The Domestic Abuse: Counselling fund opens for applications on 23 September 2026, offering specialist domestic abuse organisations the opportunity to secure £250,000 over five years to provide longer-term counselling for survivors.
The fund aims to help organisations sustain counselling services that support victim-survivors to recover from trauma, rebuild confidence and wellbeing, and move forward with their lives. Recognising that recovery often takes time, the fund will support counselling programmes that are available for as long as people need them.
Part of the Safer Futures Programme, the fund will award grants of £50,000 per year for five years to organisations with a deep understanding of domestic abuse and the needs of victim-survivors.
What can be funded?
The fund is looking to support specialist domestic abuse organisations with at least three years’ experience delivering counselling to victim-survivors of domestic abuse.
Counselling services should be:
- Person-centred
- Longer-term, with a minimum of 12 sessions
- Holistic
- Trauma-informed
Five grants will be reserved for organisations providing counselling support specifically to children and young people.
Who can apply?
Eligible organisations must:
- Be registered and working in the UK
- Have an annual income below £2 million
- Be a registered charity, CIO, not-for-profit CIC with an asset lock, or another not-for-profit charitable organisation whose work aligns with the funder’s aims
Key Dates
- Webinar: 15 September 2026, 11am to 12pm
- Applications open: 23 September 2026, 9am
- Expression of Interest deadline: 21 October 2026, 5pm
Webinar Information
Organisations interested in applying can attend a free webinar on 15 September to learn more about the fund. The session will cover eligibility criteria, funding priorities and the application process, with an opportunity to ask questions. A recording and transcript will also be made available after the event.
Find out more and sign up for the webinar on the Henry Smith Foundation website