Hi there, here is September’s update!
I always associate September with ‘New Starts’. Old habits die hard I suppose; after working in education for almost 15 years, (even though it is almost five years since I left) it still feels like a new year to me!
This year in particular as I’ve just launched a brand new project that I’m delivering on behalf of One Community Foundation which I am really looking forward to. (If you want to know more about this project, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn as that’s where I’ll probably talk about it more!)
To prepare myself for what I know is going to be an intense, exciting and challenging project I took off for a few days last week in my trusty old campervan for a bit of rest and recuperation.
I no longer have a dog 😔, so I took my camera for a walk each day! I am most definitely not a great photographer, but I do like trying to improve, and I was very, very excited to come almost face to face with a kestrel – who turned and posed for me, allowing me to get several good (for me) photos.
It’s not the ‘perfect image’, but it is good enough that every time I look at it it reminds me of that magical few minutes where the only thing I was thinking about was ‘wow’!
I can’t guarantee you any ‘wow’ moments in this issue, but I hope you find a few things that are interesting and/or useful!
(Remember – you can also join the Free Facebook Group: Straight Forward Funding Sources (and Resources) for further news.)
#Funding News
Cash for Kids General Grants Available to registered charities, community groups and individuals, typically from £1,000 to £3,000.
Priority areas: Poverty, Mental Health and wellbeing, Sport and Physical Wellbeing, Disability and Life Limiting Illness, Education and Essential Skills, Diversity and Inclusion
Mission Christmas Gifts or gift vouchers for children living in poverty at Christmas. Most areas are open for applications – if yours does not appear please check back in mid-September.
Tree Council Branching Out Fund Small grants to support a new season of community tree planting.
- Funding available: Grants of between £250 and £2,500 are available per application
- Planting locations: Projects must be England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
- Deadline for applications: Midnight, 14 November 2025
The Different Foundation connect experienced mentors and industry specialists with charities championing diversity in AI development. “By offering both funding and knowledge, we help organisations extend their reach and deepen their impact through strengthened strategies and operations.”
- Eligibility: UK Charities with annual turnover between £150,000 – £1.15M and 1-10 employees
- Grant Amount: Up to £2,500 per application
- December’s Grant Round: Applications open August 1st – September 30th 2025
The Weavers Company will fund UK registered charities and charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs). In exceptional circumstances they may support Community Interest Companies (CICs)
Priority funding areas:
- Supporting offenders into work
- Helping specific groups within the criminal justice sector
Secondary funding areas:
- Supporting young people
Next closing date: Thursday 13 November 2025 (to be considered in Feb 26) Applications must be printed, signed and posted to the office and must arrive by midday on the closing date.
Tweed Family Charitable Foundation Each year the Tweed Family offer up to three grants to charitable organisations that meet their objectives.
“Our ambition is to promote life enhancing opportunities to socially disadvantaged young people under the age of 25 whilst at the same time, build a relationship with the charities we support. The opportunities offered may be educational (in its broadest sense),character building or vocational, and should provide experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible to the young people concerned without our financial support. ”
Grants would typically be up to £10,000pa for up to 3 years.
True Colours Trust UK Small Grants programme.
This programme is designed to support excellent local organisations and projects that work with:
- disabled children and young people;
- children and young people with life-limiting conditions;
- and their families.
It provides grants of up to £10,000, although many grants are smaller than this. The programme is open to applications at any time.
#Just for Schools
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Teacher Development Fund support teachers to develop arts-based approaches which create equitable classrooms where all children learn and thrive. A primary school or an arts/cultural organisation may be the lead applicant.
- Amount: Up to £165,000 per application
- Deadline: 12 November 2025 at 12 noon
- Duration: Projects should last for two academic years
The Teacher Development Fund has a two-stage application process. The Fund has one deadline per year. The deadline for this round of funding is Wednesday, 12 November 2025 at 12 noon.
