Dreams CAN Come True: £5 million Dream Fund Opens for Bold Charity Collaborations

Postcode Lottery celebrates 15 years of turning big charity ideas into reality

Charities across Britain are being invited to think big and work together as the 2026 Postcode Lottery Dream Fund opens for applications, offering a single £5 million award for a bold, collaborative project.

Funded by Postcode Lottery players, the Dream Fund was created to back ambitious ideas that charities have long dreamed of delivering, but have never had the opportunity to bring to life.

The fund was officially launched today (25 March) at Anthropy, an event which brings together leaders from across charities, business and government to discuss the future of Britain, held at the Eden Project in Cornwall,

Since launching in 2011, the Dream Fund has awarded more than £32 million to 41 charities, supporting innovative projects where organisations come together to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing communities across the country.

What makes the Dream Fund unique is its focus on collaboration. To be eligible, charities and not-for-profit organisations must work in partnership, bringing complementary expertise and ideas to create projects that would not be possible alone.

Proposals are expected to demonstrate innovation, ambition and long-term impact, with applicants encouraged to develop new approaches and test bold ideas that could benefit communities across Britain.

Over the past 15 years, the Dream Fund has helped fulfil some remarkable charity ambitions.

In 2020, the Dream Fund supported one of the most ambitious conservation projects ever attempted in the UK - the reintroduction of wild European bison. A £1.125 million award helped fund the return of free-roaming bison to West Blean and Thornden Woods in Kent, where the animals now play a crucial role in restoring natural woodland eco-systems.

More recently, the Dream Fund backed groundbreaking progress in healthcare by awarding £5 million to Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK for the Blood Biomarker Challenge. This initiative aims to transform how dementia is diagnosed by developing simple blood tests that could enable faster, more accurate diagnosis through the NHS.

Dame Ellen MacArthur, Founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which has been the recipient of the Dream Fund three times, said: “Winning the Postcode Lottery Dream Fund has catalysed some of our most important work over the last 15 years.

“Whether it was partnering with the world's largest businesses to design out plastic pollution, redesigning denim jeans, or innovating towards a food system that works with nature rather than against it - the Dream Fund has made it possible to pursue ideas that feel too big, until they aren’t.

“We’re excited to see what the next Dream Fund winners make possible."

Clara Govier, Managing Director at the Postcode Lottery, said: “As leaders from across the charity sector gathered at Anthropy, it gave us the perfect moment to launch the 2026 Dream Fund and invite charities to think about the change they want to see in society.

“Thanks to Postcode Lottery players, the £5 million Dream Fund backs ambitious ideas that charities have long dreamed of delivering. At a time when the sector is under real pressure, we want organisations to come together, think bigger and develop solutions that could transform communities across Britain.

“We’re excited to see the next generation of partnerships and the impact they could create.”

With the £5 million Dream Fund now open, charities across Britain are once again being encouraged to imagine what could be possible when they join forces.