John Lyon’s Charity gives grants to benefit children and young people up to the age of 25 who live in nine boroughs in North and West London: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea and the Cities of London and Westminster.

The Charity’s mission is to promote the life-chances of children and young people through education.

 

The School Holiday Activity Fund is designed to enable organisations to deliver fun and accessible activities for children and young people during the school holidays.  This includes all half-term breaks, Easter, Christmas and the summer holiday.

The Fund will pay for the running costs of holiday programmes that provide young people with activities in supportive and accessible environments.

Please note that the maximum grant allowance is £4,000.

 

Applications to the School Holiday Activity Fund (SHAF) can be made by registered charities or mainstream state schools that are based in the Beneficial Area.

 

Organisations that are currently in receipt of a grant from John Lyon’s Charity for core services are also eligible to apply to this Fund as long as funds from the Charity are not already being used for holiday activities.

 

You can apply to the School Holiday Activity Fund for a variety of activities.

 

Examples could include (but are not limited to):

• holiday drop-in activities
• arts activities
• sports projects
• family activities
• trips out of London
• camping trips.

 

Grants could be used for:

• equipment (not IT equipment)
• sessional staffing costs
• transport
• venue hire
• other direct project costs.

 

To apply, complete an online application form using our Grants Portal now. If it is your first online application to the Charity, you will need to create a new login. The online application process will provide all the information you need.

 

Organisations can apply to the School Holiday Activity Fund once a year for a maximum of three consecutive years. Then a break of at least one year must be taken.

Applications to the School Holiday Activity Fund can be submitted at any time, but must be submitted by the following deadlines:

 

Summer holiday –  1 June

October half-term – 21 September

Christmas holiday – 16 November

February half-term – 18 January

Easter – 1 March

May half-term – 25 April

A Hammersmith and Fulham care provider has re-opened its Community Grant scheme – a sum of money that could benefit any local group in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham working with older people or those living with a disability.

 

Bluebird Care opened its office almost six years ago in the local area, and ever since has been working hard to support other organisations across the district.

 

Soheila Amin, Managing Director, said:

“As well as providing care & companionship services to people living in their own homes, Bluebird Care is passionate about supporting community projects and initiatives. So many neighbourhoods thrive because of volunteers who work tirelessly to run community groups, host events and provide services that benefit others. Much of this work involves supporting older people who, without regular coffee mornings, day-trips or lunch clubs, would be left isolated at home.”

 

The care provider is making available £250 to a community group or initiative that works with older people within the Borough.

The group that can best demonstrate a need for additional support will be allocated the funds.

 

Bluebird Care is a local provider of care in the home. They specialise in working with customers who suffer from dementia, physical and learning disabilities, and work alongside their families, Social Services, GPs and Clinical Commissioning Groups to ensure each person receives the care they need.

 

Nathan Hartley is coordinating the scheme on behalf of Bluebird Care. He says support will be offered to the successful applicant to ensure older people get the most from their Community Grant:

“The Bluebird Care Community Grant will also come with support and advice. We want to work with a local project that gives older people an opportunity to try something new and that will add benefit to their lives. Examples of the type of projects we are looking for could include gardening, leisure, recreational or musical activities.”

 

Bluebird Care Hammersmith & Fulham has already awarded two previous grants for £250 each, one to the Masbro Elders Project in Hammersmith, which works with older people to tackle loneliness and isolation, and the other to the Hammersmith Community Gardens Association.

 

For more details, and to receive an application form, email hartleypr@hotmail.co.uk