Grant funding for organisations

Last Updated: 18 November 2022

We offer funding opportunities and also guidance and advice to support businesses, community projects and cultural organisations.

Below you will find a range of sources of funding from ourselves and other local and national organisations. 

If you are starting a local project it's a good idea to talk to your local councillors also for any support they can provide. Find your local councillors.

Fairer South Lakeland Community Fund

Town and parish councils and community groups can apply for funding to alleviate financial hardship in their communities. The funding must be spent to benefit the local community, and we expect applicants will work with other funders and community organisations and agencies to maximise benefit.

This fund is now closed.

Locally Important Projects

Locally Important Projects (LIPs) are projects we fund that meet local community needs.

The funding can be used to support the delivery of infrastructure, for example paths, village/town hall restoration and improvements, playground improvements etc.

The Locally Important Projects (LIPs) fund is now closed, we will update this page when funding is available.

Changing Places

Groups can apply for funding to help improve changing facilities for people with disabilities and additional needs. This can support feasibility studies or initial costs for the installation of facilities in line with the standards recommended by Changing Places.

The Changing Places fund is now closed, we will update this page when funding is available.

Business support and grant funding guidance

• Invest in South Lakeland: Business support and finance
• Cumbria Council for Voluntary Service funding advice and support

External grant funding for organisations

• Rural Funding Digest is a monthly summary of grant funding opportunities in rural areas
• Cumbria Community Foundation provides information on potential sources of grant funding
• Cumbria County Council community grants are available for projects that demonstrate lasting community benefit
• Cumberland Community Fund provide funding to charities and voluntary organisations in the local area
• Big Lottery Fund funding finder for projects that support communities
• Heritage Fund for projects that support heritage
• Arts Council England invests money from government and the National Lottery in arts and culture across England
• Sport England funding for sporting activities
• The Sporting Capital Fund is a social investment fund to develop community sport organisations
• Postcode Trust awards funding to causes that support a better world for people and planet
• Walney Extension Community Fund. Orsted has committed to a fund worth approximately £600,000 a year for the lifetime of the wind farm project, with two closing dates each year
• The Frieda Scott Trust provides grants to charities and community groups in the South Lakeland area
• The Francis Scott Trust provide grants to charitable organisations to address the needs of young people in the most deprived areas of Cumbria and North Lancashire
• BBC Children in Need awards grants each year to organisations supporting disadvantaged children and young people in the UK
• PCC Commissioners Community Fund provides grants for local community, third sector and voluntary groups within Cumbria
• Trusthouse Charitable Foundation offer grants to support village halls in remote and economically deprived rural areas
• The Electricity North West Powering our Communities fund provides seed funding annually to support the development of community and local energy in our region. The last round of funding has now closed.

Latest external opportunities

• Tesco Community Grants for charities and community organisations to bid for up to £1,500. Currently looking for applications from those delivering projects that help to tackle food insecurity
• The Lake District Foundation is offering grants totalling £1 million to community groups and small to medium sized businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Applicants will need to operate or have an impact within the Lake District National Park and can be awarded up to 60% of the project costs, up to a maximum of £20,000. Projects will need to be completed by March 2023
• CAfS Community Climate Grants have launched a £100,000 funding pot to support local initiatives to raise awareness of climate change and reduce carbon emissions. The funding will contribute to the work of the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership over a five year period