GrantRadar

Cumbria Community Foundation (donor: The Beverley Trust)

Beverley Charitable Trust Fund

Grants to help young people in hardship reach their potential in education and employment by improving access to study and vocational training, with priority given to individuals over organisations. Individuals can normally receive up to £2,000 over one year (household income is taken into account); charitable, not-for-profit organisations can normally receive up to £10,000 over one year, and multi-year funding may be considered. Priority goes to young people living in the former Allerdale and Copeland districts of West Cumbria.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
Up to £10,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • Young people in hardship (individual applications, which are given priority; household income is considered in the assessment), and charitable, not-for-profit organisations helping young people into education and employment
  • Priority is given to young people living in the former local authority areas of Allerdale and Copeland (now Cumberland)
  • Cumbria Community Foundation funds work within the county of Cumbria unless a fund's criteria say otherwise
  • Organisations must meet the Foundation's general requirements: at least three unrelated committee members or directors, a bank account in the organisation's name with two unrelated signatories, annual accounts (independently examined if income is over £25,000), charitable aims in the governing document, Charity Commission registration if a charity with income over £5,000, and no more than 12 months' running costs in unrestricted reserves
  • Social enterprises/CICs have additional trading-income and governance requirements

What it funds

Help for young people to access study and vocational training, for example:

  • Academic study or courses to improve practical skills or personal development
  • Activities that are part of a further or higher education course
  • Activities leading to vocational qualifications
  • Books, materials and computer equipment
  • Bursary support
  • Travel costs

Individuals normally up to £2,000 over one year; groups normally up to £10,000 over one year, with multi-year funding possible.

What it will not fund

  • School trips
  • Businesses and personal profit
  • Deficit funding
  • Activities that are normally the responsibility of central or local government
  • Repeat requests for the same project, activity or costs within 12 months, or awards from the same fund within 12 months
  • Retrospective funding (activities already started)
  • Fundraisers, appeals and fundraising events
  • Medical equipment
  • Purchase of a vehicle
  • Advancement of religion or party political activities
  • Youth organised trips and expeditions unless individuals meet a fund's eligibility criteria
  • Applicants who have not returned a monitoring form for a previous grant

How to apply

  1. Read the fund page and the Foundation's 'Am I Eligible?' guidance; contact Tracy Cheesbrough (01900 512395, tracy@cumbriafoundation.org) with questions
  2. Register on and log in to the Foundation's online application portal (a step-by-step portal help guide is available)
  3. Complete the online application form and upload the supporting documents listed in the form
  4. Submit before the relevant grants committee closing date; the application is acknowledged within five working days and reviewed by a Grants & Programmes Officer, who may phone or visit
  5. Eligible applications normally go to a grants committee of local people for a decision

Applications can be made at any time but are decided at quarterly panels. West Cumbria (former Allerdale and Copeland) applications go to the West Cumbria Grants Committee: next closing date 2 October 2026 (committee 4 November 2026), then 8 November 2026 (committee 3 February 2027), 2 April 2027 and 2 July 2027. Other Cumbria applications go to the Main Grants Committee: next closing date 30 October 2026 (committee 1 December 2026).

Apply at least three months before the course or project starts - the Foundation cannot fund activities that have already started.

A paper application form can be requested by calling 01900 825760.

Have ready

  • Governing document (organisations)
  • Latest signed annual accounts (organisations)
  • Recent bank statement
  • Safeguarding/protection policies where working with children or vulnerable adults (organisations)

These are the Foundation's standard documents for group applications; the supporting documents for individual applicants are listed in the portal form and are not published on the website.

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