Applications open for Brian Roycroft Fund (United Kingdom)

The Brian Roycroft Fund provides grants of up to £1,000 to support care leavers aged 18–25 who are from or living in Tyne and Wear or Northumberland, or studying at a further or higher education institution in the region. Funding helps young people overcome hardship and access safe accommodation, education, employment, and opportunities that improve health and wellbeing.

What Is the Brian Roycroft Fund?

The Brian Roycroft Fund was established by the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland in memory of Brian Roycroft CBE, who worked extensively to improve social welfare and support young people in local authority care.

The fund recognizes that care leavers can face significant challenges when transitioning to independent adulthood without the financial resources or family support available to many other young people.

The grants are intended to provide additional assistance for exceptional or difficult costs where a young person is experiencing hardship and has no other suitable source of support.

What Does the Fund Support?

Funding can help eligible care leavers overcome barriers and achieve personal or educational goals.

Supported needs can include:

• Moving into safe accommodation.
• Accessing further education.
• Accessing higher education.
• Finding employment.
• Improving health and wellbeing.
• Meeting exceptional costs arising from hardship.
• Supporting personal aspirations and independence.

The fund is particularly intended for situations where other sources of financial assistance are unavailable or insufficient.

Funding Available

Applicants can request up to £1,000, although most grants awarded are smaller.

Funding is intended for exceptional or difficult costs, rather than routine expenses that should normally be covered by another agency.

The fund may therefore be particularly useful when a care leaver faces an immediate financial barrier that could prevent them from progressing with education, employment, accommodation, or wellbeing goals.

Who Is Eligible?

The fund supports care leavers aged 18–25 who meet the geographical or educational requirements.

Eligible young people can include those who:

• Are from Tyne and Wear.
• Are from Northumberland.
• Currently live in Tyne and Wear or Northumberland.
• Are studying at a further or higher education institution in the region, even if they come from outside the area.

The applicant must be a care leaver and fall within the fund’s specified age range.

Priority Groups

Applications are particularly encouraged for care leavers who may face additional barriers, including:

• Disabled young people.
• Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who have left care.
• Care leavers involved in the youth justice system.

Applicants in these circumstances should clearly explain the additional challenges they face and how the requested support would help address them.

Why It Matters

Leaving local authority care and transitioning to independent adulthood can create significant financial and practical challenges.

The Brian Roycroft Fund can provide targeted assistance when an unexpected or exceptional cost becomes a barrier to a young person’s progress.

The support can contribute to:

• Greater independence.
• Safer accommodation.
• Continued education.
• Employment opportunities.
• Improved wellbeing.
• Personal development.
• Greater stability during the transition to adulthood.

Important Funding Conditions

The grant is intended to provide additional support, not replace statutory responsibilities.

Requests should:

• Demonstrate genuine hardship.
• Relate to an exceptional or difficult cost.
• Explain why other funding sources are unavailable.
• Support a clear outcome for the care leaver.
• Be additional to the responsibilities of local authorities.

The fund should not normally be used to cover costs that a local authority is already responsible for providing as part of its duties toward care leavers.

How to Apply

Care leavers cannot apply directly themselves under this fund.

Applications must be submitted on their behalf by an eligible organization or agency.

Step 1: Identify an Eligible Young Person

The supporting agency should confirm that the young person:

• Is aged 18–25.
• Is a care leaver.
• Meets the geographical or educational connection requirements.
• Is experiencing a qualifying financial difficulty or exceptional need.

Step 2: Identify the Specific Need

Clearly explain what financial barrier the grant would address.

For example, the request could relate to:

• Accommodation.
• Education.
• Employment.
• Health and wellbeing.
• Another exceptional cost connected with the young person’s circumstances.

Step 3: Demonstrate Hardship

The application should provide evidence that the young person is experiencing financial hardship and that there are no suitable alternative sources of assistance.

Step 4: Explain the Expected Outcome

Describe how the funding will help the young person achieve their aspirations or overcome the identified barrier.

The application should focus on the practical difference the grant will make.

Step 5: Confirm Statutory Responsibilities

The supporting organisation should demonstrate that the requested expense is additional to local authority responsibilities and is not simply a cost that should already be covered through statutory care-leaver support.

Step 6: Submit Through an Eligible Organisation

The application should be submitted by a statutory agency or voluntary/community organisation on behalf of the eligible young person.

Tips for a Strong Application

A strong application should:

• Clearly establish the young person’s eligibility.
• Explain the specific financial difficulty.
• Show why the cost is exceptional or difficult.
• Demonstrate the absence of alternative funding.
• Explain the expected benefit to the young person.
• Provide a realistic amount requested.
• Clarify why the expense is outside normal statutory responsibilities.
• Highlight additional barriers where relevant.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

• Applying directly as an individual care leaver.
• Requesting funding for costs that should be met by statutory services.
• Failing to demonstrate financial hardship.
• Providing insufficient information about the young person’s circumstances.
• Requesting an amount without explaining how it will be used.
• Failing to show the expected impact of the grant.
• Ignoring the age or geographical eligibility requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can benefit from the Brian Roycroft Fund?

The fund supports care leavers aged 18–25 who are from or living in Tyne and Wear or Northumberland, as well as eligible young people studying at further or higher education institutions in the region.

How much funding is available?

Applicants can request up to £1,000, although most awards are smaller.

Can care leavers apply directly?

No. Applications must be submitted on behalf of the young person by a statutory agency or voluntary/community organisation.

What can the grant pay for?

Support can help with exceptional costs associated with safe accommodation, further or higher education, employment, health and wellbeing, and achieving personal aspirations.

Does the applicant need to demonstrate hardship?

Yes. The fund is intended for exceptional or difficult costs where there is evidence of hardship and no other suitable support is available.

Are young people studying outside Tyne and Wear and Northumberland eligible?

Young people from outside the area may be eligible if they are studying at a further or higher education institution in the region.

Does the fund replace local authority support?

No. Requests must be additional to the responsibilities of local authorities and should not replace support that statutory services are expected to provide.

Conclusion

The Brian Roycroft Fund provides targeted financial assistance of up to £1,000 to help care leavers aged 18–25 overcome exceptional financial barriers as they transition to independent adulthood. By supporting accommodation, education, employment, health and wellbeing, and other essential opportunities, the fund aims to help vulnerable young people achieve greater stability and fulfil their aspirations.