Discover Funding Opportunities

Winter Warmth Fund (Individuals)

The Winter Warmth Fund provides grants to help older people in Cumbria stay warm and healthy during winter months. The fund is designed to assist individuals aged 60 or over who reside in Cumbria and receive a state pension and/or pension credit, or who struggle to maintain a basic acceptable standard of living during the winter due to the cost of heating their home. The program is funded by voluntary donations of winter fuel allowance payments, individual and local business donations, and community fundraising. Priority is given to those aged 80 and over, individuals with comorbidity or chronic underlying health conditions (particularly respiratory or coronary), those who live in hard-to-heat homes such as solid-walled properties or properties with poor insulation, and those dependent on heating oil, solid fuel, or without central heating. Additional priority is given to those who use electrical medical equipment, have savings of less than £10,000, and who have not previously received a grant. Applicants must apply through designated partner organizations including Age UK South Cumbria, Age UK North Cumbria, or Copeland Age & Advice Service. These organizations also provide free benefit checks and advice on tariff switching, energy efficiency measures, and other support services. The normal grant amount is £250, with £350 available in exceptional circumstances.

Quarry Hill Grassroots Fund

The Quarry Hill Grassroots Fund provides grants to charitable and not-for-profit organisations that work with young people to improve health and help them reach their full potential through participation in sport. Preference is given to projects that benefit people and communities in North Cumbria. The fund particularly focuses on supporting young people facing significant challenges or barriers to involvement in sport, and addressing issues in rural communities where access to opportunities is limited. Examples of funded projects include equipment for sports clubs, provision of cricket activities for females, wheelchair football sessions, floodlights for community tennis clubs, and lakeside residential youth training and activity centres.

NHS North East and North Cumbria Northern Cancer Alliance Living with and Beyond Cancer Fund

This fund provides grants supporting the delivery of prehabilitation interventions and/or services for cancer patients across the Northeast and North Cumbria. The fund aims to enhance quality of life, health, and treatment outcomes for cancer patients by supporting initiatives that improve health and wellbeing for people living with and beyond cancer. Priority is given to projects that reach underserved communities including carers, veterans, young people, travelling community, and ethnic groups, provide community-based support in areas of high deprivation and/or rural communities, and deliver in areas experiencing health inequalities. Supported activities include exercise classes, social activities addressing isolation, cooking and nutrition advice, work and money planning support, and emotional resilience building. The fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation and funded by the Northern Cancer Alliance.

NHS North East and North Cumbria Northern Cancer Alliance Community Connectors Fund

The Northern Cancer Alliance recognises that there is a gap in funding for grassroots community groups to provide local support for those living with and beyond cancer. Through the Community Connectors Fund they want to help build capacity within communities and improve access to health and wellbeing information for people affected by cancer including patients, carers, family, and friends. This fund provides grants for charitable organisations to support people in communities who have been affected by cancer, directly or indirectly, by providing support or activities that help improve wellbeing and quality of life and encouraging people to live well during and after cancer, with support extended to carers and family. Support will be community-based, helping people access the help and support they need close to home rather than through centralised or online services. Priority will be given to groups providing community-based support and activities in areas of high deprivation and/or rural communities, and those aiming to engage with underrepresented groups accessing cancer services such as carers, veterans, young people, travelling community, and ethnic groups.

NHS North Cumbria – HomeWell: Children & Young Peoples' Mental Health Urgent Care Fund

This funding opportunity seeks to support innovative projects that make a real difference for children and young people aged 10–18 in North Cumbria. The aim is to provide timely, compassionate support outside of regular hours, helping young people and their families through challenging times and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. The service will focus on providing intensive, home-based support for children and young people who are at imminent risk of psychiatric hospital admission or have recently been discharged, ensuring timely intervention at critical moments when support is most needed. Projects should provide support across the North Cumbria NHS footprint, be able to provide an immediate on-line/telephone response within service hours, be ready to help within 48 hours when a young person is in need, deliver focused mental health support including home visits, combine therapeutic interventions, family support, and crisis planning to create lasting positive change, and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of young people at every stage.

