Criteria for grants

 

The trustees will consider applications for help with unexpected or exceptional personal expenditure required by the applicant or the applicant’s dependants. This might include:

• expenditure arising from illness, accident, emergency or family difficulties

• unexpected living expenses (for example, exceptional need for equipment e.g. white goods, furnishing or decorations)

Applications are not normally considered for expenses that might properly be met by the parish, those that could be considered to be normal living expenses or retrospective expenditure, unless incurred in an emergency.
NB. The charity is not able to fund continuing ministerial development or study leave.
This list is not exhaustive but gives some indication of the areas where a grant might be considered:

• Alleviation of financial hardship in exceptional circumstances
• Utility bills in exceptional circumstances
• Computer equipment, printers and software
• Furnishings and white goods – beds, fridges, freezers, washing machines, cookers, wardrobes, bookcases, etc.
• Redecoration and carpets
• Medical expenses, e.g. physiotherapy
• Dental treatment
• Spectacles
• Personal needs, e.g. convalescence, care for sick spouse
• Special needs equipment/household adaptations
• Travel expenses incurred in respect of visiting sick relatives (usually elderly parents)
• Funeral expenses and bereavement support

The income of the charity is in the region of £10,000 a year, and applications are invited for grants of any amount, although assistance to any one applicant does not normally exceed £1,000 in any year, with the average grant being under £500.