Discover Funding Opportunities

William Milburn Charitable Trust Community First Fund

The William Milburn Charitable Trust Community First Fund provides grants for groups and organizations within the parish of Brampton and surrounding areas including Castle Carrock, Hethersgill, Askerton, Lanercost, Scaleby, Upper Denton, Walton, and Farlam. The fund supports projects which address local needs and create opportunities within the area that make a real difference to people in need and the wider community. Grants normally range up to £5,000 over one year, though larger grants may be awarded depending on the project. The fund has supported diverse projects including young carers support trips, community music festivals, tools for children to maintain school vegetable gardens, drop-in clinics for people with acute hearing loss, and installation of new kitchens in village halls. The fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation and is available to community groups and organizations that benefit residents in the priority geographic areas.

Ullswater Trust Grassroots Fund

The Ullswater Trust Grassroots Fund provides grants for small voluntary and community groups to address local needs and/or create opportunities that make a real difference. Priority is given to groups in the Eden area, particularly in Ullswater and Penrith. The fund is donor-advised and administered by Cumbria Community Foundation. Grants will normally be less than £1,000 over one year, though there is no maximum award amount. Examples of supported projects include refurbishment of community centre training rooms, respite for young carers, disabled toilets and kitchen units for community centres, and playground equipment. The fund specifically targets volunteer-led grassroots groups which support their community.

Shepley Group Grassroots Fund

The Shepley Group Grassroots Fund provides grants to charitable and not-for-profit organisations for initiatives that reduce poverty, improve health, tackle social inequality, and help people reach their potential. The fund also supports projects that nurture a sense of place or promote climate action. Priority is given to projects that benefit people and communities in areas where Shepley Group employees live, specifically within the former local authority districts of Allerdale, Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, and Copeland in Cumbria, England. The fund is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation and supported by Shepley Engineers Limited. Examples of supported projects include equipment for junior football clubs, community cafés, community allotments, refurbishment of spaces for community workshops, functional skill classes for unemployed people aged 16+, and respite activities for young carers. Grants are normally up to £2,000 over one year. The fund does not support individuals in addition to the foundation's normal exclusions. Applications are welcome from charitable and not-for-profit organisations working to address community needs in the specified geographic areas of Cumbria.

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 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.

Lord Bragg Fund for Wigton

The Lord Bragg Fund for Wigton provides grants for individuals aged 11-25 who reside or study in Wigton, or for groups supporting children and young people in Wigton, to engage in positive activities and/or access education or training which raises aspirations. Applications from individuals who live in the town of Wigton will be the priority. The fund specifically targets young people facing challenging circumstances such as low-income households, recent bereavement, chronic illness, care-experienced individuals, those impacted by domestic violence, young carers, those at risk of school exclusion, or those at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). Applications from individuals must be supported by a teacher or lecturer from their designated school or Further Education college. The fund supports costs associated with work-experience activities, instruments for talented musicians, theatre workshops for aspiring actors, training costs for aspiring athletes, and life skills sessions focusing on finance, housing, and money management. Groups supporting young people in Wigton can also apply to develop skills that will equip them for adult life.

Laurel House Brampton Fund

The Laurel House Brampton Fund provides grants to charitable organizations and volunteer groups that work with elderly people in the Parish of Brampton and the surrounding area. The fund prioritizes projects that support older people aged 60 and over, tackle disadvantage and address hardship, reduce isolation, and improve health and wellbeing. Supported activities include social inclusion events such as regular meetings, meals, coffee mornings, and outings, as well as activities that improve health and welfare of those with mobility issues and disabilities. The fund also supports sessions that provide advice and guidance to older people on topics such as benefits. Grants normally range from £500 to £2,000 over one year, though multi-year grants may be considered depending on the project. The fund was established by the Laurel House Management Committee and is administered by Cumbria Community Foundation.

Kipling Fund for Younger People

The Kipling Fund for Younger People provides grants for individuals and charitable not-for-profit groups helping children and families facing disadvantage in Cumbria. Established from a legacy from a Cumbrian farmer, this fund prioritizes support for young people with mental health needs, children and young people generally, and households on low incomes. The fund has supported various projects including youth groups, equipment for family groups, educational projects for teenagers, accredited learning programs, and young carers' projects. Grants normally range between £500 and £1,000 over one year, providing crucial support to vulnerable young people and families in the community.

Johnson Fund

The Johnson Fund provides grants to support individuals and volunteer-led and community organisations that support disadvantage in the Cumbria region. Applications are accepted from the former local authority areas of Allerdale, Carlisle, Eden and South Lakeland. The fund supports projects aligned with Cumbria Community Foundation's top funding priorities including reducing poverty, reaching potential, improving health, tackling social inequality, nurturing sense of place, and acting on climate change. Priority is given to projects that help carers of people with dementia and support young people to fulfil their potential. For individuals, applicants must be under the age of 30, with household income taken into account. The fund has supported diverse projects including music therapy sessions for disabled children, training materials for students to increase employability, respite trips for carers of those with mental health issues, and contributions to living costs for students pursuing advanced degrees. Maximum grant awards are typically up to £2,500 over one year.

Eden Rural Community Fund

The Eden Rural Community Fund provides grants for charitable and not-for-profit organisations to deliver services benefiting residents of Eden District and surrounding rural areas who are in need due to frailty, age, ill health, mental or physical disability. The fund supports projects that enable people over 18 years old to live independently and safely in their own homes, improving quality of life for beneficiaries, their families, and carers. Priority is given to projects supporting older people (particularly vulnerable and isolated older people), adults aged 18 or over with physical disabilities, mental health needs, and/or learning disabilities, carers, and community and volunteer-led initiatives to deliver or improve access to services for rural areas. The fund was established by Eden Housing Association using charitable funds held following the dissolution of Eden Community Alarms.

Dora Beeforth Memorial Fund

The Dora Beeforth Memorial Fund provides grants for young people aged 11-21 facing challenging circumstances to participate in sport and travel activities, and for charitable organisations providing services to young people to achieve this aim. The Fund was established in memory of Dora Beeforth, wife of the Foundation's first Director, who was born in Cumbria and attended the Lakes School in Windermere. She enjoyed the outdoors, was a volunteer warden with the Lake District National Park, and a volunteer with Cumbria Youth Theatre, and was also a keen runner and orienteer. The Fund was created in her memory to enable children and young people to experience activities and opportunities which they otherwise would not be able to afford. Challenging circumstances include low-income households, recent bereavement, terminal or chronic illness, care-experienced youth, those experiencing domestic violence, young carers, those at risk of school exclusion, or at risk of becoming NEET.