Applying for charity funding Step one: eligibility criteria Is my idea eligible for funding? Before you apply for funding, you must be able to demonstrate that your proposal: offers clear benefits to patients, their loved ones or to the health and wellbeing of NHS staff is over and above what the NHS/Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust should provide meets our eligibility criteria To help you answer the above you can refer to: Decision Tree - a simple set of questions that helps to establish whether an idea might be suitable for charitable funding. Download Decision Tree [PDF] Eligibility criteria – see below for a list of items/activities that charitable funds can and cannot be used for, or download a printable PDF. Download Eligibility Criteria [PDF] Eligibility criteria Medical equipment Items that CAN be funded by charitable funds Items NOT to be funded by charitable funds Medical and surgical equipment and its maintenance for NHS patient care, education and research. Medical and surgical equipment and its maintenance for private patient care unless such use is incidental to its main NHS use. Medical and surgical consumables for new charity funded equipment when ordered together. Incidental ‘start up’ stock provided for a limited time agreed in the Business Case where applicable. Ongoing medical and surgical consumables (e.g. dressings, implants, cannulae, hypodermic syringes, needles). Computer equipment and software where used in direct patient care (e.g. attached to radiography equipment, tablet computers for use in direct diagnosis or general care). Computer equipment and software where used in administrative and support roles (e.g. patient administration or business support). Patient experience Items that CAN be funded by charitable funds Items NOT to be funded by charitable funds Books, educational DVDs, posters, leaflets, information screens for patient care or education of staff. Items for patients (e.g. activity materials, tablets for communication, radios and TVs, children’s themed duvet covers, themed curtains, patient library facilities). Additional refreshments where there is a clear need to enhance the patient experience e.g. Patients receiving Chemotherapy. Christmas gifts for ward areas, gifts of nominal value for those inpatients in hospital on Christmas Day. Allocation of Christmas monies is coordinated by Royals Surrey Charity on an annual basis. In certain circumstances patients can receive direct benefits through the charity but this has to either be a consequence of an initiative that is available to a wider group of patients or specifically relates to a Fund that been given special dispensation by Royal Surrey Charity to utilise its funds in this manner. Non-mandatory wearable items that can help benefit the patient experience can be funded by the charity. However there has to be a very clear case as to why this would not be available through Trust funding. Mandatory and essential NHS uniforms. Building, refurbishment and environment Items that CAN be funded by charitable funds Items NOT to be funded by charitable funds Building and/or refurbishment works where charitable monies have been specifically raised for such projects. Planned preventative maintenance or maintenance repair works (building and engineering). Building and/or refurbishment works where no NHS exchequer resources are available and will not be available for the foreseeable future. Health and safety expenditure, unless consequent upon a charitable funded project e.g. safe asbestos removal. Wall murals and other decorative initiatives that will enhance the environment for patients. Upgrading/replacement of existing infrastructure or fixed plant (e.g. boilers, central switchgear) unless consequent on a charitably funded scheme. Where absolutely required and where no NHS exchequer funds are available. Furniture, fixtures and fittings for use in clinical areas by patients, visitors or relatives (e.g. beds, chairs, treatment couches, bedside lockers, curtains). Furniture, fixtures and fittings for use in non-clinical areas by staff unless specifically relating to staff wellbeing. Office equipment and materials for use in administrative and support roles (e.g. stationery, filing cabinets, IT equipment). Health and safety items (e.g. antibacterial gels, cleaning products/equipment, access equipment, industrial dishwashers). Fans and air conditioning units for patient care areas. Fans and air conditioning units in support and office areas. Communication and navigation equipment (mobile phones and chargers, satellite navigation systems) Staff education and training Items that CAN be funded by charitable funds Items NOT to be funded by charitable funds Education and training (courses and conferences), over and above that provided by the NHS which will improve staff knowledge and performance in their roles within the NHS. Where no NHS resources are available, 100% of fees and associated costs can be funded.Associated transport and accommodation costs can also be supported through charitable funds, these must be reasonable and necessary. Statutory, mandatory or essential education and training (e.g. required by law