NOW OPEN: Women’s Urgent Support Fund Round 1

The Women’s Urgent Support Fund is supported by over £3.2 million of National Lottery funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, to respond to the cost-of-living crisis. Thanks to National Lottery players, £3 million will be awarded in grants to 60 small, local community organisations led by and serving women, enabling 20,000 women to access vital specialist support services over five years.

Smallwood is pleased to announce that Round 1 of the Women’s Urgent Support Fund is now OPEN for applications.

Round 1 of the fund will offer emergency funding for organisations delivering frontline services that are led by, for and/or serving women with an income of £1,000,000 or less. Grants will enable organisations to respond to the spike in demand of priority basic needs from women who are most at risk of poverty, because of the cost-of-living-crisis.

Funds are available to be spent over three years, helping organisations to both respond to the immediate cost-of-living crisis and in years two and three support these vital services to be sustained.

Applications must be submitted by 5pm on 19th May 2023. In Round 1 we aim to award funds quickly in line with the priority needs. Round 2 will be co-designed and launched in Autumn 2023 providing funding to help shore up the capacity of vital women’s and specialist services.

You can view the full guidance notes and application form here.

Over two rounds of funding we aim to commit 50% of the grants to organisations that support women experiencing racial inequality and/or women with disabilities. We particularly welcome any interest in being involved in the co-design which will commence in Spring/Summer 2023.

Please email our Programme Manager Rosie Learmonth at grants@smallwoodtrust.org.uk to find out more.