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York community groups invited to apply for new round of ward funding
Community groups, charities and voluntary organisations across York have until 27 September to apply for the second round of City of York Council ward funding for 2026/27.
Dunstable tenant turns surplus supermarket food into a lifeline for neighbours
For five years, Harmony has collected surplus supermarket food three times a week and shared it with people in her Dunstable neighbourhood, turning help she once received into practical support for others.
Nottinghamshire groups can get up to £1,000 for projects that cut waste and boost recycling
Community groups, schools and charities across Nottinghamshire have until 14 September to apply for grants supporting practical projects that reduce waste, reuse materials and improve recycling.
New Bolton community shop will combine affordable food, a café and practical support
Community Shop Sunnyside is due to open in Great Lever on 16 September, bringing discounted groceries, a community hub and a café together under one roof.
£10m hospitality fund opens to help local pubs, cafés and restaurants grow
A new three-year UK grant scheme will back independent hospitality businesses, bring empty premises back into use and support training, with more than £3 million earmarked for community-pub charity Pub is The Hub.
Free training programme gives Lisburn and Castlereagh community groups practical skills through to March
Volunteers and staff can book free sessions covering funding applications, first aid, safeguarding, governance, data protection, food hygiene, diversity and event marshalling.
Most breast cancer survivors in study safely stopped heart medication after recovery
A UK-led trial found that most women whose heart function recovered after breast cancer treatment were able to stop long-term heart medication without their heart function worsening over the following year.
Kimberley football club marks 100 years with upgraded community ground
Kimberley Miners Welfare FC has celebrated its centenary after a year of improvements to the Stag Ground, including upgraded floodlights, drainage, pitch barriers and a new pavilion.
Filey community groups invited to apply for new round of council grants
Local organisations serving Filey can now apply for 2026 council grant funding, with applications open until 31 October.
£2.65m Heritage Fund award moves Colchester’s oldest building towards a new community future
Holy Trinity Church has secured £2.65m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, unlocking the next phase of a £3.4m project to restore Colchester’s oldest standing building and bring it back into everyday community and cultural use.
South Lanarkshire opens £450,000 climate-action fund for community projects
Community groups across South Lanarkshire can now seek typically £5,000–£20,000 for local projects that cut carbon, improve resilience and make neighbourhoods greener.
Mid Suffolk community groups can apply for up to £10,000 as Progress Power fund reopens
Community organisations in Eye, Mellis, Thrandeston, Yaxley and Brome & Oakley can apply for grants of £250 to £10,000 until 31 October 2026.
New Sandwich community fund opens with grants of up to £5,000
A new legacy-backed fund is inviting charities, schools and community groups in Sandwich to apply for projects supporting health, connection, children and the local environment.
Warrington opens its doors for ten days of free heritage discovery
Heritage Open Days returns to Warrington from 11 to 20 September, with historic venues, guided walks, policing history, bell ringing, rugby heritage and rare behind-the-scenes access to Parr Hall.
South Norfolk community groups can apply for up to £10,000 to improve local greenspaces
A fresh round of South Norfolk Council’s Nature Conservation Fund is offering grants for community-led projects that help wildlife, climate resilience and access to greener places.
Northern Ireland gives sign languages formal legal recognition
A new Sign Language Act has received Royal Assent, giving formal recognition and stronger support to sign language users across Northern Ireland.
Plug-in solar becomes available in Great Britain for the first time
New rules mean plug-in solar panels can now be used in England, Scotland and Wales, potentially opening small-scale renewable generation to more households.
£1.25m boost takes Newcastle cancer trials institute beyond £28m raised
A Wolfson Foundation grant has moved the planned Sir Bobby Robson Institute closer to completion, with construction under way on the specialist cancer clinical trials centre.
Cornwall community health network shortlisted twice for national NHS awards
A partnership linking the NHS, voluntary organisations and more than 50 community hubs has been recognised for work on health inequalities and neighbourhood care.
£156,000-a-year wind farm fund will support communities in the Scottish Borders
Communities near Bowbeat Wind Farm are set to receive £156,000 each year through a new benefit fund running alongside the wind farm's planned extended operation.
