MNHQ here: A list of grants available from charities to help pay for daily essentials and more

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello

The Association of Charitable Organisations has been in touch asking us to share their Here to Help campaign.

The campaign has information about how to access non-repayable financial support and more from charities that can help pay for daily essentials, bills, furniture and white goods, childcare costs and more.

Here’s what they say:

“As we sadly anticipate more redundancies and people in need of financial support as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the government's Job Retention Scheme ending, the Here to Help campaign seeks to raise awareness of the grant-giving charities that can provide assistance to those that need support and additionally raise awareness of the work of this often lesser-known part of the charity sector.”

Please do take a look, or share the link, if this sounds like it may be helpful.

Many thanks
MNHQ

Thank you - will share widely. A really helpful link.

It's just the turntous link for the grant search. There's no list of charities to approach.

@Supersimkin2 you click here

@Supersimkin2 and then here

@Supersimkin2 actually it’s easier than that just scroll down and click on this orange link

Thanks so much. The problem in this sector of the charity behemoth is that most grants go unclaimed cos no one knows they exist. You can see why.

Yeh, I flogged through that guidance download. Just tells you charities exist and some of them give out money. It fails to mention that 90 per cent of these charities only accept applications from HCP, LA, other charities, CAB, etc., and only pay out to other companies or charities.

the turn to us link is the industry standard and has been since Elizabeth Finn set it up years ago... am I missing something? 2,500 results from a search will put people off, not encourage them to make 2,499 (hopeless) applications.

Here is the link to the members of the ACO www.aco.uk.net/page/Member-Directory
which might be of help given you would be starting from scratch.

A better bet for those in need would be to look at your council website which gives you the list of your local charities that give real money/goods direct to real humans in need.

Great

Grant if I’m in the construction industry. I am not.

And that’s it

I've emailed about putting this sort of into on Mumsnet before! I even had a pitch to make to Justine about something MN could provide.

Glad to see this.

Look up the Smallwood Trust too. They do grants for individuals.

@Jroseforever

Great

Grant if I’m in the construction industry. I am not.

And that’s it

That’s all I got too.

That would help my son. He is in the building industry and on his knees with his mental health, debt and barely any work.

I know I shouldnt laugh, but...

I looked at this wondering if it would be useful to send to our families. I work in a school.

So I tried with my data. Female, in 50's, South East postcode. I got 2.

I got the construction one - for WORKERS in construction. How many females in their 50's do you think the construction industry employs across the whole UK? I dont know either, but I bet it isnt many.

There is no point to a search engine that produces such awful results.

@BojanaMumsnet please feedback to this organisation. Certainly our families who have financial need at the moment (being supported by school, the local community and the local LA) really do not have time for this nonsense. Best of luck to anyone else trying to use these links.

Yes mumsnet

It’s a service that looks good and talks the talk and appeals to those that don’t actually need to use it.

But only the actual users know that it’s.... essentially irrelevant and crap for the vast majority!

In fairness I have had thousands worth of grants for clients from charities and it helps if those in need are able to apply via a caseworker, social worker or other non profit making organisation.

@spongedog

I know I shouldnt laugh, but...

I looked at this wondering if it would be useful to send to our families. I work in a school.

So I tried with my data. Female, in 50's, South East postcode. I got 2.

I got the construction one - for WORKERS in construction. How many females in their 50's do you think the construction industry employs across the whole UK? I dont know either, but I bet it isnt many.

There is no point to a search engine that produces such awful results.

@BojanaMumsnet please feedback to this organisation. Certainly our families who have financial need at the moment (being supported by school, the local community and the local LA) really do not have time for this nonsense. Best of luck to anyone else trying to use these links.

Thanks @spongedog, I'm sorry to hear that and I will pass your feedback on.

I had a go and I think the key is that apart from the random construction one you have to add more categories to get more results.

I tried as a 50something woman in London and apart from the random construction one I got three for my local area. I then added my profession and got another two, added a religion and got another two, a health condition and got another three. It does work but it’s not immediately obvious that you need to add stuff to get results rather than to narrow it down.

Following for my forthcoming unemployment....

Seems like the organisation just wanted incoming links to lift their Google rankings.

I put my details in. I got one result - the construction one. I don’t work in construction.

This is useless.

@frydd you need to add more details - your occupation, religion, health etc. It’s not obvious but it does work once you know how to use it. They need to tidy up the construction one because it’s so misleading.

I would advise people struggling with debt to contact Step Change a debt charity who are free and impartial.

Since most people now carry debt with them through life, a grant is about as useful as a sticking plaster in a swimming pool."

Step Change are supporting me and I can see some light for the first time in a decade.

I went straight to the list of jobs and found two charities that help me as an ex-employee. I'm now booked on a free course to help me sleep. Actually that was very useful and just what I needed. Thank you MN.

Thank you, will share this. Stepson is front line but his DP is self employed and her business has disappeared.

Useful resource. Regarding the Construction Charity (BC&E)
A friend of mine got 2 months rent arrears and a basic entry level construction qualification (CSCS card that allows you onto building site) support from them about 2 years ago. Very lovely staff helped him with his application. They also.helped him with a deposit advance when he moved to another place. We only found out he was eligible because his former employer (recycling industry) made pension contributions to the BC&E construction industry pension fund whose surplus funds the charitable bit. Might be worth another application if things continue to hit the Construction / Demolition sector.

Looked at the Charity tool. The reason the Construction Charity keeps coming up.in everyone's search (regardless of non-relevance) is that is a National Charity rather than local/ sectarian one by the looks of things