The Livewell Foundation

Livewell Foundation Large Grants

Grants of up to £10,000 from The Livewell Foundation, the charity set up by health and social care provider Livewell Southwest, for charities and community groups running projects that improve health and wellbeing, reduce mental and physical ill health or reduce social isolation in Plymouth, South Hams and West Devon. The large grants round opens once a year, and the current window closes on 30 November 2026. Projects addressing children's mental health, women's health or child obesity score extra points, and applications can be made in writing or by a video of up to five minutes.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: Up to £10,000
Deadline: 43 days left; 30 November
Effort: Moderate; full application with documents

Who can apply

Open to charities, community groups and other third sector organisations; the funder is particularly keen to help grassroots community groups and small-to-medium voluntary organisations, and does not normally fund large UK-wide charities unless they have strong local relationships and the proposal could achieve substantial impact
You do not have to be a registered charity, but the work must be legally charitable; unrestricted or general running-cost grants go only to registered charities, and grants to other organisations are always restricted to a specific charitable purpose
CICs and other social enterprises limited by guarantee can apply if their Articles set out a clear charitable purpose and social benefit, they have at least three unconnected directors on Companies House, the project is not part of services they would normally charge for, and all costs relate directly to the project (any contribution to a director's pay must be clearly tied to the project)
Organisations run for private gain cannot apply, nor can core activities of organisations in a national network (e.g. MIND, Age UK, Alzheimer's Society)
The funder expects at least three unconnected board members, safeguarding policies where working with vulnerable adults or young people, a governing document, financial statements and up-to-date Charity Commission/Companies House filings
Work must directly benefit communities or individuals in Plymouth, South Hams or West Devon; the funder's postcode list is PL1-PL10, PL16, PL19-PL21, TQ7, TQ8 and TQ10, and its online form will not accept applicants outside these areas
(Note that this does not cover all of South Hams and West Devon - for example Totnes TQ9, Dartmouth TQ6 and Okehampton EX20 are not on the list - and PL10 covers the Rame peninsula in Cornwall.) For large grants specifically, a track record is expected (lack of one is a stated reason for rejection), previous grantees must have sent all their grant reports (normally due 12 months after aw…

What it funds

Projects or initiatives in Plymouth and South West Devon that will do one or more of the following:

Improve health and wellbeing
Reduce mental and physical ill health
Reduce social isolation
Staff salaries
Project activities
Running costs
Small-scale refurbishment
Equipment
Organisational development
Core costs (for registered charities only)

From 2025-26 the Foundation focuses more funding on children's mental health, women's health and child obesity; other applications are still accepted, but those addressing one or more of these areas score additional points at the sifting stage.

What it will not fund

Proposals from organisations run primarily for private gain or to generate profits for private distribution, or activities that generate profits for private gain
Religious activity (religious organisations can be funded if the project benefits the wider community and has no religious content)
Activities that replace government funding
Activities that benefit individuals rather than the wider community
Political activities
Retrospective costs
Loan repayments
Work that does not directly benefit communities or individuals in Plymouth, South Hams or West Devon (PL1-PL10, PL16, PL19-PL21, TQ7, TQ8, TQ10)
Academic research, unless the applicant can demonstrate significant potential for practical outcomes
Work that is primarily the responsibility of statutory authorities
Core activities of organisations that are part of a national network doing similar work (e.g. MIND, Age UK, Alzheimer's Society)
Organisations that cannot demonstrate financial governance
Requests purely to fund the administration costs of running an organisation
Projects without a defined time period in which beneficiaries will benefit
Contributions to general appeals or circulars
Activities that solely support animal welfare
Grant-making by other organisations
A large grant application within 12 months of an unsuccessful large grant application
New applications from previous grantees who have not sent all required grant reports

How to apply

Read the Livewell Foundation's Grant Application Guidance
Download the large grant application questions in Word (2026 form) and draft your answers there first, as the funder strongly recommends
Complete the online application form for grants up to £10,000 (via the Apply for funding - charities & third sector page), pasting in your answers
Alternatively, submit a video application of no more than 5 minutes (e.g. a private YouTube link) through the online form after giving basic contact details; it must cover the purpose, the problem, beneficiaries, resources, activities, amount requested, expected outcomes and how impact will be monitored
Upload your governing document and latest accounts if they are not on the Charity Commission website
Submit before the window closes on 30 November 2026

A Word version of the application is available from thelivewellfoundation@gmail.com if you cannot use the online form. Queries go to the same address. Applications are scored on points including reduced hospital admissions, links to local health strategies such as Thrive Plymouth, support for people with physical disability or mental health needs, deprivation, number of beneficiaries, protected characteristics, clear outcome measures and cost per beneficiary. Successful grantees send a midway and an end-of-grant report.

Have ready

Governing document (constitution or articles of association)
Latest set of financial accounts

Governing documents and accounts are needed only if they are not available on the Charity Commission website. The funder may ask for copies of safeguarding policies as part of due diligence.

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