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What We Fund:
Our Current Funding Focus

In light of our substantial charitable forward commitments, coupled with the unknown financial implication relating to our ongoing litigation with regards to our investment in apartments at Victoria Square, Chichester Street, Belfast, the Committee of Management has agreed a strategy for the next 18-24 months to ensure we can continue to offer support at this critical time.

Based on the current critical issues facing our communities, for the next 12 months UGV is focusing its support on the areas of Poverty, Homelessness, Health and Wellbeing and Community Resilience and Cohesion.

*Exceptional projects outside Poverty and Homelessness may only be considered at the discretion of the UGV Committee of Management.

*We are also interested in having conversations with organisations at the start of a major project with long-term impact. You may not be ready to apply but we are keen to be aware of future projects so please feel free to involve us early on in your planning.

*Please note that we expect projects to start within 6 months of the grant being offered.

Poverty

We are living in a particularly challenging and uncertain period. The number of people affected by poverty is rising rapidly as the cost-of-living crisis continues. This has resulted in more people struggling to afford essentials such as food, rent or essentials for their children.  Such insecurity and uncertainty leads to stress, isolation, marginalisation and discrimination. We want to support projects which address the issue of poverty.

0 %
of NI’s population live in relative poverty.
0 %
live in absolute poverty.
0 %
of children are growing up in poverty - NI kids are worse off now than a decade ago.
0 %
of children in poverty in Northern Ireland live in working households

Homelessness

Northern Ireland is in the midst of a homelessness and housing crisis, one that has been growing over the past 20 years. Homelessness is not solely a housing problem—it is a complex issue influenced by poverty, limited access to education and employment, substance abuse, mental illness, relationship breakdowns, and, increasingly, domestic violence. We want to support projects which address the issue of homelessness.
0
people in NI are currently officially classified as homeless - that's one in every 33 people
0 /3
of those who are officially homeless are under the age of 18.
0 %
of those who are currently homeless are families.
0 %
represents the growth over the last five years of the number of children living in temporary accommodation

Health and well-being

Significant health and wellbeing inequalities persist across Northern Ireland. People living in the most deprived communities experience poorer physical and mental health, shorter life expectancy, higher rates of suicide and substance misuse, and greater barriers to accessing opportunities that support wellbeing. These inequalities are closely linked to poverty, homelessness, social exclusion and disadvantage. We want to support projects that improve health outcomes and support people to live healthier, more connected lives.
Drug misuse death rates are almost six times higher in the most deprived communities representing one of the largest health inequality gaps recorded in NI.
Health inequalities begin early in life. In 2024/25, obesity rates among Primary 1 children in the most deprived areas were 73% higher than in the least deprived areas.
People living in the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland have a life expectancy that is 7.3 years lower for men and 5.2 years lower for women than those living in the least deprived areas. People in the most deprived communities can expect to spend around 14 fewer years in good health than those in the least deprived areas.
The suicide rate in the most deprived areas is almost three times higher than in the least deprived areas.

Community resilience and cohesion

We want to support projects which actively address and counter race-hate crimes and incidents. We want to contribute to building a fairer, more inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and where communities are strengthened by generosity, where people feel valued, connected, and a true sense of belonging. We are particularly interested in projects with a focus on empowering new and settled migrant communities as well as those working to counter misinformation and prevent such racist attacks in the future.
0
Over 12 months to March 2026, police recorded 2367 racist incidents.
0
Over 12 months to March 2026, police recorded 1507 race-hate crimes.

Projects We've Supported

Find out more about the types of projects we've supported responding to poverty and homelessness. These projects
demonstrate UGV's commitment to
addressing critical social issues and
making a meaningful difference in
communities that need assistance most.

Hosford Homes

Refurbishment of 240 Newtownards Road into 6 independent apartments and a community space, giving access to housing and support to those facing challenging circumstances and who are at risk of homelessness and social isolation.

Roscor Youth Village

The refurbishment of the original house at Roscor providing 5 new rooms for young people facing challenges, helping 100s of individuals every year.

Habitat for Humanity

To deepen community impact and grow the number of people supported through Habitat ReStore; the charity’s social enterprise. Last year more than 138,000 local people accessed low-cost materials to improve their homes and skills training was provided for hundreds of vulnerable individuals.

Homeplus NI

Supporting Sessional Workers to continue vital outreach and drop-in services during the pandemic for vulnerable groups such as new communities and homeless people. This included providing food, clothing and advice and delivering food into the community.

Apply for funding

Find out more about the application process.

Closing date for Expressions of Interest: 30th November 2026.

How to apply
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