Education

Education is a vital tool which unlocks knowledge and learning, enabling young people to fulfil their potential by opening up choices and opportunities. Through its targeted giving, the Foundation wants to support disadvantaged children and young people to help ensure they have access to education and opportunities for growth and development which many of us take for granted. Funding is geared towards fulfilling equipment needs, providing training and supporting refurbishment projects which will make a lasting difference for as many children as possible. When funding educational courses, we have a preference to those which lead to accredited and recognised qualifications. 

HCF grantee Kids in Control 

Health

Under its core remit of health, HCF strives to improve the care, treatment experiences and outcomes for children who are sick or suffering from chronic or long-term conditions. Due to our focus on education we have a particular interest in supporting projects which provide or enhance access to educational opportunities for sick or life-limited children. To do this we partner with a range of expert charities that deliver care and treatment for young people.

The Foundation wants to ensure that young people who are sick or suffering from chronic and sometimes life-limiting conditions receive the best support possible. Through its targeted grant-giving, HCF identifies projects that enhance treatment experiences, provide support, care and condition management for sick young people and make a lasting difference to young people as they undergo treatment or therapy.

Funds raised in each country are targeted to support local causes within that country. Within out criteria of education and health, the Foundation has a number of different grant-making mechanisms.

HCF grantee Lighthouse Ireland

HCF grantee Dukes Barn

Sponsored Grants (Europe-wide)

Sponsored grants are for those charities and good causes which are nominated by hotels to receive funds that they have raised, subject to approval by the foundation. Our local giving model enables hotels across Europe to raise funds and directly help disadvantaged young people and address local needs in their own communities. Our goal is to achieve positive local impact whilst coordinating a common framework for hotel charitable fundraising and engagement activities.

We are a vehicle for giving and play a facilitating role for our supporters, ensuring their donations have maximum impact. When deciding who to support it is important for us to be satisfied that every £1 or €1 we give will make a real difference to those most in need, to assess the sustainability of a charity, the suitability of proposed projects and to measure impact. The Foundation strives to make a difference in its chosen key areas, whilst managing expectations and demand from the many hundreds of charities that seek our help each year.

Central Grants (UK & Republic of Ireland)

Within the remits of education and health, HCF continues its UK and Republic of Ireland central grant giving in its four areas of focus.

-Young people with disabilities
-Young people in hospital
-Homelessness
-Life-limited children and young people in hospices

These four areas were selected following feedback from our supporters, the Grants Committee and Trustees, reflecting the interest of our fundraisers, the source of funds for Central Grants in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Despite this focus, the number of applications received during 2011 at the HCF office continued to far outstrip available funding, with 'young people with disabilities' being the most oversubscribed category. The total number of central grant requests received in 2011 was 366, amounting to a total cost of £5,164,498.03. The Foundation awarded £368,870.84 (7% of funds requested) and made 82 central grants (22% of requests).

Through its rigorous grant assessment process, culminating in the quarterly Grants Committee and Trustee meetings, the Foundation remains confident that it is responding in the optimum way to requests for help, within the constraints of its available resources.

Galvin's Chance

Galvin's Chance is an HCF programmes established in 2009 to support unemployed young people aged 18-24 to secure work in the hospitality sector. Unlike many into-work programmes in the industry, which focus on the kitchen, this programmes is aimed at the Front of House, training young people for service roles working in high-end hotels and restaurants such as Galvin at Windows, The Royal Automobile Club, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Coq d-Argent and The Cinnamon Club, to name but a few.

Galvin's Chance is a partnership between the Foundation, which overseas and funds the placements; The Springboard Charity, which delivers the programme; and Lifetime Training, which provides apprenticeship training; and various other employers who provide the placements and mentor the young people on a daily basis. Once selected on to the Galvin's Chance programme, chosen candidates complete training and two weeks work experience with a view to fulfilling a vacancy.

The programme, which was created to help young Londoners who are deemed 'at risk' of youth gun and knife crime or game violence, is spearheaded by Chris Galvin and Fred Sirieix. The young people come to the programme through the prison probation service. Looking forward it is hoped to expand the programme to other UK cities.

Galvin's Chance 2012 Graduates with Chris Galvin and Fred Sirieix