Somerset Older People's Fund
Grant details
| Grant size: | Up to £10,000 |
| Apply by: | Monday 3 August 2026, by 5pm |
| Decision in: | Late August 2026 |
Who is it for?Local groups based in Somerset working with older people.
What is it for?Projects helping older people in Somerset live healthier, more connected lives, including support for people living with dementia and those who care for them.
What can we use this money for?
We're looking to fund projects that address 1 or more of these 3 priorities for older people:
- Supporting people to live active and healthy lives, whether through movement, falls prevention, mental wellbeing or good nutrition.
- Reducing loneliness and social isolation (including older adults who are carers and through targeted transport provisions).
- Supporting people living with dementia and the people who care for them.
Projects do not need to address all 3 priorities, a clear focus on one is fine. We're particularly interested in projects reaching older people who are seldom heard or underserved, or live in areas of higher deprivation.
We're generally considering older people as 65+ but can take applications which include people under this age (for example dementia can affect people under 65; carers may be under 65). If this is relevant to your work, please provide an explanation within the application or email us.
You can apply for up to £10,000 for:
- new or existing work that meets 1 or more of the Fund’s priorities and
- benefits Somerset communities (excludes Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset).
If you're applying for falls prevention or other specific work, those delivering the work must have the relevant qualifications.
Which groups can apply?
We can only consider your group for a grant if you meet our minimum standards.
Our minimum standards cover things like:
- the types of groups we can give a grant to and how we expect them to be run
- how we expect groups to manage their finances
- how groups keep people safe.
You can find all our minimum standards on our FAQ page, along with lots of information about applying for our funding.
You can also use our eligibility checker which will help you understand if you can apply for a grant from us.
What can't we use this money for?
You’re unable to use this money for:
- applications from individuals
- onward grants to individuals
- activities the government and other public bodies currently have a statutory responsibility to provide
- groups or activities that are giving support to a political party
- activities intending to influence people’s religious choices
- activities that solely support animal welfare
- arts or sports projects with no significant community or charitable element
- medical research, equipment or treatment
- costs incurred before a grant can be awarded
- activities that raise funds for other organisations
- activities that are intended to provide hardship relief.
When do we have to apply?
This is a single funding round opening Monday 15 June, 2026.
You must submit your application by 5pm, Monday 3 August, 2026.
We’ll let you know the outcome of your application in late August.
We cannot award grants for things that have already been paid or committed to before a grant is awarded. If you have a time-sensitive request, please speak to us before applying.
How likely are we to get a grant?
We have £100,000 to give out from this round and we aim to support around 2 out of every 3 applications we receive.
We focus on smaller groups based in Somerset that work with or for older people and run on under £250,000 a year. If this doesn’t sound like your group you can still apply, but we’ll prioritise others if the round is oversubscribed.
We’re more likely to give you a grant if:
- your group is clearly run by people from the community it serves, including older people themselves
- your project reaches older people who are seldom heard or underserved, including carers, people on low incomes, people from ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities or people in areas of higher deprivation
- your community has received little or no grant funding from us or other charitable funders in the past
- your group’s activities complement or connect to other work in your community, including with health, care or voluntary sector partners
- your group has provided reliable reporting on any previous grants we’ve given.
You don’t have to create a new project or make something sound innovative to be considered. We’re happy to consider funding the work you already do, so long as it clearly focuses on the health and wellbeing of older people in your community.
Where does the money for these grants come from?
This round is jointly funded by Somerset Community Foundation and Somerset Public Health.
How are decisions made?
One of our team will assess your application and supporting documents. They’ll read through what you’ve written, look at your supporting documents and check places like the Charity Commission and your website. We’ll contact you if we have any questions.
A recommendation will then be made, and a joint panel of SCF’s Programmes Team and Somerset Council’s public health team will make the final decision.
How do we apply?
The next step is to fill in our online application form.
Click on ‘Apply Now’ below and you’ll be asked to register your email address. You’ll then be sent an email with a link to our online form. You can save your progress by clicking ‘Save As Draft’ at the end. The link in the email allows you to return to the form. You can attach supporting documents at the end of it.
You need to click ‘Submit’ at the bottom of the form to send your completed application to us.
This Fund is managed by Kirsty Campbell, our Senior Programmes Manager. However, any of our Programmes Team can help you if you:
- aren’t sure if you meet our standards
- aren’t sure if this is the best fund to apply for
- can’t use our online form
- can’t attach the documents we’ve asked for.
You can talk to our Programmes Team by emailing info@somersetcf.org.uk, calling 01749 344949, or booking a time to meet Kirsty.
Grant details
| Grant size: | Up to £10,000 |
| Apply by: | Monday 3 August 2026, by 5pm |
| Decision in: | Late August 2026 |
Who is it for?Local groups based in Somerset working with older people.
What is it for?Projects helping older people in Somerset live healthier, more connected lives, including support for people living with dementia and those who care for them.
FAQs
You can find our minimum standards and everything else you need to know about applying on our FAQs page.
