Wealden Funding Opportunities

Find Funding for your Local Organisation

Wealden District Council – Information on Community Grant Funding

Find guidance on Wealden’s own grant funding programme, groups who have received awards this year, community spaces, and community organisation support.

https://www.wealden.gov.uk/community-and-safety/information-on-grant-funding/

East Sussex 4 Community

East Sussex 4 Community is a free-to-use funding website. It has information on grants, loans, and other initiatives in the UK

https://funding.idoxopen4community.co.uk/eastsussex/

East Sussex County Council Newsletter

See the latest funding newsletter from ESCC, for further opportunities:

Funding News – July 2026 | East Sussex County Council

East Sussex Community Information Service

A directory of local services, activities, and organisations in your local area. For more information and to add your local organisation or service, please go to https://www.escis.org.uk/

Events & Opportunities:-

Free workshops for people in the VCSE sector in East Sussex.

The University of Brighton and East Sussex County Council are working together to support local voluntary and community organisations to do their own research. We are delivering ten online and in-person workshops on topics including: designing research, collecting data, analysing it, and presenting findings. You can take part whether you are new to doing research, or have some experience already. You can come to all the workshops or just some of them.

Workshop schedule: www.ticketsource.com/research-ready-communities-workshops

Further information on the Research Ready Communities programme and the Research Collaborative Hub: https://www.eastsussexinfigures.org.uk/jsna/research-collaborative-hub-rch/  

Queries? Want to join our mailing list?

Please email rch-escc@brighton.ac.uk

Opportunity for local groups to use Freedom Leisure space for local activities

Freedom Leisure have availability in their café space and studios for local groups to use. There are Freedom Leisure centres in Hailsham, Uckfield and Crowborough. If you are interested in finding out more about space availability, please contact martyn.reynolds@freedom-leisure.co.uk.

Wealden District Council Funding Programmes

Wealden Community Led Infrastructure Fund (CLIF) – open programme

Open funding programme currently open to support community buildings, green spaces, cultural infrastructure, and other leisure/ sports projects across the district.

The amount of funding awarded will be between £5,000 and £200,000. 20% match funding is needed.

The money could be spent on adaptations to community buildings, energy efficiency measures, access improvements to outdoor spaces and installing new facilities and equipment.

For further information about the programme, please go to: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/community-and-safety/information-on-grant-funding/wealden-community-led-infrastructure-fund-clif/

WDC Councillor Ward Budgets Scheme – Round 2 open for applications – Deadline: 27^th Feb 2027

WDC is pleased to announce that the Councillor Ward Budgets Scheme is now open for applications. The first Phase of the Scheme has now ended.

This community grant funding scheme is an initiative launched by us to give each elected councillor a budget of £10,000 to support community projects, events, and organisations within their ward.

The scheme is open to non-profit community and voluntary organisations to apply for a grant of up to £5,000 in support of projects that will benefit Wealden residents and help deliver the Council’s strategic priorities.

If you have any queries about the Scheme, please contact CouncillorWardBudgets@wealden.gov.uk    

For further info, please go to: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/councillors-and-committees/councillor-ward-budgets-scheme/

Wealden Sports Infrastructure Fund 2024-2027 – Funding programme will expire on 31st March 2027.

The Sports Infrastructure Funding Programme is being launched by Wealden District Council. £600,000 will be invested over the next three years to improve outdoor sports pitches and facilities throughout the district. If you are an organisation looking to enhance or provide outdoor sports facilities and playing pitches to increase sports participation or physical exercise in Wealden, you may be able to apply for a capital sports grant.

The outdoor sports that could benefit from the funding programme include football, rugby union, tennis, cricket, lawn bowls, hockey, netball and stoolball. The amount of funding awarded can be between £5,000 and £50,000. 50% match funding is a requirement.

For further information – https://www.wealden.gov.uk/community-and-safety/information-on-grant-funding/sports-infrastructure-fund-2024-2027/

Wealden Community Lottery – Celebrating 121 good causes raising funds through the lottery. Open programme

Are you a charity, community group, sports club, residents’ association, parish or town council or a not-for profit group interested in raising unrestricted funds on a monthly basis?

Over the last 30 months, the Wealden’s Community Lottery has over 120 good causes signed up and currently raising funds through the platform and has raised a total of £175K for good causes and the central fund.

From every £1 ticket sale, 50% of the ticket proceeds goes to support a local Wealden good cause which could be a local charity, voluntary organisation, or other not-for-profit group, with the remainder being put towards a central fund, prizes, and operating costs.

Also check out WDC’s video in celebration of our current good causes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9gDc495WuM

Local organisations can sign up for FREE to start raising funds instantly: https://www.wealdencommunitylottery.co.uk/

For more information on how the lottery can have a positive impact on your local organisation, please email communitygrants@wealden.gov.uk to discuss further.

