Strength in People - themed grants
We’ll invest in the VCFS through a combination of different sized grants and commissioned services over the next 4 years.
Our Strength in People – themed grants to support commissioning priorities will launch on 14 September and includes 9 key areas. These are:
- Befriending and social connection for vulnerable adults
- Carers (life course approach)
- Community centres activity
- Creative health and socially engaged arts and culture
- Homelessness and supporting people at risk of rough sleeping
- Information, guidance, advice and specialist support
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), learning disabilities and autism (life course approach)
- Volunteering infrastructure
- Volunteering opportunities for families known to Children’s Social Care
Download the prospectus for more detail about each theme:
Befriending and social connection for vulnerable adults
You can bid for up to £60,000.
Purpose
For this funding priority, vulnerable adults are people experiencing significant social isolation, loneliness or disconnection from their communities. It’s also people who have limited or no access to informal support networks.
The aim is to improve wellbeing, reduce isolation and support people to keep their independence and connection within their communities.
This may include people who:
- are parents with mental health needs
- live alone and have little or no regular contact with family, friends or neighbours
- experience chronic loneliness or social isolation
- experience reduced independence, mobility issues or frailty that limits their ability to engage with others and maintain social networks
- have experienced bereavement, loss, major life changes or other circumstances that have reduced their support networks
- face barriers to participation because of disability, culture, language, confidence, mobility or financial circumstances
Demand for befriending services has been consistently high throughout the current funding cycle. Services report:
- sustained and significant demand, often working at or near capacity
- waiting lists at peak periods
- consistent year-round need, with some seasonal fluctuations
This reflects broader issues, including:
- increasing social isolation, particularly among older people, carers and vulnerable adults
- ongoing pressures on carers, with a need for respite and emotional support
- the long-term impact of financial and social pressures on wellbeing
Befriending programmes are a vital part of the local support offer. They provide meaningful social connection and emotional support that enhances wellbeing and helps residents stay engaged within their communities.
Services may include:
- creative options for one-to-one befriending (face-to-face, telephone or digital)
- group-based social opportunities
- peer support models
- support for carers through respite befriending
- targeted provision for underrepresented and marginalised groups, including provision which reflects individuals' cultural identity
Expected outcomes
Funded projects should contribute to these outcomes:
- Fewer residents experience loneliness, social isolation and disconnection from their communities
- More people develop and maintain meaningful social relationships and support networks
- More residents report improved emotional wellbeing, confidence and sense of belonging
- More people can take part in social, community and peer support activities that are important to them
- More people can contribute to their communities and participate as active citizens
- Residents from underrepresented and marginalised communities have access to befriending opportunities that are inclusive, culturally appropriate and responsive to their needs
- More residents report improved overall wellbeing and quality of life as a result of increased social connection and support
- Carers have improved access to social and emotional support, helping them to maintain their wellbeing and caring role
- More people feel empowered and supported to maintain their independence and manage their day-to-day lives
Carers (life course approach)
You can bid for up to £65,000.
A life course approach means we welcome applications that focus on a specific age group, multiple age groups, or key transition points throughout life. You do not need to work across all age groups. Funding will be awarded across the life course to ensure a balanced range of provision for residents of all ages.
Purpose
An unpaid carer is someone of any age who provides care or support to a family member, friend, or loved one who could not cope without their help.
Caring responsibilities may arise at different points across the life course and for a wide range of reasons. For example, physical illness, disability, mental health needs, learning disability, addiction, ageing or frailty.
People may be lifelong carers or become carers suddenly or gradually, and caring roles often change over time. This includes:
- young carers, who may provide emotional or practical support within families
- young adult carers, who balance caring with education, training or early employment
- working-age adults, who manage caring alongside employment and family responsibilities
- older carers, who may experience their own age-related health needs while continuing to care
The VCFS sector in Royal Greenwich has played a vital role in supporting unpaid carers at different stages of life, often providing trusted, accessible and culturally responsive support.
What we’re looking for
VCFS-led proposals that help address the inequalities faced by carers, recognising how these may appear early, intensify during key transitions, and accumulate over time.
