Charities and organisations who aim to aid the research into learning disability and to aid the care and relief of those affected by learning disability. We consider under learning disability the conditions generally referred to as severe learning difficulties, together with autism. In this area, we consider projects concerning children or adults. Please note that we do not give grants for research into or care of those with mental illness, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, nor ADHD, if they do not also have learning disabilities (intellectual disabilities). For full clarity on the Fund's remit please refer to the published eligibity information.

Grants are awarded for amounts from £250 and depend on a number of factors including the purpose, the total funding requirement and the potential sources of other funds including, in some cases, matching funding.

Meetings of the Trustees are usually held in March, June and November of each year.  The deadlines for submitting an appeal for funding of £9,000 and above are:-

• 1 December for consideration at the interim meeting in March
• 1 March for consideration at the June meeting
• 1 August for consideration at the November meeting.

Keep checking the website as submission deadline dates may be subject to change. Please note the deadlines are final. There are no submission deadlines for applicants seeking funding below £9,000.

Most of the grants given are one-off although the Trustees would consider longer term commitments in exceptional circumstances.

If you are applying for a general grant then yes, or an affiliate of one. Schools and Parent Teacher Associations, Community Benefit Societies and other such exempt charities can also apply.  The Fund does not currently accept appeals from Community Interest Companies.

A further application from an organisation will not normally be permissible for a period of at least two years after consideration of a previously successful grant, or one year after notification of an unsuccessful application.

The Trustees do not usually visit applicants although your appeal may be selected for independent review by one of our panel of Assessors.

Successful applicants will normally be asked to submit a written, brief grant monitoring report.  We do not have a pro-forma for this report.

The grant will be paid by cheque made payable to the organisation, never an individual, normally within one month of us receiving the signed grant offer letter from the applicant.

As much as we enjoy looking at photographs of organisations' work, we would rather you did not send such information as it is not necessary.