Holiday grants Supporting fun, enriching experiences for children

You can apply for any amount between £500 and £2,750.

No. We only provide funding for trips with children aged 13 and under.

When you apply, you will need to confirm that your organisation has a policy for keeping children safe and that someone is responsible for this.

You will also need to confirm that your organisation regularly talks about safeguarding at the Board (or equivalent) level. These questions help us check that your organisation is serious about protecting children. You can find more help on our safeguarding webpage.

You will also be asked to submit a risk assessment.

The risk assessment you give us needs to show:

• the risks that could take place on the trip
• what you are going to put in place to make sure they do not happen
• how likely the risks are to happen.

The risk assessment you give us must not have any personal information (such as children’s names or health conditions).

We have provided a risk assessment template to show what we’re looking for. You can use this template or submit your own assessment, as long as it includes the information we need.

You can find the example risk assessment below.

We will accept applications from individual schools within an academy chain or trust. However, we want to make as many grants to different areas and trips as we can. As a result, applications from schools within an academy chain or trust will be in competition for limited funding and may be assessed against each other.

No. We do not fund trips to high-cost theme parks, such as Alton Towers or Thorpe Park, or other high-cost attractions.

Yes, as long as the focus is fun and it is not designed to meet educational requirements or the school curriculum.

If the children going on the trip are disabled or have special needs, it does not matter. If not, you can still apply, but you must make a very clear case about the area’s deprivation in your application.

We focus on helping children facing financial hardship or living in areas with high poverty. We give priority to groups working in the top 20% most deprived areas across the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales), the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.

We use national statistics to determine this, looking at factors like low income and limited access to opportunities in your area. You can find out how your local area ranks by using the provided links for the country you live in.

You’ll need your organisation’s postcode.

• England – English Indices of Deprivation
• Northern Ireland – Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure
• Scotland – Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
• Wales – Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation

If your organisation does not operate in one of the top 20% most deprived areas but supports children facing significant financial challenges or systemic inequities, make sure this is clearly explained in your application.

For groups of disabled children, we are more flexible in our support, and we consider the access needs of your group alongside the levels of deprivation in the organisation’s area.

No. You must apply at least five weeks before the date of your trip.

It can take up to five weeks for us to assess your application and let you know if you have been successful.

Yes. We have some tips on budget guidance. There is a sample budget available to download in this section.

We are unable to review applications before submission, and we can only see the content of your application once it has been submitted.

If you are experiencing technical issues with our application form, please refer to the Technical FAQ section below. If this does not solve your issue, please contact us.

No. We only fund trips within the UK. By the UK, we mean the four nations of the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

We welcome the thoughtful use of AI in applications for the Holiday Grant programme, provided it supports – not replaces – your unique voice. If you use AI, let it help with your structure, but write the words yourself. Also, be sure not to share any sensitive or personal information when using AI.

We have noticed that AI-generated applications can include incorrect facts. If you use AI for research, we suggest using tools that provide links to their sources, like Perplexity. This allows you to double-check the information you are using and make sure it’s from reputable sources.

For further guidance on using AI responsibly in the charity sector, please read the Charity Commission’s blog post on Charities and Artificial Intelligence.

This blog gives valuable insights into best practices and considerations when using AI tools.

If you have any questions about the Holiday Grants Programme or are unsure if your project fits our guidelines, please contact us.