or identified as necessary for staff to undertake their roles within the NHS or required for maintenance of professional registration). Backfill for staff attending education and training programmes. Designated Funds can only be used to support higher award and academic studies where a donation has specifically been made for the purpose of supporting staff education. Our Greatest Need Fund can only be used to support higher award and academic studies in exceptional circumstances. In all cases there must be significant benefits to Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust patients which can be quantified through training and development objectives. Designated Funds cannot be used for supporting higher award and academic studies unless a donation has specifically made for the purpose of supporting staff education. Our Greatest Need Fund cannot be used to support higher award and academic studies unless there are exceptional circumstances. Backfill for staff attending education and training programmes. Running costs associated with internally run courses or conferences (including team skills development days) which are linked to identified education and training needs. E.g. speaker fees, room/ equipment hire, refreshments, honorariums, visiting speakers’ accommodation. Alcohol for course refreshments. Honorariums above and beyond out of pocket expenses, in line with HMRC guidelines. Costs relating to sustenance that are covered through existing Trust mechanisms. Overseas courses and conferences where there is clear patient benefit and no UK provision available within 12 months. Associated transport and accommodation costs can also be supported through charitable funds, these must be reasonable and necessary. Accommodation for a maximum of 1 night before and 1 night after the event and only standard Flight tickets will be funded. Cost of accompanying family members. Library facilities and resources. Requests which have not received study leave approval from the Learning & Development Department. Personal subscriptions/memberships and professional insurance fees (can be offset against personal additional taxable income). Ward and departmental subscriptions to clinical journals Publication costs Staff wellbeing Items that CAN be funded by charitable funds Items NOT to be funded by charitable funds Royal Surrey Charity will prioritise funding towards staff wellbeing activities and initiatives that are accessible to all Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust staff. Where a designated fund is used a staff wellbeing activity or initiative can be focused to benefit the relevant staff associated with the designated fund. Gifts, vouchers and rewards that are made available to all members of Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust staff. Royal Surrey Charity will not fund staff gifts, vouchers or rewards for specific groups of staff e.g. staff working in a certain department, unless there are exceptional circumstances relating to the request. Charity funding can be used to fund refreshments for staff who are participating in specific staff wellbeing initiatives. Charity funding cannot be used to fund everyday refreshments for staff e.g. hot drinks, milk, snacks etc. Building, refurbishment works or furniture, fixtures and fittings for staff wellbeing areas where charitable monies have been specifically raised for such projects or would result in an improvement in staff welfare facilities where such enhancement would not normally be funded by NHS resources. Staff celebrations or parties that all Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust staff have access to. Designated Funds can be used to fund staff celebrations or parties that benefit the relevant staff associated with the designated fund (£15 per staff member annually). Charity funds cannot be used to support wedding celebrations, special birthdays or retirements – please note the Trust can support retirement parties. Research and development Items that CAN be funded by charitable funds Items NOT to be funded by charitable funds Research with direct benefits to NHS patients where ethical approval has already been granted and no other source of funding exists. Research where clear public/patient benefit potential is anticipated and where the results will be made publicly available. Research where the charity or Trust is unable to secure all of or a share of the intellectual property or other rights if the research is successful Volunteer experience Items that CAN be funded by charitable funds Items NOT to be funded by charitable funds Royal Surrey Charity can fund activities and initiatives that offer benefits and will enhance the experience of Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust volunteers. Next steps Happy your idea is eligible? You now need to identify which fund to apply to. Step two: determine which fund to apply to Useful links Back to Applying for charity funding (landing page) Frequently asked questions (FAQs) Contact If you are still unsure whether your project is eligible for funding after reading our criteria, please get in touch with the charity team for support. Manage Cookie Preferences