Please note that if you have an application in progress with us, we will notify you of the outcome of this via email. As we continue to experience high demand for our funding, we have taken the decision to continue operating with our extended timescale for decisions of 10-12 weeks. This will help us manage demand and streamline our decision-making processes across all of our Funds.
£1,880,000 was awarded to 48 organisations in April 2026, with a success rate of 48%.
The success rate is lower than our average over the past year of 61%. This is due to current high demand for our funding and resulting pressure on our budget.
Each of the organisations below demonstrated in their application how their work is contributing to the alleviation of poverty and trauma in Scotland.
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Award in Focus - ACVO
"ACVO (Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations) is the Third Sector Interface (TSI) for Aberdeen. Through various strands of work, we actively support and promote the work of Aberdeen’s Third Sector.
Over the last 2 years, ACVO and partners have formed the Aberdeen Cash First Network as part of the Scottish Government Pilot – "Cash-First: Towards Ending the Need for Food Banks in Scotland". The project has been co-designed by people with lived experience and professionals across the third and public sectors to deliver person-centred direct financial access alongside wrap-around support to single males receiving Universal Credit who presented in crisis at foodbanks. This group has been identified as the most frequent users of emergency food provision in the city.
The Aberdeen Cash First project goes beyond simply providing money for food. At its heart is the principle of choice, ensuring individuals have the power to make decisions that best support their own wellbeing. The Cash First model is rooted in a human rights–based framework, which emphasises dignity, autonomy and the right to an adequate standard of living. By providing direct financial support to address the root causes of food insecurity, individuals’ wider rights are strengthened rather than restricted.
The pilot demonstrated the transformative effect of choice, dignity and trust for a demographic often considered as hard to reach. Launched on the 4th of November 2024, the Flexible Crisis Fund supported 157 individuals before closing in January 2026. Monitoring shows that, by March 2026, foodbank use among recipients had dropped by 95%, with 72% not returning to a food bank since receiving Cash First funding. Additionally, 80% of recipients experienced an increase in access to wrap-around support, encouraging trust to be built with professionals, and positively impacting on their long-term support needs.
While the Aberdeen Cash First Network has demonstrated significant impact over the pilot period, there is a clear need to consider how this approach could be expanded to wider demographics throughout the city. With support from The Robertson Trust Large Grant, ACVO and partners aim to drive lasting citywide change in the provision of crisis support.” Amy Duncan, Cash First Network Co-ordinator
Our team says... "ACVO brings over 20 years of experience as a central hub for the local third sector, working to empower communities, centre lived experience, and champion equality. Whilst the focus of this work is on the Cash First element, the wider wraparound support is equally vital to preventing individuals falling further into poverty.
By prioritising dignity and choice, people are trusted to decide how best to use support whether for essentials, managing debt, or accessing employment opportunities. It is the person-centred, trauma-informed wraparound support that has the greatest impact, enabling individuals to tackle wider challenges and helping prevent them falling further into poverty. We are pleased to support ACVO as they deliver this important work in their community." Shelby Brown, Funding Officer
Financial Security
Through our Financial Security theme, we want to fund, support, and influence to improve income adequacy, income security, reduce cost-related pressures on finances, and improve financial safety nets for people in financial trouble.
