Other work we do

Image of Fund staff with a family we've helped.

The Family Fund has a unique role within the Voluntary Sector as the largest grant giving organisation supporting families of disabled children throughout the UK. Last year we helped over 64,000 families which means we have contact every day with families raising disabled children and often visiting them in their own homes. This gives the Family Fund a unique perspective into the lives, needs, challenges and joys facing families.

Our joint working

We work across the voluntary sector to share this expertise and work together with other organisations to ensure that the voices of families are heard, that the needs of families of disabled children are met and support can be offered when it is most needed. Here are some of our key partnerships within the voluntary sector:

Council for Disabled Children is a network of over 50 third sector organisations from across the UK whose work focuses on disabled children and young people and children who have Special Educational Needs and their families. The Family Fund is part of the Steering Group which helps to guide the Council.

Contact a Family - The Fund has had a long relationship with CaF, indeed CaF often refers to the Fund as its sister organisation as the two organisations complement each other’s work. All Family Fund Advisers give information about CaF at visits and refer families who need more in depth support to their helpline. The two organisations have also worked more broadly together on joint initiatives involving the information needs of families of disabled children.

Grandparents Plus - Earlier in the year the Family Fund published its report “I wish I could just be Grandma. Parenting again when you have a disabled grandchild” which was the culmination of some joint work with Grandparents Plus about the specific needs of Grandparents who were raising their grandchildren.

Every Disabled Child Matters Campaign - The Family Fund is currently working with EDCM on a joint project about the costs of childcare for disabled children. The Fund undertook a survey with families and results were published in summer 2011.

Go ON Gold - Family Fund is a national campaign partner of Go ON Gold to help get disabled people online. The Fund helps disabled children and their families with IT at home by awarding grants for laptops, PCs and tablet computers.  The Fund knows that getting the right technology in the home can help develop motor, speech, language and social skills when traditional methods of communication, reading and writing may not be possible. 

Image of the Family Fund office

Value for money, choice and service

There are few charities as efficient or responsive as the Family Fund. We strive to reduce costs, we work hard at getting good deals from our commercial partners and we don’t accept waste. 

Our Family Fund Advisers add value by visiting most families applying for the first time to ensure they get what they really need and to signpost other services that might help them.

We make at least 80% of our grants go further by providing a higher value product or service directly instead of cash, often using products, vouchers or pre-paid cards. Families get quality products and a real choice of brands and styles. Cash grants still cover items such as garden safety equipment.

All this ensures the best outcomes for our families and funders alike. 

Coming up with innovative ideas which help families while increasing our sources of funding has become a priority in recent years.

  • We help other charities cut costs by offering them payroll administration, financial accounting and grant-making services.

Helping other charities means more for our families

“The Fund has helped us to reduce our management costs, providing a professional, efficient and effective service.” Director, CCNUK

Now more than ever, charities need to control their operating costs. The Family Fund helps charities to make the most of their funding and improve their efficiency by providing services such as payroll administration, financial accounting and grant-making. This gives us extra income to help more families.

“The Family Fund has been flexible, supportive and very professional. We have peace of mind knowing that qualified staff with years of experience in payroll administration are looking after this for us and helping us reduce our costs. I would recommend the Fund to other charities who may not have the in-house skills or infrastructure to manage this function as it is really can make a difference. It is also good to know that any income generated by the Family Fund is used to help severely disabled children and their families.” Manager, York Carers Centre

To find out more about the other work we do and how we can help your organisation please contact our Communications team by emailing comms@familyfund.org.uk 

 

Gwybodaeth berthnasol:

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Our annual review tells families, funders and supporters about some of the ways we have made a difference to the lives of disabled and seriously ill children, young people and their families in... Read more »

Who we are

The Family Fund is a registered charity covering the whole of the UK and mainly funded by the national governments of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Find out about our trustees,... Read more »