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This page was last updated: 7 November 2024
Below, you'll find a list of organisations which can provide assistance with grants or equipment to support outdoor learning.
Please note: Schools and groups will need to apply directly to the funder / provider.
We support schools and groups to experience and learn about food, farming and the countryside, and the important role they play in maintaining our health and the health of the planet. Our programmes are offered free, or low cost, to eligible schools and groups.
Find out more about our programmes
The CLA Charitable Trusts seeks to support the most disadvantaged, and especially disadvantaged young people, to access the benefits of the countryside. We support a wide range of organisations providing activities engaging young people and communities in these areas. This include but are not limited to:
Maximum grant: £5,000. Only applications within this limit are considered.
Organisation type: We fund registered charities or community interest companies.
We will fund other organisations but they must be clearly constituted, run on a not for profit basis and have a clear social benefit. This includes schools exclusively for children with additional needs.
The Climate Action Fund is our commitment to help communities tackle climate change. We're supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable. We’ll only fund projects developed in a formal partnership with other organisations. You do not have to be a climate or environment focused organisation to apply
We’re looking for partnership projects that reach more people by either:
Funding size
Application deadline: You’ll be able to apply until Spring 2025. We will announce the final deadline nearer the time.
We pay special attention to projects focusing on education, environment, children, the disabled, youth activities and projects that provide clear benefits to the local communities close to our UK locations. The Ford Britain Trust particularly encourages applications supported by Ford employees but is open to all, provided that the qualifying organisations meet our selection criteria.
We have five cycles each year for grant donations. Grant Cycles:
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust offers grants between £5,000 and £50,000, towards projects lasting up to two years, which help enhance early childhood education and childcare settings to meet specific needs of young children from Armed Forces families.
Eligible applicants:
Deadline: Apply by 12 noon on 20 November 2024 for a decision by March 2025.
Groundwork is working with One Stop Stores Ltd to administer the One Stop Community Partnership programme. Successful applicants will receive an initial grant of up to £1,000 and begin a partnership with their local One Stop store.
This programme is designed to support community groups or organisations operating within two miles of a One Stop store and which are;
Closing 24th January
Schools, unless a registered charity for children/young people with disabilities are not eligible for this fund.
Grants of up to £10,000 for registered charities that work with disadvantaged children under the age of 25 with a particular interest in projects that provide opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to fulfil their potential and educational activities that develop learning, motivation and skills. Preference will be given to projects piloting new approaches to disseminate the outcomes to a wider audience.
Closing 15 December 2024
Our grants are targeted to further the potential and opportunity of children and young people who are surviving abuse, at risk of or experiencing homelessness, caring for a loved one, and challenged by addiction (either personally or through a member of their family).
Who should apply?
Closing dates for applications are June, August and November 2024
Grants up to £5,000 are available to registered charities to fund equipment and services to support disabled and disadvantaged children under the age of 13 across the UK. The Toy Trust fund helps disadvantaged children and their families to alleviate suffering; support children through awful experiences; encourage achievement through adversity. Groups that have carried out some form of effective fundraising by themselves are particularly encouraged to apply.
Funding is available for projects supporting care-experienced young people in mainstream schools, improving access to out-of-school support, and enhancing education professionals' understanding of their needs.
Funding Details
Exclusions
We do not fund projects not tailored to care-experienced young people, long-term projects, state-funded services, summer camps, bursaries, international travel, or projects with mainly transport/running costs.
Schools can apply for grants of up to £3,000 to run investigative STEM projects in partnership with STEM professionals from academia or industry. The programme provides an opportunity for students to have a voice in the direction of scientific research around climate change and biodiversity by working with their STEM partner. It also supports students to develop green skills as the UK moves towards a net zero future.
We only make grants to UK charities registered with the Charity Commission, which includes CIOs, but currently excludes CICs, and includes PTAs of Special Schools, and excludes any other type of school, whether it is a registered charity or not.
Charities which have benefited from grants range widely, from small organisations working to improve outcomes for the vulnerable and disadvantaged through horticulture.
The last date for receipt of applications is 4pm on 13 December 2024.
Organisations can apply at any time for small grants that raise the quality of life for people in England and Wales.
Charities, specialist schools, CIOs, and other not-for-profit organisations including scout and guide groups, and housing associations can apply for up to £5,000. The grants are considered on a monthly basis and normally awarded to projects costing up to £100,000.
Medium grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 and large grants of £20,000 and above are also available.
We fund the building or refurbishment of scout huts, village halls, community centres, youth clubs, boxing clubs, outdoor activity centres, farm and outdoor learning centres, sports centres and pavilions, playing fields and playgrounds. We also fund the purchase of new minibuses that assist those most in need in their local communities.
Their charitable purpose is to provide funding to schools for the implementation of innovative projects designed to raise the attainment of youngsters disadvantaged by poverty. First pilot round opens 20th March for projects of around £1000 – £1500
Closes: 15th November 2024
Tackle teaching challenges in primary science. Get to know and share knowledge with your fellow science teachers and technicians. Develop your leadership skills and strengthen your local network.
If you have an idea that will make an impact on science teaching where you are, the Primary Science Teaching Empowerment Fund can help cover your costs up to £600.
Closes: 15th November 2024
Must be located in these London areas: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster, City of London.
Up to £5,000 to enable organisations to deliver fun and accessible activities for children and young people during the school holidays. This includes all half-term breaks, Easter, Christmas and the summer holiday. Organisations may apply for the running costs of holiday programmes that provide young people with activities in supportive and accessible environments.
The Woodland Trust want to make sure everybody in the UK has the chance to plant a tree. So they're giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities.
B&Q stores have been donating unsellable materials and products to local community groups for many years. From paint to pallets and tables to tiles, our surplus and display items go to those who need them the most, to help build a stronger communities.
