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What are some of the key categories/areas you fund?
We’re a national funder with deep roots in the capital, focusing on how we can inspire physical activity for children, young people, and underserved or less active communities.
We offer both capital and revenue funding through three main funding streams:
- Active Spaces Fund: our open, rolling fund for projects creating active, inclusive and sustainable spaces that support people to be physically active in London – prioritising areas of highest need, lowest activity levels and emphasising long-term community stewardship
- Strategic Partnerships: funding partners in London and across the UK to use the power of sport and physical activity to change lives – focusing on scaling impact so more underserved communities can be active and enjoy the physical, mental and social benefits this brings
- Collaborations: teaming up with other funders to combine effort, simplify processes, share learnings and support more people be active
Our funding comes from our events company, London Marathon Events (LME). We’re fortunate this has steadily grown over the past five years thanks to LME’s growth and innovation. 2026 is set to be our biggest ever year of funding – with £14 million to fund projects that inspire activity across the UK – and currently have the positive challenge of exploring how we can adapt our funding approaches and capacity support as our income grows.
What’s something exciting/innovative that you’re currently working on?
We’re one of the founding funders of Go! London – the capital’s biggest community sport and physical activity fund – in partnership with the Mayor of London, Sport England, LME and London Sport. Launched in 2023, Go! London gives young Londoners who often miss out on opportunities the freedom to discover through sport and physical activity. It’s also opened the door for us to try new partnerships and ways of funding that we couldn’t have explored on our own.
For example, we recently teamed up with the National Football League to help more young people play flag football (a non‑contact, 5‑a‑side version of American football) across London. We’ve also introduced a new funding pillar called Open Innovation Challenges: inviting bold, community‑led ideas that use sport and physical activity to strengthen communities – focusing on using sport and physical activity for climate action, and to reimagine community spaces.
What’s one piece of learning/insight that you’d like to share with other London Funders’ members?
One thing we’ve learnt through working closely with other funders and communities is that truly collaborative, community‑led projects take more time – but the extra time is worth it. When people with lived experience help shape the work from the start, the results tend to be stronger, more relevant and more likely to last.
We’ve also seen that sharing power and decision‑making builds trust, encourages new ideas and helps create solutions that really fit what communities need. It can feel slower at first, but in the long run it leads to better outcomes than more traditional, top‑down approaches.
What do you value most about being a part of London Funders?
We really value being part of a supportive, solutions focused network that’s committed to tackling shared challenges across London. It’s become a trusted space for us to explore emerging trends, discuss challenges openly, and consider how we can develop joint responses.
The dedicated network groups for Health and Children and Young People have been especially valuable. Through these groups, we’ve gained insights and learnings from fellow funders we might not otherwise have had the chance to connect with.
Being part of London Funders also encourages us to step back from our day-to-day work and look at the bigger picture. It helps us think about how we can keep adapting our approaches so underserved communities get the support they need to help more people get active.
Looking ahead, share one thing that is on your radar. What should we prioritise as a network of funders?
For us, the priority is supporting impactful collaborations – exploring how we can work together to support the health and wellbeing of underserved communities through more inclusive, participatory and co‑designed funding approaches across London.
Closely connected to this is the need to invest in shared infrastructure and data. Strengthening these foundations will enable more effective funder collaborations and give a clearer, real‑time understanding of community needs – ultimately helping us all to have a greater collective impact.
What’s an issue or area you’d like to discuss with other members?
We’d like to talk to other funders about the different ways they’re offering meaningful support to community organisations during this economically challenging time. We’re particularly interested in how we can work together – by pooling resources, aligning our efforts and reducing duplication – to make applying for, accessing and reporting on funding simpler.
We also want to explore how funders can collectively support the long-term sustainability of community organisations, securing the vital work they do in supporting the health and wellbeing of London communities for years to come.
Connect with us about:
We’re always open to connecting with funders looking to improve sport and physical activity opportunities for less active communities in London. We’re particularly interested in:
- Designing collaborative funding models that reduce the burden for applicants and grantees
- Participatory and community-led funding approaches
- Place-based investment and building active, community owned spaces
To connect with us, email [email protected]