What is the fund?
NLWA established the fund to support waste prevention initiatives in north London. In total, £250,000 is set aside each year in grants for community-based (non-profit-making) organisations. Along with funding, we offer communications support and ongoing guidance for the projects.
The funding on offer is split into micro, small, medium, and large sized grants for community organisations across the seven north London boroughs.
In 2024/25, funding was awarded to 16 organisations across north London, engaging over 3,500 residents. Our 2024/25 Impact Report shows with the support provided, these projects delivered 349 workshops and events. Please find our Impact Reports from previous years below:
Impact Reports
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What funding is available?
Micro grants
- Up to £1,500
- 1-year delivery timeframe
- Payments in 1 instalment
Small grants
- Up to £5,000
- 1-year delivery timeframe
- Payments in 1 instalment
Medium grants
- Up to £20,000
- 2-year delivery timeframe
- Payments in 2 instalments
North Community Fund 2026/27
After careful consideration, 23 community groups will receive grants of up to £20,000. The funding will support projects that tackle a wide range of waste streams including food, plastics, textiles, electricals and household items. These successful projects represent all seven north London boroughs - Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest - and will help drive positive environmental and social action at a grassroots level.
Summary of projects
Age UK Waltham Forest supports older people to live fulfilling, independent lives. The organisation will create a community‑driven repair and reuse hub in Waltham Forest. Delivering repair cafés, public upcycling and training sessions, regular textile, small‑electrical and furniture‑repair workshops, donation‑diversion campaigns, sustainable‑wardrobe events and weekly social sewing sessions.
Arachne is a community-rooted charity supporting women facing multiple social disadvantages. The organisation will deliver practical sustainability workshops where residents will learn about food‑waste reduction, clothing repair and small electrical fixes, alongside wider community engagement through a street‑party awareness event.
Bernie Grant Arts Centre is a multi-arts space for diverse artists, audiences and cultural businesses in Haringey. The group will host a culturally rooted intergenerational reuse programme focusing on free repair and swapping-based cafés.
Clitterhouse Farm, a vibrant and creative community hub based in north London, offers a space for residents to meet and learn about arts, culture, sustainability and wellbeing. The organisation received funding to deliver a series of workshops which focus on preventing food waste at its source by building residents’ confidence and skills.
The Community Hub
The Community Hub is devoted to empowering women throughout their life journeys, addressing distinct challenges at each stage. The organisation will deliver a series of workshops teaching practical food waste prevention skills using leftover ingredients from local caterers.
The Community Worlds supports educational development, social integration and emotional wellbeing of residents in their community. The organisation received funding to deliver free, practical repair and reuse workshops both online and in person. Residents in Enfield and Barnet will develop skills to fix household items, learn basic repair and connect with local reuse services.
Creating Sensemaking engages, informs and educates the community in ways that promote social cohesion with a focus on environmental protection. The group will create circular economy themed board games and card games which look to support residents to adopt behaviours which reduce waste and make more sustainable choices.
Eat Club’s mission is to tackle food access inequalities, promote wellbeing, and create employment opportunities for disadvantaged young Londoners. Eat Club will deliver workshops led by professional chefs, built around sustainable cooking, using whole ingredients, proper storage, and low‑waste food preparation.
EC UK aims to share practical knowledge and childcare techniques that support babies in developing early continence, while helping parents apply these methods confidently and effectively. The project will offer a mix of in‑person and online guidance for parents, provide specialist equipment, and include free access to the EC Babies app.
Edmonton Community Partnership is a network of local schools in Edmonton and Ponders End, Endfield, that works closely with the community to provide children and young people with additional opportunities beyond the classroom. The group will deliver sessions which teach participants how to turn everyday household waste into useful or creative items, while encouraging long‑term habits around repurposing, reducing waste, understanding correct disposal, and recognising the financial benefits of reuse.
Fashion for Future is a community-led clothing exchange and creative hub tackling overconsumption and textiles waste. The organisation will deliver a programme of free, community‑led clothing repair and reuse workshops, including monthly workshops, repair events and hands‑on activity, engaging with participants in mending, altering, stain removal, upcycling and creative reuse activities led by local designers specialising in reclaimed materials.
Footprint for Good recognises the urgent need to empower marginalised communities in the face of the climate crisis. To address this, the group will deliver a fully mobile upcycling programme that brings activities into schools, parks and community spaces. The sessions will support furniture‑upcycling, therapeutic table activities, youth‑led market opportunities and green work‑experience pathways.
Holborn Community Association creates spaces and opportunities for individuals, groups and the wider community in Holborn to thrive. The organisation will host a series of drop‑in community repair hub events. The sessions will support residents to repair clothing and textiles, electronics and bicycles.
