Funding community projects

The programme has one focus area – the prevention and / or reduction of specific health conditions.

Your project must show how it will help to prevent or reduce the risks of the following health conditions among residents in north west London, and so help reduce health inequalities.

These health conditions are:

• Cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, strokes, peripheral arterial disease, and aortic disease,
• Chronic kidney disease,
• Chronic respiratory disease including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, occupational lung diseases and pulmonary hypertension,
• Depression/anxiety,
• Diabetes,
• Hypertension (high blood pressure), and
• Obesity.

You project must address at least one and up to three health conditions from the seven groups outlined above

Types of projects we are looking to support, but are not limited to, include:

• Encouraging a healthy diet and taking regular exercise,
• Providing support and information on how/where to access screening (tests) services, and medical treatment for illnesses described above. Information could be, for example, leaflets in relevant languages,
• Reducing alcohol intake,
• Reducing isolation, or
• Smoking cessation.

Your project must directly address the health conditions that you have selected.

Projects can be new, expand on a current provision, or continue a current provision. Projects can have one activity or multiple activities.

Types of projects we cannot support include:

• Tackling or reducing poverty, e.g., food banks,
• Single or multiple social trips within or outside London,
• Religious and political activities,
• How to access benefits,
• The purchase of office or medical equipment/devices, or vehicles, or
• The refurbishment of your office space or any capital works.

Project service user groups

We know that there are groups of people who face significantly higher barriers to health and wellbeing. While we aim to be inclusive, our funding will only support the following groups:

• Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities,
• Older people (those aged 65 years old and above),
• Children (between four and 12 years old) and young people (between 13 and 24 years old),
• People with a disability,
• People with multiple long-term health conditions,
• Groups that are at risk of social exclusion including: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual+ people; people experiencing homelessness; people experiencing drug and alcohol dependence; vulnerable migrants; Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities; sex workers; people in contact with the justice system; victims of modern slavery; and other socially excluded groups.

Your project service user groups must belong to one of the categories outlined above.​​​

Take the Eligibility Quiz to see if you are eligible to apply. You can also find out more in the Guidance Notes that you can download.

What support do I need?

Your Chief Executive, Finance Director or Chair of Trustees must have read your full application and sign the Signatures of Approval Form that must be uploaded to your online application. You can download the Signatures of Approval Form here.

• If you have received a Compassionate Communities grant in 2023/24 or in 2024/25, you cannot apply for this round (2025/26).
• Your funding request must be at least £5,000 and can be up to £50,000
• Your project duration must be a minimum of 12 months and up to 24 months, to include set-up and evaluation periods.

There is only one call in 2025/26. The application deadline is Thursday 4 September 2025.

Remember to upload your completed Signatures of Approval Form with your application on Flexigrant.

We cannot accept this document separately.

Please complete our Eligibility Quiz, which will take you to the application form if you are eligible. The application form is located on our grants platform, Flexigrant. You must open a Flexigrant account. Use the Sample Application Form to work up your application before you use the online form. ​​​

The Guidance notes and sample application form available on this page provide information on eligibility criteria and how to apply for a grant. But before you apply, you must take the online Eligibility Quiz.

If you still require support, please email Philip Howard, Grants Manager (grants@imperialcharity.org.uk)

Please include Compassionate Communities 2025/26 in the subject line and tell us what clarification or information you require.

If you’re successful, you will receive a Grant Award Letter outlining our Grant Terms and Conditions, how your grant will be paid, and our reporting requirements.

Make sure you accept our grant offer on Flexigrant within 10 working days of receiving your Grant Award Letter. When you accept our offer, Flexigrant will ask for your project start and end dates. You must start your project within two months of accepting our grant offer.