The Children's Alliance CIO (The Water Babies Foundation)
The Children's Alliance CIO (The Water Babies Foundation) grant of up to £15,000 are available to not-for-profit organisations across the UK, including Community Interest Companies and schools, for projects that involve swimming and water and give children and young people aged 18 and under a better start in life. Applications may be made at any time via the application form available on the Alliances website
o Application deadline: none - applications may be made at any time via the application form available on the Alliance’s website.
o Funder: The Children’s Alliance (founded 2023. Charity number 1205189. As the Charity has been recently registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, it is not obliged to post its annual accounts until 10 months after its first financial period ends).
o Who can apply: UK not-for-profit organisations, including registered charities, constituted community organisations, Community Interest Companies (CICs) and schools.
o Key words: Children and Young People Aged 18 and Under, Swimming, Water-based Activities, Mental Health, Physical Health, Developing Life Skills and Resilience, United Kingdom.
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Based just outside of Exeter, Devon in Clyst St. Mary, the Children’s Alliance (the Water Babies Foundation) has recently been established to give children and young people access to water-based activities and swimming. This can be in the form of:
o Swimming lessons.
o Transport to lessons.
o Water activities that support mental and physical health.
o Specialist swimwear and
o Other similar projects. Grants are given to individual projects.
The overarching aim of the Alliance is to build life skills among children and young people aged 18 and under through water-based activity, enabling them to develop the skills and confidence to realise their potential as adults.
Grants of up to £15,000 are available. Most grant are, however, expected to be for significantly lower amounts. Organisations working at a grassroots level within communities are likely to be prioritised.
Applicants must have a constitution or set of rules, a Safeguarding policy and their own bank account.
The Trust has operated one round of grants so far, supporting a number of initiatives to ensure children and young people can experience the benefits being in water can have.
Grant awards have included
o Leigh Trust – providing swimwear for five inner city schools in Birmingham for Muslim children.
o Dame Vera Lynn Charity – providing ongoing hydrotherapy sessions for severely disabled children.
o The Wave Project – using surf therapy to support 50 children in North Yorkshire with their mental health.
o Access Sport – providing over 400 swimming sessions for disabled children, and
o We Are Beams – providing swimming lessons for children with AS or ADHD, aged between 7 to 11, and water-based messy play session for babies and toddlers.
Further information, guidance and an application form, which should be downloaded and submitted by email, is available on the Charity’s website (scroll down to the foot of the page to the heading "Apply for Grant Funding").
Applications may be made at any time and are considered in the Spring (March) and Autumn (September).
Contact details for the Alliance are:
The Children’s Alliance
Winslade House
Manor Drive
Clyst St. Mary
Exeter
EX5 1FY
Email: info@childrensalliance.org.uk