Funding for residentials for children living in the Bradford Metropolitan District.
A number of LEAs are providing funding – particularly for children in receipt of Free School Meals
Ongoing deadline, grants between £300 > £10,000. This fund 'supports people, communities and organisations that are facing increased demands and challenges as a direct result of the cost-of-living crisis'. Schools are eligible to apply as long as your project benefits and involves the communities around the school.
£50 to £500 cash to individuals, community groups, schools and organisations to encourage people to get outdoors and have great experiences that otherwise couldn’t happen; e.g. giving a cash grant to a school to fund transport costs. Trustees meet every 2 months to consider applications. There's no limit to the number of times you can receive an award. If possible, please apply at least 3 months before the start of a project so that the trustees have time to consider it at their next meeting.
The Foundation supports improvements and new facilities at special needs schools and the purchase of new, adapted minibuses that benefit children with special needs and disabilities.
We aim to help children and young people reach their full potential by supporting projects which have the following objectives: Encouraging Independence; developing team working skills & self-confidence; promoting creativity & individuality; encouraging aspiration; enhancing educational achievement; widening educational horizons.
The people and organisations we fund will:
Visit Children In Need website
Raising the aspirations of disadvantaged young people and supporting youth projects through education, the arts, sport and adventurous activities.
The AFMT awards grants to disadvantaged young people to develop an existing interest and experience in adventurous outdoor activities. This includes walking, climbing, cycling, kayaking, sailing, horse riding - either self-planned or for residential courses at an outdoor centre.
This outdoor learning grant fund has two elements – a fully funded outdoor learning training course for your staff and £500 of equipment for outdoor learning.
Closes: 8th November 2024
The Greggs Breakfast Club Programme was established in 1999 to help primary school children get a nutritious start to their school day. Every school is provided with fresh bread from their nearest Greggs shop, and a grant to support start-up and ongoing costs. The average club costs just £3,000 to set up and run for a year based on 65 children.
Community Matters is our charitable giving scheme that runs throughout John Lewis & Partners shops. You'll come across a similar scheme at your local Waitrose & Partners too.
Every 3 months each shop selects 3 community groups or charities to help. Customers are directly involved in deciding how much each nominated group receives, by using a token to vote for the organisation they'd like to support.
The purpose of the Holiday Grants programme is to provide access to recreational trips or holidays for groups of children who experience disadvantage or who have disabilities. In particular we are interested in contributing to trips that would not take place without our funding. £500 – £2,500.
Visit the Henry Smith Charity website
Tesco Community Grants fund thousands of local community projects across the UK, helping to fight holiday hunger, tackle mental health, support young people, host community events and much more.
Visit the Tesco Community website
'Use our powerful grants database to search for grants from Trusts & Foundations, the UK Government, Lottery and the EU. Match funding opportunities to your requirements.'. This is subscription service it’s worth checking the news page and signing up to the monthly newsletter.
Visit the Grants for Schools website
Designed to provide young people with an opportunity to take the lead on projects that involve their local nature and natural spaces, to aid young people in realising their influence to affect positive change, to have their voices heard, and see their ideas come to life.
Grants of £500 (six-week turnaround) for projects that; support mental health, enable participation in physical activity, prevent or reduce the impact of poverty, supporting marginalised groups and tackling inequality, improve biodiversity and respond to the climate emergency and improving green spaces and increase access to the outdoors. Schools are eligible to apply if they are a registered charity.
The Get Out! Grant is awarded every month for equipment purchase, specialist training, travel, resources with the focus on supporting pupils getting outside learning
Supports projects that make a difference to life in the mainly rural communities where they operate (Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, Lincolnshire). Keen to support community and voluntary organisations that are charitable, educational or benevolent in purpose.
The Outdoor Essentials Grant is an award to UK state-funded Primary, Special and Secondary Schools to remove barriers and enable pupils to connect to nature and learn outdoors. An award of £500 is offered to Primary and Special Schools and a double award of 2 x £500 (£1,000) to Secondary Schools. Priority will be given to schools with underserved pupils in areas of high deprivation.
This current round of funding is a place-based offer focussing on specific geographical areas defined by postcodes. The Outdoor Essentials Grant is therefore available to schools located within the following prefixes only:
Cumbria/Lancashire: BB, CA, FY, LA, PR
Glos/Wilts/Avon: GL, SN, BS, BA20, BA21, BA22
Leicestershire: LE
The Edina Trust offers £700 primary school science grants and £500 nursery science grants. Edina funding is non-competitive, meaning grants are guaranteed if your school is located within one of their current local authority areas. Schools can use their grants for science resources, gardening equipment, science weeks, science subscriptions, science visits (in or out of school) and improving school grounds for science.
Sea-Changers gives one-off grants (i.e. not continual funding) to UK-based charities and other organisations (including schools) carrying out marine conservation related activities.
For schools planning or wanting to set up an outdoor learning space or simply get kids outside in all weathers, they should first consider the need for proper clothing – waterproofs and wellies.
BTO Equipment Donation Scheme (EDS) supports young people across the UK by supplying them with equipment to make the most of their birdwatching experiences, and enabling them to further develop the scheme.
Provides grants to individual persons and other organisations to provide access and/or opportunities to recreational and leisure time outdoor activities and experiences to children, adults, persons who are disabled either permanently or temporarily and persons with special physical or mental health needs. You can apply for a minimum grant of £500. Whilst there is no maximum value, we are most unlikely to consider applications in excess of £5,000.
The purpose of the Holiday Grants programme is to provide access to recreational trips or holidays for groups of children who experience disadvantage or who have disabilities. In particular we are interested in contributing to trips that would not take place without our funding. £500 – £2,500.
