Eligibility

Overview: Blue Light Wellbeing Fund

If you have an idea or a proposal, please submit an application, and if we have any further questions or clarifications we will get back to you.

We are particularly keen to receive applications for projects that support individuals across multiple Blue Light services, fostering collaboration and shared learning. Initiatives that include clear, well-developed plans for continuing the work beyond the life of the grant will also be prioritised.

Key Areas of Focus:

Building Mental Health Resilience
This area focuses on proactive, preventative measures to help members of the Blue Light community maintain their mental health and wellbeing. Projects funded under this focus should aim to equip individuals with the tools and strategies needed to stay well, handle stress effectively, and prevent mental health challenges before they arise.

Examples of eligible initiatives include:

Workshops and Training Programmes: Teaching evidence-based techniques such as stress management, mindfulness, and self-care practices tailored to high-pressure roles.
Peer Support Programmes: Initiatives fostering connections among colleagues to provide emotional and practical support.
Preventative Resources: Development of resources like mental health toolkits, apps, or guides designed to build resilience and promote mental wellness.
Community Engagement Activities: Programmes encouraging physical activity, social interaction, or other wellbeing-promoting activities to help individuals sustain good mental health.

Supporting People Living with Mental Health Issues
This focus is aimed at providing direct support to individuals in the Blue Light community who are experiencing mental health challenges. Projects in this area should seek to help people recover, manage, or live well with mental health issues.

Examples of eligible initiatives include:

Therapeutic Support: Providing access to counselling, psychotherapy, or other formal therapies.
Crisis Support Services: Establishing or expanding helplines, crisis lines, or rapid response support services.
Recovery-Focused Programmes: Facilitating retreats, workshops, or peer support groups specifically for those managing mental health conditions.
Practical Assistance: Helping individuals access support or resources to manage mental health challenges, such as referrals or navigation services.

Foundation grants fall into two categories: under £10,000 and above £10,000. They can be towards running costs, projects, or equipment. The work can be new, continuing or a one-off initiative, but it must benefit current or former staff or volunteers within the Blue Light community with a sustainability plan post funding.

Services classed as the Blue Light community:

Ambulance Service
Blood Bikes
Fire and Rescue Service
Highways Traffic Officers
HM Armed Forces
HM Armed Forces Veteran
HM Coastguard
HM Prison & Probation Service
Home Office (Borders & Immigration)
Independent Lifeboats
MOD Civil Servant
MoD Fire Service
MoD Police
NHS
NHS Dental Practice
Pharmacy
Police
Red Cross
Reserved Armed Forces
RNLI
Search and Rescue
4X4 response
Cave Rescue
Lowlands Search and Rescue
Mine Rescue
Mountain Rescue
Social Care
Care Company Workforce
Care Home
Council (care sector)
Foster Carers
Residential Care
Social Worker
St Andrew’s Ambulance
St John Ambulance

We class the Blue Light community as the following groups:

Ambulance Service
Blood Bikes
Fire and Rescue Service
Highways Traffic Officers
HM Armed Forces
HM Armed Forces Veteran
HM Coastguard
HM Prison & Probation Service
Home Office (Borders & Immigration)
Independent Lifeboats
MOD Civil Servant
MoD Fire Service
MoD Police
NHS
NHS Dental Practice
Pharmacy
Police
Red Cross
Reserved Armed Forces
RNLI
Search and Rescue
4X4 response
Cave Rescue
Lowlands Search and Rescue
Mine Rescue
Mountain Rescue
Social Care
Care Company Workforce
Care Home
Council (care sector)
Foster Carers
Residential Care
Social Worker
St Andrews Ambulance
St John Ambulance

We class the Blue Light community as the following groups:

Ambulance Service
Blood Bikes
Fire and Rescue Service
Highways Traffic Officers
HM Armed Forces
HM Armed Forces Veteran
HM Coastguard
HM Prison & Probation Service
Home Office (Borders & Immigration)
Independent Lifeboats
MOD Civil Servant
MoD Fire Service
MoD Police
NHS
NHS Dental Practice
Pharmacy
Police
Red Cross
Reserved Armed Forces
RNLI
Search and Rescue
4X4 response
Cave Rescue
Lowlands Search and Rescue
Mine Rescue
Mountain Rescue
Social Care
Care Company Workforce
Care Home
Council (care sector)
Foster Carers
Residential Care
Social Worker
St Andrews Ambulance
St John Ambulance

Who can apply?

We make grants to a wide range of UK based organisations:

Charities and charitable companies including Charitable Companies (limited by guarantee)
Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO)*
Community Interest Companies (CIC)*

*The salaries and benefits of any paid directors of any CIC/CIO must be approved by a majority of non-executive directors and must be reasonable and proportionate to the work they do and the financial position of the organisation.

CICs must have an asset lock body with objectives which are both charitable and similar to the CIC.

What must be in place?

You must have the following:

A bank account in the name of the organisation with two unrelated signatories
Governing documentation and least three unrelated Trustees
CICs/CIOs must have a minimum of three directors, the majority of whom are not paid employees
Insurance in place for activities being undertaken
Relevant Risk Assessments for activity
Safeguarding policy
Copy of audited/inspected accounts

What we will not support

Contributions to general appeals or circulars

Public bodies carrying out statutory obligations
Activities that have already taken place
Activities intended to promote or advance religious beliefs/practices
Activities aimed at promoting or advancing specific political ideologies
Grant-making by other organisations
Sponsorship
Organisations under investigation by the Charity Commission/any other regulatory body
Organisations whose Charity reporting is overdue
Organisations whose accounts are qualified
Organisations with outstanding monitoring from a previous award from BLCF

When to apply

Our application process opens on February 3rd 2025 and will close to applicants on February 28th 2025.

Applications are decided on a quarterly basis. Decisions will be made within 6 weeks of the deadline, and applicants will be informed thereafter.

All funded activity must take place after you have found out whether the application is successful.

The Blue Light Card Foundation receives far more applications than it has funds to support. Even if a project fits within the criteria and priorities of the Foundation and a detailed assessment has been made, the Foundation may still be unable to provide a grant.

The Board of Trustees will not be obliged to provide an explanation to the applicant should their application be unsuccessful.

Eligibility

Overview: Blue Light Wellbeing Fund

Services classed as the Blue Light community:

We class the Blue Light community as the following groups:

We class the Blue Light community as the following groups:

Who can apply?

*The salaries and benefits of any paid directors of any CIC/CIO must be approved by a majority of non-executive directors and must be reasonable and proportionate to the work they do and the financial position of the organisation.

CICs must have an asset lock body with objectives which are both charitable and similar to the CIC.

What must be in place?

What we will not support

When to apply

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