Application deadline: none
The COSARAF Charitable Foundation was established in 2007 by Haroon and Farouq Sheikh, together with the extended Sheikh family, to benefit communities and individuals in the UK and abroad. The Foundation has the following overarching priorities of:
o Empowering women and girls.
o Enabling young people to realise their potential, and
o Promoting strong and cohesive communities.
The Foundation’s Hardship Fund is a cost-of-living fund designed to support families and individuals across the UK who are struggling with everyday costs, such as basic living expenses, household items and utilities, or rent arrears.
Although nominally grants of up to £2,000 are available, very few awards exceed £500. Third party organisations, such as a registered charity, a housing association, statutory agencies or schools may apply on behalf of an individual or family able to demonstrate that they’ve exhausted all other available options for financial support. An organisation may apply to the fund once every 12 months.
Applications on behalf of the following are prioritised:
o Families (more than individuals).
o Items that will make the most difference to the family or individual’s long-term future.
o People who are most excluded financially, and
o People with caring responsibilities.
Grants can be used for such things as (please note that this is not an exclusive list):
o Basic Living Expenses, such as utilities or food.
o Contributions towards immigration related costs where the current immigration status directly causes financial hardship to the applicant
o Household items, such as white goods and occasionally other items (for example, sofas, wardrobes etc.)
o Rent arrears and Council Tax arrears where there is a clear and obvious risk of homelessness (For rent arrears involving a social landlord applicants are required to outline what support has already been offered to the tenant), and
o Work or education related expenses (for example, interview clothes, school uniforms, laptops).
Further information, guidance notes, together with an online application form, is available from the COSARAF website https://www.cosaraf.org/what-we-do/hardship-grants/
