Community Foundation for Merseyside

The LF Foundation continues its investment in St. Helens ❤️

Over £28,000 has been distributed to projects relieving poverty and furthering educational opportunities.

In just 2 years the LF Foundation has provided £100,000 in grants to organisations exclusively supporting the community within St. Helens.

On each panel sits a member of the charitable community from St. Helens, providing local context and lived experience of the area, ensuring groups meeting the most pressing local needs are prioritised.

Updates to our Eligibility Criteria 📝

To guard against any undue influence resting with one person. We will only be able to consider applications from organisations that either have no Persons with Significant Control (PSC) registered or where your Articles of Association and Companies House entry (Persons with Significant Control section) demonstrate that all Directors (at least 3 unrelated) have equal powers in running the company.

Effective from 1st July 2026, we will not accept applications from organisations where only one or two Directors are registered as a Person of Significant Control or where one or two Directors have a majority of voting rights.

For further information on Person with Significant Control, please see the Companies House Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/people-with-significant-control-pscs

🤝 New Partnership to Strengthen Communities in Knowsley

We’re delighted to announce our new partnership with SGD Fire Protection Ltd following the launch of the SGD Foundation, a dedicated fund supporting grassroots organisations across Knowsley.

Working together, we’ll ensure funding reaches local groups transparently and where it can have the greatest impact.

As SGD Director Georgia Davidson puts it:
“We’ve always believed that success means more when you can use it to help others. The Foundation allows us to take that further supporting local people, local ideas, and creating opportunities that genuinely change lives.”

We’re excited to support Shaun, Georgia and the SGD team as the Foundation begins its journey.

👉 Read the full article here: https://cfmerseyside.org.uk/news/new-partnership-with-sgd-fire-protection

Over £100k distributed in Merseyside to improve community cohesion 🤝

The Merseyside Police Community Cashback Fund supports crime prevention initiatives and community cohesion using recovered assets through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Since 2022 we have worked with them to distribute £420,000 to groups working across Merseyside.

In the most recent round, 21 groups received funding to support over 4,800 people.

📍 CAF UK Giving Report 2026

New research from the Charities Aid Foundation reveals that people across the UK want to be more involved in their local communities. Yet participation remains low, with just 37% engaging locally and only 52% feeling a sense of local pride.

The findings highlight that place really matters to people and when individuals connect with their communities, they’re more likely to give and volunteer. Strengthening local engagement could play a key role in reversing declining donations and building stronger communities.

🔗Read the full report: https://cfmerseyside.org.uk/news/new-research-highlights-desire-for-greater-community-involvement-across-the-uk

Reflecting on our 2025/26 funding – and the partnerships that made it possible 💬

Over the past year, we’ve distributed £3.5M+ across 700+ grants, supporting projects that have reached more than 150,000 people across our communities.

By launching new partnerships like MHA Accountants'1892 Foundation and SWEF Enterprise Fund, alongside seasonal support with the LaplandUK Foundation, we’ve continued to expand funding opportunities and strengthen the voluntary and community sector.

We’ve also seen the transformational impact of major funds such as the Pilkington Charities Fund, and the importance of rapid, coordinated responses in times of need through initiatives like the Liverpool Spirit Appeal.

Thank you to our donors, partners and community organisations who make this work possible 💙

🔗 Read more about our funding and partnerships: https://cfmerseyside.org.uk/news/reflecting-on-2025-26-our-funding-distributed-in-merseyside

Alice’s WonderDance Foundation is now open 🩰

Grants of up to £2,000 are available for charitable organisations and schools providing dance activities.

The fund’s main priorities are:
- Providing affordable dance programs for disadvantaged young people
- Providing dance lessons from qualified teachers, including over the summer holidays
- Funding for equipment and transport, allowing young people to engage in dance

🔗Read More: https://cfmerseyside.org.uk/grants/alices-wonderdance-foundation
🔗Individuals: https://cfmerseyside.org.uk/grants/alices-wonderdance-foundation-individuals

The Merseyside Community Investment Fund is now open ❤️

Grants of up to £3,000 are now available to charitable organisations across Merseyside.

Using funds raised at Professional Liverpool Cannes Do, the fund’s main priorities are:
- Projects that target disadvantage and deprivation
- Projects that encourage pro-active community collaboration to make a difference.
- Innovative projects which may struggle for funding elsewhere.

🔗Read More: https://cfmerseyside.org.uk/grants/merseyside-community-investment-fund

📊 Third Sector Trends: People, Work and Ambition
The second Third Sector Trends report shows our sector is still reliant on volunteers, but numbers have not fully recovered back to pre pandemic levels. At the same time, trustee and staffing pressures are growing.

One takeaway for us and our donors: backing people, leadership and organisational capacity, not just projects, matters more than ever.

👉 Read our article: https://cfmerseyside.org.uk/news/third-sector-trends-what-it-tells-us-and-why-it-matters
👉 Full report: https://www.stchads.ac.uk/research/third-sector-trends-in-england-and-wales/



With thanks to the Third Sector Trends Report commissioners and funders:

St Chad's College, Durham University, Community Foundation North East, UK Community Foundations, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales, Millfield House Foundation, WCVA CGGC

⚽💛 Football for Change: £100,000+ invested in young people and communities

Football for Change has distributed over £100,000 in its most recent funding round, supporting grassroots organisations helping young people build brighter futures across the North West.

Launched in 2021 by footballers Trent Alexander Arnold, Conor Coady and Jamie Carragher, alongside business leader Dan Hughes, Football for Change brings sport, business and philanthropy together to tackle social mobility head on.

This incredible collaboration is made possible through the annual Football for Change Gala, where donors come together around a shared belief: talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.