75 projects to continue support with Government fund extension

75 neighbourhood projects in England to continue support for volunteering and making connections with £2.6 million Government fund extension

UK Community Foundations (UKCF) can confirm that the Know Your Neighbourhood (KYN) Fund has been extended until March 2026.  Thanks to this extension, 75 neighbourhood projects will continue their work to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness through funding delivered in nine target areas of England by nine community foundations.

These target areas have been recognised as having significant levels of deprivation and higher levels of need with regards to civil society and community infrastructure.  

Since the KYN Fund was launched in January 2023, UKCF – a national network of place-based community foundations – has delivered up to £14 million of £19 million government funding made available to 115 projects up until March 2025.  Participating community foundations were also able to contribute over £1 million of local match funding to the programme.

In April 2025, the Fund was extended until March 2026, with an additional £4.5 million of government funding, with £2.6 million of it being awarded to UKCF by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Nine community foundations in the UKCF network have awarded the extension funding to 75 existing projects which are creating meaningful and impactful volunteering opportunities, whilst also seeking to address the issue of chronic loneliness.  This year, funded projects will also be focusing on activities which build social cohesion within communities and reduce loneliness stigma.

Participants in the KYN programme will continue to be supported in accessing  enriching opportunities that will seek to improve their wellbeing, skills, confidence and social connections.   

The delivery areas in which local projects are being funded are: Wolverhampton, South Tyneside, Kingston upon Hull, Blackpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Great Yarmouth, Fenland, County Durham and Barrow-in-Furness.

Projects that will receive funding from the extension include:

• Cambridgeshire ACRE, which supports rural communities and individuals living in isolation in Fenland to connect through a network of community living rooms.  Additional funding will be used to build partnerships with statutory services that bring health checks, financial advice, digital skills and other services to the community living rooms, while providing additional training to volunteers to improve confidence and skills.

• VAST (Voluntary Action Stoke-on-Trent), which supports local not-for-profit organisations with capacity building, volunteering and advocacy.  With the additional funding, VAST will deepen their work with marginalised communities across Stoke-on-Trent, providing tailored support to help individuals overcome barriers to social inclusion.  Volunteering will be used as a platform for connection, bringing together people from different backgrounds through shared activities, storytelling and cultural exchange.

• St George’s House Charity, which provides a safe space for some of the most vulnerable and marginalised men across the West Midlands who are experiencing loneliness, with a view to improving self-esteem and confidence.  Additional funding will enable further learning for participants about different cultures, faiths and histories through ‘community giving’ activities, including art sessions, chess clubs, community gardening, peer-led mentoring and other volunteering opportunities.

Emma de Closet, Chief Executive at UK Community Foundations, said:

“We are so pleased to be working with the Government to extend support for essential services that build community cohesion.  Approaches like volunteering, learning new skills and getting to know our neighbours can make a huge difference to both the individual and local community.

“Community foundations are working with local networks to learn from this important programme in its fourth year and understand how initiatives might lead to a longer-term impact.”