Welcome to the KDP Bulletin.
KDP was delighted to receive funding from the National Lottery Strengthening Organisations Fund, which has enabled us to explore new ways of working and supporting our membership.
As part of this, we’re excited to introduce the KDP Podcast series – sharing helpful advice and information on topics such as funding and project support, featuring conversations with relevant experts, and showcasing local groups and initiatives.
Our first podcast is now available to view, with Mairi sharing KDP’s Top Tips for Completing Funding Applications.
You can watch it here.
We’d love to hear from you about what you’d like us to discuss in future episodes, so please do get in touch with your suggestions.
The Traditional Arts and Culture Fund is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and delivered by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), the national network for traditional arts in Scotland. TRACS works to promote, develop, and sustain traditional music, song, storytelling, dance and crafts across the country, supporting artists, communities, and organisations at all levels.
Applications to the Fund are welcome from both organisations and individuals. The fund is designed to support traditional artists and organisations to create, perform, tour, and showcase work, as well as to develop professional skills and learning opportunities.
The fund offers small grants of up to £1,200, but does not support the purchase of equipment, nor can it be used to match other Creative Scotland funding.
The next closing date is 1st September.
Learn more here.
This September is Preparedness Month, so get ready to take part in the 30 Days 30 Ways campaign, led by the Emergency Planning Society.
30 Days 30 Ways UK is a month-long resilience challenge suitable for all to get involved, with simple daily prompts and challenges to boost you and your community’s resilience.
Visit the website here.
The Community Learning Exchange (CLE) Fund offers small sums of funding to enable visits which build mutual support across the community sector through peer to peer learning – the best way to test and develop new ideas is to learn from people already on the journey themselves!
A CLE supports peer learning – virtually or in person – by covering the costs of a visit to another group or organisation to share learning and develop practice you would like to make happen in your community.
Funding is to support community groups across Scotland. To be eligible, applicants need to be endorsed by the relevant SCA Member Network.
Visit the Scottish Community Alliance website to find out more.
SCVO’s Meet the Funder sessions take place on the first Tuesday of each month at 10am. They’re a great chance to hear directly from funders, learn more about their programmes and ask any questions you may have.
Coming up:
- Foundation Scotland – Social Investment Fund – 1st September
- Easyfundraising – 6th October
- Corra Foundation – Boost Fund – 3rd November
- Aviva Foundation – 1st December
The Universal Music UK Sound Foundation provides grants towards the purchase of musical instruments and/or equipment for individuals who are in full-time education and schools who require the equipment to improve their music department.
They also fund courses and training opportunities for music teachers who work within schools.
The maximum award is £800, and the next closing date is 7th October.
Read the guidance and download the application here.
Movement for Good awards are available to charities that are changing people’s lives for the better. The public can nominate a charity they would like to see receive the money and competition winners will then be drawn at random.
Between Jan 1st – Dec 2026 anyone can nominate their favourite charity or charities for an award of £1,000 – it’s one nomination per charity, per person. The more nominations a charity gets, the better their chances of being drawn, so it’s a great idea to share with your network.
There are two £1,000 draws remaining in 2026, so the earlier you nominate, the more chances your charity has of being drawn. Once nominated, you will remain in the draw for 2026. The next draw opens on 7th – 11th September, followed by 1st-16th December.
There will also be special draws of £5,000 for Animals & Wildlife, running from 5th – 18th October. If your charity is in the £1,000 draw, they’ll need to be entered into the special draw too if eligible.
Nominate here.
Aberdeenshire Council is hosting a Community Resilience Workshop focussing on ‘Getting Organised’.
It is being held at the Garioch Heritage Centre, Inverurie AB51 4FY, on Wednesday 9th September. Registration is at 9am, the workshop will begin at 9.30am and finish at 1pm.
The workshop will be a chance to start writing/developing community resilience plans or to develop existing plans with support and scenarios.
