Giving grants is a win-win opportunity
With the cost of living on the rise, Group Coordinator Susannah tells us about getting involved in the pilot of a new grants scheme to support local people living with MS.
I‘ve been volunteering with the Gwynedd and Môn Group, in north Wales, for over 20 years. And I’ve been Group Coordinator since 2017. We support local people with MS in many different ways, from offering Boccia sessions to organising regular social events. Anyone living with or affected by MS knows the challenges it can bring. Trying to find what help is available, and from where, can be hard going.
Making a lasting impact
One of the most important means of support we offer is our grants service. Local people with MS can apply to us for a Health and Wellbeing Grant. This can help with the cost of things such as mobility aids and home adaptations, which will make a positive and lasting impact on their life.
Over the years, we've had some lovely messages from people who've been helped by these grants. For example, someone who's bought a scooter and can now keep up with the rest of the family on days out. Or the lady who, thanks to another of our grants, can access her garden once again — with all the joys and benefits being outside in a green space can bring. As a volunteer, hearing such feedback is really rewarding and gives an incentive to keep on supporting people and raising funds. You can really see the difference volunteering’s making. It’s a win-win situation.
Read more about getting financial help
A new idea
Earlier this year, I was contacted by someone from the council in Anglesey (Ynys Môn). They were looking for ways to target financial support for people with long-term health conditions. These people might be hit particularly hard by the cost of living and energy costs crisis. They wanted to give the group a grant so we could then give grants to people with MS in Anglesey who were struggling financially.
During the initial conversation, half my brain was thinking what a wonderful opportunity this was and encouraging me to say “Yes, send us the money!” The other half was asking practical questions about how the group would be able to administer such grants. And how they’d fit with MS Society grant-giving policies and group accounting rules. But, all in all, it sounded too good an opportunity to miss, so we’d have to find a way through any red tape!
Working it out
I started talking to the relevant staff at the MS Society. I needed to find a way for the group to accept the grant from the council. And then distribute the funds in accordance with both the terms of the council grant and MS Society policies.
It turned out that the MS Society was already looking at how local groups might be able to offer smaller grants. They wanted to make sure they could be quick and easy, both to apply for and to give. I was invited to join a working group of volunteers to co-design a new grants scheme. And, after a relatively short time, the Cost of Living Grants scheme was launched.
Find out more about the Cost of Living Grants scheme
To see if it works, it’s being piloted by a small number of local groups. The groups involved can put aside certain funds to give grants of up to £350. The grants can give people a sense of financial security and help with things like:
- utility bills
- replacing white goods
- doing a bulk food shop to save repeated visits to the supermarket
Keeping it simple
Applying for a Cost of Living Grant couldn’t be easier. There’s a very simple form that asks for:
- basic details (name, address, MS diagnosis)
- how much is needed (up to the limit of £350)
- what the money's going to be used for.
This contrasts with the longer form for the Health and Wellbeing Grants. The Health and Wellbeing Grants are for larger amounts and more complicated items. So the application process needs much more detail and evidence.
The new Cost of Living Grants are much easier for the applicant and much easier for the group giving the grant!
Spreading the word
So, a few months into the pilot scheme, how are things going? As a group we now have a few successful applications under our belt and are ready to try advertising the scheme further. Our latest newsletter included details of how to apply and we’re going to advertise on the group Facebook page. We’re trying to balance getting the word out with being swamped with applications.
As I mentioned earlier, getting feedback from grant giving is one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering. How lovely to receive a message like the one below, and to have achieved the result so easily, through awarding a Cost of Living Grant:
“Thank you so much for the grant. I’ve got my new washing machine coming on Wednesday. My mum paid for the delivery, so I’m feeling very spoilt!”
A positive experience
It’s been good to approach the MS Society with a proposal. And to have it taken up and turned into a pilot scheme with such positive direct benefits to people living with MS. I hope the other groups involved in the pilot also find it an all-round positive experience. It sounds as though it’s going well.
We’ve heard of the Cost of Living Grants reaching people who’ve not used group services before. And we’ve had good feedback from MS nurses, who love the scheme. It’s triggered more referrals for other grants and new people being linked to the other services groups can offer.
The pilot scheme will come to an end and be evaluated. Let’s hope Cost of Living Grants can then be rolled out to any MS Society group that'd like to offer them. Meanwhile, I’ll make sure as many people as possible in the Gwynedd and Môn Group area benefit from the win-win opportunity!
