Educational Trust (NI)
Overview
The Educational Trust was established as an independent charity in NI in 1995, and has been an all Ireland body since 2000.
The Trust is supported by EXTERN and NIACRO, the two main voluntary organisations in Northern Ireland working with ex–offenders, prisoners' families and on crime prevention, and by DEL, FÁS, PBNI, Dept of Justice, WEA, Open University and PACE.
The Educational Trust provides support and funding of last resort for further and higher education for ex-prisoners, ex-offenders and family members, north and south. It aims to influence policy makers and contribute to the mainstreaming of a holistic approach to the provision of education/ training services to ex-prisoners and ex-offenders.
The following criteria are used by the Trustees to guide them when deciding on individual applications for support. From time to time Trustees will prioritise particular groups dependent on current circumstances. However all applications from the target groups will be considered. Allocation of grant aid to a particular applicant will depend on all criteria.
- Grant aid will be provided only if an applicant meets the entry requirements (other than financial requirements) of the education or training for which support is sought.
- Grant aid will be provided in cases where the Trustees judge that the financial support would be of benefit to the personal development of the recipient and for the employment prospects of the recipient.
- Priority will be given to the support of education and training which is likely to lead to improved prospects of employment.
- Support will only be provided where all other sources of financial support have been explored and exhausted. Evidence will be required to demonstrate that such avenues have been explored.
- Allocation of grant aid will be dependent upon the resources available to the Trust within a particular year. Applications for grant aid for education or training of more than one year will be considered in the context of funding available within the year in which application is made.
- Where grant aid is provided for more than one year, grant aid will be allocated on an annual basis. For release of grant aid for subsequent years, evidence will be required of successful completion of the previous year.
How to Apply
Application forms and guidelines are available from the Trust's offices. Contact the Project Coordinator.
Due to a significant reduction in core funding, the Educational Trust has had to suspend its grant-giving activities. The most recent application to the EU Special programme for Peace and Reconciliation was unsuccessful, and this has reduced the ability of the Trust to continue as a funder of last resort to its target group.