Project grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are available to UK registered charities, charitable organisations and community groups for initiatives that support deaf children aged 0 to 5 and their families.
The National Deaf Children’s Society Community Grant programme is an initiative offering between £1,000 to £10,000 to UK groups supporting deaf children and their families.
The aim of the programme is to build communities that unite families of deaf children.
Grants are focused on projects that support deaf children in the early years (aged 0 to 5). This can be directly or indirectly, and projects can also involve older deaf children, deaf young people, families and professionals.
The Society considers early years to be "a crucial time for all children. For deaf children, this is even more true. Without adjustments, accommodations and the right support, young deaf children can find it more difficult to develop their language, communication and social skills.
"For parents with a deaf child, having a strong community is vital, particularly during those first few years when families are still finding out what their child needs."
Eligible organisations may apply for one grant of up to £10,000 for 12 months to help kick-start new initiatives and create opportunities for deaf children and their families by covering the essential running costs of your project, such as:
- Equipment that is essential for the project, such as play equipment or technology
- Promotional costs
- Transport
- Venue hire, and
Wages for sessional workers, interpreters and language tutors.
Grants must not be used for services that are provided as standard by government funded education or health services.
This includes:
- Any government-funded training you should receive as part of your job (for example, deaf awareness training for teachers).
- Assessments of language and literacy skills
- Improvements to buildings such as installing sound clouds or lighting
- Meeting requirements outlined in statutory plans
- Provision of hearing technology or audiological assessments
- Teacher of the Deaf (ToD) visits, or
- Teaching, learning, and assessment under the national curriculum.
This is a rolling programme with set assessment dates. Applications may be made at any time throughout the year. Applicants will be notified when their application will receive a decision after the Society has made an initial assessment of the application.
Further information, guidance and an online application for is available on the Society’s website.