National Deaf Children's Society Grants
Overview
Make a Change Fund
The Make a Change Fund helps deaf young people bring to life their ideas so they can make a positive change for themselves and other deaf young people.
Deaf young people aged 8 to 25 can apply for up to £500 to create a project. They might want to improve their local area, address issues they face, or push for greater inclusion.
Some of the projects they've funded so far are:
- A sign language club to help deaf and hearing classmates communicate with each other
- Improving deaf awareness at local leisure centres
- Sharing deaf awareness tips with bus drivers and emergency services staff.
View their case studies.
Young people can also get creative with art, drama, music, film etc and tie their ideas in with school projects or youth group activities.
Criteria for applying
- The project must be led by deaf young people
- Those involved must be 8 to 25 years old
- The group can be a mixture of deaf and hearing young people
- There must be a minimum of two young people involved in the project. If the application involves just one young person, please email us to discuss
- A youth worker or organisation (such as school, youth group, brownies etc) must be involved to support and manage the funds.
Register Your Interest - they will then send you all the information needed to start an application including toolkits.
Inclusion Grant
If you are planning to apply for an Inclusion Grant, please read their webpage carefully. It contains everything you need to know but if you have any questions please email inclusion.grants@ndcs.org.uk.
Watch their BSL introduction to the Inclusion Grant
What are Inclusion Grants?
Their inclusion Grants are designed to help deaf children and young people get involved in events and activities, groups and clubs. The maximum grant is £150.
Who are they for?
They're for deaf children and young people aged 5-18 years living in the UK. By ‘deaf’ they mean any kind of hearing loss from mild to profound. Applicants should be members of the National Deaf Children's Society.
What do they cover?
Typically they go towards the cost of events, activities and courses (maximum £150). Examples include after-school clubs, BSL courses and swimming lessons. They can also be put towards things a young person needs to take part, such as football kit. On some occasions they may be able to reimburse travel costs.
What don't they cover?
They’re very sorry but they don't fund electronic equipment such as laptops, tablets or phones, or hearing tech such as radio aids. Learn more about alternative sources of funding on their financial support page.
Apply for an Inclusion grant
How do they decide?
They welcome applications that show a clear social or emotional benefit to the child or young person. They may prioritise applicants with lower incomes and more complex needs.
When will you hear?
They will do their best to meet your deadlines but please give them plenty of time. They aim to acknowledge your application within three weeks and make a decision within six weeks.