Free Leyland health event brings checks, advice and 40-plus organisations under one roof
Residents can access free health MOTs, professional advice and dozens of health and community organisations at the Leyland Health Mela.
£96,000 shared by 23 grassroots groups across all four UK nations
Twenty-three charities and community organisations have received grants through SPAR's 2026 Community Cashback scheme, spanning causes from youth work and conservation to sport and search and rescue.
Record £24.9m community investment backs nearly 1,300 projects across UK and Ireland
SSE says its community investment programme supported nearly 1,300 projects, helping create jobs, tackle fuel poverty, improve community assets and open up opportunities for young people.
First young people start paid jobs through new employment guarantee
The first participants have started six-month paid roles through a national scheme aimed at young people who have been out of work for an extended period.
£47m fund will back community organisations working to prevent homelessness
A new England-wide fund will support voluntary, community and faith organisations providing practical help to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Carers in Bedfordshire expands independent support after major service change
The Bedfordshire charity says it is continuing and developing its support for unpaid carers despite the end of a long-running local authority contract.
Luton approves £18.9 million fund focused on jobs, prevention and stronger neighbourhoods
A three-year resilience fund will invest in employment, homelessness prevention, independent living, young people and safer, cleaner neighbourhoods.
£22 million UK programme backs human-based science to reduce reliance on animal testing
New investment includes a £20 million centre for miniature human organs and nine projects exploring alternatives including beating heart cells and AI drug modelling.
Every London GP practice now offers self-swab cervical screening
Self-swab cervical screening has been rolled out across all 1,100 London GP practices, giving more women another way to take part in screening.
Stem cell treatment improves sight in first trial for previously untreatable rare eye condition
Patients with aniridia-related keratopathy experienced improved vision after a first-in-human stem cell treatment developed at UCL and Moorfields.
Eight volunteering festivals will help East Hampshire residents find ways to get involved
Community events across East Hampshire are bringing volunteering opportunities into towns and villages so residents can meet organisations face to face.
Council cake sale combines fundraising with a potentially life-saving lesson about sepsis
A Three Rivers charity cake sale will raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust while helping residents learn the warning signs of the condition.
Grain-of-rice-sized light chip could help power faster 6G networks
Loughborough researchers have demonstrated a tiny microcomb system capable of generating precisely spaced light frequencies for communications and quantum technology.
Wiltshire community lottery helps Calne group turn local support into practical impact
Wiltshire's community lottery is helping a Calne good cause raise money and connect more residents with its work.
Scotland reviews IVF rules with aim of widening NHS fertility access
A national review will examine access for single women, blended families, fertility preservation and people waiting for donor eggs or sperm.
Strabane moves ahead with bid to become the UK's first Town of Culture
Work is progressing on Strabane's shortlisted bid for the new UK Town of Culture 2028 title, putting local creativity and community identity on a national stage.
Community hub in Croydon combines affordable workspace, creativity and connection
Soul-Full is bringing a community café, creative studios, meeting rooms and affordable workspaces together in central Croydon.
Early health checks give Dudley patients more time to get ready for surgery
A new NHS screening service identifies health concerns earlier in the waiting period, giving patients more time and support to prepare for planned operations.
New cancer exercise resource is designed specifically for people with learning disabilities and autism
A cancer-specific physical activity resource aims to make movement advice more accessible to people with learning disabilities and autistic people.
New parent packs offer practical support when a child's hospital stay comes without warning
University Hospitals Sussex has launched packs designed to help families cope with the practical strain of an unexpected admission.
Stockport NHS catering duo reach national Chef of the Year final
Chef Owen Stafford and retail assistant Lauren Carter have reached the final of the NHS Chef of the Year competition after progressing through a competitive field.
Dudley patients invited to help design better support for living with inflammatory arthritis
A free NHS workshop will bring patients, carers and healthcare professionals together to shape how people with inflammatory arthritis are supported to live well.
