Individuals
To apply for a grant from this scheme you must be:
- under the age of 25 years at the time you submit your application
- able to demonstrate that you are in need of financial assistance
- a resident of the Diocese of Leicester*. You must have lived here for a reasonable amount of time (usually, a minimum of two years) in order to qualify for a grant.
*The Diocese of Leicester includes the City of Leicester and most of the County of Leicestershire. Please contact us if you are not sure whether you live in the Diocese of Leicester.
Unfortunately, the following are not eligible:
- people resident in Leicester/Leicestershire only for the purposes of study (i.e. with a main/parental home elsewhere)
- those classed as overseas students by the educational establishment at which they are studying (with the exception of refugees/asylum seekers who have leave to remain in the UK, and who otherwise meet the residency criteria).
Please see the Application Guidelines for further details. You can also request a copy of the Foundation's Residency Policy.
Eligible individuals can apply for grants that will advance their education or career. For example:
- financial assistance, clothing, uniforms, books, tools or other equipment that will help someone leaving school, college or university to enter their chosen profession (e.g. equipment you need for a vocational training course, or travel costs in your first month of starting a new job);
- costs associated with taking up a confirmed place at a secondary school*, college, university, or other institution of further education (e.g. course fees, student accommodation, study aids, or other costs related to your course of study);
- travel bursaries or allowances if you need to travel as part of your education;
- financial assistance to students of music or other arts;
- religious instruction in the doctrines of the Church of England.
*Applications for school fees will only be considered in exceptional circumstances, such as where there is a clearly identified special need. Please contact the Foundation to request a copy of our Policy on grants for school fees.
We want to make sure our grants are accessible to everybody who is eligible. If you have particular requirements, or if you need any help from us in order to enable you to apply, then please contact us.
Schools
To apply for a grant from this scheme your school must be either:
- a Church of England school in the Diocese of Leicester*, or substantially serving the Diocese of Leicester, or
- a state funded school in the City of Leicester.
*The Diocese of Leicester includes the City of Leicester and most of the County of Leicestershire. If you are not sure whether your school falls within the Diocese, please call Charity Link on 0116 222 2200 for advice.
Eligible schools can apply for grants towards projects that would not normally be considered part of state education provision. (Applicants should bear in mind that the Trustees are required by charity law not to fund equipment or costs that would normally be met from the school budget set by the local education authority or Department for Education).
Examples of the type of project that have been funded in the past include:
- Peace gardens and outdoor areas for learning or reflection
- Sensory rooms and projects designed to support pupils with particular needs
- Stained glass windows, mosaics, textile hangings etc. that reflect the school's moral or spiritual values
- Support to enable children eligible for pupil premium/free school meals to take part in school trips, residentials or visits
Please note that the Trustees will not fund equipment or costs that would normally be met from your school budget. For example:
- salary costs for core teaching or other core staff employed by your school, in exercising their core duties;
- the general maintenance and running costs of your school;
- the 10% Governing Body Liability for capital projects in voluntary aided schools (or academies that were previously voluntary aided schools).