Islington Climate Centre is a vibrant community hub, supporting residents to build resilience and adapt for a sustainable future in Islington and beyond. The group will deliver community repair events, that bring together partners to repair or upcycle electricals, clothes, furniture, toys and bikes.
London DJ & MC Academy empower people from marginalised backgrounds through music, creative arts and community engagement. The organisation will deliver pop‑up repair sessions using an existing DJ van as a mobile base across Enfield, to provide free repairs for small electricals, textiles, bikes and furniture. In addition, the group will collect additional items for off‑site repair and run jewellery‑making workshops using reclaimed metals.
Natural Gardens Club is a practical skills hub teaching gardening, carpentry and textiles-based skills aiming to build confidence and reduce waste. The group will deliver sessions that support residents to learn practical upcycling and repair techniques, beginner sewing, composting and food‑waste management, and arts‑based repair such as turning broken sensory beads into jewellery.
The Parent House is a community-based charity supporting parents facing multiple disadvantages to overcome barriers, strengthen family relationships and improve outcomes for children. The organisation will deliver a free community clothing‑reuse event offering high‑quality pre‑loved adult clothing, children’s clothes support, food bank vouchers, debt and housing advice, access to food, wellbeing activities, and practical clothing‑repair sessions.
Sewn Together / Gold & Silver Interprises is a community led organisation that supports low-income households by promoting education, employment, skill sharing, cultural engagement and environmental awareness. The organisation will deliver a series of in‑person workshops, seminars and a pop‑up fair focusing on sustainable menstrual products, personalised cloth‑pad making, clothing repair and the safe reuse or redistribution of synthetic braiding hair.
Dedicated to supporting residents and young people living in an area of high deprivation, SHAK will deliver a resident‑led textile waste prevention and upcycling programme. Participants will learn how to transform unwanted clothing into useful items, building confidence and practical skills whilst encouraging long-term sustainable habits around clothing use and reuse.
Unity of Migrant Workers is a user-led charity supporting migrant workers, refugees and low-income families. The group will deliver bilingual parent‑child craft workshops in Hackney with a short “Recycling 101” for adults building recycling confidence and everyday repair and reuse skills; strengthening connections to local repair services and fostering sustained behaviour change at home.
Up ‘N Away is a Hackney based charity supporting socially isolated and economically disadvantaged young people. The organisation will deliver a wood repair and upcycling programme offering weekly practical workshops and monthly family repair days.
Up To Earth CIC
Up To Earth is dedicated to advancing environmental sustainability education for adults and children. The organisations will deliver circular economy collage workshops across alongside repair cafés and upcycling sessions.
Your Bike Project is a community-led, non-profit organisation specialising in bicycle reuse, upcycling, and cycle maintenance training. The group will run structured workshops to teach practical maintenance and upcycling skills whilst refurbishing bikes for redistribution to individuals experiencing financial hardship.
FAQs
Any legally constituted, community-based (non-profit making) organisation is eligible to apply. This includes any:
- Charitable Trust
- Unincorporated Association
- Community Benefit Society / Cooperative Society registered under the Co-Operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
- Charitable Company
- Community Interest Company
- Company Limited by Guarantee
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Charitable Incorporated Organisation
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Tenants Residents Associations (TRAs)
Projects must be delivered in one or more of the north London boroughs (see map above), but it is not a requirement for the organisation to be based there.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to waste-prevention, and you know the needs of your community best. We want to encourage a wide range of ideas and therefore there is no prescribed approach, but it is also important to clearly connect the waste prevention activity you are proposing to a reduction in household waste.
- Research projects
- Projects designed to only reduce waste from a business
- Projects delivered by a local authority
- Project applications from profit-making businesses
- Projects for which full funding has already been received from another source
- The cost of work or activity that an organisation or individual has a duty to do
- Projects delivered by a school*
- Projects delivered in schools during term time or within school time*
* To learn about our education activities, head over to our Education Hub.
Following a co-design process to review of the North London Community Fund, this is what we will be looking for in your application. Learn more about the NLCF co-design.
- C1: Planning of the project and whether it is achievable within the proposed timeframe.
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C2: What results the project aims to achieve, and how they will be measured and communicated.
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C3: How the project will involve, support and inspire north London residents, communities or groups to take part in waste prevention activities.
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C4: How the project's resources (funding, partnerships, time and people) are planned.
A more detailed breakdown of each of these can be found in the guidance document.
If you're application is successful, you may also be required to provide the following documents ahead of your project delivery:
- Public Liability Insurance for proposals that involve the use of a venue or locations.
