South Yorkshire's Community Foundation

04/09/2026

🔈Excited to be hosting our next FREE Meet the Funder event in Thorne, Doncaster!

Join us to find more about our RWE Tweenbridge Windfarm Community Benefits Fund.

The Fund supports projects for local people within three miles of the Tweenbridge Windfarm, near Thorne, with grants of between £500 and £15,000.

Drop-in and chat to:

⭐Our grants team about this, and all our other open funds.
⭐Funding advice experts from our SYFAB team.

📍Thorne Old People’s Welfare Centre, Thorne, DN8 5BE
🗓 Monday 28 September 2026
🕛1pm-3pm

See you there!

01/09/2026

Welcome to September! 🙂

Are you back in full planning mode? Then take a look at the Kings Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS) – the nominations for the 2027 awards open today!

KAVS celebrates the outstanding work of local volunteers. It’s the highest award given to voluntary groups, the equivalent of an MBE for all your volunteers. 🏆

The aim is to support local volunteer-led organisations. So, whilst you can still be nominated if you have paid staff, the award is intended to recognise groups who simply wouldn’t be able to run without their volunteers.

Nominations are made online by someone who knows of the group’s work, but is not a volunteer or a staff member themselves.

They also need to get letters of support from two people explaining why the group is so fantastic. This can take a bit of sorting out, so we recommend that you don’t leave it to the last minute.

Once the nominations are in, friendly assessors come to visit and find out more information to support the nomination. Then it’s time to sit back and wait until decisions are communicated around the King’s birthday in November.

📅 Nominations close 1st December 2026.

Link in comments ⬇

Please do consider whether you know of any local groups with exceptional volunteer teams who deserve this recognition. 💜

28/08/2026

For some children and young people with autism spectrum conditions, the summer holidays can bring extra challenges. 🌟

But Sparkle Sheffield is creating a safe space where they can have fun, make friends and try something new.

We were lucky to visit Sparkle's Learn & Go Wild Summer Camp, in Edale, to see children and young people trying inclusive activities like pizza making, magic shows, discos and equine therapy.

Sparkle Sheffield's received funding from us and was recently presented with the SYCF President’s Award at our 40th anniversary Community Celebration event. 🏆

It was wonderful to meet founder Liesje Dusauzay, the Sparkle Sheffield team and its volunteers to learn more about just one bit of the amazing work they do to support children, young people and their families. 💜

Thanks for making us feel so welcome and showcasing your impact to our team, trustees, patrons and donors. 🙏

27/08/2026

It's always such a boost to receive recognition for our work. 🏆

We're so thrilled to have been named SME News' Best Regional Grant-Giving Foundation - for the second year running. 🥇

Super special to have won this award in our 40th year when we have proudly made a record-breaking number of grant awards - taking our giving total to £40m over four decades.

A huge thanks and well done to our team who work so hard to make this happen. 👏

24/08/2026

Sheffield groups - do you know a young person who has done something positive for others?

The Sheffield City Council Sheffield Youth Awards celebrate young people who make a difference in their community.

You can nominate a young person aged 11 to 18, or up to 25 if they have SEND.

Award categories include:
🎨 Creative Arts Award
⚽ Sports and Fitness Award
🗣 Young Campaigner of the Year
🏅 Steps to Success Award

Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 25 September.

https://haveyoursay.sheffield.gov.uk/community-youth-services/surveys/youth_awards_26?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

21/08/2026

We've launched the Sheffield Arts & Culture Fund to help support the creative life of the city. 🎭🎨🎶

💷 It will award grants to grassroots arts and culture projects which bring people together, improve the wellbeing of local people and make communities stronger.

We want this to be a permanent source of funding for Sheffield.

If you’d like to play a small part in helping Sheffield’s arts and culture scene thrive, you can make a donation to the fund.

Every contribution will help create more opportunities for people to discover their creativity and enjoy the arts.

https://www.sycf.org.uk/give/sheffield-arts-and-culture-fund



Sheffield City Council

19/08/2026

Have you got a little more time for planning over the summer?

Why not use this to build your skills and get ready for autumn?

Our South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau (SYFAB) team has some brilliant online training events coming up in September.

Including:

Introduction to Fundraising for Beginners
📅 Thursday 3 September | 10am–1.30pm | Online
👉 Book https://lnkd.in/ehBuQ4W2

Making a Good Application – Essentials of Good Bid Writing
📅 Thursday 10 & Thursday 17 September | 10am–1pm | Online
👉 Book https://lnkd.in/e_TktEU8

Social Media Strategy Masterclass: With social media guru Dr Lou Mycroft.
📅 Thursday 10 September | 9.30am–2.30pm | Online
👉 Book https://lnkd.in/ecG_YFHW

Free places are available on some SYFAB training for volunteer-led South Yorkshire community and voluntary groups.

17/08/2026

There’s something special about seeing a £500 grant turn into a thriving business 💜

When Leo Turnbull came to us for support through our SWEF Enterprise Fund, he had an idea to create a social society specifically for apprentices in Sheffield.

Fast forward a few months and studybreak has welcomed more than 150 people to its events.

Leo’s story’s now being featured in unLTD Business magazine this month!

We hope his journey inspires other young entrepreneurs across South Yorkshire to apply for SWEF funding.

https://unltdbusiness.com/your-pitch-leo-turnbull-studybreak/

💡 If you’ve got idea for a new business or enterprise, you could be eligible for funding of up to £2,000.

https://www.sycf.org.uk/apply/search-our-grants/swef

15/08/2026

Such a pleasure to support the amazing team at Darnall Well Being through the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Legacy Fund.

These sessions have such a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the local community in Darnall.

A big thank you to Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park and South Yorkshire's Community Foundation for their generous donation from Sheffield Legacy Fund! This funding will enable our Darnall Chairobics group, run in partnership with Community Wellness Services, to continue for another 22 sessions.

Chairobics offers gentle exercise opportunities for women living with long-term health conditions, low fitness levels, or mental health challenges. The group provides a safe, welcoming environment where participants can build strength, reduce stress, and improve their overall wellbeing. We regularly hear from participants how much it is helping them to feel better both physically and mentally, and how much they enjoy themselves here.

Sessions will restart on Tuesday 1st September, 10am at Darnall Primary Care Centre. All women welcome! 🎉