Discover Funding Opportunities

Tesco Stronger Starts

Tesco Stronger Starts is a community grant program that provides funding to schools, registered charities, and not-for-profit organisations that support children and young people. The program aims to make a positive difference in communities where Tesco operates. Grants of up to £1,500 are available for local projects, with a particular focus on initiatives that incorporate a food component, such as breakfast clubs, holiday club lunches, or healthy snacks. Every three months, three local good causes are selected to participate in a blue token customer vote in Tesco stores throughout the UK. The program can fund 100% of project costs, so match funding is not required. Eligible projects include growing projects, breakfast and after-school clubs, sports clubs with food provision, holiday clubs with healthy meals, counselling and mental health support with healthy snacks, SEND provision, youth clubs, holiday hunger initiatives, healthy eating education, and foodbanks. The program has supported thousands of community projects since 2016 and is managed by the community charity Groundwork UK.

Workington (Ashfield) Lawn Tennis Club Fund

The Workington (Ashfield) Lawn Tennis Club Fund provides grants to charitable, not-for-profit organisations that promote or enable the provision of tennis coaching to young people in the former local authority of Allerdale. Priority is given to tennis coaching benefitting young people who reside in Workington and Maryport. The fund supports various tennis-related activities including the cost to employ a tennis coach, facility hire to enable young people to learn to play tennis, and tennis competition-related costs such as referee fees and trophies. Grants are normally awarded up to £4,500 over one year. This fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation and is supported by a private organisation donor.

Thomas Graham Grassroots Fund

The Thomas Graham Grassroots Fund provides grants for voluntary-led groups and organisations for projects involving sport and young people in the areas of Carlisle and West Cumbria. The fund is donated by Thomas Graham & Sons Limited and administered by Cumbria Community Foundation. This fund specifically supports volunteer-led groups and organisations working with children and young people, as well as groups providing sporting opportunities. Examples of supported projects include uniforms for children's rugby teams, gymnastic equipment for youth centres, and coaching courses for volunteer coaches. Grants typically range from £500 to £2,000 over one year. The fund does not support individuals in addition to the foundation's normal exclusions.

The Robinson Family Fund

The Robinson Family Fund provides grants to charitable and not-for-profit organisations in Cumbria which support the homeless, people with drug or alcohol addictions, and people with a physical disability. The fund also supports aspiring young sportspeople aged 15-25 years old who need assistance to help them achieve their potential. Priority is given to groups and individuals in West Cumbria and Barrow. Grants typically range from £500 to £750 over one year, with a maximum award of £2,000. Awards may be given as a single payment or as a series of payments over up to three years, dependent on progress. The fund is currently closed and will not accept applications again until April 2026.

Staff 10th Anniversary Fund

The Staff 10th Anniversary Fund provides grants for projects which support the Foundation's priorities in two main themes: Improving Lives and Strengthening Communities. Under Improving Lives, the fund addresses reducing poverty, reaching potential, improving health, and tackling social inequality. Under Strengthening Communities, it supports nurturing sense of place and acting on climate change. The fund was established by former and current staff of Cumbria Community Foundation to support both charitable groups and individuals in Cumbria. Example projects include specialized equipment for disabled children, travel costs for elderly individuals, hospitality and cooking courses for socially disadvantaged young people, and community sports days. Grants normally range up to £1,000 over one year, though there is no maximum award amount. The fund is currently closed and will not accept applications again until April 2026.

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.

Printers Inc Social Mobility Fund

The Printers Inc Social Mobility Fund provides grants to charitable groups supporting young people who reside in Cumbria, with preference for disadvantaged young people aged between 14-25. The fund aims to improve their life skills, education, employability and enterprise. Education includes academic, occupational or social education, the acquisition of life or employment skills, physical, sporting, music or other artistic skills. The fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation and donated by CN Group Limited (proprietor of Cumbria Newspapers). Priority is given to activities that support equipment for further education, employability programmes, bringing businesses and young people together to equip them for work, interview training, and programmes for young people studying music, sport or the arts. Multi-year funding may be considered.

Nuclear Waste Services LLWR Grassroots Fund

The Nuclear Waste Services LLWR Grassroots Fund provides grants to charitable organizations for initiatives that support children and young people. The fund focuses on projects that meet one or more of the following priorities: reduce poverty, improve health, tackle social inequality, and help people reach their potential. Additionally, the fund supports projects that nurture a sense of place or promote climate action. The fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation and supported by LLW Repository Limited trading as Nuclear Waste Services. Examples of supported projects include scenery hire for local theatre musicals, astro-turf rebound boards for community sports grounds, activities helping young people learn about entrepreneurship, and coaching costs for junior cricket clubs. Grants are normally awarded up to £5,000 over one year to charitable, not-for-profit organizations working with children and young people in Cumbria.

Live the Dream Fund

The Live the Dream Fund provides grants for individuals and groups in the former boroughs of Allerdale and Copeland to enable access to educational or training activity which raises career aspirations. The fund is funded by BNFL and administered by Cumbria Community Foundation. Young people living in the former boroughs of Allerdale or Copeland, with priority given to those aged 16-25, can apply for support. Individuals will need to provide evidence of excellence in their chosen field, and household income will be taken into account. Voluntary and community groups which directly benefit individuals in the former boroughs of Allerdale and Copeland may also apply, and must provide evidence of how they will raise aspirations for local young people. The fund supports projects such as living costs for students at university, coaching and training costs for promising young athletes, apprenticeship wages for youth organizations, events to promote career aspirations, and employment programs for young people.

