The Masonic Charitable Foundation Charity Grants programme offers funding to registered charities in England and Wales that support disadvantaged children and young people. Small Grants of £1,000–£5,000 are available for charities with annual incomes between £25,000 and £500,000 and can be used for any purpose. Large Grants of £10,000–£60,000 are available for charities with incomes between £500,000 and £5 million. These grants must fund specific projects with clear goals and budgets, covering costs such as salaries, equipment, and training. Eligible projects focus on children affected by domestic abuse, early years poverty and neglect, or special educational needs and disabilities. Applications begin with an expression of interest, and shortlisted applicants are then invited to submit a full application. Grants to Support Disadvantaged Children (England & Wales)
Charitable organisations and care homes for the elderly can apply for grants of up to £250 for activities which provide musical entertainment and related activities for the elderly. Some of the charities that have received grants in the past include the Theatre Chipping Norton to help fund high-calibre music recitals in six Care Homes in the area and Sue Ryder Care, Lancashire, to fund access to music therapy workshops at Birchley Hall near Wigan and St Helen’s. The grants are made available through the charity Concertina. The next closing date for applications is 30 April 2026. Music Grants for Older People (England & Wales)
London charities and community groups with less than 20% of income from trading can now apply for up to £19,000 in funding to develop earned income and boost long-term resilience. The 18-month programme offers a Set Up Grant of up to £7,000 to pilot new services and a Match Trading™ Grant of up to £12,000 that matches rising sales. Participants also receive mentoring, 10 learning days, and buyer networking opportunities. Priority goes to organisations led by Black and racially minoritised communities, D/deaf and disabled people, women, LGBTQ+ groups, and those in economically disadvantaged areas. Applications close at midday on 18 December 2025. The programme is delivered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs through the London Growth & Resilience Programme. Grants and Business Support Available for Charities and Not for Profit Organisations to Develop Trading Income (London)
Community businesses across England can now apply for funding of between £10,000 and £150,000 to help reduce their energy costs. The funding, which is a mix of grants (up to 40%) and loans at 6.5% interest, can be used to cut energy use, lower bills, and improve the sustainability of community buildings. Support is available for projects such as installing solar panels or heat pumps, upgrading insulation, lighting, or heating systems, and fitting energy monitoring technology. Eligible applicants must own their premises or hold a lease of at least 12 years and have been declined by a bank for commercial finance. Energy audit grants of £500–£2,500 are also available to identify potential improvements. The fund is delivered by Key Fund and financed by Power to Change through the Energy Resilience Fund. Funding to Help Community Businesses Cut Energy Costs (England)
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to registered charities to support projects that equip people (18 or older in order) from disadvantaged groups with the communication skills necessary to gain employment. Priority will be given to projects that target people experiencing multiple deprivation or other groups facing major hurdles to employment, especially women, people with physical, mental, or learning disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers. The funding is being made available through the Thomas Wall Trust, and the deadline for stage 1 applications is 22 December 2025. Applicants successful at this stage will be invited to submit a stage 2 application. Grants of up to £5,000 Available to Increase Employment Opportunities for Disadvantaged Adults (UK)
We would like to thank everyone who shared their views during the consultation.
After carefully reviewing all the feedback and looking again at the proposals, we’ve decided to go ahead with changes to routes 283, 72, and N72.
This means route 283 will be withdrawn, and routes 72 and N72 will be re-routed to serve White City Estate.
We understand this may not be the outcome some of you were hoping for. To help address concerns raised – particularly around longer wait times and safety in the evenings – we’re making some changes:
• Route 272 will run more frequently in the evenings, increasing from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes – this is still subject to discussions with operators
• Route 72 will also see more frequent services in the mornings and all day on Sundays, going from every 15 minutes to every 12 minutes
These changes are planned to start from 13 December 2025, with the increased evening frequency on route 272 expected to follow in February 2026, allowing time for the operator to bring in additional vehicles.
Thank you again to everyone that took part in the consultation.
Geoff Hobbs
Director, Public Transport Service Planning
Transport for London
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is committed to building cohesive and resilient communities. The Common Ground Resilience Fund was launched in September to support local places, and a key part of this is promoting the important role of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.
The UK government’s Common Ground Award will invest capital funding into VCSE sector organisations that are bringing people together from different backgrounds, supporting the cost of constructing or renovating facilities, or the purchasing of equipment to deliver services.
Funding available: Up to £1.7 million capital funding within the 2025/2026 financial year, distributed in payments of up to £10,000 per successful applicant. Applicants will be able to set out how capital investment could be scaled up beyond £10,000, up to a maximum of £50,000, which may be considered in exceptional cases – where there is a clearly demonstrated need, supported by a strong application. Deadline: 21st November 2025.
Common Ground Award: prospectus – GOV.UK
The Future Governance Forum (FGF), a think tank, has launched the Social Insights Panel, a new group of civil society leaders headed by Polly Neate, former chief executive of Shelter, with the aim of delivering “expert insight into the heart of government”. Find out more here.
We are currently offering free online courses designed for those looking to upskill and enhance their knowledge, supporting continued professional development. This November, we’re launching a range of exciting new courses — but spaces are limited, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out.
Full details of our latest courses, all of which meet HSE and CQC training compliance standards can be found here.
Eligibility requirements:
- Must be aged 19 or over
- Unfortunately, not available to residents of Greater Manchester, Liverpool City, Cambridge & Peterborough, Tees Valley, or West Midlands
- Eligibility checks will be carried out during the application process
Following our conferences and workshops, the Cost of Living Alliance Steering Group has worked to deliver a programme of support based on your ideas, feedback, and recommendations; your energy and commitment have shaped the work of the Group to create and deliver services for everyone and to help residents cope with the cost of living. This has included reopening 145 King Street for face to face meetings, cash first grant support, creating warm welcome spaces, developing a digital website that lists various help and support services provided by organisations across the borough and delivering training.
We value your feedback, and we are keen to continue the work with you all, building on the amazing ideas and network of support, collaborating to develop innovative ways of doing things differently together as a compassionate borough.
I hope you will join me at our Autumn Cost of Living Alliance Conference, where there will be an opportunity to take stock of the changes we have made, including growing our work on social value investment in the community, and financial inclusion work, as well as share further ideas and maximise support to as many residents as possible working together. Together, we’ve shown what is possible when we unite around shared purpose and action – and I hope you will join me.
If you are unable to attend please do encourage someone from your organisation to come in your place, as I believe it is so important that everyone’s views and ideas are captured as we continue to build support as well as network and connect with others across the borough.
Conference Details:
Date: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Time: 9:30am – 1:30pm (Registration from 9:30am, meeting starts at 9.45am)
Venue: Irish Centre, Hammersmith, London, W6 8DA
Lunch provided | Teas & coffee available
Register your attendance via Eventbrite: H&F Cost of Living Alliance Conference Tickets, Wed 19 Nov 2025 at 09:30 | Eventbrite
For accessibility or dietary requirements, please contact: bathsheba.mall@lbhf.gov.uk
sobus
20 Dawes Road, London, SW6 7EN
Telephone 020 7952 1230
Email info@sobus.org.uk
Registered Charity No.1071089
and Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No.03471416
Sobus is a new Community Development Agency for Hammersmith & Fulham. It has been created through the merger of the Community and Voluntary Sector Association Hammersmith & Fulham (CaVSA) and the Fulham Community Partnership Trust (FCPT). Building on the strengths of both organisations, sobus aims to provide a wider range of support services for local charities, community groups, social enterprises and start up businesses.