The Halton Foundation (administered by Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside)

The Halton Foundation Learning Fund

Education, training and employability bursaries of up to £1,000 for young people aged 16-25 from Halton facing barriers, such as those on low incomes or income-related benefits, care leavers, young carers, disabled young people or those who have had adverse childhood experiences. It can also help vulnerable young people buy smart clothes and shoes for job interviews. This is a grant to individual young people, not organisations; there is no deadline.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: Up to £1,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Light; short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

Individual young people aged 16 to 25 who live in Halton permanently, or who can show they live in Halton when not studying (e.g. outside university term-time)
Grants are targeted at vulnerable young people and/or those from low-income families, including those receiving income-related benefits (or whose parent or guardian at the same address does), care leavers, young carers, those with a disability, learning difficulty or SEND, and those who have had adverse childhood experiences (e.g. domestic abuse in the family, a parent in prison, family homelessness or risk of it, being raised by grandparents)
The list is not exhaustive: other disadvantaged situations and young people outside these criteria are considered case by case, but evidence of circumstances is asked for
Not for organisations

What it funds

Bursaries that remove barriers for young people in pursuing education, training, apprenticeships and work:

Costs linked to a course of education or training they have been accepted on (the form covers university, college, other education and course providers and sports institutions)
Smart clothes or shoes for job interviews for vulnerable young people under 25

Up to £1,000, subject to available funds, with more in exceptional circumstances; receipts are required for items bought.

The fund notes that some areas of the borough need more help than others.

What it will not fund

Expenditure outside the UK, such as international study or trips abroad

How to apply

Check you are aged 16-25, live in Halton and can evidence your circumstances
Download the application form (Word) via 'Apply Now'
Complete the form, including what you want the funding for, your circumstances, total cost, any shortfall and a cost breakdown, and sign the declaration
Email the form and all supporting documents to applications@cflm.org.uk
Community Foundation staff check eligibility and may contact you for more information; a decision-making panel then makes recommendations based on the fund's criteria and budget
If successful, keep and provide receipts for items bought

The form is shared with the Mayor of Halton Fund; the Foundation may move your application to another donor fund if it is a better fit.

If the Apply Now button is not available, check the fund's opening and closing dates on the page before contacting the Foundation.

Have ready

Proof of residence in Halton (e.g. utility bill, bank statement or driving licence)
ID confirming you are under 25 (e.g. driving licence or passport)
A recent bank statement (contact the Foundation if you do not have your own bank account)
Confirmation of acceptance on a course of education, training or an apprenticeship, or confirmation of a job interview if applying for smart clothes
Evidence of circumstances, e.g. proof of benefits letter (yours or your parent's/guardian's), SEND confirmation from a school or college, a letter or email of support from a care leaver's Personal Advisor, Carer's Allowance confirmation, or a support letter from a professional such as a social worker or Citizens Advice

If you have applied within the last 12 months and provided these documents, you need not send them again, though a more recent bank statement may be requested.

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.