April 2025:
Primary Priority: Struggling with day-to-day costs
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Large Grant | Networking Key Services Ltd. (NKS) | Towards the running costs of Networking Key Services | £84,000 | Edinburgh City |
| Large Grant | Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations (ACVO) | Towards the salary costs of the Cash First Network Project Co-ordinator. | £105,000 | Aberdeen City |
| Large Grant | St Andrews Environmental Network Ltd | Energy Advice Project (Glenrothes) | £75,000 | Fife |
| Small Grant | Starter Packs Inverclyde | Running Costs | £33,000 | Inverclyde |
| Wee Grant | Girvan Development Group | The Costs of the Soup Kitchen | £2,000 | South Ayrshire |
| Wee Grant | South Ayrshire School Clothing Bank | Running Costs | £3,000 | South Ayrshire |
| Community Transport | Mamacita Foundation | Transport Costs | £6,000 | Aberdeen City |
Primary Priority: Access to advice, support and advocacy
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Large Grant | Castlemilk Citizens Advice Bureau | Running costs of Castlemilk CAB | £75,000 | West Lothian |
| Small Grant | Cancer Card | Towards the costs of the Fife Community Development Worker & Comfort Boxes | £39,000 | Scotland Wide |
| Small Grant | The Depot Supporting Refugees in Dumfries and Galloway | Towards the Running Costs of the work in Scotland | £51,000 | Glasgow City |
| Large Grant | Stirling District Citizens Advice Bureau Ltd | Running costs of Stirling CAB | £115,500 | |
| Wee Grant | Glasgow Action for Pensioners | Running Costs | £5,000 |
Nurturing Relationships
We want to see a Scotland where people, families and communities can thrive and not be trapped in cycles of poverty and trauma. We want to support nurturing relationships within families and communities, to help break the cycle between persistent poverty and intergenerational trauma, and support recovery.
April 2026:
Primary Priority: Preventative support for families
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Small Grant | Baby Steps 20+ | The Salary Costs of a Project Worker | £20,000 | Highland |
| Large Grant | The Cottage Family Centre | Running costs of The Cottage Family Centre | £229,000 | Perth and Kinross |
| Small Grant | Alloa Hub Limited | The Costs of the Family Learning Activities | £25,500 | Clackmannanshire |
Primary Priority: Whole family support to address impacts
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Small Grant | Spiral - Creative Arts Therapies | Towards the kinship care project costs | £49,500 | Stirling |
Primary Priority: Addressing homelessness, substance misuse, offending
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Small Grant | The Scheme Livi | Running costs of The Scheme Livi | £60,000 | West Lothian |
| Large Grant | Talk Now | Towards the running costs of Talk Now | £63,000 | South Lanarkshire |
| Large Grant | Anchor House | Towards the running costs of the Neuk | £100,500 | Perth and Kinross |
| Wee Grant | Dumfries and Galloway Recovery Together | Running Costs | £4,000 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Wee Grant | East End Recovery Sunday | Running Costs | £3,000 | Glasgow City |
Education Pathways
The ultimate aim of the Education Pathways theme is to help shape an education system that maximises its contribution to wellbeing, is trauma informed with the aim of preventing and reducing poverty in Scotland.
April 2026:
Primary Priority: Educational Engagement
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Large Grant | Carers Forum Stirling Area t/a Stirling Carers Centre | Towards the Young Carers Service | £90,000 | Stirling |
| Large Grant | Columba 1400 | Core Costs of Columba 1400 | £120,000 | Scotland Wide |
| Small Grant | Tranent Youth and Community Facility | Running Costs | £54,000 | East Lothian |
| Large Grant | Dumfries YMCA SCIO | Running costs of Dumfries YMCA | £90,000 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Small Grant | EPIC Young People | Running Costs | £15,000 | East Ayrshire |
| Community Transport | 1st Gourock (CDO) 6th Greenock & District Scout Group | Towards the purchase of a Minibus | £6,000 | Inverclyde |
| Community Transport | Castlemilk Youth Complex | Purchase and running costs of electric minibus | £17,000 | Glasgow City |
Primary Priority: Educational Attainment
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Wee Grant | East Kilbride Unit (No 550) of the Sea Cadet Corps | Running Costs | £3,000 | South Lanarkshire |
| Wee Grant | Women Activeworks Society | The Education and Learning Project | £4,000 | North Lanarkshire |
Work Pathways
Through our Work Pathways theme, we aim to ensure work can be a better route out of poverty by tackling the drivers of in-work poverty, and supporting key population groups who are underrepresented in the labour market, and overrepresented in low paid, insecure work.
