Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund

Funding the prevention and relief of poverty in Edinburgh and the Lothians

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General Fund Grants for Individuals and Families

The Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund SCIO disburses grants to individuals and families in need. The aim of the Fund is the prevention or relief of poverty and/or to assist those in need experiencing illness or disability. The Trust’s funds are restricted to beneficiaries who reside in the City of Edinburgh or the Lothians. A proportion of the funds are allocated for the purposes of social welfare in Edinburgh with priority given to children and young people.

Among the General Fund grants available to individuals, The Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund SCIO is pleased to administer grants on behalf of the Ponton House Trust. This fund helps young people in the Edinburgh area who are in need, with priority given to those who also have additional difficulties such as a physical or mental disability.

Applications for individual grants must be submitted via a post holder in a local authority, NHS, or voluntary sector agency. Suitable post holders include social workers, Health Visitors, Midwives, G.Ps, Head Teachers, family support workers. Applications will not be accepted directly from members of the public.

Application guidelines and process

Only one application on behalf of an individual, family or household will be considered in a rolling twelve-month period. 

Applications may be for any relevant and urgent need.

For one or more white goods e.g. fridge/freezer, washing machine or a cooker, the maximum grant awarded is up to £300. Please note any of the items listed below are not eligible to be included with a white goods application.

The maximum grant awarded is £200 for any of the items below.

  • baby equipment
  • furniture
  • bedding – limited to £100
  • household items including floor coverings
  • clothing and footwear all ages– subject to a maximum of £75 per person
  • small electrical items e.g. vacuum cleaner, kettle, toaster, microwave up to the maximum value of £100 per item
  • pre-payment electricity and gas cards up to a maximum of £100

When completing the application form please be specific about the items you require and the approximate cost.

Excluded items

The Trust will not normally fund student fees or equipment, the repayment of debt of any type, holidays anywhere except in special circumstances, e.g. where a holiday is arranged by a recognised charity. Priority will be given to applications where there is serious illness of the individual or in the family, which should be stated.

Application process

Please apply using the online form available below.

An email acknowledgement is sent to the post holder when an application has been received. The email contains a unique identifier for the application e.g. ELTFI 12345 please quote this reference in any future correspondence.

Applications are processed on a continuous basis, with a turnaround of approximately four weeks.

If the application is approved, a confirmation email containing our acknowledgement form will be sent to the nominated Finance Officer and the post holder applicant.

If the application is unsuccessful, the Trust Administrator will email the postholder outlining the reason(s).

The payment will be issued by BACS to the Agency bank account nominated in the application form. Payments will not be made directly to an individual.

The grant should be used within four weeks of being issued, ideally by a supervised spend with or on behalf of the client.

The acknowledgement form and sales receipts (as evidence that the grant has been spent appropriately and as originally intended) should be returned within four weeks. They can be returned electronically by email to administrator@eltf.org.uk or by post to the:

Trust Administrator,
Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund SCIO
525 Ferry Road
Edinburgh EH5 2FF

The failure to provide sales receipts may mean that the Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund SCIO will be unable to issue further grants to the submitting organisation.

Any unpaid or unused portion of a grant must be returned to the Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund SCIO within eight weeks of receipt, otherwise future applications will not be considered.

Please ensure that you have read and understand our full terms and conditions.

If you have any enquiries or need advice please email administrator@eltf.org.uk

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Download the Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund SCIO leaflet

Current Working Arrangements

The current position with ELTF SCIO staff, services and our continuing work for the benefit of voluntary organisations and individuals in need, is as follows:

  • Staff are working remotely, please email any queries or questions to: grants@eltf.org.uk or police.fund@eltf.org.uk.  A response to your email will be issued as soon as possible.
  • Applications are being accepted for the General Fund grants for individuals. Please note that only applications where the grant can reach the service user, will be progressed. If you are able to complete an online shop on behalf of the client, please add this in the ‘Purpose for which grant is needed’ field in the online form.
  • Applications for Grants for Voluntary Organisations are welcome. Please note that applications for funding for more than one year are very unlikely to be approved.
  • Applications for the Edinburgh Fire Fund are also welcome and will be progressed on receipt.
  • Applications are still being accepted for the Edinburgh Police Fund for Children. If you are able to complete an online shop on behalf of the client, please add this in the ‘How much is the grant for’ field in the online form.
Registered SCIO with OSCR

© 2022 Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund SCIO | The Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) No: SC049138

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Registered Office: 525 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2FF