Croydon Loves You 2026

Now in its third year, Croydon Loves You provides small grants to individuals or organisations delivering creative arts and cultural activities that support residents at risk of health inequalities to improve their health or wellbeing. You can see examples of previously funded work here: 2025 Round 1; 2025 Round 2; 2025 Round 3.

In 2026, £185,000 has been secured from Croydon Council’s Public Health and Community Infrastructure Levy, which will be distributed in two grant rounds in April and September. Projects must be completed before 31 March 2027.

While this year’s programme is similar to previous years, there are differences in the 2026 programme. Please read the guidance and links below carefully before submitting an application.

What kind of activity do we fund?

This fund specifically supports projects that engage Croydon residents at risk of health inequalities in creative activities to benefit their health and wellbeing. Activities might include:

  • Visual art: painting, drawing, print-making, sculpture, collage, textiles, ceramics, glass art, jewellery, fashion design, crafts, graffiti, photography, film, animation
  • Performing arts: music, singing, dance, theatre, comedy, spoken word, puppetry
  • Literary arts: creative writing, poetry, literature, drama
  • Creative skills: garden design, creative cooking/baking, woodworking, upcycling
  • Creative activities in nature: any of the above taking place in nature

Projects should support participants to actively engage in creativity, rather than act as audience members or recipients.

What kind of activity do we not fund?

This fund is not able to support activity that is not mainly focused on artistic activities. Projects delivering the following activities are not eligible:

  • Yoga
  • Mindfulness, unless included as an addition to a creative activity
  • Reiki
  • Sound baths/healing, as participants are not themselves being creative
  • Pet therapy
  • Martial arts
  • Football or other sports
  • Nature walks, unless creative activities are a main feature of these walks
  • Advice and/or information, unless offered alongside a creative programme
  • Mentoring, unless offered alongside a creative programme

This fund does not support one-off events. If you are interested in putting on a cultural event promoting health messages, see our Creative Health Information Events programme instead.

What do grants do?

Grants support projects that use arts and creative activities to improve participants’ health and wellbeing, for example, reducing social isolation, improving symptoms of depression or anxiety, or increasing physical activity. Grants also help encourage partnerships between culture, community and health sector partners.

Activity funded by these grants should aim to reach participants that come from groups at risk of health inequalities (people who face unfair, systemic barriers to healthcare). This includes people experiencing unemployment or housing insecurity, global majority backgrounds, LGBT+ people, and other groups.

For a full list of eligible health outcomes and participant groups, please read the guidelines below.

Application Documents / Links:

Support

There is a list of support available in the CLY 2026 Application Guidelines, including links to resources, free training, and Q&A sessions

The Creative Health team are also happy to offer an advisory call to applicants at any stage of the process, from developing an idea, to finding partners to work with, or advice on budgeting. Please email the team on creativehealth@croydon.gov.uk to schedule a 30-minute conversation.

Creative Health Home Page

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