Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside grants
Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside is a regional grant-maker that gave around £4.1m to organisations across the North West in 2025, with a typical grant of £3,000.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside is a regional community foundation supporting other charities and voluntary bodies across the North West. It runs a number of named funds, including one focused on mental health and wellbeing for young people aged 11-25, and one supporting diverse communities, social isolation, poverty and homelessness. In its latest year (2025) it made 970 grants, with a typical award of £3,000 and the middle half of grants falling between around £2,000 and around £5,970.
What they fund
Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside funds general charitable purposes through named funds, including support for young people's mental health and wellbeing, and for diverse communities facing social isolation, poverty or homelessness.
Who and where
It funds other charities and voluntary bodies across the North West, including Merseyside and Lancashire.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
What they say they're looking for
“The Ann and Ray Messer Foundation supports projects which help children and young people aged 11-25. The main focus is on enhancing mental health and well-being, supporting young children in crisis and preventing suicide.”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — Available Grants - CFM →
“ACC Liverpool Foundation offers grants for local community groups and voluntary organisations who deliver projects aimed at supporting diverse communities, young people and LGBTQ+, reducing social isolation, and those that address poverty and homelessness.”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — Available Grants - CFM →
Who they say they'll fund
“Your organisation must have three or more unrelated trustees, directors, or management committee members”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — How to Apply - CFM →
Grant sizes they mention
“Grant Size: Up to £10,000”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — Available Grants - CFM →
“Grant Size: £2,000”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — Available Grants - CFM →
“The SWEF Enterprise Fund awards grants to young people in Merseyside who need support with business costs that they would otherwise not be able to… Grant Size: £500-£2,000”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — Available Grants - CFM →
“Grant Size: £5,000 – £25,000”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — Available Grants - CFM →
Deadlines they mention
“Deadline: 31st July 2026”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — Available Grants - CFM →
How they say to apply
“We aim to notify you about the outcome of your application within a maximum of 12 weeks of your submission.”
Source: cfmerseyside.org.uk — How to Apply - CFM →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £3,000 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £2,024 – £5,974 |
| Grants published openly | 970 |
| Most recent published grant | 2025 |
Recent grants
- Grow your own north west cicTo purchase machinery to support the growth of fresh produce for people in need in Runcorn.£2,284September 2025
- Braille ITThe funding will be used to allow the group to get a braille embosser and learn how to use the new embosser and disseminate this information to others producing embossed braille within the organisation.£4,503September 2025
- Pennine Lancashire Community FarmTO run a year long project focused on revitalising a local community garden.£4,000September 2025
- Burnley Youth TheatreTo work with 5 local primary schools using drama to educate 4-11 year olds about confidence.£4,000September 2025
- Basically Cheer CICTo launch a community dance club over 12 weeks with 3 difference dance styles.£3,965September 2025
- Ribble Rivers Trust LtdTo provide a variety of educational activities for local young people focused on nature.£3,960September 2025
From grants Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside publishes openly via 360Giving (the UK open grants-data standard), used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
The objects for which the charity is established are the promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of the community in the united kingdom but primarily within the following areas: 1. The five metropolitan boroughs presently constituting the area of the county of merseyside namely the city of liverpool and…
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside typically give?
In its latest year (2025) it made 970 grants. The median award was £3,000, with the middle half of grants falling between around £2,000 and around £5,970. Some of its named funds set their own ranges — for example its BHP Billiton Endowment Fund offers £2,000 grants, its SWEF Enterprise Fund offers £500-£2,000 to young people needing support with business costs, its Youth Empowerment Scheme offers £5,000-£25,000, and its Football For Change fund offers up to £10,000.
What does Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside fund?
It funds a range of causes through named funds. Its Ann and Ray Messer Foundation supports projects for children and young people aged 11-25, with a focus on mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention. Its ACC Liverpool Foundation fund supports local community groups and voluntary organisations working with diverse communities and LGBTQ+ people, reducing social isolation, and addressing poverty and homelessness.
Who can apply to Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside?
It funds other charities and voluntary bodies. Applicant organisations must have three or more unrelated trustees, directors or management committee members.
How do I apply to Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside?
It aims to notify applicants of the outcome of their application within a maximum of 12 weeks of submission. Full details of its current funds are on its website (www.cfmerseyside.org.uk). Its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1068887) lists its accounts and trustees. As deadlines and rules can change between funds, always check current guidance directly with the funder before applying.
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Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside.