About
Foundation Derbyshire is a trusted, independent community foundation serving Derby and Derbyshire. Established 29 years ago, the organization is expert in managing donated funds and effectively distributing grants to the county's grassroots charities and community groups. They enable giving and put generosity to work by helping supporters establish funds, leave legacies, and make donations while providing simple, supportive, and local grantmaking to community and voluntary groups working across the region.
Funding Opportunities
The Hazel & Ken Greig Fund
The Hazel & Ken Greig Fund is a legacy from Hazel Greig who passed away in 2013. Hazel had a close relationship with Foundation Derbyshire through her volunteer work on their High Peak panel and involvement with Community ACES, based in Earl Sterndale. She had a passion for arts and crafts and its power to bring people from within a community together – sharing, learning, talking and caring. With Hazel's passion and commitment in mind, the Fund was developed to support local community groups that are undertaking craft-based projects in rural areas and getting local residents together to develop skills and build friendships. The Fund makes grants selected from the hundreds of applications received from across Derbyshire. The Fund was developed with the help of Hazel and Ken's children and represents a wonderful and permanent legacy to Foundation Derbyshire's endowment and the county. Past recipients include Peakabout Arts (2014), Bakewell Community Arts (2016), Rural Crafts Group (2017), Haarlem Artspace CIC (2019), Palterton Residents Association (2023), and Thomas Fields Social Club (2024).
Locko Fund for Children and Young People
The Locko Fund for Children and Young People focuses on voluntary groups in Spondon and Erewash, providing small but important grants each year to purchase equipment. These grants are usually around £2,500, a small investment which allows children to flourish, develop and access new opportunities and experiences. Established by Lucy and David Palmer of the Locko Estate, the fund continues to grow thanks to donations from visitors to the Estate. Each penny is used to make a real difference in Derbyshire for good, supporting children and young people through equipment purchases that enhance their activities and opportunities.
The Fat Dads Fund
The Fat Dads Fund has been established by Mike Gerard Pearse and Philip Horsnall, with the money raised from their Fat Dads Lands End to John O'Groats Bike Ride in September 2013. Mike and Philip work closely with Foundation Derbyshire to ensure that The Fat Dads Fund reaches those that need it the most. The Fund makes at least one grant each year, in support of those most at risk in Derbyshire county, or to tackle issues that can devastate lives in local communities. The Foundation is grateful for the ongoing support of Bowmer Bond Holdings which have generously committed to ensuring that at least £1,000 is distributed in grants from the Fat Dads Fund every year.
The Hall Family Fund
The Hall Family Fund is a family fund established by Michael and Annie Hall that provides grant funding to community groups working in rural areas or groups addressing rural issues. The fund operates through Foundation Derbyshire (Derbyshire Community Foundation) to support community-based initiatives in rural Derbyshire. This funding opportunity is designed to strengthen rural communities and address specific challenges faced by those living in or serving rural areas of Derbyshire. Applicants can access grant funding by following Foundation Derbyshire's standard application process for community groups.
The Derbyshire Volunteer Fund
The Derbyshire Volunteer Fund supports community groups and charities across Derby City and Derbyshire with three main priorities. The fund focuses on volunteer recruitment, training and retention; training for staff and committee members to enhance efficiency or quality of service; and projects that increase communication and networking opportunities. The fund provides grants for both capital costs (equipment, excluding building works) and revenue costs (ongoing running costs, one-off events and projects). The fund is particularly interested in encouraging people to volunteer by creating more opportunities and developing volunteer retention strategies, offering training especially in networking, income generation through fundraising or social enterprise, and organization management. It also prioritizes encouraging networking and partnership working within the voluntary sector and between voluntary groups and private/statutory sectors, including communication improvements like website development and newsletters.
The Yorkshire Water Old Whittington Community Fund
Yorkshire Water owns a single wind turbine to help power Old Whittington Waste Water Treatment Works, which treats and processes sewage from around 100,000 customers in Chesterfield. From 2016, a contribution of £2,500 per annum will be made, which will continue over the twenty-year life of the wind turbine. The Fund exists to support new and existing community activity that benefits the residents of Old Whittington, particularly groups and projects working to address environmental issues. Consideration will be given to applications from Old Whittington and immediate surrounding areas including New Whittington, Whittington Moor, Brimington, Newbold and Dunstan.