UCLH patients give hospital care one of London's strongest national survey scores
Patients rated their overall UCLH care 8.7 out of 10, placing the trust second among London's general acute trusts and fifth nationally.
Northolt artists make community art-trail debut with sales supporting church restoration
Two local artists will exhibit at St Richard's Church Chapel as part of Ealing's 10th anniversary art trail, with proceeds from one artist's work supporting St Mary's refurbishment appeal.
Bath Spa University earns Mental Health Charter Award for whole-university approach
Bath Spa has been recognised through the University Mental Health Charter for work embedding mental health and wellbeing across university life.
Nine Torbay heritage projects receive grants to bring local history to life
Grassroots projects across Torbay are receiving heritage funding designed to strengthen local pride and people's connection with the places around them.
Twenty-eight community organisations share £120,000 across Hart
Local projects supporting wellbeing, inclusion, connection and residents facing challenges have received grants through the Here for Hart scheme.
Herefordshire opens micro-grants for ideas that strengthen community connection and wellbeing
Residents and local groups can apply for up to £250 to start or develop small projects that bring people together and support mental wellbeing.
Oxford researchers win funding to pursue drugs that could prevent inherited bowel cancer
Cancer Research UK funding will support drug discovery aimed at preventing cancer in people with inherited polyposis syndromes.
£500,000 grant will help Durham researchers protect fragile heritage without damaging it
New specialist imaging equipment will let researchers investigate archaeological objects less invasively and study heritage threatened by climate change.
UK volunteers help build a new living map of the nation's seaweed
Thousands of sightings collected through citizen science are powering an interactive map that helps researchers understand how coastal ecosystems are changing.
Pollinator project creates 4.2 hectares of nature-rich habitat across Cumbria
A council and wildlife trust partnership has won a DEFRA award after transforming 22 sites into meadows and community gardens for pollinators and people.
Shrewsbury turns disused town-centre plot into a community garden
Volunteers are being invited to help transform an unused Abbey Foregate site into a pocket park and shared community garden.
Notting Hill Carnival marks 60 years of Caribbean culture and community
London's landmark Carnival is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee with a year-long programme and a weekend expected to draw around two million people.
Free bike checks and learn-to-ride sessions aim to get more Walsall residents cycling
Walsall Council and Cycling UK are offering free Dr Bike repairs and learn-to-ride sessions through a new project designed to make cycling easier to start or return to.
Online MenB booking expands so eligible young people can arrange both vaccine doses themselves
The NHS National Booking Service now lets eligible young people book either MenB dose online, making it easier to complete the two-dose vaccination course.
£106,500 study will explore why inflammatory bowel and coeliac conditions are missed or diagnosed late
Crohn’s & Colitis UK and Coeliac UK are jointly funding research using anonymised NHS records to study diagnosis patterns, inequalities and missed opportunities for earlier care.
Bury riding centre marks 60 years of helping people through horses
The volunteer-run Margaret Haes Riding Centre has celebrated six decades of equestrian activities supporting children and adults with disabilities and other challenges.
Cornwall expands face-to-face Community Gateway support to reach thousands more people
Cornwall’s Community Gateway is increasing in-person outreach alongside its telephone service, with at least 50 additional people a week expected to receive face-to-face help.
Disused Ilford building becomes accessible new home for community groups
Janice Mews has reopened after refurbishment as a 60-person community space with a kitchen, accessible toilets and step-free access for charities and voluntary groups.
Ramsgate fishing community raises more than £6,500 for RNLI as 79 children take to the water
A record 79 children joined Ramsgate’s junior fishing competition, while organisers Dawn and Jason Parrott received surprise community-service awards from the High Sheriff of Kent.
Free fitness sessions for over-60s earn gym owner community sports award
Kirkintilloch gym owner Barry Peacock has been recognised for giving his time freely to help older residents stay active and young footballers build healthy habits.
£200,000 boost moves accessible Nairn Links toilet project forward
Plans for a new fully accessible public toilet facility at Nairn Links have taken another step forward after councillors agreed up to £200,000 from the Nairn Common Good Fund.