We are inviting bids that focus on 3 key areas:
- Building social connection and reducing isolation
- Respite and peer support
- Coproduction of activities developed with and for carers
We are particularly interested in services that recognise the changing needs of carers across the life course and support people through key transitions, including:
- Fun, inspiring activities for young carers, including access to safe spaces and trips or visits
- Flexible respite and wellbeing support that enables carers to take breaks appropriate to their age, stage of life and caring intensity
- Creative, person-centred respite options that support both the carer and the person they care for
- Peer-led or intergenerational support groups, including age-specific or transition-focused groups. For example, young carers moving into adulthood, older carers experiencing declining health
- Day opportunities or activities for cared-for people, enabling carers to focus on their own health, education, employment or social participation
- Support during life transitions, like starting or leaving education or employment, changes in caring intensity, or bereavement
Expected outcomes
Funded projects should contribute to outcomes that reflect improved wellbeing and sustainability of caring roles across different life stages, including:
- Carers feel they have enough social contact at a level that is meaningful to them
- Carers are aware of support offers across the borough
- Carers can spend more time doing things they value or enjoy
- Carers have sufficient time and support to look after their own health and wellbeing
- Carers’ physical and mental health is not negatively affected by their caring role, particularly during periods of transition or increased demand
Community centres
You can bid for up to £70,000.
Purpose
We recognise community centres as vital community assets that play a significant role in supporting residents, strengthening neighbourhoods and improving quality of life.
Community centres are often the heart of local communities, providing welcoming, accessible spaces where residents can connect, access support, and take part in local activities. They act as important hubs for community-based services, both through activities delivered directly by the organisations that manage centres and through the wide range of groups, services and partners that operate from them.
Applicants are encouraged to show how they will work collaboratively with partner organisations, resident groups and service providers to deliver a comprehensive community offer. We would expect to see the service user voice in the planning and development of activities.
Partnership bids are welcome when they demonstrate greater impact and provide coordinated support across multiple areas. We welcome grant applications relating to social connection, promoting health and wellbeing and supporting diverse communities across the life course. Example interventions include:
Children and young people
Services and diversionary activities that reduce the risk of involvement in crime and support positive participation in community life.
Social connection and inclusion
Activities that reduce loneliness and isolation, strengthen social and community networks, and create welcoming, inclusive environments, including support following bereavement or reduced community engagement.
Healthy ageing
Support for older and frail residents to age well through social connection, physical activity, nutrition and opportunities to maintain independence.
Intergenerational and community cohesion
Activities that bring together people of different ages and backgrounds and celebrate culture, identity and diversity.
Health and wellbeing
Activities that promote physical activity, healthy eating, positive mental health, emotional wellbeing and healthier behaviours.
Confidence, resilience and learning
Learning and development opportunities that build confidence, independence, resilience and skills throughout life.
Digital inclusion
Support that enables residents to use digital services and stay connected with family, friends, services and opportunities.
Prevention and early intervention
Community-led approaches that identify needs early, prevent problems from escalating and strengthen individual and community resilience.
Expected outcomes
Funded projects should contribute to these outcomes:
- Stronger, more connected communities and improve outcomes relating to wellbeing, independence and social participation
- Improve health and wellbeing outcomes and support residents to lead healthier, more active and connected lives
- Promote confidence, independence and lifelong learning
- Improve social connection
- Improve access to service information and signposting to other activities and services, including promotion of the Community Directory
Creative health and socially engaged arts and culture
You can bid for up to £75,000.
Purpose
This funding priority supports arts and cultural organisations that are socially engaged and community centred, using creativity to connect people, improve wellbeing, and help individuals and communities to thrive and flourish.
The grant programme will fund arts and cultural activities that work in partnership with communities and local service providers to address social challenges and embed creative practice in community settings such as schools, youth clubs, neighbourhood venues, care and health environments, and public spaces.
Funded activity will address social challenges, including wellbeing, inequality, isolation, mental health problems, disengagement from education or employment, and barriers to cultural engagement and participation, using arts and culture as a preventative and inclusive approach to embed creativity into everyday life, providing residents opportunities for connection, personal growth and quality of life.
