Children's Alliance Grant Funding

Overview

The charity was the Inspiration of Water Babies, the largest baby swim school In the UK. 

They know that access to water gives essential life skills and builds children’s confidence and resilience, both physically and emotionally. Post covid, 1 million + pupils will leave school unable to swim 25m unaided.

Objective 

Get children into water safely to learn, develop and purposefully play for the benefit of children’s physical and mental wellbeing. 

They are looking to support grass roots initiatives delivering water based projects for disadvantaged children. This support will be through financial grants and through leveraging their unique position within the aquatic industry in the UK. 

They are led by their values

• Community - We’re in this together. 
• Focus - Children are at the heart of all we do. 
• Action - We seek to educate, inspire, and act for change

Eligible projects may include swimming lessons, hydrotherapy sessions, surf therapy, and the provision of swimwear or transport to aquatic activities. 

Guidelines for Applicants

• They support projects across the UK. 
• Applications must support children under the age of 18 years. 
• They support non-profit organisations including schools, registered charities, community interest companies and registered community groups. 
• They support projects that demonstrate clear measurable outcomes related to children. 
• Your application should clearly show the relationship to water or water environments within the project. 
• Your organisation must have a safeguarding and/or a child protection policy that can be shown as part of the application. 
• Your organisation must have their own bank account and be able to submit proof of the account name, sort code and account number. 
• Your organisation agrees to share success details of the project including photographs which can be used to promote CA work and activities. 
• The grants will usually be up to £15,000 with most grants awarded being under £10,000 except In exceptional circumstances.

They’ve supported numerous initiatives to ensure they provide children and young people to experience the benefits being in water can have.

This includes:

• Leigh Trust – Providing swimwear for five inner city schools in Birmingham for Muslim children.
• Dame Vera Lynn Charity – Providing ongoing hydrotherapy sessions for severely disabled children.
• The Wave Project – Using surf therapy to support 50 children in North Yorkshire with their mental health.
• Access Sport – Provide over 400 swimming sessions for disabled children.
• We Are Beams – Provide swimming lessons for children with AS or ADHD, aged between 7 to 11, and water-based messy play session for babies and toddlers.