Liddle Thomson Community First Fund

The Liddle Thomson Community First Fund provides grants for small voluntary and community groups in the area of north Allerdale, primarily around Wigton and Carlisle areas in Cumbria, England. The fund is designed to support charitable, not-for-profit grassroots groups and organizations that work with children and young people, as well as groups supporting social action at a local level. Priority is given to projects which support communities in North Allerdale, tackle disadvantage in rural communities around the priority area, provide sporting activities to keep young people fit and healthy, and provide advice and guidance to individuals. The fund has supported projects such as improvements to community-run swimming pools, equipment for play parks for children, and activities and running costs for youth organisations. This fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation and was established by private individual donors.

Lamont Pridmore Grassroots Fund

The Lamont Pridmore Grassroots Fund provides grants for small voluntary, community groups and grassroots organisations to enable them to continue or expand their work in advocacy, community voice, and service provision for local people in the former district of Allerdale, particularly the Workington area. The fund supports voluntary and community groups that help people learn new things and increase their personal confidence, get people involved in their community, and make the community a better place to live. Examples of supported projects include theatre workshops for schoolchildren in deprived areas, coaching training for local trampoline clubs, kit and equipment for junior football clubs, premises hire for youth club activities, and music workshops and master classes in schools. Grants will normally be less than £1,000 over one year, though there is no strict minimum or maximum award amount.

Genesis Homes Community Fund

The Genesis Homes Community Fund provides grants to charitable and not-for-profit organisations to enable them to support their local communities. Priority is given to projects in communities where Genesis Homes have building sites. The fund supports organisations dedicated to helping people facing challenges and making a positive impact in their communities. Priority areas include improving the lives of children and families in need of extra support, providing care and connection for older people, promoting health and wellbeing, and building stronger, more resilient communities. Examples of previously supported projects include equipment for sports training to encourage participation and wellbeing, environmental improvements to enhance community spaces, inclusive activities that bring people together and foster social connections, and projects that create new opportunities for young people in rural areas.

Edwin and Anita Mackay Memorial Fund

The Edwin and Anita Mackay Memorial Fund provides grants for community groups and projects that provide activities for children and young people up to the age of 18 in the Seaton parish. The fund was established through a legacy gift to support the development and wellbeing of young people in the local community. Eligible organizations include volunteer-led groups and charitable organisations that work with children and young people in the parish of Seaton. The fund supports a range of activities including coaching costs, social and personal development activities, tools and equipment for educational projects, premises hire for youth activities, drama workshops, and improvements to community facilities that benefit young people. Grants are typically awarded for one-year periods to help organizations deliver meaningful programs and services to children and youth in the Seaton area.

Edmond Castle Educational Trust Fund

The Edmond Castle Educational Trust Fund provides grants to support the education and training of disadvantaged young people under the age of 21 in Cumbria. The fund prioritizes young people who are, or have been, looked after by Cumberland Council or Westmorland and Furness Council. The trust supports activities that help build self-confidence and skills, promote civic engagement and leadership, cover equipment or course fees, and provide new opportunities for young people to train and learn. Examples of funded projects include fees for private tutors, travel expenses to sports training, course-related costs for academic study, and development of employment skills for young people. Both individuals under 21 and volunteer-led community groups and organizations that work with young people are eligible to apply.

Cumbria Industries Amenities Fund

The Cumbria Industries Amenities Fund provides grants to groups offering support to people with disabilities. Originally established to assist workers at the Workshops for the Blind in Carlisle, the Fund was expanded in the 1980s when the Workshops extended their services to include people with all types of disabilities. The Fund was transferred to Cumbria Community Foundation by Cumbria County Council in 2008. Priority is given to projects that provide activities and equipment for disabled people in Cumbria, as well as those supporting vocational work and training for disabled people in the Carlisle area. Examples of supported projects include cookery lessons for people with learning difficulties, accredited training for people with disabilities, active sports development programmes, and equipment to assist blind people during training.

Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Fund

The Cumberland and Westmorland Herald Fund provides grants to charitable not-for-profit groups benefiting people living in the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald's main circulation area. This geographic area includes Penrith, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Kirkby Stephen, and Alston. The fund was established by the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald newspaper and is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation. The fund supports a variety of community projects that improve the quality of life for residents in the circulation area. Past grants have supported diverse initiatives including riding workshops and sessions for people with disabilities, improvements to community buildings, exercise classes for older people, camping equipment for youth groups, and sporting activities for people with disabilities. Grants typically range up to £1,000 over one year, though there is no maximum award amount specified. The fund does not support individuals or projects that fall under the foundation's normal exclusions. Applications are accepted on a periodic basis, with the fund currently closed until April 2026. The fund represents a partnership between local media and community philanthropy, enabling charitable organizations to deliver important services and activities that benefit local residents across the rural communities of Eden and eastern Cumbria.