Expected outcomes
Funded projects should contribute to these outcomes:
- Improved wellbeing, confidence and mental health for isolated or underrepresented residents
- Increased social connection, supporting networks and partnerships and community cohesion across generations and cultures
- Positive engagement of young people and at-risk children to improve relationships with education and support services
- Reduced inequalities and barriers to participation in arts and culture, enabling more underrepresented communities to access and benefit from cultural opportunities
- Stronger integration between culture, health, and social care through social prescribing and preventive pathways
- Boost community awareness of climate change and sustainability, using creative approaches
- Nurturing homegrown talent from all sections of our diverse communities. Providing skill sharing and development opportunities, progression routes, and platforms to highlight the exceptional talent within the borough
- Collaborative working across the arts and cultural sector, alongside partnerships and consultation with diverse community groups and organisations, pools resources, skills and knowledge. This approach broadens access, engagement and participation while also increasing the impact and ambition of high-quality cultural projects, programmes and events delivered across the borough
This funding priority will align closely with the following cross cutting themes:
- Carers: Arts and cultural opportunities for unpaid carers to reduce stress, isolation and burnout.
- SEND, learning disabilities and autism: Inclusive creative opportunities and accessible cultural participation.
- Domestic abuse: Trauma informed creative work supporting recovery, expression and confidence.
- Children and young people (including those in social care or at risk): Collaborating with schools in underrepresented areas, youth clubs, and targeted youth provision.
- Mental health and social prescribing: Embedding arts and culture within community wellbeing and social prescribing pathways.
- Links to Public Health, Primary Care Networks and VCFS infrastructure.
- Climate change and environmental sustainability: Facilitating creative engagement that supports behaviour change, awareness, and community action.
Homelessness and supporting people at risk of rough sleeping
You can bid for up to £100,000.
Purpose
Too many residents in the Royal Borough of Greenwich experience homelessness at different stages of their lives, often with significant and long-lasting impacts on their health, wellbeing, life chances and economic stability.
Homelessness can occur for families, early in adulthood, later in working life, or in older age, and the timing of homelessness can shape both immediate risks and long-term outcomes.
Across the life course, homelessness can disrupt education, training, employment, relationships and access to essential services. When experienced during key transitions like leaving the family home, moving from education into work, relationship breakdown, release from institutional settings, or later-life changes in health or income, homelessness can contribute to cumulative and entrenched disadvantage over time.
Our strategic priority is to prevent homelessness wherever possible and to ensure that, when homelessness does occur, it is brief, non-recurring and does not undermine longer-term life chances. This life-course approach recognises that effective prevention and recovery require early, age-appropriate and sustained support, particularly during periods of heightened vulnerability. This includes:
Early prevention
Intervening at the earliest opportunity to support individuals or families at risk of losing their accommodation, particularly within the private rented sector (PRS). This includes supporting people during key life transitions, such as young adults leaving the parental home, people entering or exiting employment, or individuals experiencing changes in health, relationships or caring responsibilities.
Crisis response
Ensuring that people who do become homeless have immediate access to support and safe, appropriate accommodation, with responses tailored to age, circumstance and level of risk. This is particularly important for families, younger adults, people leaving institutions and those experiencing acute crises.
Recovery and resettlement
Supporting people to rebuild stability in their lives, access sustainable housing solutions, and improve longer-term outcomes across the life course. This includes supporting pathways into education, employment, improved health, financial stability and independence, and preventing repeated cycles of homelessness.
A single PRS service will play a critical role in delivering these objectives. It will act as a key preventative and stabilising service, improving access to and sustainment of private rented accommodation, reducing reliance on temporary accommodation, and preventing recurring homelessness at different life stages.
Expected outcomes
The data shows a clear need for a targeted, flexible PRS service that adopts a life-course approach and is responsive to different stages of need. The service should:
- improve access to private rented accommodation through proactive landlord engagement, incentives, tenancy matching and tailored support for landlords
- provide age and circumstance-appropriate support to sustain tenancies and prevent repeat homelessness, particularly during periods of transition
- reduce demand on temporary accommodation by supporting earlier access to settled housing
- contribute to reductions in rough sleeping and support people to move into stable, long-term accommodation that supports improved outcomes across health, employment and independence
In addition to the expected criteria that applies to all themes, community groups must demonstrate their ability to deliver a high-quality, inclusive and life-course-informed PRS service that meets the needs of our residents and contributes to our strategic homelessness objectives.
