Halfway There: Large Grant Applications Still Open
There's still time to apply for a share of our 2027 Grant Fund. Large grant applications of up to £10,000 close on 30th November 2026.
Our large grant window is now at its halfway point, and we want to hear from as many local organisations as possible before it closes. Whether you're a small grassroots group or a long-established charity, if your project improves health and wellbeing in Plymouth or South West Devon, we'd love to receive your application.
The window opened on Tuesday 6th October with our Grant Launch Event at Plymouth's iconic Tinside Lido. Charities, community groups, community leaders and previous grant recipients joined us for a morning of conversation, connection and a look ahead to this year's funding round.
Guests heard about our funding priorities and how to put together a strong application. They also got a first look at the highlights from our brand new Impact Report, and had plenty of time to network with fellow organisations over coffee.
It was a fitting way to mark our 10th anniversary year, bringing together many of the people and projects who make our work possible.
We were delighted to share a short film at the event, showing the difference recent grants have made on the ground.
Elder Tree Befriending Service supports more than 1,600 people aged over 50 across Plymouth every week. With referrals now reaching around 120 a month, many groups were at capacity. A large grant from The Livewell Foundation funded three additional groups, bringing sessions to underserved parts of the city and helping to cut waiting times for people who might otherwise go all week without social contact.
"We're currently experiencing about 120 referrrals a month, which for a small charity is quite significants and it's got to the point where a lot of our groupd are at capacity and we've got people on waiting lists, which we don't want to do, it could be a month, it could be longer," explains Louise Barnes, CEO of Elder Tree Befriending Service. "We really want to support people as quickly as we can and so the groups that Livewell are funding are just amazing."
Park Yoga runs free, outdoor yoga sessions open to all ages and abilities. Supported by a small grant from the Foundation, sessions this summer averaged 120 participants, peaking at 175, a 30% rise on the previous year.
"We're just so grateful when we're recognised by a grant provider or a funder, when they recognise what we do is so important and I think without those we wouldnt be able to carry on doing what we're doing, " Caroline Amey of Park Yoga talked to us about how grant funding allows their sessions to remain free to attend. "The idea is that everyone should be able to attend, so it should remain completely accessible. I think the biggest thing is cases where people have been unable to access any kind of excericse but they were able to access Park Yoga because there was no judgement, no expectation."
We fund projects and initiatives that:
- Improve health and wellbeing
- Reduce mental and physical ill health
- Reduce social isolation
- Your project can address one, two or all three of these.
- We're also placing extra focus on three key health areas:
- Children's mental health
- Women's health
- Child obesity
Applications in other areas are still very welcome. However, projects addressing one or two of these key areas will score additional points when we assess applications.
What we can fund
Grants can cover staff salaries, project activities, running costs, core costs, equipment, small-scale refurbishment and organisational development.
All projects must directly benefit people in Plymouth and South West Devon. Please check our Grant Application Guidance for eligible postcodes and the full list of what we can and can't fund.
Large or small grant?
- Large grants (up to £10,000): open now, closing 30th November 2026.
- Small grants (up to £1,000): open all year round, with applications reviewed at each quarterly trustee meeting.
Apply now
The deadline is 30th November 2026. Don't leave it to the last minute!