Women and Girls Capital Grant Fund

The Women and Girls Capital Grant supports physical improvements to facilities and equipment that promote inclusive access for women and girls. 

Aim of the grant

The aim of the Women and Girls Sport and Physical Activity Fund is to support the delivery of the Wandsworth Moves Together Strategy by increasing sport and physical activity opportunities for all residents, from all sections of the community, of the London Borough of Wandsworth.

The Women and Girls Sport and Physical Activity Fund must be used to fund the provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure, or anything else that is concerned with addressing the demands that development places on an area.   

Examples of demands that development may place on an area include: 

• The need to counter the loss of biodiversity and other negative effects on the environment caused by development, including pollution   
• Issues related to high population density such as heightened crime, including antisocial behaviour and littering, and pressure on waste management and food production systems   
• The need for community cohesion to support different communities to share spaces and resources
• The need for community venues for events, Sport and physical activities and other opportunities
• The need for activities that support sport, physical and mental wellbeing in the area
• The need for high-quality outdoor space, especially where outdoor space is being lost during development    
• The need to facilitate safe and easy movement through the area, such as good walking routes, cycle paths and community bus services    
• An increased cost of living and impact on community assets

Projects need to be infrastructure based aimed at relieving the demands placed on a local area by new development.   

Physical infrastructure

For example:

• Improvements to community buildings to allow for sport and physical activities to take place
• Improvements to community buildings to make spaces safe for women and girls to participate in sport and physical activity
• Street scene improvements to allow areas to be better used for sport and physical activity
• Contributing to borough greening initiatives
• Making environments more accessible and Disability Discrimination Act compliant
• Increasing the variety of play and fitness equipment

Social infrastructure

Local services and facilities that contribute to the quality of life

For example:

• Provision of community sport and physical activity facilities and equipment
• Outreach provision to support more isolated members of the community

What we don't fund

• Political or religious orientated projects
• Projects that would be totally reliant on further funding from the Council to continue i.e. need to show sustainability
• Staff posts, unless it is time limited for the exclusive delivery of the project
• Professional fees to prepare application
• Feasibility studies
• Applications which are fundraising in nature
• Retrospective activity

Grant amount

To provide a substantial funding stream for all areas, the borough has been divided into five cluster areas:

• North Battersea
• Wandsworth
• Putney
• South Battersea and Balham
• Tooting

You must indicate in your application which area you are applying for as each area has a separate amount of funding available.  

There is no minimum or maximum amount applicants can apply for however, we anticipate that demand will exceed the funding available.   

Match funding is not essential but projects which have secured match funding, monetary or in-kind, will be a higher priority.   

Who can apply

To be eligible for the Wandsworth Women and Girls Sport and Physical Activity Grant Fund, your organisation must be:

Benefiting the borough and its residents

Your organisation must provide sport or physical activities that directly benefit the residents of the London Borough of Wandsworth.

Not for profit

You can apply if your organisation is a:

• Constituted voluntary or community organisation
• Constituted group or club
• Registered charity
• Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)
• Not-for-profit company
• Community interest company (CIC) limited by guarantee
• Community benefit society
• Co-operative society
• A school, college or university

Organisations that generate profits for individuals or shareholders, including companies limited by shares, are not eligible. CICs limited by shares are not eligible.

Your organisation must have been in operation for at least two years.

If your organisation is not a registered charity, your governing document and accounts must show that any surplus is reinvested into the organisation’s activities, and you must have a not-for-profit asset lock clause in your governing document.

Organisations can apply in partnership with other non-voluntary sector organisations e.g. statutory agencies or private companies but the eligible voluntary or community group must be the lead partner, and funds will only be paid into their bank account.

Constituted

Your organisation must have a governing document or set of rules that is signed and dated, outlining how your organisation will operate. Additionally, your organisation must have at least three board members/trustees who are unrelated to each other and live at separate addresses.

Financially solvent

Your organisation is only eligible if its liabilities do not exceed its current assets.

Organisations must have a bank account with a minimum of 2 non-related signatories.

Timescales and deadlines

Stage 1 Expression of Interest: 

• Opens: 15 November 2025 
• Closes: 23 December 2025  

Expression of interests will be evaluated against the eligibility criteria, and we aim to inform applicants if they are being invited to submit a stage 2 application within 4 weeks of submission. 

Stage 2 main application – by invitation only  

• Closes: 15 February 2026 
• Outcome: by 31 March 2026  

Criteria for funding

Applications must meet criteria 1-7 to be considered. Further weight will be given to applications which meet criteria 8-9.  

