Active Essex Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation prioritises grassroots and community-led organisations reaching people who are less active or face barriers to taking part, and its themes are youth crime prevention, youth mental health and asset-based community development, so a project built around those aims is the best fit.
- The annual report gives annual giving of £858,657, but no grant range is stated, so ask the foundation what size of award is realistic before you set your budget.
- Its geographic focus is Essex, Southend and Thurrock, so check that your project is based there or serves people there.
- It accepts applications on a rolling basis, its work runs through long-term partnerships and co-designed projects, and it offers application guidance and proportionate monitoring to smaller organisations and those new to funding, so a conversation with its staff before applying is sensible.
- Applications are judged on alignment with its strategic aims, demonstrated need and realistic outcomes, and you should declare any conflicts of interest.
Overview
Active Essex Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1166665).
Active Essex Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was set up to increase the use of physical activity and sport to engage and support the most inactive communities and to tackle the inequalities that exist across Essex. Its annual giving is £858,657, according to the annual report.
What they fund
Priority Areas
Active Essex Foundation uses sport and physical activity to engage and support the least active communities and address inequalities across Essex. Its grant-making focuses on improving health, wellbeing and social inclusion, prioritising grassroots and community-led organisations reaching people who are less active or face barriers to participation. Its work includes using sport to prevent youth crime and violence, supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing, tackling holiday inactivity and food poverty, and strengthening communities through asset-based community development. It works with locally trusted organisations and develops long-term strategic partnerships, co-designing projects and growing local capacity so activity can continue beyond project funding. Its decisions consider alignment with strategic aims, demonstrable need, realistic outcomes and proportionate due diligence; it aims to support smaller organisations and those new to funding with application guidance and proportionate monitoring thereafter.
Themes
- Youth crime prevention
- Youth mental health
- Asset-based community development
Geographic Focus
Essex; Southend; Thurrock.
How to apply
For specific funds and projects, applications and proposals are assessed by staff against published criteria and shared with budget holders for approval.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The foundation prioritises grassroots and community-led organisations reaching people who are less active or face barriers to participation.
- Applications should align with its strategic aims and demonstrate need and realistic outcomes; decisions also take proportionate due diligence into account.
- Applicants are expected to declare conflicts of interest during the process.
- Recipients are required to report on outcomes and spend as set by the primary funder.
- The foundation offers application guidance and proportionate monitoring to smaller organisations and those new to funding.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Active Essex Foundation.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 March 2021 | £102,594 | £83,255 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2021 |
| year to 31 March 2022 | £238,452 | £13,975 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2022 |
| year to 31 March 2023 | £251,845 | £396,582 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2023 |
| year to 31 March 2024 | £787,246 | £635,285 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2024 |
| year to 31 March 2025 | £1,324,013 | £1,114,645 | £858,657 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2025 |
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
— No grants figure for that year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- activeessexfoundation.org
- activeessexfoundation.org/what-we-do · read on 30 October 2026
- activeessexfoundation.org/about-us · read on 30 October 2026
- activeessexfoundation.org/work-with-us · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 March 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Active Essex Foundation?
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Applying to Active Essex Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required