Fund offers to boost support with awards up to £150,000

A new £5m fund to help smaller charities has been launched.

The Garfield Weston Foundation (GWF) has opened the scheme to help small charities and community organisations develop their facilities.

Grants of up to £150,000 will be awarded to charities and groups aiming to improve existing facilities or search for new ones.

These organisations often provided vital local services and were at risk if they were not properly supported, the foundation said.

A survey of leaders from 149 charities with annual incomes of less than £500,000 found that 66% expected their income to fall or remain stagnant over the next 12 months, but 55% expected to be delivering new services.

Philippa Charles, director of GWF, said: "At a time when communities are struggling to support those in need, we felt it was important to launch a fund that would help bring local communities together.

"By funding capital projects, we want to ensure that charities have the facilities they need to do more of their great work."

The foundation’s spending bring total grants it has made to more than £1bn since it was founded 60 years ago, with 40,000 individual grants given out.