Edinburgh Police Fund for Children
The purpose of the Fund
The priority of the Fund is the provision of school shoes and warm jackets to children of school age. Outerwear bearing the school logo is not eligible.
Other support for children and, exceptionally, adults may be offered from time to time if so decided by the Trustees.
Who is eligible for assistance from the Edinburgh Police Fund for Children?
A family with school age children who are resident in Edinburgh and meet the application criteria can apply for a grant from the Fund.
How do I apply to the Edinburgh Police Fund for Children?
Applications must be submitted via a post holder in a local authority or voluntary sector agency. Suitable post holders include social workers, housing officers, debt advisers, employment advisers, community link workers, head teachers, family support workers. Applications will not be accepted directly from members of the public.
To apply for a grant please complete the online application form.
For more information on how we process personal data please see our Privacy Notice. Please can you make the applicant aware of this information as well.
Grant enquiries
To find out the status of your application or you have a question please email [email protected]
Criteria for Grants
- The priority of the Fund is the provision of school shoes and warm jackets to children of school age
- The beneficiary must be resident in the City of Edinburgh
- Families should be referred by a third party worker including Social Worker, Support Worker or a Head/Guidance Teacher
- The acknowledgement form and sales receipts (as evidence that the grant has been spent appropriately and as originally intended) should be returned to the Trust Administrator within 4 weeks of receiving the grant.
Any unpaid or unused portion of the grant should be returned within three months - Due to very high demand, the maximum number of applications per school is 5 per term and an annual cap of 10 will apply.
History of the Fund
The Edinburgh Police Fund for Children (EPFC), formerly the Police Aided Clothing Scheme, was instituted in 1892 by the Lord Provost and the Chief Constable of the City of Edinburgh. Its priority was to “alleviate the suffering of necessitous children, or in exceptional cases adults, resident in the City of Edinburgh, by supplying them with footwear and clothing and by making such other provision to them as may seem requisite from time to time”.
For over 120 years the Charity distributed items of clothing (mostly warm jackets and footwear) to children of school age. From January 2016 the charity started to provide grants instead of clothing and Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund SCIO administered the distribution of grants on behalf of the Edinburgh Police Fund for Children.
In January 2023, the Edinburgh Police Fund for Children (EPFC), was dissolved as an independent registered charity but it remains as a separate restricted fund within Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund SCIO. The purposes of the Fund remain unchanged and organisations can apply for grants for shoes and jackets in the same way as before.