Horden, Peterlee and surrounding areas

12/06/2026

Funding Up to £10,000 Available to Tackle Social Deprivation

Registered charities can apply for up to £10,000 per year for up to two years to support activities that benefit people living in Tyne & Wear, Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside.
Priority will be given to projects that:
•Ease social deprivation; and/or
•Enrich the local community fabric and improve individuals' quality of life.

The funding is provided by the 1989 Willan Charitable Trust, which distributes up to £500,000 annually with the support of the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. The Trustees prefer to fund projects where their support will make a significant contribution to delivery.
Examples of Projects Funded
• Initiatives meeting the needs of communities experiencing high levels of deprivation.
• Self-help projects that improve local quality of life.
• Services for young people addressing educational needs or offering diversion from crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Projects supporting communities affected by crime and anti-social behaviour.
• Arts initiatives tackling deprivation or enhancing local quality of life.
• Work of youth organisations, particularly the Sea Cadets, Scouts, Guides, Boys’ Brigades, and other uniformed groups (grants here generally up to £1,500).
• Projects drawing on the region’s maritime heritage to improve quality of life or address deprivation.
• Gap year voluntary work through Project Trust (grants limited to £500 towards placement expenses; applicants must normally reside in the North East).

Exempted or excepted organisations can include:
• Registered Housing Associations
• Parish Churches
• Further Education Colleges / Universities
• Scout and Guide groups
This list is not exhaustive.

The closing date for applications is 15 August 2026.

The 1989 Willan Charitable Trust - Read more on Community Foundation.

11/06/2026

Grants of up to £25,000 to Improve Women’s & Girls’ Football Facilities

As part of its ongoing commitment to women's and girls' football, and following the success of the Lionesses, the Football Foundation is making funding available to provide safe, welcoming, and accessible facilities for women and girls playing grassroots football.

Supported by the Premier League, The FA and the UK Government, the Lionesses HERe to Play Fund offers grants of between £1,500 and £25,000 to help clubs and organisations make their facilities more inclusive.

The funding could support improvements to:
• signage
• external lighting/cctv
• toilets
• showers
• baby change & breastfeeding facilities
• female officials' & player privacy changing spaces
• changing rooms
• clubhouses
• external covered spaces
Up to 75% of total project costs will be supported, with a minimum of 25% match funding required.
Eligible applicants include:
• Not-for-profit football clubs or voluntary groups.
• Local authorities.
• County FAs.
• Professional club community organisations.
• Educational establishments providing community access.
• Registered charities.
• Not-for-profit companies.
• CICs or social enterprises.
• Companies limited by guarantee.

Applicants must have a development plan for women's and girls' football at their site and engage with The FA's Equal Game programme

Explore the Football Foundation's Lionesses HERe to Play Fund, for items to supercharge women and girl's football at your site.

11/06/2026

Football is about passion and community, but for some, high emotions can strain relationships. Domestic abuse is never part of the game. It can affect anyone.

This World Cup, Say no to foul play.

Confidential support is available, contact Harbour 03000 20 25 25 | myharbour.org.uk

10/06/2026

Grants Available for Digital, Environmental & Education Projects

Telecommunications company Cellnex has reopened its Community Fund, offering grants of up to £5,000 to charities, CICs and not-for-profit groups across the UK.
The fund supports projects that strengthen communities, build digital confidence and improve the environment in local authority areas where Cellnex UK operates.
Funding is available for activities under four themes:
• Digital Inclusion and Skills - helping people get online, build digital skills or use technology with confidence
• Circular Economy - reducing waste, encouraging repair and reuse, or supporting sustainable use of materials
• Biodiversity and Conservation - improving local nature, protecting wildlife habitats or supporting community environmental action
• AI and Education - building awareness of artificial intelligence, responsible use of technology or STEM learning
Unregistered community groups may apply through an accountable body.

Applications can be submitted at any time, with decisions usually made within five weeks.

The Cellnex Community Fund provides grants of up to £5,000 to not‑for‑profit organisations across the UK. We support projects that strengthen communities, build digital confidence, improve the environment and help people access skills for the future.

10/06/2026

Grants of up to £20,000 Available for Community Climate Projects
Grants of up to £20,000 are available for community projects that address climate challenges through sustainable water or solar infrastructure and nature-based solutions.

The ServiceNow Community Improvement Fund, delivered by ChangeX, is open to applications from schools and not-for-profit organisations across the UK. ChangeX is a registered charity and community engagement platform that helps local groups, schools, and not-for-profit organisations start or expand community projects.
Applicants can either submit their own project idea, or deliver one of three proven climate initiatives

The proven ideas are:
•Youth-led solar: From Classroom to Kilowatts – grants of £11,000 for practical solar projects led by teenagers in schools and other youth settings
•Ecosystem restoration communities – grants of £18,000 for projects to grow and plant trees and to learn about ecosystem restoration and regenerative agriculture
•Precious plastic workspaces – grants of £20,000 for projects that develop local networks to tackle plastic pollution

Funding can cover direct set-up or maintenance costs, including space hire, insurance, seeds and planting materials, tools and training fees.
Between three and five projects will be funded.
The deadline for applications is 19 June 2026.

Call for Applications!

09/06/2026

Grants for the Planting of Trees, Hedges & Orchards

The Tree Council has announced that its Branching Out Fund is open for applications, offering small grants to support community tree planting projects across the UK.

