Community Fund | Lower Heyford & Caulcott

LOWER HEYFORD & CAULCOTT

Lower Heyford & Caulcott Community Fund

Information

The Lower Heyford and Caulcott Community Fund (LHCCF) is the operating name for the Lower Heyford Relief in Need Charity (LHRINC) which is a long-established charity in the Parish.

It derives its income from the rent of property and agricultural land in the Parish. This income is used to assist persons in times of genuine need or financial hardship as well as supporting projects which benefit people living in Lower Heyford and Caulcott.

A good example is the Educational Grants for Young Persons. These are aimed at young people aged between 16 and 25 from Lower Heyford or Caulcott who are planning to continue their education through College or University or through other forms of Training or an Apprenticeship.

The Charity’s principal aim remains providing financial help to residents of the villages who can demonstrate a real and unavoidable need. The need may be You, Your Friend, or Your Neighbour. If you are suffering from financial hardship and if you have to meet an unexpected expense then the Trustees of LHCCF may be able to make a contribution towards the cost.

Here are some examples of things which would be considered:

Special payments to meet sudden distress.
Payment of travelling expenses for visiting people in hospitals and the like.
Grants of money towards the cost of essential household equipment or furniture.
Pendant alarms for housebound or vulnerable persons.
Providing medical and nursing aids such as wheelchairs for disabled, handicapped or infirm people.
Providing services in the home for disabled, handicapped or infirm people (including gardening).
Grants towards school uniforms.
Enabling school trips or travel to support a young person’s development.
Helping a victim of crime.
Assistance following fire or other damage to a home.
Supporting a non-commercial village organisation.
Grants to support those wishing to make a change in their career direction and who need to undertake training to achieve that.

All enquiries and assistance will have complete confidentiality and be considered on individual merit, but the following guidelines will apply.

The process will be as unobtrusive as possible but will require an application form to be completed.
Grants will be normally awarded to individuals only but in some cases appropriate village organisations may qualify.
Grants will not normally be made in the form of cash, but a payment made directly by the Charity to the goods or services supplier.
Applications will require to be accompanied by estimates or quotations for the requested items or assistance.
No grants are given for the relief of debt, rates or taxes.
If you are already receiving statutory benefits you may get additional help from LHCCF if you need it. Help cannot be given unless you have obtained all the relevant statutory benefits to which you are entitled.
Medical aids and appliances and services in the home should be requested from health and social services in the first instance.
Repeat grants within 2 years of a previous award are only considered at the trustees’ discretion.
Applicants must have been resident in the Parish for a minimum of 2 years immediately prior to the application.