Volunteering Matters
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Action Earth programme funds volunteer-led environmental projects in Scotland, and it is the only programme for which the annual report states a figure, up to £250, so a request at or below that amount fits what is stated.
- The annual giving total and grant range are not stated, so the £250 figure is the only guide to size.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and the programme offers help and advice throughout the process.
- Projects in areas of substantial deprivation, projects improving community health and wellbeing, projects involving disabled or vulnerable people, and projects engaging people aged 26 or under in outdoor conservation are prioritised, while staff time, freelance wages, food growing, large equipment, school-grounds projects and, unless they involve disabled people or defined health groups or work in areas of multiple deprivation, remote rural projects are excluded.
Overview
Volunteering Matters is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 291222).
What they fund
Priority Areas
Volunteering Matters builds stronger, inclusive communities through volunteering, using place-based, people-led work co-created with communities and responsive to local needs. Its programmes support people to connect, lead and create change in their communities. Through Action Earth it also makes grants for volunteer-led environmental projects in Scotland. These projects take practical outdoor action to improve urban green spaces and biodiversity, including community gardens, wildflower meadows, ponds, woodlands and other wildlife habitats. The programme prioritises volunteer groups working in areas of substantial social or economic deprivation, improving community health and wellbeing, involving disabled or vulnerable people or people at risk of exclusion, or engaging young people in outdoor conservation.
Themes
- Community environmental action
Geographic Focus
Scotland. Priority: UK.
What they don't fund
- Action Earth only:
- Activities which are primarily about food growing
- Staff time
- freelance or sessional workers wages
- accommodation
- cameras
- large pieces of equipment (lawnmowers, power tools etc)
- fuel costs
- garden furniture
- garden ornaments
- compost that is not ‘peat-free’
- Projects in remote rural settings (unless involving disabled people/defined health groups or working in areas of multiple deprivation)
- Any project taking place on school grounds
How to apply
The programme offers help and advice throughout the application process.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The programme prioritises groups working in areas of substantial social and/or economic deprivation.
- The programme prioritises projects that improve and develop the health and wellbeing of their local community.
- The programme prioritises projects involving disabled people, vulnerable people and those at risk of exclusion.
- The programme prioritises projects that encourage and involve people aged 26 or under in practical outdoor conservation.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
- Scotland
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Volunteering Matters.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 March 2021 | £5,202,000 | £5,548,000 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2021 |
| year to 31 March 2022 | £7,459,000 | £7,778,000 | £48,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2022 |
| year to 31 March 2023 | £22,827,000 | £14,478,000 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2023 |
| year to 31 March 2024 | £7,029,000 | £6,585,000 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2024 |
| year to 31 March 2025 | £5,695,000 | £5,815,000 | — | Accounts for year to 31 March 2025 |
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2022: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
— No grants figure for those years.
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
- volunteeringmatters.org.uk
- volunteeringmatters.org.uk/about-us · read on 30 October 2026
- volunteeringmatters.org.uk/project/action-earth · read on 30 October 2026
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 Volunteering Matters?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- volunteeringmatters.org.uk
- Charity Commission register entryContact details as held by the Charity Commission
Applying to Volunteering Matters?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- volunteeringmatters.org.uk
- Charity Commission register entryContact details as held by the Charity Commission