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International Women’s Day 2026, Sue Spiller, Sobus CEO

International Women’s Day (IWD) is marked annually on March 8. It’s the biggest women-focused day of the year and sees groups worldwide celebrate and support women’s advancement in their own special, most relevant way. All IWD activity is valid, that’s what makes IWD so inclusive.

The theme of IWD 2026 is “Give To Gain”, encouraging a mindset of generosity and collaboration.

Give To Gain emphasizes the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.

Whether through donations, knowledge, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, education, training, mentoring, or time, contributing to women’s advancement helps create a more supportive and interconnected world.

If you are planning an event or activity that could highlight the role of women in the VCSE, please shout out and we can publicise.

Info on this year’s campaign and IWD events can be found here: https://www.internationalwomensday.com

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A Million Acts of Hope

In May 2026, community and faith groups, plus charities big and small, will come together to celebrate and inspire A Million Acts of Hope across Britain. This event seeks to fight hope with connection and celebration. Learn more and sign up here.

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Funding for Charities to Undertake Building Projects (London)

Registered charities and exempt bodies in London planning building refurbishment projects of less than £200,000 can apply for grants of between £5,000 and £10,000. The building work can include general refurbishments or a specific scheme, repairs, creating disabled access, or fulfilling Health and Safety requirements or fire protection. The funding is being provided through the Rose Foundation, and applications can be submitted until the 31st March 2026. Funding for Charities to Undertake Building Projects (London)

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Funding to Support Local Good Causes (UK)

Funding platform Easyfundraising has launched a new fund to support not-for-profit organisations across the UK. The Impact Fund offers twenty unrestricted grants of £500 to help organisations continue or improve their services. The funding can be used where it’s needed most, including equipment, resources, volunteer costs, event expenses, small projects, or essential running costs. The fund is open to organisations including charities, not-for-profits, schools and education settings, sports clubs, CICs and social enterprises, youth groups, and faith organisations. The funding comes from Easyfundraising’s partnerships with retailers, who donate a percentage of online purchases to support good causes. The deadline for applications is the 5th April 2026. Funding to Support Local Good Causes (UK)

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FREE Resources for London-based Charities

We have an exciting opportunity for small charities in London! With the support of City Bridge Foundation, we have a range of free resources available for London-based charities. Over the next few months, we will offer training courses, events, publications and funding support, all for free. Read more here.

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Funding for Charities Supporting Children with Language & Hearing Difficulties (UK)

Funding is available to small UK-registered charities that support children with speech, language, or hearing difficulties. The Speech, Language and Hearing Foundation provides grants for education, therapy, and research that improve the lives of children facing communication challenges or complex developmental needs. Previous grants have funded part-time speech and language therapists in disadvantaged schools, postgraduate study in educational audiology, improvements to classroom acoustics, research into childhood deafness, and laptops to support speech and language therapy services. While no grant amount is specified, recent awards have ranged from £500 to £15,000. Applications can be made at any time. Funding for Charities Supporting Children with Language and Hearing Difficulties (UK)

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Managing Wellbeing at Work

In this new article, Ben Wittenberg explains that while managing staff wellbeing in the voluntary sector is challenging, leaders can significantly reduce burnout through honest workload conversations, clear wellbeing structures, strong boundary-setting, human-centred one-to-ones, everyday trust-building, and knowing when to signpost further support. Read more here.

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Funding for Transformative IT Projects (UK)

Registered charities, community interest companies, and other not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants of up to £15,000 for IT projects that benefit communities across the UK. The funding is made available through the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists Grants Programme, which aims to support innovative projects and activities that use information technology (IT) to create positive impact through education, digital inclusion, charitable, and public engagement initiatives. This could include developing and delivering innovative new services, solutions, training, apps, analytics, AI, robotics, or accessibility features/hardware. Larger grants may be made in exceptional circumstances. Applications are reviewed four times a year, with the next deadline on the 20th May 2026. Funding for Transformative IT Projects (UK)

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Funding Available for Prisoner Rehabilitation & Early Intervention Schemes (UK)

UK registered charities with an annual income between £350,000 and £4 million can apply for grants of up to £25,000 per year for up to three years for projects that prevent criminal activity and rehabilitate offenders. Key funding areas include early intervention for families, diversionary schemes for at-risk youth, and rehabilitation support focusing on accommodation, mentoring, and employment. Priority is given to initiatives supporting victims of domestic abuse and criminal exploitation, as well as those offering viable alternatives to custody. Smaller charities with incomes under £350,000 are encouraged to apply through the Foundation’s separate Small Grant programme. The deadline for this funding round is 22 May 2026. Funding Available for Prisoner Rehabilitation and Early Intervention Schemes (UK)

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Grants of up to £35,000 Available to Refurbish Youth Service Delivery Areas (London)

Organisations that support young people can apply for one-off grants through the John Lyon’s Charity Refurbishment Fund to improve the spaces where they deliver services. The Fund provides Small Grants of up to £10,000 and Main Grants of up to £35,000, with total project costs capped at £100,000. Eligible applicants must be charities operating in one of the Charity’s nine boroughs, working primarily with children and young people up to the age of 25 (or up to 30 for those with disabilities). Priority is given to organisations with annual turnovers below £500,000, and schools are not eligible. The fund supports essential maintenance (e.g., rewiring, roof repairs), improvements to service areas like kitchens or communal rooms, upgrades to activity spaces, and accessibility enhancements, but excludes equipment purchases and refurbishments of non-service areas. Small Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis and assessed six times per year, while Main Grant applications must be submitted by the 1st November 2026. Grants of up to £35,000 Available to Refurbish Youth Service Delivery Areas (London)

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