Responsive grants - small grants up to £25,000
Designed to help the Charity respond quickly to ideas and needs as they arise within the Trust.
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Rolling programme of review
Each year, we support hundreds of projects that go beyond core NHS provision to enhance the experience of patients, families, and staff across the Trust.
These grants fund non-essential, impactful improvements that make a meaningful difference to care, comfort, and wellbeing.
What themes does this grant programme cover?
Our Responsive Grants Programme provides smaller-scale funding opportunities, with applicants able to apply for up to £25,000 for projects that:
Improve the patient experience
Projects that improve comfort, care, or the hospital environment for patients. If the cost for your project exceeds £25,000 it may be eligible under our large patient experience grant programme.
Support staff wellbeing (excluding edible items)
Initiatives that support staff health, wellbeing, and day-to-day working life.
Enhance hospital environments
Provide small-scale or non-medical equipment
If the cost for this equipment is under £25,000. If the cost exceeds this amount, it may be eligible under our large patient experience grant programme.
We are particularly interested in proposals that demonstrate a clear and measurable benefit to patient care, whether directly or indirectly, and that offer added value beyond what standard NHS funding can provide.
Before applying, we also encourage applicants to consider the “tabloid test” - if your proposed expenditure were reported publicly, could it be clearly justified as a responsible and impactful use of charitable funds?
If you have an idea that could make a real difference, we invite you to review the guidance and submit an application.
Responsive Grants are best suited to projects that:
- Are relatively low in cost
- Can be delivered quickly
- Have a clear, simple outcome
- Improve either patient experience, staff wellbeing, or staff development
If your idea is larger in scale or cost, it may be better suited to a large grant application.
A good starting point is to have a rough idea of cost, as this will help determine whether your project fits within a Responsive Grant or requires a Large Grant application.
What are we less likely to fund?
As a charity, we are usually unable to support costs that fall within core NHS responsibilities or deliver limited wider benefit. These include:
- Office equipment and core service items (e.g. computers, telephones, stationery)
- Standard patient information leaflets
- Name badges and lanyards
- Standard wheelchairs
- Fans
- Decorating and maintenance
- Hospitality
- Retirement and long service awards unless this underpins existing Trust led events.
Some items, such as specialist wheelchairs or fans in specific patient-related circumstances, may still be considered in exceptional cases and where prior fundraising has taken place.
All applications must clearly demonstrate alignment with the charity’s objectives and show added value beyond core NHS provision.
Need help?
Our grants team are here to guide you through the process and support your application. If you are unsure whether your proposal is eligible, please contact the charity team before submitting an application.
If you think your project will cost more than £25,000 or you'd like to find out more about each of our core grant themes, click the buttons below.
These pages will help you understand what types of projects are typically funded and help you decide which grant is the best fit for your idea.