GoFurther Fund

The GoFurther Fund is GoFibre’s community-focused grant initiative, supporting charities and local projects across Scotland and Northern England. Applications open periodically, giving organizations the chance to secure funding for projects that promote education, digital inclusion, community wellbeing, or environmental impact. The winners of the latest round were announced in September 2025. On this page, we’ll announce future GoFurther Fund rounds and application openings, so we encourage charities to check back regularly to stay updated on the next opportunity to apply.

Applications are now closed

Applications for the latests GoFurther Fund are now closed.

This round of funding was open to local charities, community organisations, and groups in North Northumberland and Teesdale who met one of the following criteria:

Environmental Benefit
Community Wellbeing
Education and Skills
Internet Safety and Digital Inclusion

A total funding pot of £15,000 was available, with grants of up to £3,000 for successful applicants.

Applications for the latest round closed on Wednesday 30th April 2025, with winners from North Northumberland and Teesdale announced in September 2025.

GoFurther Fund 2025: Meet the winners

In September 2025, GoFibre announced the winners of its latest GoFurther Fund round, awarding grants of up to £3,000 each to four charities in North Northumberland and five in Teesdale. These grants are part of GoFibre’s £15,000 funding initiative aimed at supporting local organizations that promote environmental benefit, community wellbeing, education and skills, and digital inclusion.

In North Northumberland, the recipients include:

Hospice Care North Northumberland (Berwick / Alnwick): £3,000 to support end-of-life care services.
Border Links (Berwick / Scottish Borders): £2,700 to fund community activities connecting people across the England-Scotland border.
Inky Fingers Art Club (Wooler): £2,914.85 to run creative arts programs.
Berwick Rangers Juniors Youth Development Trust (Berwick): £2,000 to help develop youth sports and activities.

In Teesdale, the recipients include:

Trade4Case Project CIC (Barnard Castle): £3,000 to deliver skills and employment programs.
Teesdale Day Clubs: £3,000 to enhance social care and activities for older residents.
Teesdale Rural Watch: £1,080 to support community safety initiatives.
Teesdale Community Resources (Barnard Castle): £3,000 to fund community wellbeing projects.
Mickleton Village Hall (Mickleton): £2,950 to maintain and improve local community facilities.

GoFurther Fund 2024: Meet the winners

One year on from the launch of our GoFurther Fund, we announced the second round of successful funding awards. The charities in Aberdeenshire and Angus, have received a slice of the £50,000 fund launched last summer.

This year’s winning charities are: The Haven (Aberdeenshire, £3,000), Kirrie Connections (Angus, £3,000), North East Sensory Services (Angus, £3,000)

The Haven offers a wide range of free activities to combat social isolation, Kirrie Connections 'Pathfinders Project,' helps people with dementia in Angus, in collaboration with local artists and North East Sensory Services (NESS) will enhance peer support and social groups for over 6,250 individuals with sight or hearing loss, with our funding enabling volunteer training.

And we caught up with all five of last year’s recipients in the Borders and East Lothian. These brilliant charities have shared a bit about their vital community-based services, and the difference Go Further Funding has made to them, in some extremely watchable videos. And we caught up with all five...

GoFurther Fund 2023: Meet the winners

In July 2023, to celebrate 50,000 homes being enabled for GoFibre's ultra-fast broadband, we launched the £50,000 GoFurther Fund to support charities, community groups, and other organisations making a real impact in the communities we’re connecting. The Fund was first introduced in our original network-build locations in East Lothian, Fife, and the Scottish Borders, with the goal of helping organisations that are already driving positive change, or that plan to do so, in their local areas.

In the Fund’s inaugural round, five charities were selected, each receiving grants to support projects that transform local lives.

The recipients included:

Heids & Herts (Fife) – £2,600
Tartan Talkers (Fife) – £3,000
Bridges Project (East Lothian) – £3,000
Into Work (East Lothian) – £3,000
Escape Youth Services (Borders) – £3,000

These organisations provide vital services such as education and employability programs for young people and the disabled community, after-school activities for children from deprived households, and social sessions tackling loneliness and isolation.

Tartan Talkers

Based in Dunfermline, Tartan Talkers is a men’s mental health and suicide prevention charity

Into Work

Into Work is an employability charity based in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian, helping people with neurodiversity disabilities and mental health challenges.

Heids & Herts

A charity that aims to foster social connection across North East Fife.

Escape Youth Services

Escape Youth Services is a youth-focused charity based in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, providing a drop-in service for young people between the ages of 8 and 19.

The Bridges Project

Based in East Lothian and Midlothian, Bridges Project is a youth-work charity that provides tailored support for disadvantaged and vulnerable young people.

Transforming local lives

The GoFurther Fund is committed to transforming local lives alongside GoFibre’s mission of improving rural connectivity and addressing the digital divide head-on. The Fund provides grants to local projects and activities under the following four categories:

1) Creation of new jobs or opportunities

- Supporting individuals in communities to enter or re-enter into employment. - Providing career change opportunities. - Giving local people opportunities to gain work experience.

2) Developing skills and the local economy

- Providing training and upskilling opportunities for local people. - Providing digital upskilling opportunities for all locals from the young to the older generation. - Supporting the growth of local businesses.

3) Promotion of good health and wellbeing

- Supporting individuals to make healthy lifestyle choices. - Supporting individuals of all ages and backgrounds with their physical and mental wellbeing.

4) Contribution to Net Zero targets

- Leading the community to make better choices for the environment. - This may not be the organisation’s primary purpose, but they are making efforts to help tackle climate change through their activities.

Additional criteria:

In addition to addressing at least one of the objectives above, your organisation should comply with the following: - Registered charity or not-for-profit organisation. - Locally managed / local presence within specified locations. - Relevant Disclosure Scotland checks.

Frequently asked questions

Why did GoFibre set the fund up?

As a socially-responsible business, it is important for us to give back to the communities within which we are operating. We are currently experiencing a cost of living crisis, on top of funding cuts, so the GoFurther Fund comes at an important time for local causes in need of support.

Is there a limit to how many times you apply, regardless of whether you’re successful or not?

No, there is no limit so we’d encourage you to apply as and when you have an appropriate concept/project in mind.

Will there be a limit to how many businesses within each area receive support?

No, we will be basing our decisions upon who is worthy of the funding and who will, ultimately, add the most value by delivering their proposed project/activity.

Does the organisation need to have charitable status?

No, you don’t need to have charitable status.

Can projects outside the locations specified be considered?

No, not at the moment but we’d love to expand this activity in the future if the demand is there.

How do you choose who gets grants?

The GoFurther panel comprises of some of our key GoFibre team: Peter Flockhart (Chief Finance Officer) Emily Dixon (Chief People Officer) Laura Weir (Head of Marketing) and Phil Brady (Head of Compliance).

Can I apply for more than one project?

Yes, there is currently no limit to the amount of applications you can submit.

How is the money paid?

Successful applicants will nominate a key bank account for their organisation and we’ll liaise directly with you on the date that funds will be transferred.

How long does the application process take from submission to a successful recipient receiving funds?

Each allocation of funding is awarded on a quarterly basis, therefore generally the funding is awarded within 3 months of application unless otherwise stated by the applicant.

How much will each successful applicant receive from the Fund?

Up to £3,000.

Is there a limit on the size of the local organisation that can apply?

There isn’t! As long as your group is a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation then we’re all ears.