Information, guidance, advice and specialist support
There are 3 funding levels you can apply for under this theme:
- Level 1 - Information and guidance: You can bid for up to £65,000
- Level 2 - Generalist: You can bid for up to £100,000
- Level 3 - Specialist advice: You can bid for up to £225,000
Purpose
Access to timely information, guidance, advice and specialist support plays a vital role in helping residents understand their rights, access services, maintain independence and improve their wellbeing.
Across the borough, VCFS organisations provide a range of support at different levels, from information and guidance for specific communities through to more specialist advice and casework. These services are often trusted by communities that may face barriers to accessing mainstream services and provide valuable expertise in supporting residents with particular needs and protected characteristics.
The purpose of this funding is to support a coordinated boroughwide system of information, guidance, advice and specialist support that ensures residents can access the right help at the right time, whilst strengthening collaboration across providers.
We recognise that residents' needs are often complex and do not sit neatly within a single service. Many residents need support across multiple areas of their lives and may benefit from being supported by different organisations at different points in their journey. We are therefore seeking applications that show how organisations will work together as part of a wider borough-wide network, with clear referral pathways, joint working arrangements and shared approaches to supporting residents.
Funding may support provision across different levels of support, including:
Level 1: Information and guidance
Providing residents with accessible information, guidance, signposting and support to access services, opportunities and resources. This is likely to include support for specific communities or vulnerable residents.
Level 2: Generalist advice
Providing advice that helps residents understand their options and next steps in resolving a problem or issue. This may include support with form filling, practical assistance and helping residents navigate complex systems, whilst maintaining a focus on early intervention and prevention.
Level 3: Specialist advice and casework
Providing specialist support, advocacy and casework where residents have more complex needs or problems needing detailed intervention. This may include specialist advice relating to areas like welfare benefits, housing, debt, immigration or other areas of expertise.
Organisations do not need to provide every level of support themselves but should show how they contribute to an integrated borough-wide offer and how residents will be supported to access specialist help where needed.
Expected outcomes
Funded projects should contribute to these outcomes:
- Residents receiving timely, accurate and accessible information, guidance and advice that helps them resolve issues at the earliest opportunity
- Improved resident confidence, independence and ability to navigate services
- Increased access to appropriate support for residents who experience barriers to accessing mainstream services
- Improved coordination between information, advice and specialist support providers
- Stronger referral pathways between organisations, ensuring residents receive support that matches the complexity of their needs
- Reduced duplication and fragmentation across the local information and advice system
- Increased awareness of the support available within local communities
- Improved outcomes for residents through joined-up and person-centred approaches to support
- Stronger partnership working across the voluntary and community sector, council services and wider stakeholders
- Better identification of emerging needs and gaps in provision across the borough
Partnership expectation
As part of this funding priority, organisations will be expected to participate in borough-wide partnership arrangements to strengthen coordination across the information and advice system.
This should include:
- active participation in relevant information and advice networks and forums
- development and maintenance of clear referral pathways between providers
- joint problem-solving where residents have multiple or complex needs
- sharing knowledge and intelligence on emerging trends and resident needs
- promoting awareness of the wider information and advice offer available within the borough
- working together to ensure residents can move seamlessly between different levels of support as their needs change
We would particularly welcome bids from groups of providers working together, either with a partnership agreement in place, as a formal consortium, a lead and sub grant model or some other suitable arrangement.
This funding is intended to support a connected and collaborative system where specialist expertise is retained, community trust and local knowledge are valued, and residents experience a more joined-up journey through information, guidance, advice and specialist support services.
Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), learning disabilities and autism (independence, inclusion and life transitions across the life course)
You can bid for up to £65,000.
A life course approach means we welcome applications that focus on a specific age group, multiple age groups, or key transition points throughout life. You do not need to work across all age groups. Funding will be awarded across the life course to ensure a balanced range of provision for residents of all ages.
