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
7stars Foundation - Social Impact Grants
Two-year grants of up to £5,000 per year for charities working to address key societal issues affecting young people, including both direct solutions and approaches that address the wider societal challenges linked to the Foundation's focus areas.
In this funding round, there is an emphasis on LGBTQ+ inclusion and support.
The fund is open on the 7stars Foundation website. The next deadline for applications is 12 April 2026.
Apply at 7stars Foundation: Social Impact Grants
Alec Dickson Trust
Grants of up to £500 are available for volunteering or community service projects in the UK that are organised and run by young people aged 30 and younger to help them put their ideas into action and run projects that benefit the lives of others, particularly the most marginalised and disadvantaged.
Funding is for UK-based projects that:
- encourage youth volunteering - particularly those that involve lots of volunteers- and encourage people to continue volunteering in the long term
- have a positive impact on disadvantaged communities and individuals, particularly projects that address a specific need and have a long-lasting and meaningful effect on those they reach
- are innovative and try to do things differently, such as using social media creatively or using existing resources in new ways
The fund is open on the Alec Dickson Trust website. The deadline for applications is 1 April 2026.
Apply at Alec Dickson Trust
Lintel Trust - Small Grant Programme
The funding is intended to support projects with a housing focus that will deliver positive outcomes for beneficiaries in Scotland under the following aims:
- Tackling social isolation in housing communities.
- Promoting digital participation in housing communities.
- Enabling older people to remain independent and in their own home.
- Enabling people with disabilities to live independently.
- Assisting people moving from homelessness into a secure tenancy.
The fund is open on the Lintel Trust website. The next deadline for applications is 29 April 2026.
Apply at Lintel Trust: Small Grant Programme
National Churches Trust - Large Grants Programme
Grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 for urgent and essential structural repair projects (costed at more than £80,000) to buildings that were originally built as churches, or the installation of kitchen and toilets (costed at more than £30,000). Match funding of at least 50% is required.
Applications will be considered from listed and unlisted Christian places of worship, of any denomination, in the UK that are open for at least six services of public worship a year.
The fund is open on the National Churches Trust website. The next deadline for stage 1 applications is 7 July 2026.
Apply at National Churches Trust: Large Grants Programme
Parkinson's UK - Physical Activity Grants Programme
Parkinson's UK supports activity providers, national governing bodies, Parkinson's groups and branches, and sports and healthcare professional who are based and operating within the UK.
Grants of between £500 and £3,000 are available to support physical activity projects for people with Parkinson's within the UK.
The priorities for this year's grants programme are:
- supporting people with Parkinson's to participate in movement based activities that build confidence and foster a lasting interest in being physically active
- engaging people with Parkinson's who are currently inactive to begin physical activity and maintain ongoing participation
The fund is open on the Parkinson's UK website. Applications are open and will be accepted until all of the funding has been allocated.
Rowntree's - Free the Fund Community Grant Programme
Grants are available through the Rowntree Free the Fund Community Grant to support summer activities for adults aged 21 to 65 in local communities across the UK and Ireland.
Four awards of up to £10,000 each are being offered to organisations delivering projects that improve outdoor spaces or create opportunities for community participation.
The funding is intended to enhance local environments and support activities that contribute to wellbeing and social connection. Projects must focus on outdoor activity spaces or initiatives that benefit local people within the specified age group.
Eligible uses include:
- transforming community gardens
- improving shared outdoor areas or purchasing equipment for arts
- theatre
- music and sport
The fund is open on the Rowntree's website. The deadline for applications is 31 March 2026.
Apply at Rowntree's: Free the Fund Community Grant Programme
Scottish Government - Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund
The funding is intended for registered charities in Scotland that can deliver services across at least two local authority areas. Charities must demonstrate the ability to operate nationally or have a clear operating model that will allow them to reach large or multiple communities, with a particular focus on reaching significant numbers of children and families living in or at greatest risk of poverty.
A total of £20 million is available for 2026–27, with plans for the programme to move to a multi-year basis from 2027–28, subject to confirmation.
Up to ten organisations or partnerships will receive grants. The funding is aimed at enhancing the capacity of third sector organisations to deliver whole family support informed by community and lived experience input.
The fund is open on the Scottish Government website. The deadline for applications is 7 May 2026.
Apply at Scottish Government: Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund
Shared Care Scotland - Creative Breaks
Grants of up to £35,000 (up to £10,000 for unincorporated organisations) to develop and deliver short breaks projects and services for carers of adults (aged 21 and over), young carers (caring for children or adults) and the people they care for.
Applications will open on the Shared Care Scotland website on 26 March 2026 and close on 16 April 2026.
Shared Care Scotland: Creative Breaks
SUEZ - Communities Fund Scotland
Following the Scottish Government announcement on 13 January 2026 that the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund (SLCF) will close to new contributions from 1 April 2026, the SUEZ Communities Fund Scotland is now running its final application round.
Grants of between £3,000 and £40,000 are available.
Projects must have an overall cost of no more than £100,000 and fit one of the following themes:
- land reclamation
- community recycling
- public amenities
- biodiversity
- historic buildings, structures or sites
Public amenity, biodiversity or historic building projects must be within 10 miles of a SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK landfill site or transfer station.
The fund is open on the SUEZ website. The final deadline for applications is 13 May 2026.
Apply at SUEZ: Communities Fund Scotland
Trefoil - Organisational Grants
Formally constituted not-for-profit groups with an annual turnover of less than £500,000 can apply for a grant (there is no minimum or maximum amount).
Preference will be given to:
- projects promoting education, health, and social welfare
- team building activities
- projects providing education
- therapeutic activities that are not core funded by the statutory authorities
- new development and start-up project costs
The fund is open on the Trefoil website. The next deadline for applications is 7 August 2026.
Apply at Trefoil - Organisation Grants
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
CIT Funding Alert 20 March 2026 (PDF 225 KB)
CIT Funding Alert 6 March 2026 (PDF 185 KB)
CIT Funding Alert 20 February 2026 (PDF 215 KB)
CIT Funding Alert 6 February 2026 (PDF 201 KB)
CIT Funding Alert 9 January 2026 (PDF 201 KB)
East Ayrshire 4 Community
You can also search for grants and check your eligibility at East Ayrshire 4 Community, which is a free service.