1. The project must address the impact of development resulting in an increased number of people living in, or using your local area, and be for community benefit.  
2. The project must not have any on-going revenue implications for the Council, in terms of further council grants.  
3. The application must demonstrate evidence of need and support from the community.  
4. The project must demonstrate value for money, showing the impact and difference it makes to the local sport and physical activity community.  
5. All relevant permissions including planning permission must be in place or imminently expected prior to the Expression of Interest submission. If you do not own the building or land, permission from the owner must be obtained.  
6. The application must meet the aims of the Wandsworth Moves Together Strategy Wandsworth Moves together Strategy  
7. All applications must address at least one of the following themes working with Women and Girls: 
   1. Affordability 
   2. Secondary School Girls 
   3. Representation 
   4. Settings 
   5. Safety 
   6. Psychological Barriers 
   7. Wellbeing 
   8. Information 
8. The project can commence within a reasonable timescale; projects which cannot start within 12 months may apply but will be a lower priority than projects which can start within 12 months.  
9. Evidence of match funding, including in-kind funding e.g. volunteer time 

Permissions

Some projects may need permission to proceed, and you should not assume obtaining permission will be easily achieved.

All permissions must be in place or expected imminently (before 15 February 2026) for the project to be eligible for the Wandsworth Women and Girls Sport and Physical Activity Grant Fund and you must provide proof of permissions obtained at the Expression of Interest stage.

Landowner and property owner consent

If you don't own the land or property, you will be required to provide your lease agreement and you will need written permission from the owner that they have given their permission for the project to go ahead.

If the landowner is the Council, you will need permission from the relevant Council department.

If you hold an existing lease from the Council, rather than holding over or occupying premises under license or under any other arrangement, the unexpired term of the lease must significantly exceed the length of the projected timescale of any proposed infrastructure project.

Planning permission

You must review whether your project requires planning permission or needs to meet building regulations e.g. changing structures, building work, altering boundaries, conservation areas. Visit Planning pages for further information.

Standard timeframe for planning outcome is between 8 and 16 weeks depending on scale of project.

Listed building consent

This may be required if your project is taking place on a site that has been placed on the statutory list of ‘special architectural or historic interest’. Visit the listed buildings page for further information.

Application process

The application is in two stages.   

Stage 1: Expression of interest

Application form along with required supporting documentation to be submitted by 23 December 2025.  

Supporting documentation required:

• Your organisation’s constitution or governing document 
• Your organisation’s audited/independently examined or management accounts (no more than 12 months old, or if you do not have accounts, an income and expenditure sheet for the past 12 months) 
• Proof of building/land ownership OR lease agreement if you do not own the site 
• Proof of permissions (where required) 

Expressions of interest will be evaluated against the eligibility criteria and we aim to inform applicants if they are being invited to submit a stage 2 application within 4 weeks of submission.   

The purpose of this stage is to check the eligibility and feasibility of the proposed project. Applicants will only be invited to submit a Stage 2 application if the following criteria are met:

• The applicant is eligible for funding in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out above for the fund   
• The applicant is financially solvent and holds a level of reserves which is within its reserves policy or have a valid reason otherwise   
• Evidence that full permissions to carry out the proposed works have been obtained or are expected imminently   
• The proposed project meets regulations for the ‘Neighbourhood’ element of CIL  
• The project can feasibly start within a reasonable timeframe   

An invitation to submit a Stage 2 application is not a guarantee of funding.  

Submit an expression of interest

Stage 2: Main application

Stage 2 is by invitation only.

Application form along with required supporting documentation to be submitted by 15 February 2026.

Stage 2 applications will be evaluated against the grant fund priorities and criteria and funding decisions will be made by the assessment panel. We aim to notify applicants of the outcome by the end of March 2026.  

A more detailed application will be required at Stage 2 to include:  

• Full details of the use of the facility and how the local community will benefit from it  
• Demonstration of the need and proof of support from the community for your project  
• A full and complete breakdown of all costs including quotations for the works  
• A project plan/milestones  

If you are successful

Successful applicants will be contacted and asked to complete a Funding Agreement.

After any additional special conditions are met, the grant will be released for payment by BACS transfer to the organisation’s bank account. Awards over £20,000 will be paid in 2 instalments, according to project timelines.  

Grantees will be expected to update on the project progress regularly, complete an end of project evaluation form and provide photographs of the completed project. Officers may request project visits during and after the project.   

Contact

If you have any questions about the fund, email sportsdevelopment@wandsworth.gov.uk