Jessie’s Fund supports children in the UK who have disabilities or complex needs through the therapeutic use of music. This can be music therapy or interactive music projects – activities in which the children themselves are participating and finding expression through music. However, due to financial pressures we are currently pausing applications for music therapy and interactive music projects from organisations, except for applications from children’s hospices. You can find out more about how we can help in children’s hospices and specialist schools here.
Please contact us (info@jessiesfund.org.uk) if you have any questions about how we can support your organisation.
We invite children’s hospices to apply in January of each year and it will be reviewed at our spring board meeting. We can support children’s hospices with grants of around £5,000, and will look more favourably on applications supporting expansion of services than sustaining current provision.
In addition to support for hospices, we make grants for therapy with fully qualified music therapists to individual children and young people aged 0-25 who have significant and multiple disabilities and/or medical needs. As we receive many more applications than we can fund, priority is given to children with the most complex needs. Grants to individuals are usually for 10 music therapy sessions and a report. These applications are considered at the end of each month and applicants will hear from us the following month. Scroll down to the orange section for further information about eligibility for grants to individuals, and how to apply.
Grants for hospices: eligibility
- We are only considering applications for music therapy from children’s hospices at this time. If you would like to check or confirm eligibility before applying, please contact us on info@jessiesfund.org.uk
- Applications should be for children/young people with substantial disabilities or long-term illness up to the age of 19 (in some circumstances up to 25).
- First applications receive priority, though in some circumstances we may be able to offer a further grant.
- Unsuccessful applicants can reapply no sooner than 12 months after they hear the outcome of their initial application.
- We do not normally consider applications from hospices which have received a grant from us within the previous two years.
- We do not consider retrospective applications.
Grants for children’s hospices: guidelines and requirements
- Applications should be emailed to us on the appropriate application form downloadable at the bottom of this page.
- Children’s hospice applications are considered once a year.
- Applications should be clear about the amount of funding applied for and about any other potential sources of funding for your project. We give grants of around £5,000 to children’s hospices.
- The application should detail any previous successful or unsuccessful applications to Jessie’s Fund.
- We prefer hospices to demonstrate that there is commitment to continue projects beyond any potential funding from Jessie’s Fund.
- We ask hospices to provide their most recent annual report and accounts.
- Hospices which have received a grant from Jessie’s Fund must submit a report to us at the end of the period of funding, and a link to this will be sent as part of the grant agreement.
Grants for individuals: eligibility
- Jessie’s Fund can only award grants to children and young people (0-25) who have:
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- Significant barriers to communication and interaction
- Complex and multiple disabilities or life-limiting medical needs
- Limited engagement with people, activities and the world around them.
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- We accept applications from parents/carers or professionals working with the child or young person.
- The child or young person must have an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan), or verification from another professional, such as medical professionals, education or social care, of their needs.
- We will only be able to accept applications for a second block of music therapy in exceptional circumstances.
- We do not offer grants for purchasing musical instruments for individuals, or for instrumental lessons.
- We do not consider retrospective applications.
Grants for individuals: guidelines and requirements
- Applicants need to fill in this online form. All sections must be completed. Grants offered are for around 10 sessions and a report.
- The application should detail any previous music therapy which the child/young person has engaged with, and the outcomes of the sessions.
- Applications should be accompanied by an EHCP, if they have one, or a supporting letter from a healthcare/educational professional. The letter should state how the child/young person will benefit from the grant. If the EHCP is more than two years out of date, than a short supporting letter is needed to clarify their current needs. This needs to be emailed to us: info@jessiesfund.org.uk
- The application should include any previous successful or unsuccessful applications to Jessie’s Fund and any applications to other organisations.
- We ask applicants to say if they can make a contribution to the cost of music therapy (£3, £5, £8, £10, or £15 per session).
- Grants are awarded on condition of a report being sent to us at the end of the funded period.
- Application deadlines are at the end of every month, for consideration by our assessment panel early the following month and applicants will hear from us shortly after this.
- Please read our Individual Grant Terms and Conditions before making an application.
If you have a query, email us or call us on 01904 658189.
These downloadable application forms for grants to hospices should be sent to us by email as an attached file, along with any supporting information. You will not be able to fill in the form from your web browser. We no longer accept applications sent in the post.
Click on the links below to download the forms.
