How to apply for a grant
Please read these guidelines carefully and apply only if your work falls within our guidelines.
Who can apply?
Applications can only be made by the recommending probation officer or social services case worker:
- Probation Officers should download an Application Form via their intranet
- Social Services case workers, social welfare agencies and other professionals should apply via the Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund Application Form or email the Secretary of the Fund: [email protected]
What will we fund?
At the Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund, we understand the importance of giving prison leavers the chance to start anew. Our grants cover essential items such as everyday clothing, job interview attire, training course fees, and tools of trade. We also provide household equipment, including refrigerators and beds.
Additionally, we recognise the significance of identification documents, and thus provide funding for provisional driving licences or Citizen Cards.
If you are applying for a grant to support a training course, please make sure to include all relevant details about the course in your application. This is a mandatory requirement that will help us evaluate your request and determine the level of support we can provide.
Our grants are typically in the range £150 – £250, but we do make grants of up to £1,000 to fund, or part-fund, education and training courses.
What won’t we fund?
- Prison leavers living outside the M25
- Passports and full driving licences
- Mobile phones and laptops
How to apply
- Probation Officers should download an Application Form via their intranet.
- Social Services case workers, social welfare agencies and other professionals should apply for an application form from the Secretary of the Fund.: [email protected]
- A stamped or franked self-addressed envelope for the relevant office is required with each application and all subsequent correspondence.
- All applications should be typed or hand printed in block capitals.
- On no account may this application form be given to clients.
- Failure to apply any of the above instructions will render an application void.
Once we have received your application form, the process is as follows:
- Applications received are logged by the Secretary.
- The Administrator evaluates each case for eligibility and processes them (usually within 2 weeks).
- A cheque with corresponding paperwork requesting receipts is sent within a month.
- Unsuccessful applications are notified.
When to apply
Applications for timely help can be made shortly after release from prison or other sentence by the Probation Service and other social welfare agencies.
The Fund immediately evaluates applications, and grant money for the successful applicant is handled by the recommending Service only.
Further advice and information
For further advice and information about applying for a grant, or if you would like an application form to be sent to you by email, please contact:
Claire Ivey, Secretary of the Fund
Tel: 020 7192 2739 / 2734
E-mail:
For public: [email protected]
For judiciary: [email protected] (to be used only for grant applications)