VAO managed grants

With donations from Repsol Resources UK Ltd and Liam McArthur MSP, Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO) is pleased to offer grants of up to £500 to charities, community groups and voluntary organisations in Orkney.

Constituted groups with charitable objectives (excepting party political groups) can apply for a grant for a project or activity to help their community. Past awards have included:

• equipment such as goal posts for football pitches, tables for community halls, display boards, replacements of outside lights
• specialised clothing to allow volunteer groups to achieve their aims, for example waterproof trousers, gloves and hi vis vests
• venue hire for workshops, exhibitions or events

This is a competitive fund, and it is important that you include as much information as possible on the application form about how your project fulfils the priority criteria for the fund.

Applications will be assessed by a panel of VAO Directors and their decision will be final. They will be looking to award grants to groups and organisations whose project or activity demonstrates the most local impact in Orkney.

Grants cover the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

Successful grant recipients must claim the total sum awarded by the 31 March 2026 but will not be reimbursed for items bought before 1 April 2025 or after 31 March 2026. To claim the grant, VAO will require copies of invoices and/or itemised receipts as proof of expenditure.

Priority will be given to organisations that have not previously received an award. However, we would still encourage those who have received an award before to apply.

To be eligible groups or organisations must:

• Have an annual core income of less than £50,000. Those with an annual core income of more than £50,000 will not be considered for a grant.
• Have or be in the process of setting up its own bank account.
• Submit all of the required supporting documents with their application before the closing date. The required supporting documents are:
  • a copy of the group or organisation’s constitution or equivalent governing document
  • a copy of the most recent set of approved of accounts. Group/organisations in their first year should contact us for guidance on what to provide to support their application.
• Submit only 1 application to the scheme for the group or organisation each year.

• The project/activity must demonstrate local impact in Orkney.
• A maximum grant of £500 can be awarded.
• Grants will cover projects/activities taking place from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
• The total cost of the project/activity should not exceed £5,000. Any that exceed £5000 cannot be considered for a grant.
• The total grant awarded must be claimed by the 31 March 2026.
• Purchases must be ‘green’ and local where possible.

Grants will cover:

• One-off costs, such as:
  • equipment (e.g. for sports, music or outdoor activities)
  • group training taking place in Orkney (e.g. for group craft, dance or sports sessions)
  • resources to support an event (e.g. for display, supplies or safety equipment)
  • venue hire in Orkney (e.g. for one-off creative, fitness or community events)
• Travel within Orkney

Grants will not cover:

• Travel outwith Orkney
• Building maintenance and repairs
• Training for individuals
• On-going costs, such as
  • salaries
  • rents
  • other running costs

Download a copy of the guidance.

Applications must be submitted before 9:00am Monday 3 March 2025

To apply, complete and return the application form with the required supporting documents.

• download the application form.

Your application must be submitted before 9:00am on Monday 3 March 2025

We know that some groups and organisations do not have much experience of completing funding applications and we are here to help.

If you want to discuss your project prior to application, or want support to complete the application form, please do not hesitate to contact our Community Development Team: development@vaorkney.org.uk.

The grant fund is aimed at supporting community-based initiatives that promote and develop good mental health and wellbeing within the adult population isopen for a second tranche of applications for the current round.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults has a total of £12,000 available for projects in Orkney, with the Fund being managed on behalf of the Scottish Government by Voluntary Action Orkney in partnership with the Orkney Partnership.

The projects supported will benefit communities right across Orkney, and can offer a wide range of activities, such as fitness and gentle sports, provide equipment and enable the set-up of self-help support groups, support those with long term and life limiting illness, offer access to learning and arts activities.

The ambition of this Fund is to support initiatives which promote adult mental health and wellbeing at a small scale, grass roots, community level. For the purposes of this Fund, the adult population is considered to be those 16 and over. It is accessible to all groups, no matter how small or inexperienced they are. It can support both new and existing groups or projects. Your group does not have to have mental health and wellbeing as your main focus, but your application does have to clearly benefit the mental wellbeing of people in your community.

Applications can be accepted from a range of voluntary, ‘not for profit’ organisations, associations, groups and clubs or consortiums/partnerships which have a strong community focus for their activities.

The successful applications will deliver against some or all of the local priorities for the fund, which were developed by a panel which included local statutory and third sector organisations and people with lived experience of mental ill health. The local priorities are:

• Poverty
• Social isolation
• Prevention of Suicide
• Unpaid Carers
• Older People

This round covers projects taking place from 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026. Your group or organisation does not have to be constituted in order to apply but you will need to be working towards being constituted as a part of the award.

The key changes to this round of the fund are:

• Maximum grant available £7,500 (down from £10,000)
• Maximum available for small capital items such as furniture or IT equipment per application £5,000
• Additional national priority to support people with neurological conditions or learning disabilities and those from neurodiverse communities

We ask that you read the full fund guidance before applying.

The closing date for applications is 8am on Monday 3rd February 2025.

To apply, complete and return the application form with the required supporting documents.

• download the application form.

If you would like to discuss your project, want support to develop your idea or to pull your application together, contact our Community Development Team: development@vaorkney.org.uk.