Shedloads of Opportunities

• Health & Wellbeing
• Social Connection Projects

Grants (up to £25,000) are available to small charities or community groups in Scotland for work addressing sport, health, culture, animal welfare, or recreational facilities.

Grants are available to support services/projects in the following categories:

• Sport - Projects to encourage and increase public participation in sport (eligible activities should involve physical skill and exertion).
• Recreational facilities - Providing or organising recreational facilities (buildings, pitches or similar) with the aim of improving the conditions of life for the people for whom the facilities are primarily intended. This is only in relation to facilities which are primarily intended for people who need them due to age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage.
• Animal welfare - The advancement of animal welfare.
• Health - The advancement of health, including prevention or relief of sickness, disease or human suffering.
• Culture - Supporting the heritage - tangible or otherwise - of Scotland, through projects that encourage participation in and preservation of Scotland's distinctive culture.

Grants are available for any purpose that provides a benefit to the applicant's target audience.

Examples of eligible activities and costs are as follows:

• Capital projects (such as equipment, fixtures, fittings and refurbishments)
• One-off projects
• Running costs
• Core costs
• Salaries

• Environmental/Green Infrastructure

Give a gift that keeps on growing. Plant a tree.

Creating your own grove of trees and help create a beautiful, wild forest. Bare hillsides will be transformed into healthy young woodlands, rich in wildlife and protected for future generations.

You will receive an online grove webpage where friends and family can add trees and dedications of their own.

Groves cost £30 to create, and this includes your first tree.

• Environmental/Green Infrastructure

Funds hubs across Scotland to support community-led climate action projects. Provides resources and networking to reduce emissions and build local resilience.

• Environmental/Green Infrastructure
• Health & Wellbeing

Funding for registered UK Charities in the fields of the advancement of the arts, health and medical welfare and environmental protection or improvement. Core cost or project funding considered. An example grant is setting up a therapeutic gardening project.

The deadline for applications for small charity grants (charities with an annual income of £5m and under) is 1st June 2026. The deadline for first-stage applications for large charity grants (charities with an annual income of above £5m) is 8th May 2026. Second-stage applications for Large Charities will be 1st June 2026.

The next grants will be decided in mid-July 2026. Applicants will be informed by the end of August.

• Capital & Equipment

Funding can be spent on capital investment only. Revenue or operating costs are not eligible, except for, directly related architect fees and professional costs (10% of the total eligible project costs considered maximum).

Funds can be used for:

improving vacant premises to attract new tenants
conversion costs to enable new/expanded uses
installation of, or upgrades to, fixtures and fittings
energy efficiency improvements
accessibility improvements
external works and cosmetic improvements
This fund is designed to help bring vacant high street and town centre premises across the Falkirk area back into use.

It is recognised that high streets are changing and this fund is aimed at helping landlords and tenants adapt to changing consumer demands where a capital investment can open up new or more sustainable uses, in a currently vacant premise. The fund will help address the issue of vacant town centre unit space (priority will be given to ground floor units), stimulate new start-up activity and support business and Third Sector expansion. This will help improve amenities, increase footfall and contribute to re-shaping and creating vibrant town centre environments.

Applicants must not have commenced any of the activities for which they are applying for funding. No supplier invoices should be received and no supplier payments made before the grant award date.