New fund launched to empower Women and Girls in Salford

Salford City Council is proud to announce the launch of the Women and Girls’ Empowerment Fund – a new grants programme designed to support and empower women and girls across Salford. The fund will be administered by Salford CVS.

The fund will provide grants of up to £1,000 or £5,000 to voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups that are full members of Salford CVS. These grants will help fund grassroots projects that address some of the most pressing issues facing women and girls in the city, including poverty, safety and representation.

The fund has been shaped by the findings of the Salford Women and Girls’ Commission, which was launched in 2022 to give women a platform to speak freely and help identify local solutions to inequality. Listening sessions held by the Commission highlighted three key areas of concern:

• Women and poverty
• Women’s safety
• Women’s voice and participation

Projects funded through this initiative will aim to tackle these issues head-on, helping to create a fairer, safer and more inclusive Salford for women and girls of all ages.

The fund opens for applications on Monday 29 September 2025, with a deadline of 12 noon on Monday 17 November 2025. Successful projects will be delivered between January 2026 and January 2027.

Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, Lead Member for Culture, Heritage, Equalities, Sports and Leisure at Salford City Council said: “This fund is about giving women and girls in Salford the support and opportunities they deserve. Whether it’s helping women into work, improving safety, or amplifying voices in our communities, we want to back the brilliant ideas coming from local groups. We know that real change happens when communities lead the way.”

Salford CVS will be supporting applicants throughout the process, offering guidance and hosting events to help groups develop strong proposals. Meet the Funder sessions will be held to explain the fund in more detail, and drop-in support sessions will take place on:

• Thursday 23 October 2025, 11am to 3pm
• Thursday 30 October 2025, 11am to 3pm

Both sessions will be held at Salford CVS, The Old Town Hall, 5 Irwell Place, Eccles, M30 0FN.

Ella Bulbeck, Interim Grants Manager at Salford CVS, said: “Salford CVS are delighted to be managing the Women and Girls Empowerment Fund. We are excited to see the projects take place which will support the VCSE sector to empower women and girls across our city to feel safe, heard and included.”

Visit the Salford CVS website or contact the Grants Team at honor.johnstone@salfordcvs.co.uk or call 0161 787 7795.

Together, we can build a Salford where every woman and girl has the opportunity to thrive.