Guidance Notes re. Applications for Grants

effective for the Calendar Year 2008

Pearson’s Holiday Fund provides small grants to help make it possible for children and young people of families on benefit-level income to have holidays or outings that take them away for a little while from their otherwise mundane or restricted environment.

In addition, children and young people whose families are on benefit-level income may

1. Have learning disabilities; or

2. Have physical disabilities or other health related problems; or

3. Experience abuse or violence in the home, or are regarded as being at risk; or

4. Care for disabled or elderly parents; or

5. Be in other difficult situations, e.g. refugees, homeless, etc.

The following conditions must also be met in all cases:

1. The child/children/young person(s) must live in the United Kingdom.

2. The holiday or outing must be in the United Kingdom.

3. The child/children/young person(s) must be aged 4 to 16 years (inclusive) at the time of the holiday/outing.

Where a family with a disadvantaged child/young person are taking a holiday together, we normally regard all the children/young people in the family, within our age range, participating in the holiday as meeting our criteria.

Applications for grants may only be submitted by appropriate third party referring agencies (e.g. social workers, health visitors, teachers, doctors, ministers of religion, organisers of holiday activities/projects, etc.). Applications must be in the form of a letter addressed and posted to Pearson’s Holiday Fund, PO Box 3017, South Croydon, Surrey, CR2 9PN, and accompanied by a Stamped Addressed or Prepaid Envelope for our reply. Any applications submitted by Facsimile or e:Mail will not be considered.

We do not act upon direct applications from families.

In respect of applications relating to individual children/young people, all of the following information is required to be provided in the letter of application in every case:

1. The name of the Referring Agency, together with the name, address, telephone, fax number and e:Mail address of the person making the referral, and their position within the Referring Agency.
2. The home address of the family, with name(s) and date(s) of birth of the child/children/young person(s).
3. The names of the income benefits being received by the family at the time of the application. Child Tax Credit is not regarded as a relevant benefit in identifying those who meet our 'benefit-level income' requirement.
4. An outline of any other circumstances under which the child/children/young person(s) is/are considered to meet with the Pearson’s Holiday Fund criteria, specifying the principal disadvantage (see the first two paragraphs of these notes).
5. The anticipated date of the holiday/outings.
6. The location of the holiday/outings or specific confirmation that it will be in the United Kingdom.
7. The amount of the grant requested (subject to the £75 maximum per qualifying child/young person referred to above).
8. The payee to which any grant cheque we may provide should be drawn.

Subject to the availability of funds, grants are awarded on a first come, first served, basis once all the information we require is complete. Consideration of any application that does not provide all the required information (and a prepaid envelope) will almost inevitably be delayed and may result in no grant being available by the time all the details have been provided.

We reserve the right to limit the number of grants in favour of any one Referring Agency or other relevant organisation, or from any particular geographical area of the United Kingdom.

It is regretted that, due to lack of funds, we are unable in 2008 to consider any applications for group-related grants.

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