Frequently asked questions

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We currently support individuals in the UK who are facing hardship due to: - Mental or physical ill health - Trauma or loss - Life-changing events or sudden financial crisis.

You do not need to be receiving benefits to apply — we understand that hardship looks different for everyone.       

We offer small, one-off grants that can help with:
- Emergency food or clothing via a Tesco or Lifestyle giftcard

- Payment of a small bill, or putting money onto a gas or electric meter
- Transport to attend therapy or important appointments
- Costs related to bereavement or domestic crisis
- Short-term relief while waiting for other support
 

We’re here to offer immediate, practical help when it’s needed the most.

Our grants are usually between £25 and £150, depending on your situation and our available funds. Every application is considered individually.

You can:
- Fill in our short online application form
- Or email us at with a few details about your situation 

We don’t ask for a lot of paperwork — we trust you.

To ensure that our limited funds are distributed fairly, we may ask applicants to provide supporting information before a grant can be considered.

This may include:

• Recent bank statements
• Evidence of benefits or income
• Utility bills or household expenses
• Medical evidence if health is relevant to the request
• Quotes for essential items where financial support is requested
   

All applications are reviewed by the trustees and providing this information does not guarantee that a grant will be awarded.

We aim to respond to all applications within 48hrs. If it’s urgent, let us know and we’ll do our best to help sooner.

No. Our grants are gifts, not loans. We give them with no strings attached, to help you through a difficult time.  

We may be able to help again in the future, but our grants are mainly for one-off emergency support. If you’ve already received a grant, you’re welcome to contact us again and we’ll review it case by case.

Yes, we do accept referrals from professionals, charities, or support workers with the person’s permission. Please contact us for more details.

Reach out. If we can’t help directly, we’ll try our best to signpost you to someone who can. You deserve support, even if you're unsure how to ask for it.

Every single penny of every donation made to the Mark Hewitson Foundation go towards funding our programs and services, such as food assistance, housing support, and educational programs.