The Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE) is proud to announce the imminent launch of London Inclusive Communities, a major new initiative dedicated to supporting third sector organisations in London by removing barriers to accessing inclusive design advice and support.
London Inclusive Communities is funded by City Bridge Foundation, London’s biggest independent charity funder.
The award will continue to support the work of CAE’s past Accessibility and Sustainability Advice Service (ASAS), which supported and provided advice to thousands of charities across London with access grants and funding. London Inclusive Communities continues a long-standing commitment to improving accessibility and inclusion across the capital’s third sector, building on over 20 years of ASAS.
The initiative responds to the growing pressures facing voluntary and community organisations, many of which operate from inaccessible buildings and lack the resources or specialist expertise to address barriers to participation for disabled people and other under-served groups.
To support the initiative’s launch, CAE consulted with over 100 third sector organisations across London. The consultation identified an ongoing need for practical access support, training and technical advice to help embed accessibility into organisational decision-making, services and community spaces.
Sacha Rose, City Bridge Foundation’s Chief Funding Director, said: “City Bridge Foundation has supported the Centre for Accessible Environments for more than 20 years, recognising the importance of their work in helping charities and community organisations create spaces that work for everyone.
“Many charities want to be more inclusive but lack the resources to access specialist advice. London Inclusive Communities will help remove those barriers, supporting organisations to make their spaces more welcoming and usable for all Londoners.”
Suite of services
London Inclusive Communities launches on 1 June 2026 and will provide fully funded professional access and inclusive design advice to London’s small-and-medium third-sector organisations.
The initiative will offer a comprehensive suite of free services, including:
- Access audits: Professional access reviews of community buildings.
- Access advice and consultancy: Access reviews of plans for new buildings and refurbishments for a more inclusive design
- Training on access and inclusive design: Expert-led webinars to upskill staff and support more accessible services and buildings.
Empowering third sector
London Inclusive Communities will support organisations that deliver vital community services but lack the budget to commission professional access consultancy.
Fara Muneer, CAE’s Head of Business Development, said: “London Inclusive Communities builds on the success of ASAS and reflects our commitment to work with City Bridge Foundation for a more inclusive London third sector. We heard from many organisations that they lacked funding and resources, but want to improve accessibility. This initiative will help smaller organisations access funded expert advice to include everyone in the community.”
Eligibility and impact
To be eligible for London Inclusive Communities support, organisations will need to demonstrate the following criteria:
- Be a small or medium sized not for profit organisation based in London such as a registered charity, voluntary organisation or community interest company (CIC)
- Own or lease your building and offer community-based services.
To ensure support reaches those with the greatest need, eligibility is targeted at organisations with limited financial capacity to access specialist access advice[1].
Register interest
While services officially start on 1 June 2026, eligible charities and CICs are encouraged to register their interest now with CAE – which is part of Habinteg Housing Association – to ensure they are first in line for support.
For more information or to register interest, please email communities@cae.org.uk.
[1] Assessment of eligibility may include review of annual accounts, funding information, or other relevant documentation to evidence organisational capacity and financial need