Meet other groups and listen to presentations to support community resilience from:
- Scottish Fire and Rescue – Community Asset Register
- AVA -Volunteer recruitment and retention
- Emergency planning – emergency structures, major incidents and requests for military aid
- Community Resilience – Community Resilience Plans
Book your place here.
The CARES Community Buildings Fund provides grants to help community organisations reduce their building’s energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. It supports the installation of renewable technologies such as heat pumps, battery storage and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, as well as some energy efficiency measures.
If you think this funding could support your organisation, you can:
- Read the guidance
- Submit an expression of interest
- Complete your eligibility check
- Prepare and submit your application
Visit the website for more information.
Move More September is a UK awareness month that encourages people of all ages and abilities to add more physical activity to their daily lives. The campaign uses the start of the autumn term as a fresh-start moment, prompting families, schools, and workplaces to build movement back into their routines after the summer holidays. It runs from Tuesday 1 September to Wednesday 30 September 2026.
The campaign is built around the principle that any movement counts, with options for every fitness level:
- Take the daily step pledge – Set a step target with friends or colleagues; even 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day can have meaningful health benefits.
- Walk or cycle to work or school – Use Move More September as the prompt to swap one or two car journeys a week for active travel.
- Try a new activity – From walking netball and cycling without age limits to chair-based yoga and parkrun, the campaign encourages variety.
- Join a local activity group – Find Walking for Health groups, parkrun events, and county sport partnership initiatives in your area.
- Build movement into the working day – Walking meetings, standing desks, and lunchtime classes are all small adjustments that add up.
- Run a school challenge – Daily Mile, active playtimes, and PE Premium funded activities are ideal Move More September projects.
- Take the National Fitness Day pledge – On 16 September 2026, ukactive’s National Fitness Day offers thousands of free classes and free gym sessions.
Get involved here.
The Changing Places Toilets Scotland Fund is increasing the number of new, permanent, fully accessible Changing Places Toilets across Scotland, particularly in areas and types of locations where provision is currently limited.
You can apply for:
- Development costs for design, surveys and planning permission and building warrant fees
- Installation of a modular Changing Places Toilet
- Adaptation of an existing building to include a new Changing Places Toilet
More information on the Fund can be found here, and the closing date for Stage 1 applications is 5th October.
Utility Aid is hosting an Energy Market Update: What Charities Need to Know. The session will provide a practical overview of the latest energy market developments and what they could mean for your group.
They’ll cover:
- The latest developments across the energy market
- What’s driving current market conditions and volatility
- What these changes could mean for charities and community organisations
- What to consider if your energy contract is approaching renewal
- Key factors to think about before making your next energy decision
- Your questions, with an opportunity to speak directly to the Utility Aid team
This is a free online session and there will be an opportunity to ask questions during the webinar. Reserve a spot here.
In response to the current cost of living crisis, the Volant Charitable Trust is prioritising the focus of its awards on charities and organisations who are particularly addressing poverty and deprivation, helping to support vulnerable groups who are most affected.
Your project must meet at least one of the specific themes:
- Poverty and deprivation (with an emphasis on women, children and young people):
- Support for vulnerable families facing extreme poverty
- Food provision and promotion of healthy eating in areas of extreme deprivation
- Mental health projects for vulnerable groups living in poverty
- Women:
- Support for isolated and lone mothers
- Community integration support for black and minority ethnic women and children and asylum seekers
- Support services for women prisoners and their families
- Support for victims of sexual abuse, rape, domestic violence, and those working in the sex industry
- Provision of antenatal and postnatal care for young mothers or those affected by postnatal depression.
- Children and Young people:
- Counselling for vulnerable children
- Support services and outreach projects for those who are disadvantaged or deemed to be ‘at risk’ through neglect, emotional and physical abuse, alcohol, or drug misuse.
You can apply for up to £5,000 for one year maximum, which can include core and project costs.
More here.
August 18, 2026 / KDP Bulletins