Purpose
People with a learning disability or autism experience significant inequalities in health, wellbeing, employment and social inclusion across the life course.
This funding priority supports people, including children and young people, with a learning disability or autism to live independent, fulfilling lives across the life course, with a strong focus on inclusion, wellbeing and participation in community life.
While statutory services provide essential care and support, there is a significant opportunity for VCFS organisations to deliver additional, preventative and enabling support that builds independence, reduces isolation and improves quality of life at different stages of life.
This includes support from early childhood through adulthood, with particular emphasis on pre-diagnosis support and transitions
We are seeking to invest in community-based approaches that are person-centred, strengths-based and flexible, helping people to build skills, relationships and confidence over time, and to access opportunities within their local communities.
We are inviting bids that focus on 5 key areas:
- Pre-diagnosis and early family support.
- Support for children and young people that may be struggling to engage in education, alongside their families.
- Befriending and building social connection and reducing isolation.
- Respite and peer support.
- Coproduction of activities and interventions relating to SEND, learning disabilities or autism.
Expected outcomes
Funded projects should contribute to these outcomes:
- Increased independence, confidence and life skills for young people and adults with SEND, a learning disability or autism
- Improved wellbeing and reduced social isolation through participation in community life
- Better support for families and carers, including improved resilience and access to guidance
- Smoother and more effective transitions into adulthood (18 to 25), with reduced drop-off in support
- Increased access to meaningful activity, including volunteering, community education and preparation for employment where appropriate
- Improved access to early help and pre-diagnosis support for families
Volunteering infrastructure
You can bid for up to £70,000.
Purpose
Volunteering provides an important way for people to contribute to society and to donate their time to improve life in the borough. Volunteering also represents an important tool for gaining experience and skills that can help with accessing employment.
This priority seeks to increase opportunities for people to volunteer, raise awareness of volunteering opportunities, and work with VCFS organisations to identify and match volunteers with organisations.
Expected outcomes
Funded projects should contribute to these outcomes:
- Promote and encourage the take-up of volunteering
- Broker a range of volunteering opportunities
- Raising the profile of volunteering across the borough
- Volunteering is taken up by an increased range of people, particularly vulnerable people, disadvantaged communities and communities with protected characteristics
- Engagement with underrepresented groups
- Delivery of training on volunteering best practice
- Engagement with local organisations
Voluntary opportunities for families known to Children’s Social Care
You can bid for up to £80,000.
Purpose
The Families First agenda and the Children and Young People’s Plan identify the need for family support services that provide practical support to reduce the risk of neglect. Feedback highlights the need to support families in building confidence in applying appropriate boundaries for their children and in adopting healthy lifestyles.
Expected outcomes
Funded projects should contribute to these outcomes:
- Increased practical skills and making changes required to reduce risk
- Increased family routine
- Boundaries and behaviours
- Strengthening emotional health and wellbeing and peer support
- Providing practical support to establish routines and access community support
- Improving engagement in education and learning
- Increased father engagement
Expected criteria
If your organisation applies, you should be able to show:
Experience of delivering relevant services.
Outcomes-based delivery approach: monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement.
Equity and inclusion approach: making sure services are accessible, relevant and trusted, particularly by residents who may face barriers to participation.
Partnership working: effective collaboration with statutory services, community organisations and other partners to provide appropriate referrals and respond to residents' needs.
Safeguarding: robust arrangements to prevent, identify and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation and self neglect. This also includes unsafe use of premises where relevant.
Co-design and lived experience: a clear approach to involving people with lived experience in the design, delivery and ongoing development of interventions.
Maximum bid thresholds
Each funding theme has a maximum bid threshold. This means we cannot fund bids over this amount, but we welcome all bids below the maximum. If you feel you can contribute to the priority area with £10,000, but the threshold is £80,000, you can still apply for the smaller amount.
Smaller grants
Information about smaller neighbourhood-based grants, development grants and commissioning will be made available separately from October 2026.
Small grants for social connection and health and wellbeing, including emotional health and wellbeing, and development grants supporting infrastructure costs will be available in spring to summer 2027.