- Employers Liability Insurance unless the applicant has statutory exemption for this type of insurance.
- A copy of accounts or financial statement for the last financial year relating to the organisation applying. If you are a new or small organisation, or if you need support with this request, we can guide you on what to provide.
A recent bank statement or official document showing details of bank account
As best practice, we also recommend you have health and safety, environmental and equal opportunities policies in place. Templates for these are provided here if you require them:
To keep our process as fair as possible, we do not offer support with completing the application. However, during December and January, we hosted 2 live Q&A Webinars to explain the fund and answer your questions. Below is a recording of this session:
We also hosted Community Workshops last year to provide organisational development training for volunteer, charity and social enterprise organisations in north London. The recordings are available here.
Our clarification request window has now closed. To see other people's questions, please check the clarification document here:
Many local CVS groups will also provide support with application writing - Get in touch with your local group to find out more:
Yes. NLWA encourages applicants to maximise the benefit of other funding. This has several benefits including the increase of value for money. Match funding is not mandatory however, and will not form part of the assessment of your application.
It is good to detail the cost of the whole project. This can be detailed on the application form under the match-funding section. Please refer to guidance document.
Yes. Organisations can apply on their own or can partner with other organisations to make a joint application so that they can deliver the project together. Please keep in mind that only one application is accepted per organisation each year
Yes, staff costs are eligible for funding. The amount of funding requested should only correspond to the amount of time spent on the project and not any other activities carried out by the organisation. It is recognised that staff time can form a significant part of project costs and details of all staff time spent on the project should be provided in the final financial report.
Yes, the fund can be put towards core costs. This must be set out in your project resources template with your application. However, the funding cannot be used to cover rental agreements that extend beyond the funding period.
Only one proposal must be submitted by an applicant in this funding round.
Payments will be made into the bank account of the recipient organisation. Recipients of the fund will need to be set-up on the NLWA payment system. This process can take up to 2 months. Invoices will then need to be submitted to Camden for payment. Payments are made on our behalf by Camden Council and payment terms are 30 days from receipt of the invoice.
If extensions to projects funded by the North London Community Fund have been agreed, this does not exclude organisations applying in later rounds of the Fund, even if they are still delivering the project.
Yes, we welcome applications from past recipients of the Community Fund for new projects. If you are applying for more funding for the same project, we would expect it to have evolved from what we previously funded.
Yes. We are currently finalising the details of our large grant offer for 2026/27 and will be opening applications for large grants in the new year. Keep an eye out here for announcements.
- Application opens - 5 December 2025
- NLCF Q&A webinar - 17 December 2025
- NLCF Q&A webinar - 14 January 2026
- Deadline for applicant questions - 22 January 2026
- Deadline for NLWA to respond to applicant questions - 29 January 2026
- Application closes - 5pm, 16 February 2026
- Application evaluation - February 2026 - March 2026
- Application outcome - March 2026
2025/26 recipients
Calthorpe Community Garden
Based in King’s Cross, Calthorpe Community Garden has been awarded funding to deliver ‘Turning Scraps into Gold: Sustainable Composting for a Greener Future’. The project aims to increase the capacity of the organisation’s composting facilities, as well as offering educational tours and workshops to members of the community.
Clapton Support and Advice
Clapton Support and Advice offers support and guidance with issues such as housing, financial difficulties and mental health. The ‘Baby Bounty’ project will support disadvantaged families with children under the age of 5 by offering free, second-hand baby items and educational workshops on sustainable parenting practices.
Cooking Champions
Cooking Champions run a community kitchen in Ponders End and a library garden in Edmonton Green, offering food support and educational activities to reduce food waste. The organisation is receiving funding to deliver their ‘Food waste? Put a lid on it!’ project, which will involve workshops to train members of the community in techniques for reducing food waste at home.
Edible London
Focusing on addressing food insecurity and waste across north London, Edible London has been offered funding for their ‘Surplus with a Purpose’ project. The organisation will be redistributing surplus food to vulnerable groups. The project will also promote sustainable practices and community cohesion through creative workshops and cultural exchanges.
Footprint For Good
Based in Wood Green, Footprint for Good supports at-risk children and young people by promoting personal growth and environmental stewardship. The 'Repair, Restore, Respect Furniture Programme' will teach 12- to 18-year-olds to upcycle waste furniture and turn scrap wood into items like bird boxes and tables, fostering sustainability and entrepreneurship.
Friern Barnet Community Library
Friern Barnet Community Library will use the funding to set up a monthly repair cafe for their project ‘Repair Café and Waste Reduction Workshops’. Members of the community will be able to bring along damaged electrical items and bikes, scooters and textiles for mending, as well as attending workshops demonstrating ways to repurpose household items creatively.
