Discover Funding Opportunities

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.

Positive Enterprise

The Positive Enterprise programme aims to give young people aged 14-25 years from disadvantaged backgrounds in West Cumbria and Furness the opportunity to have their ideas and ambitions heard and the potential to have them realised. The programme challenges young people to think creatively and in more enterprising ways, empowers them and gives them a voice, supports them to test out their enterprising ideas, and breaks down barriers for aspiring young entrepreneurs by developing an enterprising culture based on encouragement and support. Successful applicants receive expert support, funding and learning opportunities to bring their ideas to life. This includes a grant of £1,000, a learning programme including coaching, mentoring and workshops to help young people develop their enterprising ideas and themselves as leaders. They also have the opportunity to learn from local entrepreneurs who've created successful initiatives, work alongside a peer group of young people committed to creating positive change, and are linked to other organisations to help them put their plan into action. The programme is delivered in partnership with the Centre for Leadership Performance, a not-for-profit organisation that shares ambitions for young people in West Cumbria. Several of its existing programmes align with and complement the aims of Positive Enterprise to support, nurture and empower leaders of the future.

Nuvia Fund

The Nuvia Fund provides grants for voluntary community groups and organisations that promote the long-term sustainability of areas local to the Nuvia site and project activities in the former boroughs of Allerdale and Copeland. The fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation and supported by Nuvia Limited. Priority is given to projects that improve skills for disadvantaged people, improve employability of young people, promote healthier, safer, and more resilient communities, and have environmental or sustainability initiatives. The fund supports grassroots community groups and local partnerships working to make a positive impact in West Cumbria. Grants typically range from £500 to £1,000 over one year to support community-based projects such as wildlife gardens, youth activities and workshops, and educational environmental activities for disadvantaged young people.

Lord Egremont Fund for West Cumbria

The Lord Egremont Fund for West Cumbria provides grants to charitable organisations offering activities that benefit people in the towns of Egremont and Cockermouth and their immediate surrounding areas. The fund prioritizes projects that are volunteer-led or make effective use of volunteers, and initiatives rooted within the local community and led by local people responding to local need. Support is directed toward the provision of facilities for recreation and reducing isolation, addressing child poverty and educational participation of young people, providing advice and guidance particularly around dependency issues, and promoting and enhancing the local area. The fund does not accept direct applications; instead, Cumbria Community Foundation works with Lord Egremont to identify potential projects for support, and all relevant applications from projects within the beneficiary area are considered.