The funding alerts below are updated regularly to let you know of important information about funding deadlines for community groups and charities.
If your group is awarded a grant from any of the funds highlighted in these alerts, please let us know by emailing ExternalFunding@eastayrshireleisure.com.
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Latest funding alerts
East Ayrshire Council - Anti-Poverty and Inequalities Grant
East Ayrshire Council has created an Anti-Poverty and Inequalities Grant Programme which is targeted at providing resources for innovative projects which will help to tackle poverty.
Applications are welcome from any constituted third sector partner who would like to propose new initiatives, enhance a current initiative, or add long term sustainability to a current initiative.
Projects should be connected to one or more of the strategy’s themes of:
- household poverty
- child poverty
- health and wellbeing inequalities
- building individual and community resilience
- building organisation capacity to tackle poverty
The fund is open on the East Ayrshire Council website. There is no current deadline for applications.
Apply at Engagement East Ayrshire: Anti-Poverty and Inequalities Grant
1001 Critical Days Foundation - Charity Grants
The funding is intended for UK-based charities demonstrating measurable impact on improving outcomes for babies, and those that deliver integrated services through family hubs and other ‘one-stop shop’ models across the UK.
The funding is only for projects that:
- support babies during the 1001 critical days, from pregnancy through to the age of two
- enable babies, families and carers to access support without shame or stigma
- are delivered in a family hub or similar “one stop shop” setting - ensuring families have seamless/joined up support
- make a meaningful and measurable difference to the lives of babies
The fund is open on the 1001 Critical Days Foundation website. The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 19 December 2025.
Apply at 1001 Critical Days Foundation: Charity Grants
AirBnB - Best of British Fund
The new fund aims to:
- help support the British hospitality sector that is facing increasing financial pressures
- inspire more Brits to travel beyond the usual hotspots within the UK to typically lesser visited areas of the UK, helping communities attract more overnight trips
- sole traders, registered businesses, charitable organisations, and publicly funded organisations can apply for grants of £25,000, £50,000 or £100,000
The fund is open on the AirBnB website. The deadline for applications is 23 November 2025.
Apply at AirBnB - Best of British Fund
Fight for Sight - Digital Inclusion Fund
This new fund aims to address the huge unmet need amongst blind and vision impaired people in the UK who are getting themselves ready for the workplace, applying for jobs or adjusting to new roles or to changes in their vision.
Grants of up to £30,000 for projects of between 12 and 36 months are available.
Projects should address one or more of the following priority areas and incorporate expertise by experience as a defining element:
- getting ready for the workplace
- looking for and applying for jobs
- job retention and progression
- working in technology or digital support
The fund is open on the Fight for Sight website. The deadline for applications is 6 January 2026..
Apply at Fight for Sight: Digital Inclusion Fund
Gardens Trust - Community Grants
Grants of up to £8,000 for volunteer groups across the UK to help seed-fund projects that will improve, enhance, and support historic designed landscapes.
The fund will support both capital and revenue costs related to historic designed landscape projects.
The fund is open on the Gardens Trust website. The deadline for applications is 14 November 2025.
Apply at Gardens Trust: Community Grants
Paddle Trust
Grants for projects across the UK that:
- increase or enhance existing public access points to water for all forms of paddlesport
- create launching and landing sites, to and alongside water, for all sectors of the community and all abilities, that are designed to be durable and use sustainable materials when applicable
- protect and enhance natural blue spaces such as rivers or coastline
- are “ready to go”
Funding is at the discretion of the funder. In the past, grants of between £500 and £10,000 have been awarded.
Applications will be accepted from a range of organisations, including paddle clubs, community groups, charities, parish councils, and local authorities.
The fund is open on the Paddle Trust website. The deadline for applications is 18 December 2025.
Apply at Paddle Trust
Thomas Wall Trust – Grants for Registered Charities
Grants of up to £5,000 are available for UK registered charities for specific projects that improve communication skills for disadvantaged adults and supports NEET people into employment.
The fund is open on the Thomas Wall Trust website. The deadline for stage one applications is 22 December 2025.
WCIT Charity
Grants of up to £15,000 are available for educational establishments and constituted not-for-profit organisations across the UK to support IT projects and activities.
The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT) Charity will support activities within the themes of education, inclusion, IT for charities, and understanding of IT, such as the development and delivery of:
- new services
- solutions
- training
- apps
- analytics
- AI
- robotics
- accessibility features/hardware
The fund is open on the WCIT charity website. The next deadline for applications 6 February 2026.
Apply at WCIT Charity
East Ayrshire Council Community Grants
To check the next deadline date for applications please contact Democratic Services at Council Headquarters on 01563 554400 for further information.
Apply for a Community Grant
Renewable Energy Funds
To check the next deadline date for applications please contact Democratic Services at Council Headquarters on 01563 554400 further information.
Apply to the Renewable Energy Fund
Tincornhill Quarry Fund – Sorn
For further information on application criteria and deadlines please email secretarytqf@gmail.com
Previous funding alerts
East Ayrshire 4 Community
You can also search for grants and check your eligibility at East Ayrshire 4 Community, which is a free service.