Small grants available from the Portsmouth Civic Hardship Fund

About the Fund

The Portsmouth City Community Fund was established by Portsmouth City Council from a number of charitable trust funds including; The Burges Bequest, Civic Fund Portsmouth (formerly Lord Mayor of Portsmouth Charity), Denis Connors Memorial Fund, Edward Lawson Fund, Landport Educational Fund, Leon Emmanuel Watch Fund, Phylliss Loe Chess/Sir William Dupree Fund, Portsmouth City Council Fund, Scale Fund, Thomas King Fund, Whitcombe Fund, Montagu Neville Durnford and St Leo Cawthan, and the Zurich Insurance Travelling Scholarship Fund.

The Civic Fund Portsmouth and the Thomas King Fund have ring-fenced part of their funds to provide hardship payments to individuals in Portsmouth.

Hardship Grant Criteria

The aim of the Civic Fund is to ensure that individuals in the defined community area (see below) who find themselves in an emergency financial crisis can seek support. The Fund has a finite annual amount from which grants are awarded and validating Partners will use their best efforts to ensure that grants are awarded fairly from the fund.

The applicant must provide full details to the validating Partner as to the purpose of the grant and must satisfy the assessor with proof of identity, residency, and financial position. The grant is to help individuals through a short-term crisis.

Grants Value

Grants amounts should be a minimum of £10 and no more than £100. In exceptional circumstances an award of up to £200 can be made but would need to be referred to the HIWCF Grants Manager for authorisation.

Method of Award

Preference is for all payments to be made to suppliers direct or in vouchers rather than to individuals direct. However HIWCF recognises that on occasion direct payments to the individual may sometimes be necessary.

Geographical Restrictions

Applicants should be resident in Portsmouth or be a Portsmouth City Council tenant living in Wecock Farm or Leigh Park. Applicants from Havant, Waterlooville, rural districts of Fareham, and Droxford are accepted if they have a Portsmouth connection.

Examples of Grant Purpose

Emergency food, vouchers for food banks, shopping for toothpaste, toiletries, nappies, fuel debt, portable heaters, beds for children, school uniform, winter coats, clothes for interviews, bedding, microwaves, kitchen equipment including repairs to cookers and washing machines, emergency transport to hospital appointments, visiting sick relatives and job interviews. This list is not exhaustive and is up to the assessor’s discretion.

Applicants' Financial Status

Applicants should be solely dependent on state benefits or their household should be on a low income due to a health condition, disability, mental illness, unemployment or reduced working hours.

This process has been designed to balance the need to be sure the funds go to people in genuine need of help with the need to keep the process as light touch as possible.

Contact Us For More Information

For further information about the Civic Fund or to apply for a grant please contact Age UK Portsmouth on 023 9286 2121 or email reception@ageukportsmouth.org.uk.