Five wellbeing funders close between 11 and 30 November 2026. One is a building society foundation that buys practical items for people in need, one is an airport community board in Scotland, two are trusts with clear categories, and one is a Welsh Government funded volunteering scheme worth up to £25,000. Several are tied to a place, so check your area first. Each section says what the funder wants to see and where applications tend to fall short.
Details are taken from funder listings dated 31 October 2026.
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01 / Practical support & hardship
Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation
Who are they?
The Leeds Building Society Charitable Foundation gives to community based projects that aim to relieve suffering, hardship, poverty or their direct consequences.
What are they funding?
Practical items that directly support people in need, including people with disabilities, people affected by homelessness and people with serious health issues. Donations usually fund capital items.
Funding focus: The Foundation generally supports practical purchases that directly help people experiencing hardship rather than ongoing staffing costs.
Apply: Read the guidance and apply through Leeds Building Society .
Alira Arts tip
Ask for things, not salaries. A named item with a quote, and a sentence on who will use it each week, is the shape of application this funder is built for.
02 / Local community wellbeing
Edinburgh Airport Community Board
Who are they?
The Edinburgh Airport Community Board is the airport's community funding programme for the people who live around it.
What are they funding?
A total of £140,000 a year for projects that clearly benefit people in the communities around the airport.
Areas include sport, health and wellbeing, the environment (including biodiversity, wildlife and reducing carbon), education, and community projects that fall outside mainstream service delivery.
Schemes that help an organisation become self sufficient, such as social enterprise, are encouraged.
Geographic eligibility: Projects must show a clear benefit for communities around Edinburgh Airport. Check the Board's current eligible area before applying.
Apply: Read the guidance and apply through Edinburgh Airport Community Board .
Alira Arts tip
Show the local link with the names of places and communities. Then, if you can, show how the project could pay for itself in future. The board encourages that and few applicants mention it.
03 / Disability, blindness & care
Blind People and Learning Disabilities Grants, Will Charitable Trust
Who are they?
The Will Charitable Trust funds registered or exempt charities of all sizes with proven track records.
What are they funding?
Three categories: care and services for blind people and prevention and cure of blindness; care of people with learning disabilities in a way that provides lifelong commitment, a family environment and the maximum choice of activities and lifestyle; and care and services for people with cancer and their families.
Trustees prefer new or capital projects and only rarely fund running costs.
Specialist eligibility: Applicants must fit the Trust's stated charitable categories and demonstrate an established record of delivering relevant work.
Apply: Read the guidance and apply through Will Charitable Trust .
Alira Arts tip
Make sure you fit one of the three categories exactly, then lead with your track record. Capital asks are preferred, so frame an accessible room or specialist equipment as a one off investment.
04 / Bedford community wellbeing
Harpur Trust Grants for Charities and Community Groups
Who are they?
The Harpur Trust supports people in the Borough of Bedford.
What are they funding?
Grants to improve lives through education, relief of poverty, sickness or distress, and recreation with a social welfare purpose.
Its grants programme has three priority areas: transitions (people going through difficult life changes), resilience or psychological fitness (helping Bedford residents cope with traumatic changes), and isolation (reducing loneliness and lack of social networks).
It also offers a small number of grants to adults returning to education.
Geographic eligibility: Funding supports people in the Borough of Bedford. Applications should connect clearly to local residents and the Trust's priorities.
Apply: Read the guidance and apply through Harpur Trust .
Alira Arts tip
Pick one of the three priority areas and build the whole application around it. The trust says these cover a wide range of issues, so show how your project helps Bedford residents cope with change or feel less alone.
05 / Volunteering & inclusion
Volunteering Wales Grant Scheme, WCVA
Who are they?
The Volunteering Wales Grant Scheme is funded by the Welsh Government and administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
What are they funding?
Up to £25,000 for not for profit organisations running formal volunteering projects that recruit, support, train and place new volunteers.
Projects should work towards themes such as young people, the Welsh language, tackling poverty, underrepresented groups, social exclusion and higher support needs.
Eligibility focus: This scheme is for not-for-profit organisations delivering structured volunteering opportunities in Wales.
Apply: Read the guidance and apply through Wales Council for Voluntary Action .
Alira Arts tip
The fund pays for the volunteering programme, so cost the coordinator, training and expenses properly. Say how many new volunteers you expect to place and what happens to them afterwards.
Alira Arts is an independent fundraising consultancy and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the funders listed above. Grant deadlines and criteria can change, so always confirm current details with the funder before applying.
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