The Jefford Weller Fund
The Jefford Weller Fund was established by the Rev'd John Jefford-Weller and his wife Kathleen in 1988. Although they were motivated by their Christian beliefs and concern for the needy, the Fund is available to support individuals and groups of any faith or none who are working with homelessness and housing issues in Derbyshire. The fund works to help prevent homelessness by tackling the root causes and stopping vulnerable individuals from spiralling into a situation where they may become homeless. This could include supporting individuals with mental health problems, addictions, debt problems, dealing with domestic abuse and a range of other issues. The fund also recognises the need for reactionary work, providing support for people who are currently homeless whether this be the basic provision of shelter and food or more long term support to re-gain tenancies, education etc. The Jefford-Weller fund also offers financial assistance directly to the organisations working hard to bring about these changes in the form of grants for organisational improvements.
The 1% Matters Derbyshire Fund
The 1% Matters Derbyshire Fund was established in 2018 with the aim of building a permanent legacy for the people of Derbyshire. The fund encourages individuals and businesses to contribute 1% of their salary, company profits, or dividends to support local charities. As government and council grants to local charities continue to reduce, this fund aims to fill the gap by supporting carefully vetted local projects. The fund provides small grants to local projects helping young people, the elderly, those with Alzheimer's or Dementia, vulnerable people, and those suffering from mental health issues. Foundation Derbyshire manages the fund, ensuring that all recipient groups are carefully checked and spending is monitored. The fund offers donors the opportunity to give to local projects while having confidence that their contributions are being used effectively in the Derbyshire community.
The Police & Crime Commissioner Community Initiative Fund
Foundation Derbyshire is working with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) to seek applications from groups working to improve community safety and wellbeing across Derby and Derbyshire. The fund supports a range of initiatives including raising awareness of violence and abuse against women and girls, safeguarding vulnerable people and young people from exploitation, promoting online safety education, tackling substance misuse including alcohol through awareness and rehabilitation, reducing anti-social behaviour through diversionary activities and mentoring for young people, and developing projects that increase local safety and reduce crime instances. The fund provides grants to community groups for capital costs such as equipment, revenue costs including ongoing running expenses, and one-off events or projects. Applications are reviewed quarterly by a panel, and the maximum grant available is £2,500.
The Derbyshire High Sheriff Fund
The Derbyshire High Sheriff Fund supports projects across Derby and Derbyshire that address crime prevention, substance abuse education, and community safety. The fund has three key strands: improving understanding of crime, alcohol, drug and solvent abuse through education and risk reduction projects targeting children and young people; creating safer communities through crime prevention and anti-social behaviour solutions with a focus on youth safety; and supporting other worthwhile projects at the panel's discretion. The fund provides grants for revenue costs, capital costs, project work, and one-off events and activities. Applications are reviewed by a panel that meets twice a year, with a maximum grant amount of £2,500 available to organizations working throughout Derby and Derbyshire.
The Foundation Derbyshire General Fund
The Foundation Derbyshire General Fund aims to support community life and tackle disadvantage across Derby City and Derbyshire. This competitive funding stream provides grants to community groups and organizations for various project types including capital costs (equipment), revenue costs (non-equipment expenses and ongoing running costs), and one-off events or projects. The fund has no fixed closing dates and operates on a rolling application basis. Applications are made through an online process, though hard copy applications are available upon request. The fund is unlikely to consider projects with total costs exceeding £10,000, and applicants are encouraged to contact the grants team for advice on larger projects.
The Freemasons of Derbyshire Fund
The Freemasons of Derbyshire Fund provides grants to organizations working to improve the lives of people in Derby City and Derbyshire. Priority is given to activities and groups that promote the advancement of health and well-being, prevent or relieve poverty, support the most vulnerable in communities such as children and young people, the elderly and isolated, or individuals with mental health problems or disabilities, and enhance the quality of life for people living in local communities. The fund focuses on capital costs including equipment or resources. The committee usually makes awards of up to £2,500 and meets twice per year. The fund operates through Foundation Derbyshire, a community foundation that connects donors with local causes across Derbyshire.
