Supporting recreational activities

Access Folk explores ways to increase and diversify participation in folk singing in England.

Access Folk Small Project Grants are worth up to £1,000. Funding is available to support new events and organisers. It's also available to existing organisers who are interested in making changes to the events they already run. All projects must be based in England.

Getting involved might be right for you if:

The Radcliffe Trust supports classical music performance and training, especially chamber music, composition and music education. Particular interests within music education are music for children and adults with special needs, youth orchestras and projects at secondary and higher levels, including academic research. The Trustees respond to applications and also initiate their own projects.

The Birmingham Airport Community Trust Fund makes grants from £500 to £5,000 to small community-based organisations.

The website provides a list of postcodes that qualify and a comprehensive list of requirements that must be satisfied before an application can be accepted. Core funded directly by the Airport Company and topped-up by any penalties levied on airlines breaching our noise limits, grants are awarded by a board of independent Trustees representing local authorities and the Airport Consultative Committee.

Applications for small grants of up to £10,000 can be accepted at any time.

Applications for large grants of between £10,001 and £50,000 (£100,000 in exceptional circumstances) must be submitted by 5pm on the 20 March 2024.

Themes of the Fund - grants available up to £4000 (applicants must be based in Manchester).

See list of deadlines and decision dates.

Nobody knows what's best for our communities better than the communities themselves. We listen to their ideas and help where we can. Applications must meet at least one of the fund’s core themes. We’re happy to discuss whether your project fits our themes before application.

Interest-free loans are available to musicians at all stages for the purchase of musical instruments and equipment, to help ensure that more people across England and Northern Ireland can access instruments and learn to play music. 

The loans, which are made available through the Take it Away Scheme, work with 130 music retailers to allow applicants to buy almost any musical instrument and can also be used for musical equipment, software and tuition. 

UK charities and community groups can apply for grants of up to £1,000 to run activities for older people over the Christmas period.
The funding is made available through the McCarthy Stone Foundation Christmas Connections 2023 grants programme, which aims to helps people over 65 to feel connected and supported over the festive period.

The grant can be used for a variety of activities such as:

Small not-for-profit organisations and community groups with charitable aims can apply for grants of between £500 and £5,000 to deliver activities, projects and services that strengthen communities experiencing inequalities and disadvantage, or improve the lives of local people who face difficulties and have limited access to appropriate or affordable services and support. This can be geographic communities and/or communities of people brought together by race or ethnicity, age, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.

Charities, community groups and social enterprises that can demonstrate that their aims have identifiable public benefit in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham including Hartlepool can apply for funding to the Sir James Knott Trust.  Special consideration will be given to charitable activities that are known to have been of interest to Sir James Knott including: 

The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust funds United Kingdom Registered Charities operating in the UK in the fields of the advancement of the arts, health and medical welfare and environmental protection or improvement.

The Trustees will consider applications for core costs or projects and are very conscious of the work involved in applying for a grant and encourage charities to consider whether their work aligns with the Trust’s priorities for the next three years before submitting an application.