Other sources of help

Local funders

Gloucestershire Association for Disability

Helps people in Gloucestershire who have a permanent physical, sensory or learning disability. Grants are awarded to individuals and organisations.
www.gadgrant.btik.com

The Gloucester Charities Trust

Aims to assist people who are in need, hardship or distress and resident in the County of Gloucestershire.
www.gloucestercharitiestrust.co.uk

Severn Trent Trust Fund

Accessible to those receiving water or sewerage services from Severn Trent Water. Aims to put people back in control of their money by giving them a ‘fresh start’ and a manageable budget for the future. The Trust also funds organisations supporting money advice and debt counselling.
www.sttf.org.uk

St Monica Trust Community Fund

Helps improve the daily lives of individuals who have a physical or sensory impairment by helping them to buy the things they need, or by supporting them through a crisis. Their Community Fund also gives grants to organisations with similar aims.
www.communityfund.stmonicatrust.org.uk

Summerfield Charitable Trust

Funds Gloucestershire-based charitable organisations and other charities engaged in running projects which will benefit Gloucestershire residents.
www.summerfield.org.uk

National funders

BBC Children in Need

Funds projects delivered by organisations working with disadvantaged children and young people aged 18 years and under.
www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants

Family Fund

Awards grants to families with severely disabled children.
www.familyfund.org.uk

Zurich Community Trust

Supports organisations helping people facing poverty, disadvantage, physical or mental distress – with a focus on helping people achieve an independent future.
www.zurich.co.uk

Advice, guidance and support

The Aidis Trust

Provides a free assessment service for people with disabilities to help determine the hardware or software adaptations they may need to access Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Based on that assessment, they may be able to help individuals with fundraising. 
www.aidis.org.uk

Association of Charity Officers

Provides a helpline service for those in need who are looking for charitable assistance.
www.aco.uk.net

Funder Finder

Provides advice and information to groups and individuals seeking funding. 
www.funderfinder.org.uk

Funding Central

New resource from NVCO for the whole voluntary and community sector, including social enterprise, providing access to thousands of funding and finance opportunities as well as tools and resources supporting organisations to develop sustainably. 
www.fundingcentral.org.uk

Bendrigg Trust

Runs a residential activity centre in Cumbria offering courses and activities for disabled and disadvantaged young people. 
www.bendrigg.org.uk

Grants for organisations

Please read through the following points to see if your organisation qualifies.

Are we eligible?

To apply, your organisation must be based in Gloucestershire and provide one of the following services to the direct benefit of people with long-term disabilities:

• Day care
• Respite care
• Support services
• Occupational therapies
• Holidays and play schemes
• Social and recreational activities
• Transport
• Building works to adapt premises for use by a disability organisation
• Other related building projects
• Pre-employment training
• Specialist equipment, such as hoists and baths

What can we apply for?

Grants are available for:

• Specific capital costs
• Revenue funding – usually capped at three years
• Start-up costs for a new project, or to expand an existing service
• Pilot schemes for testing need

The main criteria, is that the product or service you provide, or plan to provide, must seek to improve the quality of life of individuals affected by long-term disability.

It’s also worth noting that the Trustees will look more favourably on applications that demonstrate how the project will continue to operate after the grant has been spent.

How do we apply?

You can download the relevant application forms via this website or contact us and we’ll send the relevant form(s) out to you.

Before submitting your application, we suggest you contact our Grants Manager, Gail Rodway, who can resolve any doubts about your proposal being eligible according to the current policy and concerns of our Trustees.

You can reach Gail on 01452 611292 or email gail.rodway@barnwoodtrust.org

Submitted forms will be considered by our Grants Committee – along with a copy of your most recent set of audited accounts, and any further documents you wish to submit as loose-leaf A4 sheets ready for photocopying.

Together, these materials will help our Grants Committee to understand the nature of your organisation and its finances, the project or service for which you are seeking funding – and the likely benefits.

How long does it take?

There are four annual deadlines for applications. The dates for 2010 are:

11 December 2009 – assessed by 19 January 2010
26 March – assessed by 4 May
25 June – assessed by 3 August
24 September – assessed by 2 November

This quarterly system means that no applicant should wait for more than three months for an answer.

However, we recommend you submit your application in plenty of time as it may be deferred to the next quarterly meeting if a high number of requests are received.

If your application is for £750 or less, it will be ‘fast-tracked’ – and you should receive an answer within 15 working days.

Grants towards holidays and play schemes are also fast-tracked – and have a dedicated application form.

Will we get the money straightaway?

If you are successful, you can either choose to draw down your grant immediately on production of required invoices, or ask us to hold it open for up to 12 months.

Recipients of grants over £5,000 will be asked to complete a feedback form to help us evaluate the impact of our grant making. 

