Individual Grants for Volunteering
This programme is for young people who want to take part in a volunteering project! Whether the project is in the UK or abroad, we can help with a one-off grant of up to £400 per person.
The Individual Grants for Volunteering programme encourages young people across London and Essex to get involved in volunteering projects in the UK and overseas. JPF has helped young people make a huge impact in projects across the UK and all over the world with local communities, support schools, improve access to health services and contribute to conservation projects.
The life-enriching volunteering experiences we support provide clear benefit to communities across the world as well as helping raise young people’s aspirations, broaden their horizons and support their personal development. As well as abroad, these grants can be used to empower young people volunteer in impactful projects across the UK in areas such as education, conservation, community work and much more!
Over £1.25M has been awarded to support more than 5,000 young people to participate in volunteering projects in more than 60 different countries. Examples of past volunteering projects include improving access to clean drinking water within a local community; promoting health services within remote areas; supporting local entrepreneurs to develop a sustainable business plan; environmental programmes including working with endangered animals in a sanctuary; supporting the teaching of English and Maths. Read our IGFV stories here!
Sam Thompson, who applied for a grant to volunteer in Tanzania, said:
“I am looking forward to interacting with the local community, and giving back to people less fortunate than myself. I have been learning phrases from the local language and am keen to demonstrate a positive work ethic during my stay.”
Since 2010, JPF have supported over 5,000 young people and provided over £1.25M of funding to enable young people to volunteer.
Applications for a grant are unlikely to be successful if the project is a trip that includes only a small element of voluntary work.
Applications for Individual Grants for Volunteering are now OPEN! Scroll down for full information, FAQs and the application form.
Who can apply for a grant?
In order to apply you must:
- Live in London or Essex
- Be aged 11-25 at the start of your project
- Ensure that your project involves voluntary work (If your project or trip includes only a small element of volunteering, you are less likely to be successful)
- Undertake your volunteering with a UK-based organisation (Educational establishments, youth groups, registered charities or organisations experienced in planning volunteering programmes). When we assess your application, we will need to check the organisation you want to undertake the volunteering with seems like the right one to support the project.
- Apply at least 3 months, but not more than nine months, before the project start date
- Make a financial contribution by raising at least 50% of the cost yourself
- Commit to submitting a report after the project, which may be used on our website/in the local press
The project you are involved in must achieve the following objectives:
- Be of clear benefit to other young people/the wider community
- Help raise your aspirations and achieve more out of life
- Challenge you and increase your personal or social development
- Volunteering must be the main focus of your project
Unfortunately, we cannot fund:
- Applications made on behalf of a group of young people
- Individuals who have previously received an Individual Grant for Volunteering
- Applications for a project you are undertaking by yourself and not with a UK-based organisation
- Applications where you are delivering the project with an organisation based or registered outside the UK
- Individual training or education courses
- Specialist equipment, clothing or items required for a specific event
- Attendance at local, national or international competitions (e.g. sports or dance)
- Personal holidays or student exchange programmes
- Projects that are established solely for the purposes of promoting a specific political or religious belief
- Note that you are less likely to be successful if your project is a trip that includes an expedition, trek, safari etc. and involves only a small element of voluntary work
How much can I apply for?
We will fund up to 50% of the cost of your project and no more than £400 per person.
We expect you to be committed to raising the balance.
For example:
If your total project cost is £200, we may award a maximum of £100
If your total project cost is £1,000, we may award a maximum of £400
If you have any further queries or questions please call us on 020 8252 8000.
Please see the ‘Who Can Apply for a Grant’ section on this page. If you are still unsure then please contact us.
You must apply 3 – 9 months before your project commences. Unfortunately we cannot accept applications outside of this date, as it can take up to 8 weeks to approve your application.
All applications must be completed by the applicant.
Applications can be submitted using this form
Applicants can apply for up to £400. We will make a grant of up to 50% of your total cost up to the value of £400. For example if your direct costs are £400, we would make a grant of up to £200.
The grant must be used towards the direct costs you will incur to participate in the project, for example travel costs such as flights, accommodation, insurance etc.
The grant cannot be used for project costs or resources & equipment.
The application form has a range of compulsory questions that you will be required to complete. Please ensure that you read the guidance notes detailed below and follow the instructions as all applications are assessed and scored.
You will receive an automatic email once your application has been submitted.
You will also receive emails from us at various stages during the application process. Please ensure that you check your inbox regularly. If you do not receive an automatic email following the submission of your application, please do check your junk folders in your email account.
We aim to assess all applications within 8 weeks. However, this will depend on when your referee is able to send us your reference. If we need to ask your supporting organisation for more information about the project, we will need to wait for them to provide this information before we can proceed with the assessment. This means that in certain cases it may take longer than 8 weeks for us to complete our assessment
It’s always a good idea to apply as early as you can, up to 9 months in advance, to be sure you will hear the outcome in good time before the activity takes place.
