THE ALPKIT FOUNDATION

Grants of between £50 and £500 are available to UK charitable organisations, including Community Interest Companies, for projects that enable people to access and experience the outdoor environment.
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o Application deadline: none – applications may be made at any time via the application form on the Foundation’s website. Applications are reviewed every 2-3 months.
o Funder: The Alpkit Foundation (founded 2015. Charity number 1162585. Total charitable expenditure for the year ended 31 October 2023: £222,392 (2022: £127,730; 2021: £168,874)).
o Who can apply: UK-based community groups, organisations, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and schools.
o Key words: Young People, Leisure and Recreation, Travel, Conservation and Environmental Protection, Outdoor Activities, Sport, Games, United Kingdom.
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The objectives of the Alpkit Foundation are:

(1) To help young people, especially but not exclusively through leisure time activities, so as to develop their capabilities that they grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.
(2) To provide or assist in the provision of activities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances with the object of improving their conditions of life.
(3) To advance the education of the public in the conversation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment.
(4) For the public benefit to promote the education (including social and physical training) of people in such ways as the charity trustees think fit.
(5) To advance sport or games which promote health by physical or mental skill or exertion and which are undertaken on an amateur basis, and
(6) Any other charitable purpose as the charity trustees think fit.

The Foundation is particularly keen to support projects which:

o Demonstrate value for money.
o Enable people to enjoy outdoor activity, particularly those that have not participated in outdoor activities previously
o Encourage responsible outdoor activity, and
o Have long lasting benefits Introduce new people to get outdoors.

Grants of between £50 and £500, with no matched funding requirement, are available for projects across the UK that can demonstrate:

o Diversity and inclusion projects that engage individual and groups from a diverse range of backgrounds.
o Education projects such as First Aid, D of E, Forest Schools and Mountain Leader.
o Environmental projects that seek to support, conserve, or generate understanding of our environment and wild places.
o Health projects enabling people to gain physical and mental wellbeing from the Great Outdoors, and
o Participation projects that get more people experiencing the Great Outdoors.

During the year ended 31st October 2023, the Foundation received 1,449 applications, representing an increase of 211 (or 17%) on the number of applications in 2022. The Foundation made awards to 634 projects totalling over £131,000, with an average award of approximately £210. In 2022, the Foundation made awards to 518 projects totalling over £131,000 (average grant: £220). More details of individual awards can be found on the Foundation’s website.

Funding is not available for:

o Holidays
o Charity challenges
o Commercially led travel expeditions that are not focused on the Great Outdoors (eg, rebuilding schools, overseas medicine).
o Holidays.
o Retrospective applications, or
o Scout Jamborees.

Applications, which are reviewed every 8 weeks, may be made at any time. Applicants are advised to apply at least 3 months before the start of their project.

Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the Foundation’s website.