Resources and support
Alternative funding and support for individuals
Trusts, foundations and grant-making bodies that offer funding and support.
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Resources and support
Trusts, foundations and grant-making bodies that offer funding and support.
Kent Community Foundation has compiled a list of trusts, foundations and grant-making bodies that offer individuals funding and support, covering different areas and needs. We update the list regularly, but funds’ criteria and availability may change.
Better Housing Better Health - a charity working in Kent to improve domestic warmth and wellbeing. A free helpline provides a single point of contact for services, advice and financial support.
BBC Children in Need Emergency Essentials programme -supporting children to age 17, who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances. It provides items that meet a child’s most basic needs and other items or services critical to a child’s wellbeing. Applications can only be made by a registered referrer. If you would like to make an enquiry contact Emma Walton.
Cash for Kids - offer general grants and cost-of-living grants to support children from birth up to and including 18, who are vulnerable, come from disadvantaged backgrounds or are living with an illness or disability.
Charity Excellence - regularly update their list of cost of living grant funding for charities and individuals
Community Wardens - try and help you and your community no matter what the issue. If they don't have the answer they will know someone who will.
Citizens Advice – find your local Citizens Advice and find out what support they can offer.
Energy Companies – offering support with energy bills to help reduce fuel poverty, including: British Gas, Scottish Power, E.ON and OVO.
Family Action Welfare Grants – provide grants for essential personal and household needs to assist families and individuals with low incomes, particularly those living on benefits.
Find a grant – is a pilot service by the Government that allows you to search and access government grants.
Fishermen’s Misson – provide grants and support to fishermen and their families.
Friends of the Elderly – provides grants to people over State Pension age, who have a low income and savings of less than £4,000. Grants for items such as home mobility adaptations and help with unexpected bills and large costs such as utility bills, funeral costs or moving fees.
The Gibbons Family Trust – for young people and families in need in Thanet. Employees or volunteers of non profit making organisations can apply on behalf of an individual or family in need of urgent financial assistance. Including: Household basics (such as white goods, bedroom furniture and flooring) Services (such as therapy, or children’s activities) and Technology (to help SEND children and young people).
Green Doctors – a project, funded by the British Gas Energy Trust, offer a free advice service helping Kent households stay warm, save more on energy bills and keep the home comfortable. Visit their site or call 08002335255 or email greendoctorsouth@groundwork.org.uk.
Glasspool Charity Trust – the Flexible Frontline Fund - to increase financial wellbeing and reduce financial distress for those living in financial hardship, via: Citizens Advice in North and West Kent.
Heinz, Anna and Carol Kroch Foundation – grants to help people who are suffering from severe poverty and financial hardship who may also have ongoing medical problems, who have recently fled difficult domestic violence situations or are homeless.
Help for Households – Government support for individuals to help with the cost of living.
ReferKent – is an online referral system that aims to strengthen referrals across Kent for adults and families who may be experiencing financial hardship.
Digital Kent projects and schemes and Technology Enhanced Lives Service to help keep you safe in your home.
KCC – Kent Connect to Support – KCC adult social care resources, including a Community Directory, Financial Estimator, Personal Assistant webpages, Cost of Living and Online Self-Assessment
Kent Together – offering online information and helpline, to direct individuals to the support they need.
League of Helping Hand – issues grants of up to £300 for or towards essential household items and specialist equipment not available from statutory agencies. Individuals can apply, but need the support of a sponsor from a professional agency. To be eligible, applicants must present with a physical or diagnosed mental health condition, learning disability, or be a carer for an adult or child with a disability.
LEAP – Local Energy Advice Partnership – free advice on how you can stay warm and save money on your energy bills.
Lightning Reach Portal – apply for financial support such as grants, local schemes and discounted tariffs. Find and apply for support from multiple providers. Summary of the current support providers here.
Lions Clubs – there are many across Kent, locate your local club in their online directory and find out if they support individuals.
Percy Bilton Charity – Assistance given to organisations and individuals in need. Charities assisting disadvantaged youth, people with disabilities, people with mental health problems and older people may apply for grants towards furnishings and equipment (excluding office items), building or refurbishment projects.
Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund – provide lifelong support to serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and their families. They consider any request for assistance, however big or small, providing a tailor-made approach to each individual situation. From mobility aids and confidential counselling to financial grants.
SEK – Cost of Living Support across East Kent.
The 7 Stars Foundation – grants for individuals represented by a safeguarding, legal, social or outreach referee. Grants are to promote happiness, offer opportunity, or fulfil potential.
SSAFA – The Armed Forces charity, help the armed forced community by providing direct support to individuals in need of physical or emotional care.
