Grant Applications
|
|
If you would like to apply for a grant there are two key requirements that you must satisfy before we can consider your application in more detail:
- The child or young person must be under the age of 25 years.
- They must live in Stourbridge or the surrounding areas. For practical reasons, we have defined this as living within a radius of 50 miles from Stourbridge.
If you satisfy the above requirements, we will be pleased to consider your application provided that ALL of the information detailed below is provided.
The Method of Application:
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO SPECIFIC APPLICATION FORM, BUT WHAT WE DO REQUIRE IS A CLEAR AND CONCISE LETTER EXPLAINING EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, WHAT IS PROPOSED, WHAT THE COST IS, AND WHAT THE BENEFITS WILL BE. WE WILL ALSO REQUIRE THE SUPPORTING INFORMATION AND OTHER DETAILS AS LISTED BELOW.
If the specific information and supporting documentation detailed below is not provided with the application, there will be a delay while we contact you to request the outstanding information, and we are unable to consider the application until we have all the details requested (if you have any concerns or problems in preparing an application please contact us first and we will try to provide advice on the best way to proceed - contact details can be found on the Contact Us webpage). So please follow the Checklist below to ensure you include all the information required.
So to apply for a Grant, please follow the notes above to provide all the information we require.
Checklist:
Then, provided that we have been assured that our help will be for those in real need, the application is in accordance with our grant criteria, and we have the funding available, the application can be considered for approval.
If we agree to provide a grant, you would receive a pledge letter from us confirming that we would fund the purchase, and authorising you to place the order. The supplier should then invoice us directly for payment online.
Any funding granted is made as a gift outright, with no retention of title, which means that we are providing the funding for the initial purchase only, the equipment then becomes the property of the applicant, and the applicant will be responsible for any inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement costs that may occur in the future.
The involvement of the Charity ends at the point of provision of the funding, and all the remaining order and delivery arrangements are left to the applicant so that we are are able to operate with no administration costs.
Please submit your applications by post or email to the relevant addresses on the Contact Us page.
The Method of Application:
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO SPECIFIC APPLICATION FORM, BUT WHAT WE DO REQUIRE IS A CLEAR AND CONCISE LETTER EXPLAINING EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, WHAT IS PROPOSED, WHAT THE COST IS, AND WHAT THE BENEFITS WILL BE. WE WILL ALSO REQUIRE THE SUPPORTING INFORMATION AND OTHER DETAILS AS LISTED BELOW.
If the specific information and supporting documentation detailed below is not provided with the application, there will be a delay while we contact you to request the outstanding information, and we are unable to consider the application until we have all the details requested (if you have any concerns or problems in preparing an application please contact us first and we will try to provide advice on the best way to proceed - contact details can be found on the Contact Us webpage). So please follow the Checklist below to ensure you include all the information required.
- A covering letter giving us the background information on why the grant is needed, and the details of the equipment proposed.
- Some Health Authorities will only fund certain types of equipment, so we need to be assured that every effort has been made to obtain State funding, and please provide any information available as to why there is no funding available for the equipment now being proposed.
- We shall also need to determine whether or not the equipment is classified by the supplier as VAT exempt. It would help if any information (if known) is made available, and if a VAT Exemption form has been received, please enclose the form for completion by us.
- A supporting letter from a relevant Healthcare Professional detailing the medical condition, the need for the equipment and the benefits expected. Usually this would be the Consultant dealing with the child/young person and/or a letter/report from the relevant Therapist (usually Paediatric/Occupational in the case of mobility equipment) at a sufficient level of seniority and experience to fully evaluate the equipment proposed. We have no expertise in these specialist areas and require expert advice for two reasons: firstly, to obtain VAT exemption we need to sign a VAT Exemption Form, hence we require expert opinion to confirm the details of the child or young person's condition, prior to our signature, and secondly, we need to be assured that all implications of the equipment have been fully considered and that helping in one area will not cause other problems to arise. We need to be certain that the purchase will help to provide the maximum benefit for the child/young person.
- A copy of the detailed quotation for the equipment, which will usually have been prepared following an assessment of the requirements by the supplier's competent person (we have an agreed discount structure with some suppliers, hence we need the detailed quotation to enable us to calculate the final revised cost).
- Please note that once a grant is approved the applicant is provided with an Offer Letter and any relevant paperwork necessary so that they can place the order. The Charity only approves and subsequently funds grants and takes no part in the ordering and delivery process.
- Please also note that we can only fund by a BACS payment direct to the supplier for any grant we agree to provide.
- The supplier must be able to issue the Charity with an invoice once the applicant has placed the order. We are not able to purchase items from an online supplier where a credit/debit card payment is required (eg Amazon, Argos etc.), or to provide funding directly to the applicant. As also explained below we no longer use cheques as the Charity is now charged for any cheques issued by our Bankers - HSBC. Without an invoice from a supplier, which we can then pay by BACS transfer we are unfortunately unable to help.
- This is because we have to retain control of the funds that our supporters have so kindly donated to us, and in order to operate with zero administration cost we are unable to spend time with online ordering, collection/delivery queries and maintaining credit card purchase records for the Independent Examiner of the Charity Accounts. Also, from the start of 2022, our Banker HSBC began charging charities for every cheque handled, so again to operate with zero administration costs, we now use BACS transfer only as online payments are completed at no cost by HSBC.
- Details of any funding already raised, any other sources of funding, and the financial position of the family (we only require a brief outline ie property owned or rented, parents in work or on benefits etc, and we do not expect to be given any specific figures on income), with a clear statement of exactly how much funding is required for the purchase. This enables us to determine the exact amount of grant required for the purchase to proceed.
- The name and age of the child/young person, the address of the family, and the school attended (where applicable). From time to time we receive support from certain Foundations in relation to work within their area. It therefore helps us greatly to know where the applicants live, as well as confirming that they are based within our own current operational area, which is defined as being within a 50 mile radius of our base in Stourbridge. We also need to carry out certain checks of our own on all applications submitted, to ensure that our funds are being used for the purpose the donors intended, and this requires the above information..
- Any other information the applicant considers relevant to the application.
So to apply for a Grant, please follow the notes above to provide all the information we require.
Checklist:
- Name, age, address of the Child/Young person, and a contact telephone number
- Covering letter explaining what is needed, and containing some very brief family background information as detailed above
- Supporting letter from a relevant Healthcare Professional
- Detailed quotation from the supplier
- Applicant has confirmed that the supplier can be paid directly by BACS transfer on receipt of an invoice (note: we are unable to provide payment by credit/debit card to an online supplier)
- Details of any funding that might be available - eg. already raised or part funding by another charity (this is not a requirement to receive a grant from us, but if there is any other funding available, it helps us to spread our funds a bit further and help more young people).
- Any other information you feel is relevant
Then, provided that we have been assured that our help will be for those in real need, the application is in accordance with our grant criteria, and we have the funding available, the application can be considered for approval.
If we agree to provide a grant, you would receive a pledge letter from us confirming that we would fund the purchase, and authorising you to place the order. The supplier should then invoice us directly for payment online.
Any funding granted is made as a gift outright, with no retention of title, which means that we are providing the funding for the initial purchase only, the equipment then becomes the property of the applicant, and the applicant will be responsible for any inspection, maintenance, repair and replacement costs that may occur in the future.
The involvement of the Charity ends at the point of provision of the funding, and all the remaining order and delivery arrangements are left to the applicant so that we are are able to operate with no administration costs.
Please submit your applications by post or email to the relevant addresses on the Contact Us page.