THE MCCARTHY & STONE FOUNDATION: CREATING CONNECTIONS GRANT PROGRAMME
Around 20 grants of up to £7,500 are available to registered charities, exempt charities, community groups and Community Interest Companies (CICs) with an annual income of under £250,000 in England, Scotland and Wales that are working with over 65’s living in deprived areas.
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o Application deadline: FRIDAY 29th AUGUST 2025 at 5pm.
o Funder: The McCarthy & Stone Charitable Foundation (founded 2020. Charity number 1191504. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 31 October 2024: £514,152 (2023: £339,160; 2022: £215,085; 2021: £87,674)).
o Who can apply: registered charities, exempt charities, community groups and Community Interest Companies (CICs) in England, Scotland and Wales that are working with over 65 living in deprived areas. Applicants must have an annual income of under £250,000 as evidenced in their most recently published annual accounts. Please note that CICs must be limited by guarantee and cannot apply for core cost funding.
o Key words: Over 65’s, Reducing Loneliness and Social Isolation, Befriending Services, Community Transport Services, Social Groups, Deprived Areas, England, Scotland, Wales.
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The McCarthy & Stone Foundation is currently accepting applications for its Creating Connections Grants Programme for charities and community groups in England, Scotland and Wales that are helping to reduce loneliness and isolation for people aged 65 and over.
The Foundation is seeking to fund initiatives that help create meaningful social connections for over 65’s, including:
o Befriending services, including meal delivery for those living independently.
o Community transport, connecting older people to local activities and services, and
o Social groups, such as art classes, dance sessions, lunch clubs and coffee mornings.
Grants of up to £7,500 are available for projects that aim to reduce loneliness and isolation among older people living in the deprived areas of England, Scotland and Wales. Evidencing a high level of local need is a significant part of the application process, as – when all else is equal – priority will be given to those applications working in more deprived areas. Approximately 20 grants are expected to be awarded.
Eligible charitable organisations that serve a broad older population — including individuals with dementia, but not organisations that are dementia-specific — are welcome to apply for a Creating Connections grant.
Funding is not available for:
o Activities that have already taken place.
o Activities that support animal welfare.
o Contributions to general appeals or circulars.
o Dementia-specific charities and groups.
o Grant-making by other organisations.
o Groups on Northern Ireland or overseas.
o Groups with an annual income over £250,000.
o Individuals.
o Privately owned and profit-distributing companies or limited partnerships.
o Profit-making organisations.
o Public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations, or
o Religious activity which is not for wider public benefit.
Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the Foundation’s website.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 29th August 2025. Applicants are expected to be notified of the outcome of their application in October 2025.
Contact details for the Foundation are:
The Creating Connections Grant Programme
The McCarthy & Stone Foundation
4th Floor
100 Holdenhurst Road
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH8 8AQ
Email: graeme.marsh@