The Ashby Fund
The Ashby Fund supports a broad cross-section of projects and a wide variety of groups across Derbyshire. It aims to improve the quality of life for Derbyshire residents and tackle inequalities and disadvantages faced in local communities. Many applications taken forward to the Ashby Fund do not fit within the Foundation's other grant-making streams due to geographical or thematic restrictions, making the Ashby Fund vital in plugging funding gaps in the county. The fund supports both capital costs (equipment, refurbishment, building work) and revenue costs (ongoing running costs, one-off events and projects). There is a preference to support groups operating in rural areas or projects focusing on heritage and arts & culture. The fund operates on a rolling basis with a decision-making panel that meets four times per year. Previous grants have included support for village halls installing central heating, parent and toddler groups purchasing toys in isolated rural communities, industrial heritage walk guide booklets, mental health support group ICT training, and transport costs for disability groups. The maximum grant available is currently £2,500.
The John Weston Fund
The John Weston Fund has three key strands of support. First, it supports individual young people aged 11-25 years in developing their life skills through experiences that build character and offer unique opportunities to test and progress themselves. Any project must show a commitment to volunteering in the community either during the experience or on return. The fund supports traditional gap year projects, costs linked to pursuing excellence in sport or music, and extra-curricular educational activities. Second, the fund considers funding youth projects aimed at 11-25 year olds through community and voluntary groups. Third, it supports projects aimed at helping older isolated individuals within the catchment area, where isolation could be due to lack of mobility, living alone, dementia, stroke, or other illnesses. The fund covers capital costs (equipment, refurbishment, building work), revenue costs (ongoing running costs), and one-off events or projects. Priority is given to individuals and groups who can demonstrate internal fundraising efforts.
The William & Griselda Kerr Fund
The William & Griselda Kerr Fund has been established to support groups that use the arts, such as music, dance and drama, to work with and help some of the most vulnerable in our society. The Fund will also look at bids from groups using horticulture to develop skills, health and opportunities – this could be anything from gardening and allotments to farming. The fund supports capital costs including equipment and refurbishment or building work, revenue costs including ongoing running costs for a project or group, and one-off events and projects. Applicants are particularly encouraged to apply if they use art, music and gardening to support and improve the well-being of vulnerable people across Derby City and Derbyshire.
The Walbrook Fund
The Walbrook Fund is a grant program administered by Foundation Derbyshire that supports community groups working in areas of high disadvantage and with vulnerable populations across Derby City and Derbyshire. The fund focuses on groups working in geographical areas where people are facing acute economic difficulties, as well as organizations serving the most vulnerable members of the community, including elderly isolated people, individuals with mental health problems or disabilities, and people facing homelessness. The fund provides flexible support for capital items (equipment), revenue costs (ongoing running costs for groups or projects), and one-off events or projects. Awards typically range up to £2,500 and are made by a decision-making panel that meets twice a year. The fund aims to support vital community services that address pressing social needs. Examples of funded projects include dementia peer support groups, services supporting grandparents caring for grandchildren affected by parental drug abuse, and food bank facility improvements. Organizations that receive grants for core running costs must wait 18 months before reapplying for the same costs.
SWEF Enterprise Fund
The SWEF Enterprise Fund has been established to support young people aged 18-30 setting up and developing a business in Derby and Derbyshire. SWEF is a national funder, partnering with community foundations across the UK to ensure their funds can reach entrepreneurial young people needing assistance. The Fund has two distinct strands: Start Up Grants of up to £500 for young people launching a new business, and Business Grants of up to £2,000 to help businesses make a transformational change or take a significant step forward in their development. Both strands support equipment, materials, prototypes, website development, training, and other business costs that will make a significant impact. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with decisions typically made within 4 weeks of submission.
The Tom Carey Fund
The Tom Carey Fund has been set up to support new and existing community activity in the Abbey ward of Derby City. The Fund's main purpose is to improve the quality of life for residents in this area and to tackle inequalities and disadvantages faced in local communities. The fund offers financial assistance to community groups that are addressing the needs of their local community or the needs of a specific group of people within the area. They should show that they are engaging in community life and encouraging people within the Abbey ward to mix and support each other. Consideration will also be given to projects within Abbey's neighbouring wards, particularly if they can demonstrate the provision of services and facilities to Abbey residents. There is also a small pot of funding available for individuals living in the Abbey Ward only. This funding is to allow people to access education and training courses as well as supporting younger people with developing sporting and talent in performing arts.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 19
- Active Now
- 18
- Source Domain
- foundationderbyshire.org
Catalog Data
This funder profile was automatically extracted from grant listings. Information may be incomplete.
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