wdh

WDH Foundation

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for the WDH Foundation Grant Scheme?

Anyone registered as living in a WDH property aged over 16 is eligible for the grant.

How much can I apply for?

You can apply for up to £1,500 and make a single application for the grant scheme every three years.

What can I apply for?

In the past, we have funded a wide variety of courses such as lorry driving, wedding planning, health and safety, beauty, English as a foreign language (ESOL), counselling and personal trainer courses. We generally welcome funding requests for vocational courses that give our tenants useful skills and qualifications to gain employment.

To help our tenants gain employment, we also fund residence permits; security or construction licences; ID such as birth certificates and provisional driving licences; and DBS checks.

We also fund bus or rail passes and childcare to enable an applicant to attend a course or training. Kits required to complete a course are also permitted providing they are purchased through the course provider.

Where applications for multiple courses are made, we may only fund some of these. This is to ensure the grant funding is distributed more widely throughout the district and to a range of local course providers.

If you’re still unsure, please email us at foundation@wdh.co.uk.

How do I apply?

Please go to the apply for the Foundation Grant Scheme form and complete all fields. As you can’t save your progress on the form, we recommend checking all sections and planning your application first to ensure you have all the information we need.

What am I unable to apply for?

We do not fund driving lessons or petrol for a car. We also do not fund requests for laptops, clothing or other items that cannot be purchased through a course provider. Applications for multiple courses that, when taken as a whole, don’t indicate a clear career goal (for example, applying for a massage therapist course and IT technician course) may be rejected.

Applicants who can access Government funding to pay for course fees through initiatives such as Student Finance England or an Advanced Learner Loan will not be eligible for funding through the Foundation Grant Scheme. Additionally, customers who can access courses for free through local colleges or adult education centres cannot have their fees paid for by grant. Travel or childcare costs incurred through attending courses can, however, be paid for through the grant scheme.

Additionally, funding requests for courses or items that are unlikely to, or will not lead to, paid employment will not be accepted. This includes voluntary work and may also include types of work where there is little demand or that requires long-term persistence such as in the creative arts.

You ask for quotes to go with my application – what does this mean?

As proof of your course and the costs involved, we ask for quotes given by the provider. On your application, you can provide a webpage for the course or item provider that will show us where the course will be taking place and prices. Otherwise, after submitting your application, please send this information to foundation@wdh.co.uk within seven days. We recommend emailing your course or service provider and forwarding the information to us. Ideally, the information should include the name of the provider, their address, the course or item name, and price.

You ask for three quotes, but I don’t have that many – what do I do?

Some requests such as for ID, travel passes, childcare and for security or construction licences don’t have alternative providers so we don’t expect these to be mentioned on the application.

Some courses such as for minibus driving don’t always have several options in the local area; if this is the case, please mention this in your application. However, most requests we receive do have alternatives and three quotes must be provided with your preferred choice written in your application.

What ID do I need to submit with my application?

All applications require two forms of ID, including one proof of address. This can include a council tax or utilities bill, Job Centre or Universal Credit letter, birth certificate, passport or driving licence. Clear photographs taken on a mobile phone are accepted. ID must be emailed to foundation@wdh.co.uk within seven days of submitting an application.

I have more “Other items” that don’t fit on the application form. How do I tell you about them?

Please email the information to us along with your quotes and ID and ensure the total amount required is written in your application.

I have missed the deadline – can I still apply?

Yes, you can still apply. However, your application will go towards the following deadline. This is because there will be many applicants waiting for a decision on their applications, and we can’t allow late applicants through when this may delay the process for others. We do process fast-track applications within three weeks providing you meet the criteria (see below).

Can you process my application before the next deadline?

We can process applications within a few weeks for requests up to £250 and if there is a reason why the applicant needs the award making before the deadline. For example, if an applicant has a job arranged and they require an Enhanced DBS check before they can start work, we can fast-track their application.

However, we cannot fast-track applications for courses starting within two weeks, for requests above £250 or where there isn’t a reason for an application to be processed before the deadline. Where an applicant is eligible for a fast-track application we will try and process this quickly; however, in busy periods this cannot be guaranteed.

I have started a course and/or paid for something that the grant can be used for – can I still apply?

No. The grant can only be used for courses that haven’t started yet (ideally at least a month after the next deadline) and we do not fund anything that has already been paid for.

Can I save my progress on the application form?

Unfortunately, that is not possible. We recommend planning your application by looking through the form before starting it to ensure you have all the relevant information we need.

How do I know if you have got my application?

You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of submitting the form.

You used to offer £3,000. Do you not offer this anymore?

To ensure the grant scheme works most effectively and the money can benefit as many of our tenants as possible, we continuously monitor our applications and the grant money available. For this reason, we reduced the award amount to £1,500.

When will I find out if my application is successful or not?

After each deadline, we present applications to the Foundation Grant Panel consisting of WDH employees and tenants. This is around two to four weeks after the deadline. We then email all remaining applicants the decisions made by the Panel.

What can I do to increase the chance of my application being successful?

On the application form, there are two questions in the "What will the grant be used for?" section that give the applicant an opportunity to sell themselves. This information will be given to the panel as written on the application.

Giving us reasons for why you’re interested in the course you wish to undertake, some background into your work or personal life, and what completing the course would mean to you both personally and professionally will strengthen your application. Please make it clear what your plans are for the future. We recommend giving as much detail as possible.

However, where there are tenancy issues such as antisocial behaviour or significant arrears on your rent account, your application may be rejected.

I’m struggling to complete an application or with arranging quotes. Can someone help me?

We have Community Employment Advisors available to assist you with completing the form and with finding a job. Please contact them at CEA@wdh.co.uk.

Someone I live with was given a grant award. Can I also apply?

Yes, you can apply. In your application, please give us their name and your relationship to them.

I have made an application in the last three years – can I apply again?

Unfortunately, no. To give as many of our tenants the opportunity to have their projects considered by the panel, only one application can be made within a three year period. Our Community Employment Advisors may be able to signpost you to other funding opportunities. Please contact them on CEA@wdh.co.uk or phone 01977 788825.

What happens if my application is successful?

We will email you a link to an Offer Form you will need to sign to confirm you agree to the terms of the grant and for support from a Community Employment in your search for a job. We will also require payment details for the course or service provider(s). Payment must be made to your course or service provider and it will be your responsibility to contact them for their payment details. After sending us a completed Offer Form, we will email you within 10 working days when payment will be made to your course or service provider. You may then need to contact them again to book yourself onto the course (or similar).

I have read this page and I am still unsure of something. What can I do?

Please call 01977 788758 or email us at foundation@wdh.co.uk with your query.