GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUALS
St George the Martyr Charity (SGMC) offers grants to individuals through three separate schemes:
SGMC: 55-and-over
To be eligible, you must be at least 55 years old, live within (or very close to) the St George the Martyr Charity area of benefit (see map) and be in financial need. Usually, grants are for things such as items of furniture, kitchen appliances, bedding or winter clothing. But it could also be services such as decorating or gardening . The Charity has even provided grants to help people ‘declutter’ their homes.
We do not make grants of cash, or award grants to pay for rent or council tax. In most cases, once a grant is approved we will order and pay for items and arrange for their delivery/installation. Please note that we will not provide grants for things that are the responsibility or a landlord or statutory body.
Anyone who wishes to apply for a grant can contact the charity directly. An initial assessment will be made as to whether the basic criteria are met. If that is the case, one of our Visitors will visit to assess the position, and prepare a report for our trustees.
SGMC: Under 55
The Charity does not accept direct applications for grants to individuals who are under 55 years old, only referrals from recognised public and voluntary sector agencies, for example: the NHS Social Prescriber Link Workers that are based in GP surgeries, Southwark Council Social services teams and some charities. Agencies wishing to make a referral should contact the Charity to check their client’s eligibility for a grant and use the referral form, which can be found HERE.
Surrey Dispensary
Grants may be awarded “for the purpose of relieving in cases of need persons … who are sick, convalescent, disabled, handicapped [sic] or infirm by providing or paying for items, services or facilities which are calculated to alleviate the suffering or assist the recovery of such persons in such cases but are not readily available to them from other sources.” The Surrey Dispensary area of benefit incorporates the whole of the St George the Martyr Charity area of benefit plus the former Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey.
The Charity does not accept direct applications, only referrals from recognised public and voluntary sector agencies, for example: the NHS Social Prescriber Link Workers that are based in GP surgeries, Age UK, Time & Talents and Southwark Council Social services teams. Agencies wishing to make a referral should contact the Charity to check their client’s eligibility for a grant and use the referral form, which can be found HERE.
WHO TO CONTACT
All enquiries about grants to individuals should be directed to our Visitors, Philippa van Os and Cath Collins. Enquiries may be by telephone (020 7407 2994) or e-mail (philippa@stgeorge1584.org.uk and cath@stgeorge1584.org.uk). When e-mailing, always provide the postcode and date of birth or the intended recipient of the grant.
St George the Martyr Charity does not currently provide grants to organisations. However, there are other local charities that do, including Southwark Charities, United St Saviour’s Charity and Rotherhithe Consolidated Charities.