Masonic Charitable Foundation Hospice Grants

Transition describes the process of planning and moving from children’s to adult’s services across the range of health, social care and educational support.  The transition process remains fragmented, complex, difficult to navigate and inequitable.  The availability of adequate and appropriate services for young people is also variable.  

As young people mature, their needs and preferences change. This means the models of care used to support them need to be adapted.

There is a need to develop skills and confidence for staff working in adult hospices to care for a very different type of patient, and solutions to address the wide geographic variance in knowledge and resources.

The second recommendation from the Being Curious and Confident report states that to improve care outcomes for young people and their families, we should: Encourage and support adult hospices to do more to support young people through transition.  Therefore, the aim of this grants programme will be to support adult hospices in testing approaches to improve transitional care for young people. In doing so we hope to address gaps in the access to and provision of short break/respite care as well as enabling equity. For all projects, it will be pivotal that young people’s voices are heard and acted upon.

Projects funded in this programme would improve the preparedness of adult hospices for young adults in, and after, transition.

Projects could include:

• Co-ordination, support and advocacy – staff and peer led approaches during transition to adult orientated service
• Training - staff at all levels should have the skills and capabilities to support young people, as well as developing the skills and knowledge about the range of complex health conditions and their implications.
• Tackling inequality, understanding the gaps in care locally and implementing a project to address these.
• Trialling short/break respite care with clear plans to evaluate benefits
• Capital/Refurbishment - to improve areas within the hospice building, making it more age appropriate.

Grants of up to £40,000 are available to support projects running over a period of 18 months.

Total available funding in this grant round is £400,000. We expect to award between ten fifteen grants in this round.

 Only one application can be considered from each hospice.

The deadline for applications is Monday, 5 February 2024 at 17:00. Applicants will be informed whether or not they have been successful at the end of March.

Eligible organisations are members of Hospice UK:

• adult hospices

 Based in England, Wales, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

NB: Hospices awarded a grant in the April 2023 Masonic Charitable Foundation/Hospice UK Tackling Poverty and Deprivation programme are not eligible to apply in this round.

An outline timetable for the programme is given below. 

• 5 February 2024 - Deadline for submission of applications 17:00
• Mid-March - Major Grants Committee meet to allocate funding
• End March - all applicants to be notified of decisions
• Mid-July  - First progress report due from grantees
• End July – Project Lead Day (exact date TBC)

Grant holders are required to acknowledge the Masonic Charitable Foundation, local masonic representatives and Hospice UK in any information that is circulated about the project. This includes e.g. conference presentations, reports, publications and articles that arise from the work.

Masonic Charitable Foundation

As the national charity of Freemasonry in England and Wales, the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) awards grants to tackle some of the most significant challenges in society. 

Funded entirely through the generosity of Freemasons and their families, the MCF  is one of the largest grant-making charities in the country.

We build better lives by enabling opportunity, advancing healthcare and education and promoting independence.

Hospice UK

Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice and end of life care. We work to ensure everyone affected by death, dying and grief gets the care and support they need, when they need it.

If you have any problems with the online form, or if you have any other queries about this grant programme, please contact the Grants Team at Hospice UK.