NHS Building the Right Support: Transition from Hospital Fund

This fund provides a single grant to support up to twelve adults with a mild learning disability and/or Autism to facilitate their transition from hospital back to the community. The program works with referrals from NHS Cumbria, Northumberland Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust and aims to reduce length of stay, prevent revolving door admissions, and increase engagement with statutory services and community activities. The successful organization will work with the identified cohort to build trusting relationships during the transition period, starting in inpatient settings and continuing through discharge planning and community integration. The fund emphasizes supporting individuals to develop self-management strategies, attend health appointments, and engage in education, employment, and community activities. The grant operates in line with the principles of Building the Right Support and requires specialist organizations capable of covering the full North Cumbria ICB footprint. Partnership applications are welcome, and the selected organization will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to maximize successful discharge planning and reduce isolation.

NHS Building the Right Support: Annual Health Checks Fund

This fund provides grants to increase the uptake of Annual Health Checks for individuals aged 14 and over with a learning disability and/or autism living in the former districts of Allerdale, Carlisle and Eden in North Cumbria. The fund aims to improve health outcomes of individuals with learning disabilities by helping meet the national target of more than 75% Annual Health Checks, which equates to at least 150 additional health checks. The program focuses on improving knowledge of Annual Health Checks and Health Action Plans, earlier diagnosis and support to manage health needs, increased engagement at health appointments, and decreasing barriers to taking up Annual Health Checks through reasonable adjustments. Funded organizations are expected to work with individuals, families, carers, and schools to increase uptake from 68% to over 75%, provide education about the importance of annual health checks, promote Health Action Plans, identify barriers to engagement, secure sustained engagement with statutory and community services, and develop sustainable plans to improve uptake beyond March 2026. The fund supports community groups and charitable, not-for-profit organizations that specialize in supporting users with mild learning disabilities and/or autism and can cover the full North Cumbria ICB footprint.

Moorhouse Grassroots Grants Fund

The Moorhouse Grassroots Grants Fund provides financial support for small voluntary and community groups and organisations to enable them to continue or expand their work in advocacy, community voice, and service provision for local people in Cumbria. The fund was established by donor James Carr, a former Trustee of Cumbria Community Foundation. Preference is given to groups in North Cumbria, with priority for projects that support disadvantaged children and young people and tackle disadvantage in rural communities. The fund supports small, volunteer-led grassroots or community groups helping people facing disadvantage. Grants normally range between £500 and £5,000 over one year, though there is no maximum award amount. Examples of supported projects include creative arts therapy for children, staff costs for family support groups, counselling costs for people with mental health issues, engaging residents in river maintenance and habitat work, and wellbeing environmental work.

Lawrence Fund

The Lawrence Fund provides grants to support disadvantaged people in the study of horticulture or music, particularly those studying music therapy, and young musicians in North Cumbria. This fund was established by a private individual to support talented young musicians and those seeking education in horticulture or gardening. Priority is given to projects that support young talented musicians, include the study of music therapy, or involve education in horticulture or gardening. Examples of supported projects include additional tuition costs for talented young individuals, music therapy classes for groups with dementia or mental health issues, concert costs for community choirs, and gardening-for-health projects by charitable organisations. The fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation, a charitable organization connecting people who care with causes that matter in the Cumbria region of England.

Joyce Wilkinson Charitable Trust Fund

The Joyce Wilkinson Charitable Trust Fund provides grants to voluntary and community groups operating or providing charitable activities in or close to the parishes of Rosley and Westward, Wigton, and Aspatria in North Cumbria. The Fund was created by Joyce Wilkinson who lived in Rosley and Westward all her life, enjoyed village life and did a lot of work for her community. On her death, she left much of her estate to endow a Trust to support charitable activities in and around her home. Cumbria Community Foundation administers this Trust in association with the Trustees of the Joyce Wilkinson Trust. Priority is given to groups which help people, particularly older adults and children and young people, manage village facilities such as halls, play areas, and schools, and operate or provide services in or close to the parishes of Rosley, Westward, Wigton, and Aspatria. Examples of supported projects include local play groups and nurseries, refurbishment and equipment for village halls and community buildings, youth group activities and equipment, and local support groups for people affected by heart conditions and strokes.