Grassroots organisations across London are being invited to apply for a new £6 million funding package designed to strengthen specialist support for women and girls who have
experienced violence and abuse.
The latest round of the Mayor of London’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Grassroots Fund will provide grants to community-based organisations that work directly with victims and survivors, particularly those from groups that can face additional barriers when seeking help.
Grants of up to £150,000 will be available over three years, equivalent to £50,000 annually. The funding is intended to help organisations provide practical and specialist assistance, including legal advice, counselling, emergency accommodation and other services that can help survivors regain stability and rebuild their lives.
The programme places particular emphasis on organisations that are embedded within the communities they serve. Funding will support services for women and girls from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities, women with disabilities, women involved in prostitution and other groups that may be underserved by mainstream support services.
Violence against women and girls can have profound and long-lasting effects on victims, survivors and their families. Finding appropriate support, navigating the justice system and accessing safe accommodation can be particularly difficult for people facing financial hardship, discrimination, language barriers or other obstacles.
The Mayor’s office says community organisations can play an important role because they are often trusted by the people they support and understand the particular circumstances of the communities in which they operate.
Since the VAWG Grassroots Fund was established in 2021, its first two rounds of funding have supported 57 organisations and reached more than 56,800 women, girls and families from minoritised communities. The latest round is intended to expand that reach and provide longer-term assistance through organisations operating at a local level.
The programme has also contributed to the development of new community initiatives. One survivor who received support through the fund subsequently established a charity helping Romani Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller women and children deal with the consequences of abuse and access support as they rebuild their lives.
Eligible grassroots organisations from across London can submit applications through The London Community Foundation. Applications for the latest VAWG funding round must be submitted by 4 November 2026.
Additional support for victims of other crimes
The Mayor is also committing a further £2 million through a separate Victims’ Fund over the next two years.
The programme will provide grants of up to £200,000, with organisations able to receive as much as £100,000 per year. The funding is aimed at voluntary and community organisations supporting victims and survivors of crimes that do not fall under the VAWG category, including robbery, theft and grievous bodily harm.
Both programmes are designed to provide more tailored assistance to people from communities that can experience difficulties accessing mainstream services.
The additional investment comes against a backdrop of continuing financial pressures on households. Rising living costs can make it harder for people experiencing domestic abuse or other forms of violence to leave unsafe situations, secure alternative accommodation and establish financial independence.
Support organisations can therefore provide assistance that goes beyond immediate crisis intervention. This may include helping survivors obtain legal advice, find safe housing, access counselling, rebuild their confidence and move towards employment and greater financial security.
Wider strategy on violence against women and girls
The new grassroots funding forms part of the Mayor’s wider programme addressing violence against women and girls in London.
According to the Mayor’s office, £318 million has already been committed to measures aimed at strengthening work against perpetrators, improving support for victims and survivors, and developing longer-term prevention initiatives.
A further £37 million is being allocated under the Mayor’s new VAWG strategy. The programme includes measures addressing technology-facilitated abuse, online misogyny and exploitation, child sexual exploitation and the influence of the so-called manosphere. It also includes initiatives intended to help survivors enter employment, achieve financial independence and gain access to independent legal advice.
The approach combines support for people experiencing violence with measures designed to address the wider conditions that can enable abuse and make it difficult for survivors to escape its consequences.
Through the latest £6 million grassroots fund, community organisations will have an opportunity to expand specialist services within the communities where they already have established relationships and expertise. For many survivors, the availability of such trusted local support can be an important step towards safety, recovery and rebuilding their lives.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Victims and survivors of violence against women and girls deserve the highest level of support to help them recover, and rebuild their lives. That’s why, as part of my new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, I am investing more than £6million into grassroot organisations that are rooted in and led by the communities they serve, through my VAWG Grassroots Fund.
“Our funding has already helped over 56,000 women, children and families receive vital help such as legal advice, counselling, emergency housing or any other key services. I’m determined to ensure that we continue this funding for grassroot organisations so that any woman, from any background has the help they need. Today I’m inviting grassroot organisations to apply for a grant so that we can support them carry out their life-saving work.
“As we continue to work together to tackle the epidemic of VAWG, including its root causes to build a safer London for everyone, I look forward to working closely with the Government, the Met police and grassroots organisations across London to do even more to support the most vulnerable in our society and help them access the one-to-one help they desperately need and deserve.” Photo by Policy Exchange, Wikimedia commons.