Royal Society of Chemistry Outreach Fund supports members, individuals and organisations to enable them to run chemistry-based engagement activities. They fund a broad range of projects that connect communities from all backgrounds with the chemical sciences.
They are currently prioritising funding for projects that have one or more of the following outcomes:
- Under-represented audiences are better connected with or represented by chemical science
- RSC members have opportunities to develop and/or use their engagement skills
- The project or partnership supports positive social outcomes such as an increase in wellbeing, improved confidence, and/or an increased sense of belonging
- Families and intergenerational audiences connect with chemistry in fun, creative and participatory ways
- Adults engage with chemists and chemistry to empower them to access, connect and respond to chemistry and societal issues.
Next deadline: Friday 3 October 2025
Peak District National Park Foundation – Connect Fund Schools and community groups wanting to visit the Peak District National Park may be able to benefit from a Connect Fund Grant. Grants are designed to remove barriers for disadvantaged and marginalised communities to access, understand and enjoy the park.
The Peak District must be the closest national park to your organisation for your application to be considered. You can apply for a grant of up to £500 towards the cost of a trip to the Peak District National Park. They will fund:
- Transport costs
- Learning provider fees
- Equipment needed for your activity
- The cost of providing food to participants if this is a major barrier to their involvement
All state-funded schools and colleges with 30% or more pupils eligible for Free School Meals, are eligible to apply for the grant. They use the get information about schools service as our data source to confirm percentage of Free School Meals.
Application deadlines are 28 February, 30 April, 30 June and 30 October
Would you like a bit of extra help with preparing, creating and submitting your funding applications?
Take a look at the
Straight Forward Funding Membership Programme.
Low cost, high impact support delivered on a month to month basis
No contracts, no commitment, a simple ‘pay as you go’ process.
OPEN NOW
This is a really practical programme; there are no meetings involved, no commitments required – simply a ‘pick and mix’ offer of information, resources and 1:1 support.
This is what one of out members had to say this week after booking in for a Members Only SOS Call:
“Thank you so much for your time on Wednesday and for all the information that you have sent over, I just had a really quick look and it is so, so helpful so thank you very much…I really appreciate it!!”
Find out more here
#Useful Stuff
From 1 April 2026, all CICs, regardless of size or income, will need to use paid third-party software to file their returns. There are currently no free software options available.
To prepare, CICs can use the Government’s software finder tool to explore approved filing software. (Its also worth speaking to you accountant to see if they can help)
Digital Candle is a free service for charities who want a one hour call with a digital expert. Charities can get advice on any aspect of digital or digital marketing, from digital strategy to Google Ads and from remote service delivery to social media. It is totally free. All the experts give their time on a volunteer basis.
Apply for free mobile connectivity to support your charity If you’re a charity that needs support for digital inclusion programmes, you can apply for free Vodafone SIMs, each loaded with 40GB data a month for six months, plus unlimited calls and texts. You can use these however you like – for example, to provide connectivity to your service users or deliver training to people in need.
What happens after the 6 months of free connectivity?
- Users will be notified by SMS that they’re on their last month and any unused allowance on the SIM card will not be carried forward at the end of the last 30 days.
- The user can then decide if they want to carry on using the SIM. If so, they simply need to top up and buy a new ‘Big Value Bundle’.
- If the user no longer wants to use SIM, they can simply let it expire.
- If there is no outbound activity (making a call, sending an SMS, using data or topping up credit) after 180 days, the number will be disconnected.
Simply Business Young Entrepreneur Fund is open to applicants aged between 18 and 30. They want to support support the next generation of business owners by giving away:
£5,000 each to ten young business owners
Six weeks of tailored business support with our charity partner Hatch Enterprise
Enter by midnight on 9 October 2025
Before I go…..
Are you making the most of my free resources? Use these links to receive my:
Schools and Education free termly newsletter
Visit my resources page for a host of free tools and resources
‘Straight Forward Funding Resources’ Facebook Group, where I post more info about funding, along with any useful information and resources.
See you next month!