Once your application has been approved we will send you a grant acceptance email which you will need to sign and return to us. Once this has been received we will make payment via BACs transfer to the UK based organisation that you will be volunteering with.
We will make a BACs payment to the UK-based organisation who you are volunteering through. We cannot make payments directly to an individual. This means that if you have already paid the full balance for the trip by the time we let you know our decision, we still need to make the grant payment by BACs directly to the organisation. We will not be able to change the grant amount or make a payment to you directly.
You can only ever receive one Individual Grant for Volunteering.
If you are no longer taking part in the project you will be required to return the grant in full.
Please enter your full name
Write your full name as this is the name we will write on all of our correspondence
Your email address
Confirm your email address.
We do email and send you information/updates whilst your application is being assessed.
Please check that your email is correct (no spelling mistakes)
Your telephone number
Confirm your telephone number, as we may need to contact you via the telephone.
Your borough or district
Confirm the name of the London Borough or the Essex district that your address is located in.
Please enter your date of birth
Enter your date of birth in the following format DD/MM/YY
Please tell us your current educational or occupational status
Are you in school, college, university or are you currently employed/unemployed?
Please tell us the name of the organisation coordinating your project/event?
Confirm the name of the organisation that you will be undertaking the volunteering trip with.
Please note that this must be a UK based organisation (i.e. School, Charity, Church or Uniform Group).
Please provide the address of the organisation
Confirm the full address of the organisation that you will be undertaking the volunteering trip with.
Please tell us the website of the organisation
Confirm the website address of the organisation that you are undertaking your volunteering project with.
Please tell us the name of the person, work telephone number, email of the person organising your volunteering trip
Confirm the name and contact details of the person coordinating and organising the volunteering trip.
Please tell us the name of your referee
Applicants are required to provide the name of an individual that can provide a character reference.
Please note that the referee must know the applicant in a professional capacity, i.e. a Teacher, Youth Worker, Manager, Doctor, or Colleague. The referee CANNOT be a family member or friend.
Please note the referee cannot be connected to the volunteering project, as the reference must be impartial.
Please tell us the full address of your referee
Confirm the address of your referee.
Please tell us the landline number of your referee
Confirm the landline telephone number of your referee in case we need to make contact with them.
Please describe the relationship with your referee
We need to know the capacity in which you know your referee, as this should be someone known to you in a professional capacity.
Please note we cannot accept references from family, friends or someone involved in the project.
Please describe the volunteering trip you will be participating in. Please also detail the types of activities & tasks you will be completing.
Please provide as much information as possible about your trip and the actual work and tasks you will be undertaking.
You are not required to provide any information about the work you will be doing fundraising or any preparatory work prior to the actual volunteering project.
All applications are assessed and scored, therefore please include as much information as possible.
Please tell us how your project will challenge you and increase your personal and social development
Describe the changes that you think the trip will have on you.
What might you find challenging whilst you are undertaking your project?
What skills and attributes will you learn and develop?
Please tell us how the project will help you to achieve more out of life?
Will the volunteering project help you in your career choices?
Will the project increase your awareness of certain issues?
Will the experience increase your social, personal, employment skills etc.
Will you appreciate things more?
Please tell us how the project will benefit other young people or others in the community?
Describe how the work you will be undertaking will improve the lives of young people or the community. What would the impact be if this work was not carried out?
Please tell us the start date of your project/event (DD/MM/YYYY)
Confirm the date that your project starts, please use the following format (DD,MM, YYYY).
Please remember that you must apply at least 3 months before your project starts and no later than 9 months prior to your project.
Please tell us the date your project will finish.
Confirm the date that your project finishes, please use the following format (DD,MM,YYYY).
Please tell us how many days you will be spending on volunteering?
Confirm how many days you will be volunteering (please use numbers only).
Do Not make statements such as:
- All of it
- Solely volunteering
- 4 weeks (please enter number of days)
Please tell us where your project will take place?
Confirm the location and country where your project will take place.
Please tell us the total individual cost for you to take part in your project
Break down your direct costs for taking part in the project.
Please tell us how much money you have raised so far
Confirm the amount you have raised so far towards your project.
Please confirm how much money you are requesting from the Jack Petchey Foundation.
Confirm the amount you are requesting from the Jack Petchey Foundation.
Please use numerical characters only.
Please tell us how you plan to raise the rest of the money that you need.
Provide details of how you intend to raise the outstanding fund required.
Please give us a complete breakdown of your project/events costs.
Provide a breakdown of the total cost of your project/event costs.
Please tell us who the BACs payment should be made to.
We can only make payments to a UK based organisation and not an individual.
Please confirm with the organisation which is organising your volunteering trip/project, what payee name should be used on the cheque.
Please tell us how you found out about the Individual Grants for Volunteering fund
How did you hear about the funding programme?