Hammersmith United Charities

Hammersmith United Charities, an endowed local charity founded in 1618, focuses on relieving poverty and disadvantage among residents of the Hammersmith area in west London through high-quality almshouses for around 100 older people and a targeted community grants programme. Rooted in centuries of philanthropic tradition, its mission emphasizes community, inclusiveness, wellbeing, and holistic social need, blending historic stewardship of social housing with agile grant-making that invests around £400,000 annually in grassroots projects tackling inequality, social isolation, mental health, education, employability, children's enrichment, health/disability support, youth initiatives, and community cohesion—all strictly within its mapped Hammersmith area of benefit.

It prioritizes smaller, local organizations and groups with strong beneficiary connections, serving individuals and communities living or working in Hammersmith; there are no strict legal entity requirements, income thresholds, or religious restrictions, though it favors grassroots leaders and community-led designs. Unsolicited applications are welcome via eligibility quiz, initial phone discussion with the grants team (grants@hamunitedcharities.com), and online form; repeat grantees can access Flexible 3-Year Grants for core or project costs.

Grants typically range from under £5,000 for first-time awards (average £7,500, max £15,000), supporting one-off projects, ongoing work, or unrestricted funding in biannual Community Grants rounds (next deadline: 12 January 2026) or the September 2025 3-Year programme—no rolling applications. Distinctive for its relational, flexible style (including core costs and repeats), hyper-local focus, and dual housing-grants model, it avoids non-local work, large-scale projects, or statutory services, nurturing long-term collaborations to build social capital and resilience in Hammersmith.