work- or education-related expenses, or rent arrears. Priority will be given to the most financially excluded people, families, those with caring responsibilities, and to items that will make the most difference to the individual/family’s long-term future.
The Family Recovery Initiative Fund (FRIF)
The fund offers one-off grants of up to £5,000 to groups that support families affected by alcohol and drugs in Scotland. The following is a range of examples of what has been funded through the FRIF: weekly rent for premises, travel expenses, digital inclusion, printing costs, kinship carer group activities, art therapy, equine therapy, kinship carer visit to the Scottish Parliament, family recovery events, and furnishings for a dedicated family support space in an NHS building.
The Hargreaves Foundation
Funding is available for charities that fit with the objective of ‘Transforming young lives through sport and education., aiming to help children and young people fulfil their potential and improve their wellbeing, self-esteem and independence through educational and sporting activities. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount and applications can be made at any time and are reviewed in the month following online submission
The Happy Days Children’s Charity
The charity funds trips, respite breaks and group activity holidays for disadvantaged children and young people with additional needs, to support families with children aged 3-17 who have a disability, a special need or have been abused. 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 refugees, are also eligible to apply for funding for either a day trip, theatre visit, or a group activity holiday.
True Colours Trust
Grants of up to £10K are available to support disabled children and children with life-limiting conditions and their families. This trust is for UK Charities and CICs with an annual income of under £350K who work with children and young people aged between 0 – 25 years.
British & Foreign School Society (BFSS) Displacement Education Fund
This fund addresses specific challenges that children and young people who have been displaced by conflict face in accessing quality education both internationally and in the UK. Grants of up to £60,000 to registered charities, schools and educational establishments, and grants of up to £20,000 to other not-for[1]profit community organizations for projects that support displaced children and young people living in the UK.
Tesco Stronger Starts
The priority for grants is now on supporting schools and organisations to deliver projects that support children’s food security and health and local store nominated good causes. The scheme provides grants of up to £1500 to local projects from across the whole of Scotland. It is open to all registered charities and not-for-profit organisations.
The Squeeze
Charities can apply for individuals or families on a one-off basis, enabling donations to go directly to those most in need. Priorities are given to those living in poverty, applications that will make a positive difference to those in need and additional weight will be given to those with caring responsibilities and young families.
Boost Small Grants
Grants are available for local community organisations across Scotland supporting children and families affected by poverty. The work you are doing might be about providing practical help, organising activities and gatherings, or addressing another local need. Boost Small Grants will provide grants of £500-£3,000 to constituted groups and charities with an annual income of £50,000 or less. Unconstituted groups can apply for grants of between £250-£1,500.