The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has opened a new £6 million round of his VAWG Grassroots Fund, inviting community organisations across the capital to apply for grants to support victims and survivors of violence against women and girls.
The fund will help organisations rooted in and led by the communities they serve to provide thousands of women, children and families with access to legal advice, counselling, emergency housing and other key services.
Grassroots groups can apply for grants of up to £150,000 over the next three years — £50,000 a year — through The London Community Foundation’s website. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 4 November 2026.
Focus on underrepresented groups
The latest round is aimed at specialist organisations providing one-to-one support for survivors in underrepresented groups, including women from minority communities, women involved in prostitution and women with disabilities.
Since launching in 2021, the VAWG Grassroots Fund has directly supported 57 organisations and more than 56,800 women, girls and families from minoritised communities through its first two funding rounds, according to City Hall.
One woman supported through the fund has gone on to establish her own charity helping Romani Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller women and children to navigate life after abuse, London City Hall said.
£2 million Victims Fund alongside
Alongside the VAWG fund, the Mayor is investing a further £2 million into his Victims Fund over the next two years. It will offer grants of up to £200,000 over two years — £100,000 a year — for community organisations giving tailored support to people from minoritised communities who have been a victim or survivor of crimes not classified as VAWG, such as robbery, theft or grievous bodily harm.
City Hall said the new funding comes as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis continues to make it harder for survivors of violence and domestic abuse to rebuild their lives — forcing some into debt and, in some cases, to stay with their abusers. The holistic support provided through the two funds gives survivors the chance to live on their own terms, rebuild their confidence and reduce the risk of re-victimisation.
Part of a wider strategy
The announcement forms part of the Mayor’s new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. Mr Khan has already overseen what City Hall describes as a record £318 million of investment to strengthen action against perpetrators, support victims and survivors, and pioneer a long-term approach to tackling the misogynistic beliefs that contribute to VAWG.
As part of the new strategy, the Mayor is investing an additional £37 million, including the grassroots fund, as well as funding to tackle tech abuse, help survivors into employment and financial independence, address online misogyny and exploitation, support victims of child sexual exploitation and extend access to independent legal advice.
What the Mayor said
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 grassroots 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 grassroots organisations so that any woman, from any background has the help they need. Today I’m inviting grassroots organisations to apply for a grant so that we can support them carry out their life-saving work.”
Charities welcome the fund
Quynh Nguyen, founder and chief executive of Vietnamese Family Partnership, said: “For Vietnamese and East and South East Asian women, language is often the last barrier between abuse and safety, and financial control is one of its quietest forms, hardest to name in a community where talking about money, or violence, carries shame.”
She added that the previous funding round helped the organisation secure more than £36,000 in financial support for women and elders in six months, preventing eviction and homelessness “at a fraction of the cost to the state”.
Paul Buchanan MBE, chief executive of The London Community Foundation, which administers the grants, said: “We are proud to continue supporting MOPAC on this crucial work to tackle violence, exploitation, and crime in London. This type of targeted funding and support for specialist organisations is vital to reach victims and survivors. Grassroots organisations are trusted and rooted within the communities they serve and are best placed to provide support that is culturally appropriate and trauma informed.”
Su Bhuhi MBE, founder and chief executive of Aanchal Women’s Aid, said: “This is not just a fund but a lifeline for all the individuals we can reach who need charities like ours. Life can change from homeless to having a home — from being lost in one’s own life to being part of a community of humanity.”
London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Andrea Simon, said: “As Victims’ Commissioner, I see first-hand the transformative impact of specialist, grassroots organisations in the lives of women and girls who have experienced violence and abuse. These organisations are rooted in the communities they serve. They understand the barriers women can face in seeking help and they are able to provide support that is culturally responsive to women’s individual needs. For many, these organisations are a lifeline, and the only trusted route to safety and recovery.”
How to apply
Applications are open now and must be submitted through The London Community Foundation’s website by Wednesday 4 November 2026. The fund is open to grassroots organisations across all London boroughs that provide specialist, one-to-one support to victims and survivors of violence against women and girls.