April 2026:
Primary Priority: Skills for employment
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Large Grant | The Turing Trust | Towards the delivery cost of the Trainee programme in Scotland | £90,000 | East Lothian; Edinburgh City; Midlothian; Scottish Borders; West Lothian |
Primary Priority: Addressing barriers to employment/ training
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Wee Grant | Moray Supports Migrants and Refugees | Running Costs | £3,000 | Moray |
Preventing or reducing poverty at a community level
April 2026:
| Funding Type | Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Community Space | Toryglen Community Base | Running Costs | £48,000 | Glasgow City |
| Community Transport | Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities (REEM) | Transport Costs | £10,000 | Renfrewshire |
| Community Space | The Gate Charity | Core running costs of The Gate Charity | £60,000 | Clackmannanshire |
| Wee Grant | International Cafe Perth | Running costs | £2,000 | Perth and Kinross |
| Wee Grant | The Tinnis Trust | Running Costs | £2,000 | Scottish Borders |
| Wee Grant | 31st West Lothian Scout Group | Towards building repairs | £2,000 | West Lothian |
| Community Space | Love Milton | Running Costs | £30,000 | Glasgow City |
| Community Space | Glencassels Community Development Project | Running Costs | £51,000 | North Lanarkshire |
| Wee Grant | Rosyth Mens Shed | Running Costs | £2,000 | Fife |
| Community Transport | The Shed Project | The cost of the Community Minibus | £20,000 | Western Isles |
| Wee Grant | OOR CLUB | The Costs of the Summer Programme | £2,000 | Inverclyde |
| Wee Grant | Nzuko Ndi Anambra (Glasgow) | Running Costs | £2,000 | Glasgow City |
| Wee Grant | Friends of Seaview | Running Costs | £2,000 | Edinburgh City |
| Wee Grant | Men's Shed Govan | Running Costs | £2,000 | Glasgow City |
| Wee Grant | At Home At The Theatre Limited | The OKVT Project | £2,000 | West Lothian |
| Wee Grant | PROJECT 42 | Running Costs | £3,000 | North Lanarkshire |
Wee Grants
- For constituted community groups and charities with an annual income of less than £30,000
- Funding of up to £5,000 for one year only
- Could cover revenue* or capital costs to support your work.
April 2026:
| Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| International Cafe Perth | Running costs | £2,000 | Perth and Kinross |
| The Tinnis Trust | Running Costs | £2,000 | Scottish Borders |
| 31st West Lothian Scout Group | Towards building repairs | £2,000 | West Lothian |
| Rosyth Mens Shed | Running Costs | £2,000 | Fife |
| Girvan Development Group | The Costs of the Soup Kitchen | £2,000 | South Ayrshire |
| Dumfries and Galloway Recovery Together | Running Costs | £4,000 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| OOR CLUB | The Costs of the Summer Programme | £2,000 | Inverclyde |
| East End Recovery Sunday | Running Costs | £3,000 | Glasgow City |
| East Kilbride Unit (No 550) of the Sea Cadet Corps | Running Costs | £3,000 | South Lanarkshire |
| Nzuko Ndi Anambra (Glasgow) | Running Costs | £2,000 | Glasgow City |
| South Ayrshire School Clothing Bank | Running Costs | £3,000 | South Ayrshire |
| Friends of Seaview | Running Costs | £2,000 | Edinburgh City |
| Moray Supports Migrants and Refugees | Running Costs | £3,000 | Moray |
| Men's Shed Govan | Running Costs | £2,000 | Glasgow City |
| At Home At The Theatre Limited | The OKVT Project | £2,000 | West Lothian |
| Glasgow Action for Pensioners | Running Costs | £5,000 | Glasgow City |
| Women Activeworks Society | The Education and Learning Project | £4,000 | North Lanarkshire |
| PROJECT 42 | Running Costs | £3,000 | North Lanarkshire |
Community Spaces
- Funding to support local communities experiencing poverty and trauma in Scotland.
- Registered charities with an annual income of between £30,000 and £500,000 are eligible to apply.
- Can provide revenue funding of between £5,000 and £20,000 per year, for up to 3 years, to support the costs of community centres, hubs or anchor organisations who are delivering and/or hosting a range of services and activities to meet the needs of their community. Applicants should show how the various services they deliver and/or host relate to preventing or reducing poverty and trauma for local people.
