Grants and funding

General funding

Community Fund - Funding Programmes A variety of funding programmes across the nations. Generally, Grants of between £300 and £20,000 for grassroots and community activity that aims to improve life for local people and neighbourhoods. The application and decision process can take a long while, so start early.

Esmee Fairbairn

Support work that fits under their current strategic priorities: Our Natural World; A Fairer Future; and Creative, Confident Communities.

Arts, culture and heritage funding

Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants Awards from £1,000 to £100,000 to support a wide variety of arts-related activities, from dance to visual arts. Any type of venue can apply, including museums and libraries but must fit into current priorities: Museum Unlocking Collections and Universal Library Offers.

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Science and nature funding

Institute of Physics

These grants are for science activities that inspire and enthuse the public about physics. There are two strands that schools and other community organisations can apply for:

Public Engagement Grant Scheme

The Public Engagement Grant Scheme (PEGS) aims to support the IOP Limit Less initiative by funding projects that engage whole family groups (including parents/carers) to improve their relationship with physics. The awards are between £500 - £4000.

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Local Schools Nature Grant

Open to schools and early years settings in England, Scotland, and Wales, each grant includes outdoor learning training for staff, a school grounds climate survey, a Climate Curriculum Kit worth £150, and £500 of equipment from a catalogue of over 100 items.

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Other ways to fundraise

Local funding sources There are many local funding sources available. To find out more contact your local Community Voluntary Service and/or Council.

Local Business Speak to local businesses that might be interested in engaging with a family audience.

In-kind funding In-kind gifts are contributions of goods or services, other than cash grants. This could include space, refreshments, competition prizes or even free promotion!

Crowd-funding If you have a good database and great PR skills, crowdfunding might be the perfect way to get a community behind you to organise your event.

Charging for your event Whilst we encourage organisations to hold free events, we understand this is not always possible. If you are charging for your events, consider having concessions available and offering special rates for larger families.

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Any suggestions?

Have you received funding towards your Family Learning Festival event? Please email us at [email protected] to share your tips and let us know what worked for you.