Grants of £250 to £2,500 are available for projects in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Eligible applicants include community groups, schools, colleges, universities, Tree Warden Networks, parish or town councils, tenants’ and residents’ associations, community-funded nurseries or care homes, community interest companies limited by guarantee, and small registered charities.
Applicants must have written permission for the planting site.

Funding is intended for trees, hedging, hedgerow trees and orchards, together with establishment items such as guards, ties, stakes, mulch, peat-free compost and some irrigation equipment.
The Tree Council is looking for strong community involvement, good value, local knowledge and clear aftercare plans, with larger requests expected to show broader project design and volunteer-led delivery.
Professional labour, heavy equipment hire and peat-based products are not normally funded.

The deadline is midnight on 19 July 2026, although the fund may close earlier if all money is allocated.
Successful applicants are usually notified within five to six weeks, and all funded planting must be completed and claimed by 14 March 2027

About the fund Small grants to support a new season of community tree planting. Over the past 20+ years, we have supported community groups, volunteer Tree Wardens and many others to plant hundreds of thousands of trees across the UK, thanks to

09/06/2026

Looking to explore opportunities in further education, training, employment, or even volunteering? Durham Learn are hosting a progression event where several agencies and professionals will be attending to offer advice, including:
🔷Durham Works
🔷Care Academy
🔷National Careers Service
🔷Bishop Auckland College
🔷Sportscape Training
🔷North East Dance
🔷Durham County Council Apprenticeship Team
🔷Durham University
🔷Durham Police
🔷Normed
🔷Waythrough
🗓Monday 22nd June 2026, 1pm -6pm
📍Durham Town Hall, Market Place, Durham, DH1 3NJ
To find out more about attending:
📲Call 03000 266115 or 📧 email [email protected] See less

Looking to explore opportunities in further education, training, employment, or even volunteering? Durham Learn are hosting a progression event where several agencies and professionals will be attending to offer advice, including:

🔷Durham Works
🔷Care Academy
🔷National Careers Service
🔷Bishop Auckland College
🔷Sportscape Training
🔷North East Dance
🔷Durham County Council Apprenticeship Team
🔷Durham University
🔷Durham Police
🔷Normed
🔷Waythrough

🗓Monday 22nd June 2026, 1pm -6pm
📍Durham Town Hall, Market Place, Durham, DH1 3NJ


To find out more about attending:
📲Call 03000 266115 or 📧 email [email protected]

08/06/2026

Funding Available for Disabled Gardeners

Grants are available to individuals through the Gardening with Disabilities Trust to enable them to continue gardening despite advancing illness, age, or disability.
To apply for a grant, individuals must provide a letter from their doctor or other healthcare professional indicating their disability and a copy of another official document, such as a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or a Blue Parking Badge.

The grants can be used for:
•Raised beds
•Poly Tunnels
•Greenhouses
•Tools
•Small-scale garden adaptations. e.g. access pathways.
•Plants or Shrubs
•Compost

Preference will be given to keen gardeners who can no longer garden due to their physical disabilities.
There is no application closing date, and applications can be submitted at any time.
Further information on how to apply is available on the Gardening with Disabilities Trust website (link below).

Raised beds, access ramps, modified tools and more....all these are ways which we've helped gardeners with disabilities get back into their gardens...

05/06/2026

Grants for Community & Environmental Projects

Not-for-profit organisations in England can apply for funding to deliver projects that improve communities and the environment.
The funding is made available through the SUEZ Communities Fund for projects that improve public amenities, repair religious or historic buildings, or support biodiversity in areas surrounding Suez landfill sites. The maximum grant amount that organisations can apply for is £50,000.

Funding typically covers:
•Materials
•Equipment
•contractors for improvement work

Projects must be located within a funding zone surrounding a qualifying site owned by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK. Please use the Post Code Checker to check eligibility.
The next application deadline is 2 September 2026.

The SUEZ Communities Fund uses monies provided by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK. The company’s donations relate to its operations located in England and Scotland, through the Landfill Communities Fund and the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund.

04/06/2026

Grants of up to £3,000 for School Science Projects (UK)

The Royal Society, the world's oldest scientific institution promoting scientific research and knowledge, has announced that its Partnership grants programme has reopened for applications. The programme awards grants of up to £3,000 to primary and secondary schools to support the teaching of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
These projects must be run at a primary or secondary school or college, collaborating with a professional scientist or engineer. Eligible applicants include any UK primary or secondary school teacher or a practising scientist/engineer, provided that the students participating in the project are aged between 5 and 18.
Applicants are required to establish a partnership before initiating the application. The application should be started by the school partner, serving as the primary applicant, while the secondary partner should be a STEM professional currently working in a related field, such as a researcher or analyst.

The scheme also runs a sub-programme, "Tomorrow's Climate Scientists," which specifically funds schools to research climate change and biodiversity issues. The application process for this extension mirrors that of the main scheme. For additional details regarding this extension, please email the Schools Engagement team at [email protected]
The next deadline for applications is10 July 2026
Projects previously funded:
• What’s the Weather Like? - a Partnership Grants project between Mead Community Primary School and Black and Veatch that has enabled pupils to begin predicting their local weather.
• Shooting stars on camera: Colour composition and contrasts: A project between William Perkin C of E High School and the Open University. Students have been determining the origin and elemental structure of meteors under the guidance of academic professional, Professor MonicaGrady.

Grants for UK schools and colleges to work in partnership with a STEM professional from academia or industry to run investigative STEM projects.