On March 11th, we held our Big Meet – a VCFSE sector event bringting together 100 members of our sector to keep them up to date and all the latest funding and news, alongside a bit of networking.
During which, we announced that we’ve got three brand new funds upcoming over the next few months of 2026 totalling up to £800,000 in funding, which we’ve ensured will be brought into our community rather than going into the local authority!
Find out more below…
In March – Thrive In Five:
£100,000 (£20,000 Grants) to deliver on community mental wellbeing work with at least one grant going to a children and young person centered project. Recipients will have to form a ‘Community of Practice’ taking forward learning about best practice in both the commissioning and delivery of wellbeing work with communities.
This is being done in partnership with Wigan Council Public Health, who are keen to work with and capture community voice. This fund will work to create a longer term plan for how Public Health will Bring money into our sector, taking learnings from the process onwards!
(UPDATE: Now in April!)
In April – Progress with Unity: Stronger Spaces
Grants of up to £20,000 to improve access or increase use of a community building or green space. This is essentially the long asked for ‘building fund’!
In May – Progress with Unity: Good Ideas and Big Ideas
Small (Up to £5,000) and medium grants (Up to £20,000) for ideas or projects that support communities to ‘Live Well’.
(UPDATE: Now in June!)
These funds are part of a 10 million investment to continue the ‘Live Well’ work across Greater Manchester, with Wigan Borough’s full one million pot coming back into the sector!