GrantRadar

The Woodsmith Foundation

Woodsmith Foundation Community Grants

Capital and revenue grants of £2,001 to £10,000 for community organisations in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, the former Borough of Scarborough and the North York Moors National Park. Projects must increase opportunities and tackle disadvantage; capital work is capped at £5,000, while climate, activity programmes and shared transport can go up to £10,000. There are three rounds in 2026, the last closing at 10am on 5 November.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£2,001 – £10,000
Closes in
18 days left
5 November
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Organisations working in the Woodsmith Foundation's area of benefit: the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland, the (former) Borough of Scarborough and the North York Moors National Park
  • Eligible: constituted voluntary groups (written rules, a committee of at least three unrelated members, and a bank account or a community organisation willing to hold the grant); CASCs and constituted sports clubs; registered charities and CIOs; CICs limited by guarantee with at least two unrelated bank signatories and three unrelated directors, with evidence of trading and public benefit; parish and town councils and parish meetings; faith organisations for secular activity benefitting the wider community
  • Companies limited by guarantee with charitable objects may be considered once, after due diligence — call first
  • Not eligible: individuals, private businesses, CICs limited by shares, principal local authorities, schools and parent-led school fundraising groups (they can use the Small Grants), and organisations without two unrelated board members and two unrelated bank signatories
  • One application per 12 months; previous grantees can apply if their last grant was over 12 months ago and monitoring is complete
  • National organisations only with demonstrable local need and local staff
  • Capital projects costing over £15,000 must show 75% of costs secured
  • New groups with little financial track record are encouraged to try the Small Grants (under £2,000) first

What it funds

Up to £5,000 capital costs for projects that will do at least one of these things:

  • Support community venues and facilities to make repairs or purchases, refurbishments or extensions which will enable them to keep open/re-open existing spaces or create new space
  • Create, improve or extend the use of community outdoor space which can be used by local people for activities that support health and wellbeing, education or community food production
  • Encourage landscape improvements that are delivered by the community and for the community (environmentally friendly projects)
  • Up to £10,000 revenue or capital costs for projects that will do one of these things:
  • Create opportunities to raise awareness or learn about the impact of climate change, or projects to adapt to, or mitigate the risks of, climate change (e.g. energy audits or efficiency measures for community buildings, feasibility studies on community renewable energy, EV charging points, bikes or car share schemes, recycling, water management, wildlife habitats)
  • Deliver a programme of activities/support for local people that will have a lasting improvement to health and wellbeing; create meaningful relationships to tackle loneliness; alleviate hardship; provide education in a non-school setting; deliver skills training or offer employment support
  • Provide a sustainable transport solution to support local people to access services and activities

Existing projects previously funded by others can apply; the Foundation will ask how they have been evaluated and how change has been measured.

What it will not fund

  • Projects outside, or supporting people outside, the area of benefit
  • A contribution to a large capital project which does not have 75% of the costs already secured
  • Capital costs for a building you do not own where the lease is less than 5 years
  • One off events or contributions to festivals, fund raising days or similar
  • Projects that pass the funding on as grants, sponsorship or donations to other organisations or individuals
  • Disproportionate core organisational costs, ongoing running costs, contributions to overheads or management fees
  • Projects in school settings during the school day delivered by an organisation that is not the school
  • General appeals, sponsorship, or prizes for competitions or raffles
  • Arts, culture, heritage or conservation projects unless they significantly improve health, wellbeing, education or skills
  • Repairs to places of worship without significant secular activity or benefit beyond the congregation
  • Retrospective funding
  • Activities funded by another organisation
  • Capital funding for a vehicle used by only one organisation for its own members

How to apply

  1. Read the 2026 Community Grants guidance and the reference copy of the application form
  2. Optionally call or email the grants team to check eligibility (the Foundation says around 80% of rejected applications could have been avoided by calling first)
  3. Apply through the online form linked from the Apply now page; it can be saved and resumed for 30 days, but file uploads are not saved
  4. Upload supporting documents last and submit by 10am on 5 November 2026 (round 3)
  5. The Foundation may visit the project or contact previous funders before recommending it to trustees

Grants are awarded by the end of December 2026 for round 3. Christmas-focused projects had to apply in rounds 1 or 2. Grants of £7,000-£10,000 involve a short outcomes discussion after the offer. Other formats (video, handwritten) are accepted on request.

The same page also offers Small Grants for Everyday Essentials and Activities (£50-£2,000, decided monthly), Young & Talented grants for individuals up to age 18 (25 for SEND or care leavers, up to £1,500, open until end of October 2026), Catalyst Grants (expressions of interest for larger projects) and the Dormanstown Seed Fund.

Have ready

  • Most recent audited/examined accounts, or income and expenditure accounts (with last year's figures if the accounts are older)
  • Most recent bank statement
  • Quotes for any significant items or activities over £1,000
  • Terms of reference, constitution or governing document
  • For CICs: a statement signed by all directors agreeing to the application, with unrestricted funds and percentage of traded income, plus the latest CIC 34

New groups without accounts send a brief note on their financial position with their latest bank statement.

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