Fellowship Fund 2026

The Fellowship Fund supports community-led cultural and creative programmes which celebrate our diverse but shared histories, experiences and futures. 

Grants will be awarded to VCS (Voluntary and Community Sector) organisations and groups for activities taking place in Waltham Forest from May 2026 to March 2027. The scheme aims to support community cohesion across the borough, building belonging and trust by enabling communities to collaborate, exchange and learn from each other.

There are two types of funding that Voluntary and Community Sector organisations and groups can apply for under the Fellowship Fund.

1. Collaboration Grants of up to £9,500 for a group of 4 to 6 organisations and community groups to work collaboratively to develop and deliver a cultural programme   
2. Development Grants of up to £2,000 for organisations and community groups to research and develop new collaborative programmes 

The Fellowship Fund 2026 will support programmes that mark moments our communities celebrate which include, but are not limited to:  

• South Asian led moments such as South Asian Heritage Month
• Black led moments such as Black History Month, Windrush Day
• Cultural celebrations led by communities present in the borough
• LGBT+ led moments such as Pride
• Faith and interfaith celebrations and festivals
• Intercultural celebrations such as Mayor of London Community Weekend and Mental Health Awareness Month

We welcome approaches that expand programme beyond individual dates, for example, year-round approaches to programming.

For 2026 we have worked with local community organisations and groups to design the Fellowship Fund which will include:

1. A series of Collaboration Grants, supporting 4-6 VCS organisations and groups to work together on a cultural programme
2. A Community Residency model pairing these programming groups with cultural and community venues across the borough
3. Support and mentoring to help programming groups develop skills, networks and capacity to develop their programme and seek additional funding in the future

Working together with the support of facilitators, a group of seven VCS representatives have developed the programme model, funding criteria, application and selection process through a series of workshops. A community selection panel will also be responsible for selecting the successful applicants. 

Before submitting your application, we recommend you carefully read through the funding guidance pack. You can also attend some of the support sessions, which will give you the best chance of submitting a strong application.

You can apply either with a video, voice note or written submission. If submitting a video or voice note, you must still complete the first section of the written application and the demographic questions for your application to be accepted. 

The community panel will select applicants based on the six criteria outlined in the funding guidance pack.

We will only award funding directly to Voluntary and Community Sector organisations and groups. We welcome applications from:

• Local voluntary or community groups
  • Local charities and CICs (Community Interest Companies)
  • Local faith-based organisations

Organisations and groups can have a legal formation or a voluntary structure; they do not need to have a minimum turnover or size to apply for the Fellowship Fund. However, you cannot apply for the Fellowship Fund if you are an individual, sole trader or for-profit business.

Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to working in collaboration with other organisations in a programming group, including a venue-based partner as part of the Community Residency aspect of the Fellowship Fund.

Online information sessions

We will be hosting online information sessions hosted on MS Teams to explain more about the Fellowship Fund and talk applicants through the guidance pack on:

• Monday 9 March, 5.00pm to 6.00pm. Register to attend.
• Monday 16 March, 10.00am to 11.00am. Register to attend.

These sessions will be recorded and available to watch for the remainder of the open call period on this page.

Drop in sessions

We will also be hosting in person drop in sessions in libraries across the borough for you to speak to us about your applications. Below are the dates and locations of the drop-in sessions.  

We will co-host in person networking sessions with partners across the borough to help you meet potential collaboration partners and discuss your proposal ideas. Below are the dates and locations of the confirmed networking sessions.

• 16 March 2026, 5pm to 7pm at Big Penny Social. Book your on the ticket.
• 23 March 2026, 5pm to 7pm at St Edmunds Centre, Chingford Mount.. Book your ticket.
• 25 March 2026, 5pm to 7pm at Wood Street Bakery. Book your ticket.
• 30 March 2026, 4pm to 6pm in Leyton (location to be confirmed). Book your ticket.
• We will also be at Creative Trades Networking hosted by E17 Films at Walthamstow Trades Hall on 24 March 2026 from 7pm. Book your ticket.

Further networking sessions for organisations to meet each other in order to form collaborations and workshops with independent bid-writers will be announced on this page shortly.