Individuals in poverty that live within the Ancient Parish of Handsworth can make an application to the Charity. Applicants must be permanent residents of the Charity’s geographical area. Applications made by sponsoring organisation that has known or worked with the individual for at least 6 months will only be considered.
As a small Charity with limited funds and staff resources we are not able to address the underlying causes of poverty, so we are not in a position to eliminate local poverty. We look to give grants that will reduce hardship and improve wellbeing. Small grants of no more than £500 are considered by Trustees to any one applicant to alleviate short-term difficulties that relate to a situation of poverty. Grants are only awarded to applicants on a restricted income.
Grants may be made to help with essential household items and goods such as bedding, carpets, cookers, fridges, small property repairs. Other considerations may be clothing, educational books and materials, travel costs.
The following postcodes are recognised as within the Ancient Parish of Handsworth – B18, B19, B20, B21, B42, B43, B44. Click to enlarge map.
Trustees will not consider:
- paying for equipment/good/ work where statutory funding is available;
- paying wages;
- paying legal fees;
- settling debts;
- paying for items/work retrospectively;
- generally repeat grants to individuals, and only in exceptional circumstances.
Our income is derived from our investment portfolio and we receive many more applications than we can fund.
Guidance
We prefer to accept applications sent by email but will accept postal applications. Trustees welcome applications for grants from all sections of the community that reside within the Ancient Parish of Handsworth and decisions that are made have regard to the Charity’s available funding levels. Our Equal Opportunities Policy is available on request.
We generally do not pay applicants direct and only in exceptional circumstances or make cash payments. We expect to receive an accompanying referee or sponsoring organisation completed application, where the sponsoring organisation or referee will act as the conduit for the grant payment or administer the grant on behalf of the applicant and ensure that evidence of the use of grant for the purposes it was given is provided.
Applications can be received throughout the year. We will endeavour to acknowledge your application within 2 weeks of receiving it. Trustees meet only 3 times a year – March, July and November. Applications that are deemed to be of an urgent nature can be considered by Trustees in between Trustees meeting and we would endeavour to advice of the outcome within a month of it being received. If your application is taken to a Trustees meeting for consideration then the outcome will be communicated within 2 weeks of the meeting. All grant applications are assessed on an individual basis. Trustees’ decision is final and as a small Charity with limited resources, we are not in a position to enter into any correspondence or discussion with unsuccessful applicants.