GrantRadarApplications closed on 29 September 2026.
Many funders run the same grant every year, so check the funder’s site for a new round. The details below are what the funder published when it was open.
Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation
Whitbread Plc. Chairman's Fund
Grants of up to £5,000, generally for one year, from Whitbread's Chairman's Fund, managed by Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation, for small local charities and community groups working in South Bedfordshire (Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard and surrounding rural communities). Projects must meet one of three priorities: skills and inclusion, reducing rural social isolation, or community cohesion. It starts with a short Expression of Interest; in the last round 17% of EOIs across BLCF's general panel funds were invited to apply in full, and 80% of those were funded.
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- You could get
- Up to £5,000
- Deadline
- Closed
- the deadline has passed
- Effort
- Moderate
- full application with documents
Who can apply
- Registered charities and other not-for-profit groups (community groups, sports groups, PTAs and similar) whose beneficiaries live in South Bedfordshire: Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding rural communities as far as the county boundary to the south-west
- Applicants must have a constitution or other governing document; a committee of at least three unrelated trustees or directors, with no one holding 'significant control'; good financial management and health without large free or unrestricted funds; a comprehensive safeguarding policy for work with children or adults at risk; a clear plan to work in partnership with others; and evidence of seeking funds from a range of sources and a strategy for when funding ends
- Social enterprises and CICs have separate guidance
- For consortium bids the lead organisation must be eligible, and BLCF asks to be contacted first
What it funds
- Community and voluntary activity in South Bedfordshire that meets one of the fund's priorities: skills and inclusion, reducing rural social isolation, or community cohesion
- Up to 15% of the grant can go on core costs such as rent and utilities; the rest must be project or activity delivery costs
What it will not fund
- Groups with 3 or more active BLCF grants of £5,000 or less
- Groups that have provided low-quality monitoring on previous grants
- Individuals
- National organisations (unless there are clear local benefits)
- Private limited companies (CICs limited by guarantee are eligible)
- Profit-making organisations
- Organisations or activities promoting political parties or religion (activities with wider public benefit can be funded)
- Professional marketing or advertising (unless only to publicise the funded work to beneficiaries)
- Professional fundraising
- Retrospective costs
- General appeals or sponsorship
- Animal welfare, unless the project directly benefits people
- Trips (except respite care) and fundraising events
How to apply
- Read the fund's criteria document (optionally join a 'Meet the Funder' online session)
- Submit the short online Expression of Interest, with your governing document, by 29 September 2026
- The Grants Team may contact you to discuss the project; well-aligned projects are invited to make a full application, subject to funds
- Submit the full application with budget, project plan and supporting documents
- A community panel of local residents decides; the panel for this round meets in late December 2026
BLCF may close applications early if the fund is heavily subscribed.
Have ready
- Governing document (the only document needed at Expression of Interest stage)
- Full budget breakdown and project plan (full application)
- Most recent signed annual accounts and/or management accounts, audited or independently examined where required
- Bank statement dated within 2 months, in the organisation's name and address, with at least 2 unrelated signatories
- Equal opportunity policy
- Safeguarding policy
- List of trustees and directors with names, roles and any related parties or conflicts of interest