Grants of between £500 and £2,000 are available for UK registered charities, exempt charities and Community Interest Companies (CICs) with an annual turnover of less than £100,000 for children's summer play schemes in the UK for children from disadvantaged backgrounds between the ages of 5–16 years.
Each year the Woodward Charitable Trust sets aside funds for summer play schemes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds between the ages of 5-16 years.
The Trust only fund programmes that run for a minimum of 2 weeks, 10 full days or 20 half days across the summer holidays.
Grants can only be paid to registered charities, Community Interest Companies (CICs), Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Cis) or exempt charities with an annual turnover of under £100,000. Organisations that do not meet these criteria can give the full name and address of a registered charity who has agreed to accept a grant on their behalf.
The Trust will only fund up to 50% of the total cost of a scheme. Most grants awarded are in the range of £500 to £2,000. Around 35 grants are made each year.
Preference is given to:
- Small local play schemes that provide a wide-ranging programme of activities. Trustees prioritise activities that are relatively inexpensive such as crafts and cooking, as well as outdoor activities and sport.
- Schemes that involve a large number of children, and
- Schemes where past users are encouraged to come back and help as volunteers.
The Trust states that it receives many more applications for grant support that it can fund. It advises that applicants should:
- Make the most of the opportunity to tell the Trustees what makes your charity different and what your achievements are.
- When talking about your plans for this summer, please feel free to compare them to previous years and what the benefits of attending the scheme has meant to the families and the children attending.
- Give details of what you plan to do, beyond just a list of activities, and note that the Trust is looking for organisations that are making a real difference in their communities.
- Whether any activities are child-led and who your volunteers are, and
- Whether your play scheme provides food and if so, what food is provided.
The Trust is interested in how much applicants hold as “free” or unrestricted reserves; which is that part of your funds free from any constraints as to their use. Please note the trustees are unlikely to fund any organisation with more than six months running costs in their unrestricted reserves. If applicants are carrying over a large amount of free reserves from the previous year, they should attach a note to their application explaining the reasoning behind this.
The deadline for applications is midday (12 noon) on Thursday 16 April 2026.
Further information, guidance and an online application form can be found on the Trust’s website.