The Al-Mizan Charitable Trust - offer small grants up to £500 to fund a range of goods and services that would better the family's circumstances and situation. Grants are awarded regardless of faith or cultural background.
Turn2Us – has a grants search tool specifically for individuals as well as a benefits eligibility checker.
VRF (Vicar’s Relief Fund) - provides crisis grants to individuals at risk of, or currently experiencing, homelessness and must be applied for via frontline workers. They consider grants up to £500 for rent deposits, emergency accommodation, ID and removal costs.
The Wise Group – HEAT service - to provide one to one support to individuals who are at risk of fuel poverty. Referral Link
16 to 19 Bursary Fund – Government bursaries to help with education-related costs, age 16-19 and studying at a publicly funded school or college in England (not a university) or on a training course.
Buttle UK – grants up to £2,400 for children and young people impacted by recent crisis, also support for boarding school places for children impacted by an ongoing significant crisis at home.
City and Guilds – bursaries up to £6,000 to cover the total cost of studying. Aimed at age 18 and over, in genuine financial need, UK resident and not started a course yet. Open to applications in Spring, Autumn and Winter.
Colyer-Ferguson Charitable Trust – make grants of up to £500 to support underprivileged and disadvantaged young people living in Kent, helping them to navigate the difficult journey into adulthood and employment.
Computers 4 Charities – supporting young carers that require access to computers to seek help, engage with others and to facilitate wider educational needs and learning from home.
Family Action Educational Grants – provides grants to individuals over the age of 14, looking to unlock their educational potential by participating in further education.
The Lawrence Plummer Foundation – grants for individuals and not-for-profit groups in Kent and Medway for projects removing barriers to participation in physical activity for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Princes Trust – development awards for young people 16-30 to cover course fees, tools or equipment.
Skinners’ Charity Foundation – grants up to £2,000 for young people aged 16-26 living in London and Kent from low-income backgrounds, to help them gain vocational, accredited qualifications.
The Scholarship Hub – search and apply for UK scholarships, grants or bursaries for university.
Thomas Wall Trust – award grants up to £1,500 to undertake accredited vocational training up to level 3 and towards other costs associated with studying.
Action for Kids – grants for children and young people up to 25 years old, who need specialist mobility equipment or a wheelchair to help them become more independent.
The Boparan Charitable Trust – providing grants for specialist equipment and therapies up to age 17.
Caudwell Children – provide funding towards life-changing mobility, sports and sensory equipment for disabled children and their families to help with their development, mobility and independence.
Children Today Charitable Trust – support children and young people with disabilities by providing adapted equipment to help them and their families live less isolated lives.
Disability Grants – a website to search for disability grants.
Dreams come true – bedroom makeovers and garden play equipment for children living in the highest areas of deprivation in the country, and are living with a disability, serious illness, or life-limiting conditions.
Red Eagle Foundation – apply for grants and wishes for children with mobility, mental health and learning difficulties, and those from a disadvantaged financial background. Recipients should be under 18 years of age with a life-threatening illness or aged under 30 years of age and undertaking end of life care. All applications must come from Kent-based families.
Elifar Foundation – for children or young adults with any form of physical or learning disability in need of specialised equipment such as wheelchairs, trikes, seats and sensory equipment.
Guide Dogs – support for children and families including grants for assistive technology and sensory equipment.
Handicapped Children’s Action Group – provide specialist equipment to help with independence and mobility for children up to age 16 with disabilities, learning difficulties and other special needs who are unable to obtain equipment from the NHS and due to family financial circumstances.
Headway Emergency Fund – provides one-off grants in the immediate aftermath of brain injury, to help adult brain injury survivors and their families cope with the sudden practical implications.
Independence at Home – help for individuals who have a long-term illness or disability and need financial help towards the cost of equipment, home adaptations or other essential items to improve independence, comfort, safety and quality of life at home.
Kent Association for the Blind – assess for eligibility for free equipment and visit one of their resource rooms in Maidstone, Canterbury or Bromley, which stock equipment to sample.
Lifeline 4 Kids – provide essential equipment to help improve the quality of life for children (0-18 years) with disabilities and special needs.
Macmillan grants – are small, one-off means-tested payments of £200 to help with the extra costs that living with cancer can bring, such as energy bills, home adaptions and cost of travel to hospital.
Mobility Trust – exchange your mobility allowance for a brand-new car, Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAVWheelchair Accessible Vehicle), scooter or powered wheelchair through the Motability Scheme. For people who have severe disabilities and who cannot obtain such equipment through other means.
Newlife – charitable provider of specialist equipment for disabled children. Grant funding for vital specialist equipment such as beds, buggies, wheelchairs and seating systems.
