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The SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration are organised and delivered by SURF in partnership with the Scottish Government.The purpose of the SURF Awards process is:- To recognise and reward best practice in communityregeneration;- To promote and disseminate best practice acrossScotland as means of sharing knowledge and experience, and thereby enhancing future policy and practice;- To highlight the important role that regeneration projects have in improving the wellbeing of individuals and communities.There are five categories of entry in the2026 SURF Awards:- Improving Scotland’s Places- Housing and Regeneration- Creative Regeneration- Removing Barriers to Employability- Community Led Regeneration

The Pride in Place Impact Fund is a UK Government funding initiative delivered by local authorities. The fund should be used to target areas in need, with the aim of building strong, resilient, prosperous, and inclusive communities. Applications are invited for projects that will focus on one or both of the following two themes:Environmental projects that are:- Community-led- In collaboration with a local Housing Association(s)- Focussed on, or connected to, a Transformational Regeneration Area (although applications for other areas will also be considered)ORFood system projects that:- Demonstrably improve the development of sustainable provision of healthy and locally sourced food; and/or- Focus on town centres and identified food deserts

Spindrift believes that thriving communities are built on access to good food, a healthy natural environment, and the knowledge and skills to sustain both. The fund will support projects that focus on strengthening local food systems, nature recovery, and climate resilience. Projects should be able to clearly demonstrate its impact on the community and meet at least one of the following priorities:- Enabling access to affordable and nutritious food. - Providing opportunities to grow food locally.- Promoting education and employment opportunities around growing food. cooking and healthy eating.- Providing environmental education. - Improving local biodiversity, nature restoration, and/or climate resilience.- Supporting access for all, to local natural environments. You can apply for project and core costs.

The overall purpose of the Communities and Cultural Heritage Fund is to support community-led planning and development in the National Park that will help communities meet their aspirations and enhance community resilience. This is a partnership fund between the Cairngorms Trust and the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).The Fund aims to support two of the themes in the Community Action Plan (CAP):- A culturally vibrant community – projects that support and celebrate the unique identity and heritage of communities e.g. community spaces, features, buildings, people, traditions.- A socially connected community – projects that support communities to be happy, healthy, accessible and inclusive e.g. improving facilities, amenities, spaces, events and housing.Project spend must be complete and claimed by 10 February 2027.

Grants are made to charities to support Medical Research and Care; The Arts; Education and The Community primarily in Edinburgh. The Trustees are particularly interested in local community organisations that are offer opportunities for children, young people, and older people. Trustees will only consider applications for medical research by invite only.The Trustees are currently giving priority to local community charities in Edinburgh with incomes of less than £500,000.

An Suidhe Wind Farm Community Fund benefits those living in the areas covered by the Community Councils of Glenorchy and Innishail (Eredine only), Inveraray, Furnace, and by Dalavich Improvement Group. The fund will provide grants to support charitable activities that:- Enhance the quality of life for local residents- Contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful, and sustainable communities- Promote community spirit and encourage community activity.Grant requests to support a wide range of costs and activities will be considered, such as equipment costs, running costs for local groups, staff or sessional worker costs, consultations, and maintenance or refurbishment of community facilities.

The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) is supporting community and faith organisations to install solar PV and battery storage in their buildings. This is a short-term pilot, funded by the Scottish Government and Great British Energy, with funds needing to be spent and claimed by 31 March 2026.Demand is expected to be high for this funding, with many communities already in a position to mobilise projects very quickly. Funding will be allocated on a first come first served basis. If you are developing a new project, read the guidance and self-assessment checklist carefully and prioritise seeking a quote if you think you are eligible.To be able to install within the pilot timescale, easier installation projects will be more suited to this funding. Therefore, while it is not a requirement, they suggest that the proposed project:- Is not in a conservation area or within the curtilage of a listed building.- Is under 50kW of solar PV.- Is on an easily accessible roof, which is built after 1930s (as the roof will be more likely to meet structural requirements).- Is not part of a more significant building renovation that would increase the risk of programme delays.

The Youth Scotland Rural Action Fund is a Micro Grant fund being supported by The Gannochy Trust. This fund has been created in response to the challenges which rural youth groups are facing in funding the delivery of community based universal youth work. It will make small awards to enable youth groups operating in rural communities to provide more and/or better youth work opportunities for young people.The priority for this fund is to support/enable typical youth work activities that directly benefit young people in rural youth groups.Not to be confused with the [Youth Scotland - Rural Activate Fund](https://funding.scot/funds/a0RP1000008hNXpMAM/youth-scotland-rural-activate-fund).

The aim of the Trust is to support projects that fall into the category of providing a community benefit. In practice this might mean any project related to environmental issues, local community halls & schools or that supports youth activities. Other novel and imaginative projects will also be considered. The Trust will consider all such possibilities and any organisation including clubs, schools, parent groups and community based or other similar organisations may apply for a Trust grant. Priority will be given by the Trust to projects where more appropriate funding sources might not be available. The Trust will consider co-funding projects, particularly where acting as a co-funder may enable the release of other larger funding from elsewhere.

Trusthouse gives grants for running costs to charities and not-for-profit organisations for work which addresses the challenges of local communities. Their preference is for front line organisations working directly with people in need. Projects must have a focus on community support.Rural communities will have a population of under 10,000, and be based in a remote, rural, economically deprived area where there are few local facilities, transport may be an issue, incomes are low and there are limited opportunities for fundraising. Those applying must be in the bottom 50% most deprived areas in the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation. Typical projects are village halls, projects for young and older people and community transport. Urban areas will have a population of more than 10,000. Projects must be based in areas of extreme urban deprivation and your postcode must be ranked within the most deprived 15% of the latest Index of Multiple Deprivation. Themes for funding include community, young people, addiction, education, family support etc.See guidelines on the Foundation website for full details on eligibility criteria.