Grants are available to charities, specialist schools, CIOs, and other not-for-profit organisations including scout and guide groups, and housing associations, that are working to raise the quality of life for people in England and Wales. The Bernard Sunley Foundation aims to provide greater opportunities for the young, elderly, disabled, and disadvantaged by supporting capital projects in the areas of community, education, health and social welfare. The types of projects that could be supported include improvements to village halls, supporting children and adults with special educational and learning needs, improvements to hospices and treatment clinics, and supporting day centres for the elderly. The Foundation offers three levels of grants. These are large grants of £25,000 and above; medium grants of up to £20,000 and small grants of £5,000 and under. Large and medium grants are considered and agreed upon at Trustees’ meetings. Small grants are agreed by Trustees on a monthly basis and form the majority of grants awarded. Applications can be made at any time. Funding for Projects that Raise People’s Quality of Life (England & Wales)

Small Homeless charities can apply for grants of up to £5,000 for projects that aim to help homeless people rebuild their lives. To be eligible to apply, applicants must be a registered charity and have an annual turnover of under £500,000, with ‘unrestricted reserves’ of under six months. Typically, organisations awarded funding operate residential or training facilities to assist homeless people. The funding is being made available through Help the Homeless, a grant-giving trust, founded in 1975, to help homeless people off the streets and enable them to live healthy, independent lives. Previously funded projects include the Booth Centre, an advice and activity centre for homeless people in Manchester, which received a grant of £1,500 to transform the centre and a grant of £3,000 to the Amber Foundation to enable the Foundation to buy new bedroom furniture for their residential centre in Devon. The next closing date for applications is the 15th December 2025. Grants of up to £5,000 Available for Projects that Help the Homeless (UK)

Mental health organisations across the UK can now apply for grants of up to £15,000 to support work with people experiencing moderate or severe mental health conditions. Priority is given to specialist and user-led groups tackling isolation, stigma and discrimination, and can cover running costs, salaries or project expenses, though one-to-one counselling is excluded. Eligible applicants include small community-based charities and not-for-profits, with income usually under £100,000 locally or £250,000 nationally, excluding projects delivered solely in Greater London. The funding is being made available through the Allen Lane Foundation. Awards may be made as single or multi-year grants, averaging £5,000–£6,000. Applications are open until early December for consideration at the Foundation’s February 2026 trustee meeting. Funding to Support People with Mental Health Issues (UK-excl. Greater London)

Funding is available for registered charities working with the most vulnerable people. One-off grants of up to £5,000, or grants of up to £3,000 a year for 3 years are available both in the UK and internationally to support organisations that promote access to justice (particularly for people trying to get support to meet their basic personal needs), equality of opportunity, or a sustainable environment. The funding, which is made available through the Matrix Causes Fund, can be used for core activities that support vulnerable persons such as prisoners, asylum seekers, people with mental health difficulties, people (particularly children) with disabilities, or women in refuges. Applications from organisations not registered as a charity but established for charitable purposes may also be considered. The next deadline for applications is the midday on the 30 September 2025. Funding for Charities Supporting Vulnerable People (UK)