React – helps families caring for children who are diagnosed with an illness that is life-threatening. They consider any request that meets a ‘basic, essential need’ or unavailable through any other source.
Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity – provide specialist nurses and support for seriously ill children living with complex, lifelong conditions.
Strongbones Children’s Charitable Trust – supporting families with disabled children up to the age of 21 with bone conditions/cancers with grants for disability equipment, respite and financial support.
The Family Fund – equipment – award grants to families who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 17 or under and meet the rest of their eligibility criteria. Grants for items including sensory toys, family breaks, bedding, tablets, furniture, outdoor play equipment, clothing, and computers.
The Langley Foundation – grants to families at the early onset of illness or disability, who might own a small business, be a low-income family or perhaps reliant on benefits, to relive financial pressure.
Tree of Hope – a crowdfunding charity that helps children and young people with a disability or illness by supporting their families to raise the money they need to pay for specialist care that is not freely available through the UK healthcare system.
Variety – the children’s charity, award grants to support children and young people under the age of 19 who have a recognised disability or long-term health condition with equipment and wheelchairs.
WellChild – Helping Hands project works with teams of corporate volunteers to create safe, accessible and sensory garden and bedroom spaces for children and young people with complex health needs.
Whizz Kidz – provide mobility equipment not provided by the NHS, up to age 18 for those with a permanent physical disability E.g. manual, powered and sports wheelchairs, trikes and buggies.
Become – a charity that supports children in care and young care leavers, including advice, coaching, Link-Ups, or someone to listen.
Buttle UK – grants up to £2,400 for children and young people impacted by recent crisis, to provide items and activities also support for boarding school places for children impacted by an ongoing crisis at home.
Capstone Care Leavers’ Trust – grants for those under the care of a local authority in England or Wales, for 13 weeks or more prior to their 16th Birthday, aged 17-25. Also offer advice and guidance.
Care Leavers Association – support for care leavers.
Care Leavers Covenant – a national inclusion programme that supports care leavers aged 16-25 to live independently.
Catch 22 – care leavers services.
KCC – Care Leavers Local Offer – legal obligation to support young people making the transition from care to independence.
Rees Foundation – helping care experienced people to thrive, offering support and financial assistance.
The Spark Foundation – grants for young people in in care or care leavers up to age 25.
Young Lives Foundation – mentoring for care leavers.
Adamson Trust - grants are available to help with the cost of holidays or respite breaks for disabled children (aged 3 to 17 years) with physical, mental, or emotional impairments. Individual families can apply.
The 3H Foundation – helps people with disabilities and carers have a period of respite through their holiday grants and carer programme.
The Ben Saunders Foundation – provide breaks at their Cotswolds holiday homes for young people with cancer, bereaved families who have lost a child in the past 3 years to cancer and any family where a parent of a child under 25 has received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Email: bensaundersfoundation@hotmail.com.
Carers First – information, advice and support for carers in Medway, including young carers.
Carers Support East Kent – provide information and support for carers. Including carer’s needs assessments, and a young adult carer service.
Carers Trust – grants for carers, as part of a package of support. Up to £300 for items / activities to benefit carers in their caring role and/or will alleviate the additional strain they may be experiencing as a direct result of their caring role. Professionals supporting carers can find their local partner and get in touch.
Carefree – support unpaid carers with respite breaks.
Clevedon Forbes Fund – provide grants to UK citizens of limited means, to fund / part-fund short convalescent breaks for those recovering from illness or trauma, or for carers to take a break.
Crossroads Care Kent – help carers to make a life of their own outside caring, including short breaks, young carers services and carer’s counselling.
Dreams come true – holidays and experience days for children who are living in the highest areas of deprivation in the country, and are living with a disability, serious illness, or life-limiting conditions.
The Family Fund – grants awarded for family breaks and days out.
Family Holiday Charity – holiday offers for families on a low income, haven’t had a holiday together in the last 4 years and at least one child under 18 who will go on the holiday.
Imago – support services in Kent for young carers, young adult carers and adult carers.
Involve – offer support and services to carers in Kent. Including information and advice, Carers assessments,16+ young adult carers, and a carers hospital service.
Mothers’ Union ‘Away from it all’ – a holiday scheme, giving the opportunity of a break to those who may be experiencing stress or difficulties in their family life.
The Respite Association – fund suitably qualified carers to take over so that the usual carer can take a well-earned break. They also provide free seaside holidays for carers to recharge their batteries.
Sandcast Trust – supports families living with a rare genetic condition, providing regular opportunities for family fun and respite to help families build positive memories, strengthen family relationships, reduce isolation, and improve mental wellbeing and resilience.