April 2026:
| Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Toryglen Community Base | Running Costs | £48,000 | Glasgow City |
| The Gate Charity | Core running costs of The Gate Charity | £60,000 | Clackmannanshire |
| Love Milton | Running Costs | £30,000 | Glasgow City |
| Glencassels Community Development Project | Running Costs | £51,000 | North Lanarkshire |
Transport Grants
- For registered charities with an annual income of between £30,000 and £2 million
- Funding of between £5,000 and £20,000 per year, for 1-3 years, to contribute towards the costs of transport to support your work.
April 2026:
| Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities (REEM) | Transport Costs | £10,000 | Renfrewshire |
| The Shed Project | The cost of the Community Minibus | £20,000 | Western Isles |
| 1st Gourock (CDO) 6th Greenock & District Scout Group | Towards the purchase of a Minibus | £6,000 | Inverclyde |
| Mamacita Foundation | Transport Costs | £6,000 | Aberdeen City |
| Castlemilk Youth Complex | Purchase and running costs of electric minibus | £17,000 | Glasgow City |
Small Grants
- For registered charities with an annual income of between £30,000 and £200,000.
- Revenue funding of between £5,000 and £20,000 per year, for up to five years.
- Unrestricted or restricted funding.
- Can include the costs of equipment to support your work.
April 2026:
| Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| The Scheme Livi | Running costs of The Scheme Livi | £60,000 | West Lothian |
| Spiral - Creative Arts Therapies | Towards the kinship care project costs | £49,500 | Glasgow City |
| Cancer Card | Towards the costs of the Fife Community Development Worker & Comfort Boxes | £39,000 | Fife |
| Baby Steps 20+ | The Salary Costs of a Project Worker | £20,000 | Falkirk |
| Tranent Youth and Community Facility | Running Costs | £54,000 | East Lothian |
| Alloa Hub Limited | The Costs of the Family Learning Activities | £25,500 | Clackmannanshire |
| The Depot Supporting Refugees in Dumfries and Galloway | Towards the Running Costs of the work in Scotland | £51,000 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| EPIC Young People | Running Costs | £15,000 | East Ayrshire |
| Starter Packs Inverclyde | Running Costs | £33,000 | Inverclyde |
Large Grants
- For registered charities with an annual income of over £200,000 and up to £2 million.
- Revenue funding of between £20,000 and £50,000 per year, for up to five years.
- Unrestricted or restricted funding.
- Can include the costs of equipment to support your work.
April 2026:
| Organisation Name | Funding Request | Total Amount Awarded | Project Location |
| Networking Key Services Ltd. (NKS) | Towards the running costs of Networking Key Services | £84,000 | Edinburgh City |
| Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations (ACVO) | Towards the salary costs of the Cash First Network Project Co-ordinator. | £105,000 | Aberdeen City |
| Carers Forum Stirling Area t/a Stirling Carers Centre | Towards the Young Carers Service | £90,000 | Stirling |
| Talk Now | Towards the running costs of Talk Now | £63,000 | South Lanarkshire |
| Castlemilk Citizens Advice Bureau | Running costs of Castlemilk CAB | £75,000 | Glasgow City |
| Columba 1400 | Core Costs of Columba 1400 | £120,000 | Scotland Wide |
| Anchor House | Towards the running costs of the Neuk | £100,500 | Perth and Kinross |
| The Turing Trust | Towards the delivery cost of the Trainee programme in Scotland | £90,000 | East Lothian; Edinburgh City; Midlothian; Scottish Borders; West Lothian |
| St Andrews Environmental Network Ltd | Energy Advice Project (Glenrothes) | £75,000 | Fife |
| Dumfries YMCA SCIO | Running costs of Dumfries YMCA | £90,000 | Dumfries and Galloway |
| The Cottage Family Centre | Running costs of The Cottage Family Centre | £229,000 | Fife |
| Stirling District Citizens Advice Bureau Ltd | Running costs of Stirling CAB | £115,500 | Stirling |
Download our report here.
If you have any questions about applying for Our Funds, please contact us on 0141 353 4321 or funding@therobertsontrust.org.uk.