The Boparan Charitable Trust is a charity created with the sole aim of improving young peoples’ lives. They provide funding to children with disabilities, life-limiting illnesses and those who are in extreme poverty across the UK. Their grants can fund specialist equipment such as wheelchairs, trikes, sensory toys not available on the NHS, and treatments such as a Speech & Language Therapy and Behavioural Therapy.

https://www.theboparancharitabletrust.com/

Buttercup Children’s Trust helps seriously ill children and their families to overcome the pressures of dealing with disabilities and life hindering illnesses.

They can provide assistance with such things as vital medical equipment, vital sensory equipment in addition to travel costs and respite to name a few.

They also provide support and advice.

http://www.buttercupchildrenstrust.org.uk/

"What we do is very simple: pay for things that we would want all children and young people to have but their parent or carers cannot otherwise afford."

They provide support designed to improve emotional, educational and social outcomes through our Chances for Children grants and, for some children whose home environment is disruptive and chaotic, grants which allow them to go to boarding school.

They can offer grants upto £2000 and items they can fund include:

- Items and activities to support learning and development such as laptops, books, 12 months of broadband, educational toys, tuition, etc.

- Clothing and school uniforms

- Social, sporting and leisure activities

- Family activities

- Items for children/young people’s bedrooms

- Other household items that are not available from sources such as Emergency Essentials or Local Authority welfare schemes, etc.

https://buttleuk.org/

Is a national charity based in Staffordshire “at our state of the art facilities which are dedicated to improving the lives of disabled and autistic children”. They offer Autism Assessments, Occupational Therapy, Equipment, Sensory Packs and various other forms of support. For families with a household income of under £45,000 they can fund up to 80% of the costs for the assistance they provide.

https://www.caudwellchildren.com/

They also provide funding towards life-changing equipment for children with a wide range of disabilities or chronic conditions. They can provide upto 80% of the cost of therapy tricycles, sensory equipment, sports equipment, car sears, car harnesses, buggies and powered wheelchairs.

https://www.caudwellchildren.com/services/equipment/

ELIFAR is a small charity which aims to help improve the care, facilities and equipment available to profoundly disabled children and young adults both at home or in residential care. They provide grants to fund the purchase of a wide range of highly specialised equipment, which would otherwise be unavailable because of a lack of funds or because there is no statutory provision, for children and young people up to the age of 28.

https://www.elifarfoundation.org.uk/

Is a charity that aims to improve the lives of low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people. They offer grants for short breaks, essential items and services (eg washing machines, toys, furniture, tablets / computers, bedding, clothing etc) and their website also has a series of guides on various types of support that is available.

To be able to apply for a grant you must meet certain criteria, which are basically that your child must have a high level of additional support needs arising from a long term disabling condition or a serious or life limiting illness and you must be in receipt of a means tested benefit (eg Universal Credit).

https://www.familyfund.org.uk/

Founded in 1961, is a charity with one purpose, to provide equipment to help improve the quality of life for children with disabilities and special needs irrespective of race or creed. For the individual child they provide the full spectrum of specialised equipment such as electric wheelchairs, mobility aids and items including specialised computers and sensory toys. They also help Schools, children's hospices, respite care homes and support centres throughout the UK with a variety of items including playground equipment, soft play and multi-sensory rooms and special beds.

http://www.lifeline4kids.org/

Primarily offer non-means tested equipment grants or loans. They are the UK's largest charitable provider of specialist equipment to disabled children. They have a national helpline that provides information and support to families and professionals who are caring for terminally ill or disabled children. As well as offering access to larger equipment, they can also provide free 12 week loans of play therapy pods. Each pod contains a range of toys specifically tailored a certain age group and certain needs.

https://newlifecharity.co.uk/

React – Rapid Effective Assistance for Children with potentially Terminal illness is a dynamic charity working to improve the quality of life for children with life-limiting illnesses living in financially disadvantaged households throughout the UK.

https://reactcharity.org/

Starlight is a charity that creates moments of escape from the difficult reality which seriously ill children find themselves.

They hold Starlight Escapes, Days and Breaks throughout the year so children and their families can leave the stresses of hospitals and hospices far behind.

For Children who are in hospital they offer a number of different boxes which contain a variety of distractions such as toys, games, sensory toys, books. They can also provide games consoles and every winter their Panto team travels to hospitals around the country to entertain children and their families.

https://www.starlight.org.uk/

The Steve Morgan Foundation is a charity that provides support for people of all ages in financial hardship, who are in need of specialised equipment. They fund specialist equipment:

-Mobility aids, wheelchairs, buggies, hoists, trikes, etc.

-Specialised beds and sleep systems, postural chairs, seating and car seats

-Sensory equipment

-Communication aids, specialised software, specialised alarms

-Medical equipment, support wear

https://stevemorganfoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/enable-funding/

Variety provide practical help that makes an immediate difference to disabled and disadvantaged children and young people under the age of 19, allowing them to live their best lives. They offer equipment grants (including hoists, beds, car seats, sensory and play equipment, assistive and medical technologies) and wheelchairs for children. They also offer Sunshine Coaches to support transport needs of SEND Schools and other non-profit organisations and through Variety Great Days Out they provide day trips for children and young people. In addition to all of this they also run several specialist hospitals.

https://www.variety.org.uk/