New Key Funding Opportunities

Warburtons Families Matter Community Grants Programme – Deadline: 17 August 2026

Small grants are available for local projects, activities and organisations that have charitable aims and that will be of real direct benefit to families in England, Scotland and Wales. Funding is available for projects that are working towards one of Warburtons’ outcome areas:

• Health – supporting families to care for each other and lead healthier lives:
• Place – supporting families to flourish in communities that are safer, greener and more inclusive:
• Skills – supporting families to gain useful skills for life and work

Grants can be used to cover specific costs that will benefit the cause (e.g. purchasing equipment to support an employability project).

Maximum Grant: £400

Financial Giving | Community | Charity Donations | Warburtons

Liveline Fund – Deadline: 18 August 2026

The funding aims to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the UK grassroots music ecosystem. Liveline offers targeted funding programmes that address key barriers to live music activity, each developed in partnership with venues, artists and independent promoters. Eligible expenditure might include:

• Venue costs/hire.
• Travel and accommodation.
• Production and technical costs.
• Safety, licensing and compliance.
• Programming and promoter development.

Maximum Grant: Discretionary

Funding Overview — The Liveline Fund

Better Commissioning Pathways – Deadline: 23 August 2026

Provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Better Commissioning Pathways programme aims to strengthen the ability of voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to bid for public sector contracts by providing training, guidance and support.

Applicants must be established for charitable, philanthropic or benevolent purposes and able to deliver the programme at a national level across England.

Maximum Grant: £2.03 million

Better Commissioning Pathways – GOV-UK Find a grant

Hilden Charitable Fund – UK Programmes – Deadline: 27 August 2026

Grants ranging between £5,000 – £7,000 per year for up to two years are available for small charitable organisations working in the areas of penal affairs and asylum seekers and refugees in the UK. Projects must address at least one of the two priorities:

• Asylum Seekers and Refugees – For organisations working to provide essential services which help meet the needs of asylum seekers and refugees and support their integration/participation in the wider community.
• Penal Affairs – for work “through the door” where charitable organisations go into prisons with projects and support to help prisoners (especially women) cope and/or maintain family bonds and to be better able to resettle positively when released. Post-release projects which support positive settlement, re-stablishing family bonds, and a reduction in the likelihood of re-offending are also welcomed.

Maximum Grant: £7,000

UK Funding – Hilden Charitable Fund

Better Community Business Network (BCBN) Grant Initiative – Deadline: 7th September 2026

Launched in 2014, the Better Community Business Network (BCBN) Grant Initiative aims to provide small third-sector grant awards to empower charities and local community projects in the UK.

Funding is intended to improve the quality of life and expectations of people and their communities, especially those who come from disadvantaged or socially deprived backgrounds.

The following types of organisation may apply:

• Community, self-help or voluntary groups.
• Charities, including local branches of national charities.
• Organisations with charitable aims.

Maximum Grant: £3,000

GRANT INITIATIVE | BCBN

General Funds

Chapman Charitable Trust – Deadline 31^st August 2026

The Chapman Charitable Trust is offering grants to UK-based charities that work on improving mental and physical health, particularly for children, on alleviating issues surrounding pollution and pesticides, on increasing accessibility to the arts and on sustaining the natural environment. Priority will be given to charities that address the root cause of problems; applications for research projects are welcome.

Maximum Grant: £2,000

Chapman Charitable Trust

Postcode Society Trust – South of England – Deadline 1^st September 2026

The Postcode Society Trust provides unrestricted grants of up to £50,000 over three years to charities and social purpose organisations whose core work aligns with one of four priorities: enabling participation in the arts, preventing or reducing poverty, supporting marginalised groups and tackling inequality, or improving mental health. Eligible applicants include registered charities, CIOs, Community Interest Companies (with an asset lock), and Community Benefit Societies. Funding can support an organisation’s ongoing work, with grant amounts based on income levels and limited to no more than 75% of annual income, making the fund particularly suitable for established organisations seeking longer-term support for their core activities.

Maximum Grant: £50,000

Society Trust | Postcode Society Trust

Dixie Rose Findlay Charitable Trust – Deadline: Ongoing

Grants are available for charitable organisations based in the UK for general charitable purposes. Examples of charitable organisations previously funded include:

• Calibre Audio Library
• Childrens Today Charitable Trust
• Deafblind UK
• Dementia Support
• Dorothy House Hospice Care
• Great Western Air Ambulance

Maximum Grant: £4,000

N.B The Trust does not maintain a website. For more details on how to apply visit the East Sussex 4 Community page linked below.

Fund details | East Sussex 4 Community

Climate and Nature

National River Walks – Deadline 27^th August 2026

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is delivering the National Rover Walks Programme, providing grants for national river walks in the nine regions of England. The walk must run alongside a river (either a main river or ordinary watercourse) and be close to disadvantaged areas. The objectives of the scheme are to:

• Provide improved, more inclusive access to nature that is targeted to an area of higher deprivation.
• Increase engagement with nature through community participation and increased opportunities to enjoy and learn about nature.
• Work in partnership with the local community to drive increasing usage of the route.
• Improve or restore nature and/or water quality through nature recovery projects.

