Social Farms & Gardens
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. Don't spend time on an approach; the similar funders below support the same kind of work.
Key takeaways
- Social Farms & Gardens suits member groups running nature-based or community growing work with children, since its one reported open round, the Children's Summer Activity Grants for SF&G Members, gives up to £1,500.
- The funder is by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a group that is not already a member should not apply.
- For the summer round, the applicant must be a member or representative aged 18 or over, the group must have legal status, a safeguarding policy, and adequate insurance for the activities and site, and it must not be run for private profit.
- The window opens at midday in June and closes at 6pm in July, so have a safeguarding policy, your most recent audited accounts and a public liability insurance certificate ready for the online form.
- Proposals that clearly connect children with nature, engage children from disadvantaged backgrounds or with disabilities, and draw on past success with outdoor activities are favoured, and ties for the top score are settled by geographic spread across the UK.
Overview
Social Farms & Gardens is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 294494).
Social Farms & Gardens is a membership organisation that supports people and communities to improve the health and wellbeing of people and planet through community growing and nature-based activities. It was born from the merger of two long-established charities that both championed community farms and gardens. Its members include community farms and gardens, city gardens, school farms and green care organisations. It also secures project funding that it makes available for members to apply for. Its annual giving was £148,744 in the latest reported year, and in its most recent summer round it delivered grants of up to £1500 to 31 community growing projects, from a total grant pot to members of £44,000.
What they fund
Priority Areas
Social Farms & Gardens supports organisations offering nature-based community activities. Its membership includes community farms and gardens, city gardens, school farms and green care organisations. It seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and the environment through nature-based activities. Through its member collective it provides specialist support, advocacy, training and events, and leads partnerships, networks and funded projects. It secures project funding for members to apply for; its schemes distribute grants and resources directly to member groups. One reported grant scheme supported community growing projects to run summer activities for children and young people.
Themes
- Nature-based activities
- Community growing
Geographic Focus
The UK.
What they don't fund
- Children’s Summer Activity Grants for SF&G Members only:
- organisations without a legal status
- organisations that are for private profit
- organisations without a safeguarding policy in place
- organisations without adequate insurance in place for the proposed activities and site
How to apply
For the Children’s Summer Activity Grants, applicants complete and submit an online application form.
Deadlines: The summer-activity grant round closes in early July.
Application windows:
- Children’s Summer Activity Grants for SF&G Members: Opens at midday in June and closes at 6pm in July
Who can apply:
- Children’s Summer Activity Grants for SF&G Members
- Open to entries from SF&G members or representatives aged 18 or over. Applications are open to existing members of Social Farms & Gardens who are sited in the UK and who meet the eligibility criteria.
- In addition, they must have a safeguarding policy in place as well as adequate insurance in place for the proposed activities and site.
What to send:
- Children’s Summer Activity Grants for SF&G Members
- Safeguarding policy
- Most recent audited Annual Accounts
- Public Liability Insurance certificate
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The programme favours clear proposals for connecting children with nature.
- The programme values the ability to engage children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- The programme values the ability to engage children with disabilities.
- The programme considers previous experience running successful outdoor activities for children.
- The programme values a legacy for participants.
- Where applications tie for the highest score, grants are allocated to provide geographical spread across the UK.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Social Farms & Gardens.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 March 2021 | £1,815,337 | £1,718,176 | £102,551 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2021 |
| year to 31 March 2022 | £1,499,993 | £1,374,927 | £38,123 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2022 |
| year to 31 March 2023 | £1,464,930 | £1,610,527 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2023 |
| year to 31 March 2024 | £1,391,225 | £1,611,095 | £249,586 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2024 |
| year to 31 March 2025 | £1,050,591 | £1,113,931 | £148,744 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 4 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2021; year to 31 March 2022; year to 31 March 2024; year to 31 March 2025: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
— 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
- farmgarden.org.uk
- farmgarden.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do · read on 30 October 2026
- farmgarden.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-06/terms_and_conditions_-_sfg_childrens_summer_activities_2025_1.pdf · read on 30 October 2026
- farmgarden.org.uk/news/applications-now-open-social-farms-gardens-members-outdoor-activities-grants · 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 Social Farms & Gardens?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Applying to Social Farms & Gardens?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required