GB Carnival
As part of Leyton Mas, Heart of Carnival, GB Carnival will use the funding for their ‘Homemade Mas’ project. This will involve a series of free workshops led by community artists inspiring residents to reduce waste through crafts with recycled materials. The costumes and masks will be worn at Leyton Mas People’s Parade.
Photo credit: Vicki Couchman
Gold & Silver Interprises (Go Green Eco Urban Collective)
Gold & Silver Interprises, based in Haringey – have been awarded funding to deliver ‘Trash to Treasure’. The 30 week project will involve sewing workshops, wellness, sustainable cooking, urban gardening, recycled arts and crafts and repurposing textiles. The funding will allow the organisation to expand on activities previously delivered, aiming to promote environmental sustainability and social justice.
Hackney Foodbank
Hackney Food Bank redistributes food otherwise going to waste to those in need of support. Using the award, Hackney Food Bank will purchase a fridge enabling the organisation to work with more partners offering fresh food.
Kind Cycle
Founded by residents of Haringey , Kind Cycle create community design projects and educational initiatives that promote reusing and recycling everyday items. The organisation are receiving funding to expand the reach of their project ‘Waste Not!’, an informational campaign which aims to tackle waste on housing estates through better understanding of correct disposal and alternatives like donating and sharing.
Living Way Ministries
Living Way Ministries is a faith based community organisation based in Graham Park, Barnet. The organisation are receiving funding to support their ‘Mend and Munch’ project, delivering regular workshops for clothing repairs and alterations, and food waste prevention upskilling.
New Tribe
As part of their food waste prevention project ‘Onions and…’, New Tribe will use the funding to deliver workshops to migrant communities in north London. The workshops will teach residents traditional dyeing and weaving skills, making use of plant-based food scraps, as well as ways of upcycling and repairing garments.
Play It Again Toys
Working with local organisations across Hackney and Waltham Forest, Play It Again Toys have been running workshops, encouraging families to give a second life to their broken toys by fixing or modifying them. Play It Again Toys will use the funding to expand this project, connecting with more partners, delivering more workshops and promoting their work to a larger number of people.
REACT and Forest Recycling Project
In partnership with REACT – a voluntary organisation supporting over 3000 households in Edmonton - Forest Recycling Project are preventing waste by recycling paint, fabrics and timber in Waltham Forst and Enfield with their mentoring, community activities and tool lending library. Working collaboratively, the organisations will be starting a new project – ‘Sewing and Mending Skills’ – teaching the skills to mend, alter and upcycle to groups within the community.
Refugee Workers' Cultural Association
The Refugee Workers' Cultural Association supports refugees and migrants in Haringey, focusing on Turkish and Kurdish-speaking communities. Using the funding, the organisation will install a water filtration system to reduce single-use plastic bottles and upgrade the recycling system at the centre.
Screen Share UK
Screen Share UK is dedicated to ending digital exclusion for refugees while also advocating for refugee rights across the UK. With the funding, Screen Share will continue to collect used phones and laptops, host workshops to teach asylum seekers the skills to repair these devices, and redistribute them to asylum seekers in Camden and Islington.
South Hampstead and Kilburn Community Partnership
South Hampstead and Kilburn Community Partnership (SHAK) is a resident-led charity based in the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate in Kilburn supporting members of their community through activities, learning opportunities, advice and social groups. The organisation will be use the funding to deliver the ‘Stitch Social Plus’ project, aimed at reducing textile waste through upcycling and crafts workshops.
The Enfield Alevi Cultural Centre
The Enfield Alevi Cultural Centre is receiving funding for the project ‘Let’s Create’. This new initiative aims to encourage creativity and environmental awareness for children in Edmonton. Session will be delivered through an after-school arts club, making use of waste textiles and household items collected by the community.
Woodshop of Recycled Delights
Woodshop of Recycled Delights (WoRD), located in Hackney, offers free or subsidised woodwork workshops that emphasise the sustainable use of waste timber. WoRD's latest project, ‘Building Skills, Repairing Futures: Tackling Furniture Waste,’ will teach Londoners the skills needed to repair and upcycle furniture.
Yad Voezer Day Centre
Yad Voezer Day Centre, based in Hackney, supports Jewish disabled adults. The organisations initiative, ‘Second Helping,’ aims to tackle food waste and combat food poverty within the community. The project will empower participants to collect surplus food from local businesses, transform it into nutritious meals, and serve these dishes to residents with limited access to fresh, wholesome food.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Feel free to email us at wastepreventionteam@nlwa.gov.uk.
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