1st Northfleet Scout Group is committed to providing opportunities for all young people to engage with scouting in accordance with the policies of the Scout Association, including the Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy. To this end, from 2022, we will be providing a hardship fund under the name of the Scouting for Everyone Fund (SfE Fund), which is administered in accordance with the guidelines set out below:
- Grants are not available for subs fees, which must be paid in as per the agreement when joining the group.*
- Grants are considered for all events, but more emphasis and support will be put on those events involving nights away (eg camps, sleepovers) in line with the Scout Association’s policy of providing opportunities for each young person to spend at least one night away per year.**
- Grants can also be used to purchase personal equipment (boots, waterproofs etc) if said equipment would allow the Young Person to take part in opportunities that they would not be able to participate in without the equipment.
- Grants will come from a ‘ring-fenced’ pot of money initially set up by the Executive Committee in light of monies received from Government Covid-19 related grants (in 2020/21) and will be funded purely based on group fundraising (ie grants are not to be paid out of subs fees) thereafter.
- Leaders (the Group Scout Leader in consultation with the section leader) have the discretion to issue the grants on as case by case basis, with limitations only based upon the amount of monies present in the fund at the time of application.
- Only one grant application per event, per young person, is permitted.
- Leaders will assess each case on an individual basis and its merits taking into account the personal/financial circumstances of the applicant, the benefit to the young person, how actively the young person participates in Scouting, and the extent to which the young person and the applicant actively support fundraising for the group.
Applications for grants must be made in writing via the online form to the Group Scout Leader.
All such applications will be treated confidentially, and the information provided in the application will not be disclosed except as necessary to administer the SfE Fund in accordance with the above guidelines and the Policy, Organisation and Rules of the Scout Association.
Terms of the SfE Fund are to be reviewed annually by the Executive Committee to assure that it is run within the operating parameters of the group.
Applications
Any member of 1st Northfleet Scout Group with a particular financial*** need can apply.
Priority will be given to individuals who fulfill one or more of the criteria below:
- Young Carers
- Child/ Young Person in care
- Recent life event that impacts finances
- Convalescence after illness
- In receipt of Free School Meals (except those in Key Stage 1)
- Pupil premium funding
- Physical/mental health issues (applicants' own)
- Recent redundancy (of parent/carer, within 12 months)
- Parent/Carer in receipt of state pension
- In receipt of benefits
- The young person is in Part-Time work (less time to fundraise)
- The young person is in need of additional support in the form of a carer whilst abroad.
- The young person comes from a family with multiple young persons within the Scout Group.
Proof of any of the above criteria may be asked for as evidence when an application to the SfE is made.
*Those with issues paying subs fees should talk directly to their section Leaders to discuss options for support with this, separate to the SfE Fund.
**Any remaining funds required for an event OR all funds required for an event (if not subsidised) via the SfE Fund, can be paid in installments over a set period of time, as long as this is agreed in advance with the section leaders and the payment schedule is adhered to.
***Financial need is defined as the difference between what it costs to attend/purchase and what the applicant can afford to pay.
