Family Fund

Family Fund is the UK’s largest grantmaking charity for families, living on a low income, raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person.

They believe that families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people should have the same choices, quality of life, opportunities and aspirations as other families.

For KtoA Magazine, the Family Fund team run through their support services: from information to help you manage your money and navigate benefits, to practical workshops getting you online and using digital tools.

How can Family Fund help?

Family Fund helps families raising disabled children by providing a range of grant items that they might not ordinarily be able to afford.

As well as providing grants for items such as family breaks, computers, white goods, furniture, clothing and bedding, Family Fund also helps families to find information and support including practical workshops and signposts to other help and resources.

Discover Digital

The Family Fund Discover Digital support programme offers parents, carers and children free digital skills and creative workshops and resources. Our free virtual workshops run throughout the year and are a safe space to learn new skills with other families raising disabled children.

Nina’s confidence boost over the summer break

Nina is ten years old. Last year she attended some of the Discover Digital workshops during the summer holiday. Her mum, Natasha says, “Nina learnt lots of new things from the workshops. She really enjoyed it and kept at it even after the sessions had finished. I was surprised at how quickly she picked everything up.”

“Nina has learnt skills she can take away with her. She also gained more confidence in herself and her ability to use technology. She was really proud of what she created and showed everything to family and friends.”

“I would definitely recommend Family Fund’s Discover Digital workshops to others. It was a huge blessing for my family because it helped my child to be happier and more creative. It also encouraged positive interactions between the siblings. Even though Nina’s brothers didn’t directly take part, she did show them what she was doing so they learned something new too, and it strengthened sibling bonds.”

Discover more support

The Family Fund ‘Discover more support’ online search tool signposts to a range of charities and relevant organisations that can provide additional help and support to families raising disabled and seriously ill children.

The search tool allows you to quickly and easily search for organisations who can help. You can filter the search by categories such as: breaks, digital skills, education and learning, food and housing, grants and funding, mental health, money and benefits. You can also search by country or using your own specific keywords to see useful support.

Help with finances

Family Fund understands that life can cost a lot more for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child. We offer a range of information and services to help you manage your money, including workshops, interactive courses and budget tools.

Information and support events

Family Fund host information and support events, to give families the chance to meet the team, as well as other organisations, to learn more about the support services, grants and information on offer.

We also attend many of the Kidz to Adultz exhibition events and will be at Kidz to Adultz North on Friday 11 October, at Manchester Central.

Fundraising with Family Fund

Want to help support UK families who are raising disabled or seriously ill children? We have lots of ways you can get involved:

• Join the Family Fund weekly lottery and be in with the chance of winning the £25,000 jackpot!

• Support us every time you shop online through ‘easyfundraising’.

• Or take part in one of our many fundraising events – whether you’re a runner, cyclist or daredevil with a thrill for heights, we have challenges for everyone.

Find out more about fundraising with Family Fund by emailing: fundraising@familyfund.org.uk

For more information about Family Fund and their wider support visit: familyfund.org.uk