Selected organisations and their service users may also be interviewed as part of this process.

Are repeat grants available?

If you have received a grant from the Trust, you can apply for a repeat grant of up to £750 either by sending us a completed form or by writing us a letter.

What else do I need to know?

Grants may have conditions attached to them, including a legal claw-back requirement in respect of capital grants.

In addition, grants are not normally made in the following circumstances:

• To organisations outside Gloucestershire
• For building or adapting private, public sector or social housing
• To start-up or subsidise services purchased or contracted out by the public sector
• Where the applicant organisation has significant unrestricted reserves
• Where the applicant organisation operates an exclusive policy, e.g. by charging excessive fees
• For core funding to the public sector
• To non-disability organisations seeking to make community buildings more accessible, unless there is exceptional need
• For a management charge applied to a project
• For any work that is not aimed specifically at disabled people

Any questions?

Please contact us if you have any queries. 

You can reach Gail Rodway, our Grants Manager on 01452 611292 or email gail.rodway@barnwoodtrust.org

We will do all we can to help.

Grants for individuals

Please read through the following points to see if you qualify.

Am I eligible?

To apply, you must:

• Live in Gloucestershire
• Have a long-term disability that affects your quality of life
• Have a low income – and little or no savings
• Have a specific need, that is not provided for by the State

What can I apply for?

Grants are available for:

• Disability-related equipment and appliances
• One-off household, personal and sundry expenses – including personal contributions to Disabled Facilities Grants

The main criteria, is that the item you are applying for should help you to carry on living independently and/or improve your quality of life. 

Previous examples include:

• Equipment for use at home – such as riser/recliner chairs
• Mobility aids and equipment – e.g. Motability deposits and pavement scooters
• Domestic appliances – such as cookers, fridges and freezers
• Household expenses – such as repairs, unexpectedly high utility bills, bedding, furniture and carpets
• Personal items – such as clothing and spectacles
• Sundry expenses  – such as holidays and college courses
• Personal contributions to Disabled Facilities Grants

If you don’t qualify for a Trust grant to cover your personal contribution to a Disabled Facilities Grant, you may still qualify for a loan from us.  This would be secured on your property and repayable at agreed terms. If appropriate, we’ll tell you more when we reply to your grant application.

Can I borrow a riser/recliner chair?

The Trust has a small stock of riser/recliner chairs, which we are able to issue on short-term loan to individuals in palliative care.

There is a one-off delivery charge of £30 for this service.

How do I apply?

You can download application forms via this website or contact us and we’ll send the relevant form(s) out to you.

Please note, all grant applications must be made through, or endorsed by, a social or healthcare professional, such as an occupational therapist, social worker, health visitor, district nurse or community psychiatric nurse; someone qualified to confirm what is best for the applicant.

How long does it take?

Wherever possible, we visit applicants at home to discuss their needs in greater detail – and in privacy.

Our aim is to provide an answer within 10 working days of this home visit being made.

What else do I need to know?

Grants are not usually made in the following circumstances:

• To people living outside Gloucestershire
• To people with problems relating to drugs and alcohol – unless they also have physical disabilities or a diagnosed mental illness
• To pay for:
  • Funeral costs
  • Medical equipment
  • Private healthcare (e.g. assessment, treatment or medication)
  • Counselling or psychotherapy
  • Top-up nursing home fees
  • Private education or university tuition fees
  • Council tax
  • Court fines
  • House purchase, rent deposits, or rent in advance
  • Regular payments to supplement income
  • Needs of non-disabled dependants or carers

In addition:

• Those applying for grants are expected to have sought all the State help they may be entitled to before applying
• Grants will not be awarded retrospectively, or when an item has been ordered prior to the grant application

Any questions?

Please contact us if you have any queries. We’ll do all we can to help.

Grants

Barnwood Trust awards two types of grant; those for individuals and those for organisations. You can find out whether you qualify and how to apply by reading the relevant section(s) below.

Grants for individuals

Grant applications are open to individuals living in Gloucestershire, whose quality of life would be directly improved by the purchase of disability-related equipment, appliances, or personal items that would otherwise be beyond their reach.

Cash grants for individuals typically range from £50 to £750. The Trust also has a small stock of riser/recliner chairs available on short-term loan. Read more/apply…

Grants for organisations

Grant applications are open to Gloucestershire-based charitable and voluntary organisations whose services seek to improve the quality of life of local people with long-term disabilities.

Grants for organisations can be awarded for specific capital or revenue costs and typically range from £500 to £20,000. In exceptional circumstances, higher awards may be considered. Read more/apply…

Other sources of help

Other charitable organisations working locally and nationally may also be able to help you. Read more…