Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust believes that too many people are struggling at the sharp end of socio-economic problems; facing chronic poverty or simply isolated and overwhelmed by desperate circumstances. Too many young people face poverty of opportunity, disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their control with huge barriers to employment.
Brighter Futures will build on the success of the Trust’s recent grants programmes, but with a narrowed focus on the following vulnerable and disadvantaged groups of people:
- young people who are leaving local authority care
- young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
- people who are experiencing or who have survived domestic abuse
- people who are socially isolated, living at the margins of society
- people who are homeless or living in insecure accommodation
- refugees and asylum seekers.
Brighter Futures will make grants of between £10,000 and £75,000 to organisations that can demonstrate that their work is successfully improving the lives of people in Kent and Medway, within one of these categories. An ill-defined or vague link between planned activities and one of these groups, is unlikely to be funded. Applicants should ensure that they explain clearly how one of these groups will be the focus of the funded activities.
The categories and the work we are interested in funding are defined in more detail towards the end of this page.
Eligibility criteria
- Organisations must be a registered charity, CIC, social enterprise or properly constituted not-for-profit organisation with a management board of at least three unrelated members.
- Organisations must be working to benefit people living in Kent and Medway. Please note Greater London boroughs previously within Kent, are not eligible.
- Funding to cover the core costs of an existing service should be able to provide robust evidence of the impact of their work and why it is an essential service.
- Organisations must have produced financial accounts for the last two years at least.
- Organisations must have a UK bank account in their registered name.
Level of funding available
Organisations can apply for either:
- a one-off grant of between £10,000 and £50,000
- a grant of between £20,000 and £75,000 payable over two or three years.
In certain circumstances we may make larger grants. Should you wish to apply for a larger sum, please write to our Chief Executive, Jacqueline Rae jrae@cfct.org.uk before submitting your application.
Please note – the total grant cannot be greater than 33% of your most recent annual turnover/income.
Extra priority
Extra priority will be given to organisations that:
- can provide robust evidence of the impact of their recent work
- clearly define the need they are addressing and why they are well-placed to do so
- demonstrate collaborative working and/or offer matched funding opportunities.
Exclusions
We regret that ordinarily we are not able to fund:
- individuals – unless they are made through our ‘Partner Grants’ programme
- national charities that do not have a physical base in Kent or Medway
- capital appeals where the requested grant would be less than 25% of the total cost
- statutory bodies and anything deemed to be the responsibility of the State including state-run nurseries, schools and colleges
- hospitals, health authorities, medical care, medical equipment or medical research
- academic research, scholarships or bursaries
- animal charities
- the promotion of religion
- heritage projects including the restoration or conservation of buildings
- annual or one-off events and festivals
- work outside of Kent
- endowment appeals
- work that has already taken place i.e. retrospective funding
- round-robin, widely circulated appeals.
Living Wage
The Trust encourages grant applicants to cost all salaries included in their application at the living wage rate. The current living wage rate can be found on the Living Wage website: www.livingwage.org.uk
How to Apply
All applications must be submitted using the Trust’s online application form. Applicants are advised to download a copy of the application form questions and prepare their answers in advance in Word and cut and paste them into the online form.
Please note that you will be asked to provide:
- your published accounts for the most recent financial year
- a budget in Excel or as a Word table, showing specifically what the grant would pay for
- your organisation’s safe-guarding policy
- evidence of your not-for-profit tax status g. a copy of your constitution and asset lock if applicable, if you are not a registered charity.
When to Apply
- If you apply by the end of October you will usually receive a grant decision by early March
- if you apply by the end of February you will usually receive a grant decision by early July.
- if you apply by the end of June you will usually receive a grant decision by early November.
Please note: These are not strict deadlines. We receive a large number of applications and sometimes, if we have reached capacity, we may need to close an application window early. You may wish to apply well before the deadline, to avoid disappointment.
Decisions
We aim to inform applicants as soon as possible about the outcome of their application following the Trustees’ meeting. Unfortunately, the Trust receives many more applications than it can fund and therefore many good proposals, will be turned down. The trustees and their staff regret that they are not able to enter into lengthy correspondence about the reasons for their decisions.
If you have a question that is not answered in this guidance, please email grantadmin@cfct.org.uk
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Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Groups
Young people who are leaving local authority care
We define ‘care leavers’ as those young people who were in local authority care for a significant period while under the age of 18. Care leavers face many challenges, including accessing employment or further education and finding suitable and affordable housing. Many experience a significant reduction in support at a pivotal time, just as they transition to independence. They may struggle to maintain their mental and emotional well-being, experiencing loneliness and isolation. We are interested in receiving grant applications from organisations with a proven track record of improving the outcomes for this key group of vulnerable young people, helping them to transition to independence and fulfil their potential.
Young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
The Trust is interested to hear from organisations in Kent and Medway working with disadvantaged young people, aged 16-30, who are not in education, training or employment (NEETS). We welcome grant applications for impactful work focused on improving their access to employment, education or training. Whilst we appreciate that some projects may improve young people’s self-confidence and self-esteem, we are unlikely to support creative/arts-based projects that cannot show a direct link with meaningful employment.
People who are experiencing or who have survived domestic abuse
We define domestic abuse as controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, usually involving a partner or ex-partner or sometimes a family member or carer. We are interested in receiving grant applications from organisations working to support people impacted by domestic violence, both adults and children. We particularly welcome applications from organisations that include people with lived experience on their management board and/or in their staff team.
People who are isolated, living at the margins of society
Loneliness and social isolation affect people of all ages and backgrounds. It can have a serious impact on their health and well-being, including increasing their risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, depression and anxiety. Many older people, especially those living alone, experience chronic loneliness with bereavement, mobility issues, digital exclusion and pensioner poverty being contributing factors. Young people can also experience high levels of loneliness with social pressure and social media use contributing to their feelings of disconnection and despair. We are interested to hear from organisations working to counter chronic loneliness, isolation and despair for people of any age group, particularly organisations that are able to provide tangible evidence of the success of their approach.
People who are homeless or living in insecure accommodation
Kent and Medway have experienced a significant rise in homelessness in recent years. Driving forces include rising living costs, a lack of affordable housing and systemic issues such as poverty and inequality. Many people who are homeless do not qualify for local authority support within statutory assessment priority groups. For many, life events like relationship break down, losing a job, mental or physical health problems, or substance misuse have led to homelessness and make these problems even harder to resolve. However, in many cases homelessness is preventable and with the right support it can be ended. The Trust’s Brighter Futures programme welcomes applications from organisations that provide services for people experiencing or facing homelessness in Kent and Medway, who are able to provide evidence of the impact of their work.
Refugees and asylum seekers
Refugees and asylum seekers face complex challenges. Many have been displaced from their home countries because of conflict or persecution. A large number are unaccompanied children. The asylum process in the UK does not just decide their legal status, it shapes their mental health, dignity, safety, and future. Refugees and asylum seekers can experience compounded trauma from a system that can feel hostile, uncertain, and dehumanising. Even after being granted asylum, refugees often face housing insecurity, unemployment, prejudice and limited support. The Trust’s Brighter Futures programme welcomes applications from organisations working to make a tangible difference to this vulnerable and often isolated group of people.
Download the application questions to prepare your answers in advance
Apply online using our online application form
