The UK Fund: one year on

In July 2023, we launched The UK Fund – one of our bold commitments as part of our new strategy, It starts with community to tackle some of the big social issues facing UK communities.

In its first year, The UK Fund has focused on supporting communities to connect in ways that better fit our changing lives. Communities from Belfast and Glasgow to Cardiff and Kent will benefit from the first 12 awarded projects that are ambitious about shifting systems and shaping futures right across the UK.

We will continue to support organisations that do more to help communities to come together and make us a better-connected society. As we recognise connections with friends, neighbours and people with shared interests are integral to fulfilled, happy lives.

We’re also increasing our focus and investment in creating lasting change for children and young people as part of our community-led mission to support communities to help children and young people thrive.

We’re keen to hear from ambitious organisations that prioritise the meaningful involvement of children and young people in decisions that affect them and their communities; particularly those who have less opportunities to have their voices heard or acted on.

We’re also interested in groups that are helping other organisations to build capacity or infrastructure to involve and listen to more children and young people.

The UK Fund will continue to support organisations that:

• Benefit communities across the UK (by working in different locations, or by sharing learning between countries)
• Scale up their impact by expanding their work (by helping more people, or doing more for people they already work with)
• Support people experiencing poverty, disadvantage, and discrimination.
• Help make significant changes to services or systems that affect people’s everyday lives.

Any organisations that apply must meet all these criteria to be considered. For full details on who can apply and what we’re looking for, visit The UK Fund webpage.

The examples below offer some inspiration for the ambition we want to see from successful groups. We’re looking to fund a variety of projects that meet our eligibility criteria and are open to hearing about new and exciting work happening across the UK.

• Project A is building on its evidence of impact to date and looking to expand further into another location. Working in a cross-sector partnership, the project will bring residents together with community leaders to identify and act on issues that are important to them. It will demonstrate its UK-wide benefit by sharing learning with national and international partners to enable them to explore the work in their own contexts.​
• Project B is building on its work across three locations in England and Wales, scaling into another area in Scotland. The project encourages connections between individuals, local groups, and statutory bodies to reduce social isolation. It aims to influence systems change by building infrastructure to offer a support network for socially isolated communities.

• Project C does vital work to support young people who have experienced trauma by building on their strengths so they can change the systems they were once in. Funding will enable them to create a best-practice resource which can be shared with other organisations working with young people in the space.

• Project D is a creative community organisation led by young people, for young people. From zine creation and comic book workshops to youth-led publishing hubs; it offers a range of services designed to support and amplify the often-unheard voices of marginalised young people aged 8 – 25.

Think your project could be a strong fit? For full details on eligibility and how to apply, visit The UK Fund, or email TheUKFund@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk.