List of grant awarding charities which may assist blind and partially sighted students
The following is a selective list of charities, from which it may be possible for blind and partially sighted students to obtain financial assistance in addition to that available from statutory sources. There are several small trusts for blind and partially sighted people which cover specific local areas. Often local associations and societies for blind and partially sighted people have grant awarding committees.
Grant awarding charities in England
Action for Blind People
Association of Charity Officers (ACO)
The Camelia Botnar Foundation
Disability Rights UK
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Educational Trust for the Blind
Jewish Care
Lawrence Attwell’s Charity
Metropolitan Society for the Blind
National Blind Children’s Society (NBCS)
Princes Trust
RNIB - The Graham Rushton Award for Blind and Partially Sighted Law Students
Royal Blind Society
Snowdon Awards Scheme
Student Disability Assistance Fund (SDAF)
Vision Charity
Grant Awarding Charities specifically for Scottish students
Anne Herd Memorial Trust
Webster and Davidson Mortification Trust
Grant Awarding Charities specifically for Welsh students
Wales Council for the Blind
Further Information
Grant awarding charities in England
Action for Blind People
14 – 16 Verney Road
London SE16 3DZ
Telephone: 0207 635 3015
Website:
Email:
National helpline: 0800 915 4666
Can help registered blind or partially sighted people who are residents of the UK with holiday breaks and assistive technology. Contact the helpline to be directed to your local Action Team.
Association of Charity Officers (ACO)
Head Office
Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place
London WC1H 0NN
Tel: 020 7255 4480 Fax: 020 7255 4496
Email:
Website:
ACO itself does not provide grant aid. Advises enquirers of possible sources of charitable help. Applicants should provide family and career background in order to elicit appropriate information. May offer assistance to E.U. countries.
The Camelia Botnar Foundation
Maplehurst Road
Cowfold
West Sussex
RH13 8DQ
Telephone: 01403 864556
Website:
Email:
Assistance may be given to people aged 16-19 in need due to physical/mental disability or social /economic circumstances. Work experience for disadvantaged young people up to the age of 21 years.
Disability Rights UK
Ground Floor
CAN Mezzanine
49-51 East Rd
London
N1 6AH
Information Service Freephone: 0800 328 5050
Tuesday, 11.30 am – 1.30 pm and Thursday, 1.30 - 3.30 pm.
Website:
Funding:
Helpline:
Email:
Disability Alliance (DA) is providing support and information for disabled students, through DA's agreement with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills following the closure of Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities. DA offers online information for disabled students, families and professionals, free factsheets for disabled students and advisors and a helpline which offers advice on education, training and employment. DA also offers a benefits checklist at:
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Educational Trust for the Blind
The Covers
Green Lane
Hambledon
Hampshire
PO7 4SS
Telephone: 023 9263 2180
Assistance for educational purposes (including equipment) given only to residents of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Maximum grant £300.
Jewish Care
Merit House
508 Edgware Road
The Hyde
Colindale
London NW9 5AB
Telephone: 0208 922 2000 / 2222
Website:
Email:
Acts primarily as an advocate. Very occasionally will give financial help for Jewish visuallyimpaired people. Only applicable to residence in home counties. No assistance to residents outside the UK.
Lawrence Attwell’s Charity
The Skinner’s Company
8 Dowgate Hill
London
EC4R 2SP
Telephone: 0207 213 0561or 0207 213 0561
Website:
Email:
Can help with financial assistance for people within the ages of 16 and 26 pursuing practical vocational courses leading to work and to purchase essential, equipment. Applicants must be UK nationals or refugees with permanent residency. Grants are awarded to people who come from a demonstrably low-income background, e.g. family income below £25,000 pa.
Metropolitan Society for the Blind
Lantern House
102 Bermondsey Street
London
SE1 3UB
Telephone: 0207 403 6184
Website:
Email:
May be able to offer assistance to blind and partially sighted people in the twelve inner London boroughs only. This could include support with reading correspondence and, occasionally, writing letters; Loans of audio equipment arranged through the British Wireless for the Blind Fund; Information about local social groups, news and events and making contact with statutory services, for example making a doctor's appointment.
National Blind Children’s Society (NBCS)
Bradbury House
33 - 34 Market Street
Highbridge
Somerset
TA9 3BW
Telephone: 01278 764764
Website:
Email:
The National Blind Children’s Society provides services for the families of children and young people with a visual impairment, from birth to the completion of full time education. NBCS provides Family Support, Educational Advocacy, IT advice and support, Activities, CustomEyes large print children’s books and subject to criteria, may be able to provide grants for computers, speech and magnification software, for home use.
Princes Trust
The Prince's Trust
18 Park Square East
LondonNW1 4LH
phone: 0800 842842
fax: 020 7543 1200
minicom: 0207 543 1374
email:
Website:
The Princes Trust offers a Development Award for young people. It can provide cashgrantsof up to £500 (depending on region) to helpyoung peopleget into education, training or employment. The award can help fund tools or equipment for a job or qualification, equipment or travel costs for volunteering or structured work experience and more. Eligibility is for young people aged aged 14–16 and not expecting to achieve five GCSEs grades A-C or aged 16–25 and not in education, training or are working less than 16 hours a week.
RNIB - The Graham Rushton Award for Blind and Partially Sighted Law Students
Graham Rushton was a blind lawyer who left a considerable sum of money to RNIB as a legacy, the interest earned on which isto be spent on assisting blind and partially sighted law students studying English Law in the United Kingdom.
RNIB and the Society of Visually Impaired Lawyers have worked in partnership to establish an annual grant award from the legacy. The Graham Rushton Award is a grant of around £7,000 annually for which blind and partially sighted people can apply.
Who can apply?
Anyone who is studying English law in the United Kingdom, whether for a degree, a post-degree conversion qualification or a post-degree training course and who will be doing so in the next academic year. Priority will, however be given to applicants who have reached a stage in their studies where local authority grants and other funding sources are not available, such as a Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), and to those who have not previously benefited from a Graham Rushton Award.
Before being awarded any money, applicants may be required to demonstrate that one or more of the following applies to them:
- they have a confirmed place on a course
- they are studying English Law within the United Kingdom
- they are able to provide proof of sight loss.
- they have proof of a current or offered training contract or other legal position
How do you apply?
Contact Kudirat Adeniyi at RNIB on 020 7391 2057 or e-mail to request a Graham Rushton Grant application pack in your preferred format.
Royal Blind Society
RBS House
59 - 61 Sea Lane
Rustington
West Sussex
BN16 2RQ
Phone: 01903 857023 - Fax: 01903 859685
Website:
Email:
The Royal Blind Society offers practical support for people with little or no sight and gives more than £100,000 in grants to visually impaired people on low incomes. Grants can be used tohelp towards household bills, work-related training, specialist medical equipment, daily living aids and IT equipment, reading and literacy aids for young visually impaired people from low income families.
Snowdon Awards Scheme
Unit 18, OakhurstBusinessPark
Wilberforce Way
Southwater
West Sussex
RH13 9RT
Telephone: 01403 732899
Fax: 01403 733538
Website:
Email:
The Snowdon Awards Scheme can provide students with a physical or sensory disability with grants, ranging from £250 to £2,500. These help cover additional costs, like computers, mobility equipment or human help that push up the already high costs of being a student or trainee. They provide students with the opportunity to access education or training and enjoy a level of independence that would not otherwise be possible.
Student Disability Assistance Fund (SDAF)
Sandra Furmston,
Administrative Secretary,
BAHSHE Office,
35 Hazelwood Rd,
BushHillPark,
Enfield
EN1 1JG
Tel/Fax: 020 8482 2412
Email:
Website:
The Association runs the Student Disability Assistance Fund (SDAF) to help students with disabilities to keep up with their studies. The maximum amount of each award is £500 and students must be involved in higher education on a full-time or nearly full-time basis. Students are expected to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance before applying to the SDAF. Students who are disabled but not entitled to receive DSA are more likely to be awarded a grant by the SDAF than students who do receive DSA.
Deadlines for applications are March 1st, June 1st and November 1st of each year.
Vision Charity
Peter H. Thompson
PO Box 729
Aylesbury
Bucks.
HP22 9AS
Bucks
Telephone: 01296 655227
Fax: 01844 346 151
Email;
Website:
Possibility of funding specific items of equipment to help support blind and partially sighted pupils and students up to age 20. Variety of applicationsconsidered.
Grant Awarding Charities specifically for Scottish students
Anne Herd Memorial Trust
C/o Bowman Solicitors
27 Bank Street
Dundee
DD1 1RP
Telephone: 01382 322267
Email:
The Trust was set up to provide funding for blind and partially sighted people or to organisations providing services for them. Preference given to students from the Dundee and Tayside area. Please write to Elizabeth N. McGillivray or email
for more information.
Webster and Davidson Mortification Trust
Thorntons
White Hall House
33 Yeaman Shaw
Dundee
DD1 4BJ
Telephone: 01382 229111
Website:
Email:
Provide awards to blind and partially sighted students in further
and higher education to learn and appreciate good music. In some
cases awards may be given to secondary school age students.
Preference will be given to applicants from Scotland but
candidates must be resident in Great Britain. Awards given for
music only.
Grant Awarding Charities specifically for Welsh students
Wales Council for the Blind
Phil Stevens (Director)
3rd Floor
Shand House
20 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 ODB
Telephone: 02920 473954
Website: wcb-ccd.org.uk
Email:
The umbrella organisation for visual impairment in Wales. The Linnecar Trust exists to give grants to people who are registered blind and who live in the counties of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. The Cambrian Trust for visually impaired people under the age of 21 assists with education and welfare.
Further Information
Current addresses and telephone numbers of local voluntary agencies can be obtained from RNIB’s Helpline, telephone 0303 123 9999 or email If you are telephoning from outside the UK, please dial +44 (0)20 7388 1266.
Alternatively please go to
Guide updated: November 2014
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