Applicants must be UK-based organisations that are formally constituted e.g., local and combined authorities, community interest companies and registered charities and charitable incorporated organisations.

Maximum Grant: £1,350,000

National River Walks – GOV-UK Find a grant

Fisheries Improvement Programme – Deadline 28^th August 2026

The Angling Trust, with the support of the Environment Agency, is delivering the second phase of the Fisheries Improvement Programme. Funding is available for clubs, non-government organisations, local authorities, commercial fisheries and landowners in England to carry out projects to improve habitat and facilities for anglers. The fund can also be used towards helping fisheries become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Maximum Grant: Discretionary

Anglingtrust.net/funding/fisheries-improvement-programme/

Waterloo Foundation – Environment Programme – Deadline: 1st September 2026

Funding is available for projects that can help mitigate the damaging effects that humans are having on the environment, both in the UK and worldwide. The fund has two main themes: marine and tropical rainforests. Priority is given to UK-based charities, many of which work in close partnership with smaller local NGOs based in the countries in which they operate.

Maximum Grant: £150,00

Environment – The Waterloo Foundation

Rewilding Innovation Fund – Deadline: 7^th September 2026

The Rewilding Innovation Fund supports projects that help remove barriers to rewilding and unlock larger-scale nature recovery across Britain. Grants are available for activities such as feasibility studies, business planning, community engagement, trialling innovative approaches, and accessing specialist expertise.

Eligible applicants must be based in Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), be members of the Rewilding Network (or join when applying), and deliver rewilding projects covering at least 40 hectares of land (or marine projects of any size).

Maximum Grant: Up to £15,000 (most grants are under £10,000)

Rewilding Innovation Fund | Rewilding Britain

NextEnergy South East England Solar Impact Fund – Deadline: 31^st December 2026

NextEnergy is providing grants to the communities that host its solar assets in Southeast England. This fund is intended to support activities that will have positive social, economic and/or environmental impacts on the area. This includes:

• Climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Promoting a just transition.
• Promoting general skills development.
• Improving local education.

Maximum Grant: £3,000

Programme Review Page

Community Infrastructure and Buildings

Please see below list of funding opportunities for village halls, community buildings:

SUEZ Communities Trust Landfill Communities Fund – Primary Fund (England) – Deadline 2^nd September 2026

Grants are available to non-profit making organisations in qualifying areas of England for improvements to local community facilities, historic buildings and structures, sport and recreation facilities. The LCF Primary Fund Programme supports capital improvement works to public amenity projects for community use. Projects must:

• have an overall cost of no more than £250,000; and
• start within six months and complete within 12 months of funds being awarded.

Grant Amount: £3,000 – £50,000

SUEZ Communities Fund – England – Grantscape

Historic England – People: Funding for Activities that Help People Understand and Champion the Historic Environment – Deadline: Ongoing 

Historic England offers grants to support projects across England that help people understand, engage with and champion the historic environment. Funding is available for activities such as skills and training, education, community engagement, outreach work, and time-limited posts that align with one or more of Historic England’s priorities: increasing public access to heritage, improving wellbeing and civic pride through heritage, securing sustainable futures for historic places, and supporting climate change action. Applications are open to a wide range of organisations and individuals, including charities, educational institutions, public bodies and companies.

Maximum Grant: Discretionary

People: Funding for Activities that Help People Understand and Champion the Historic Environment | Historic England

Energy Resilience Fund – Deadline: Ongoing

The Energy Resilience Fund provides eligible charities and social enterprises in England with a blended funding package of loan (60%) and grant (40%) to improve their energy resilience. They may need this support for many different reasons, for example reduced carbon emissions, energy cost savings, upgrading energy efficiency ratings to meet future regulations, increased use or comfort of buildings, replacing older vehicles and equipment with modern energy efficient versions.

Grant Amount: Funding of £25,000 to £250,000 is available via a blend of grants (40%) and loans (60%)

Energy Resilience Fund for Charities & Social Enterprises

Biffa Award Main Grants Scheme – Community Buildings – Deadline: Ongoing

Biffa Award, part of the Government’s Landfill Communities Fund and administered by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, provides grants across England and Northern Ireland for community, cultural and environmental projects located near landfill sites. The programme supports initiatives under four themes: Community Buildings, Cultural Facilities, Recreation and Nature Recovery. Under the Community Buildings theme, funding aims to improve key community facilities, such as village halls, community centres and church halls, helping to strengthen community involvement and enhance local quality of life.

Maximum Grant: £75,000

https://www.biffa-award.org/community-buildings/

Architectural Heritage Fund – General Funds – Deadline: Ongoing

Funding is available for charities and not-for-profit organisations to support the acquisition, restoration and conservation of historic buildings in the UK. Eligible applicants must be incorporated voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations based in the UK. This includes:

• Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs)
• Charitable Companies Limited by Guarantee
• Not-for-private-profit Companies Limited by Guarantee
• Community Interest Companies (CICs) Limited by Guarantee
• Community Benefit Societies
• Co-operatives

Maximum Grant: Discretionary

Fund | The Architectural Heritage Fund