Information for applicants

About Starr Trust Awards
‍

‍Starr Trust Awards are for young people aged 10-25 living in or linked to the Greater Brighton area who want to achieve more in their lives through fulfilling their potential. We provide:
• Financial grants up to £5000 (for individuals) or £10,000 (for groups; see below) to support training and development of skills
• Opportunities for connections and mentoring through our wider network of local experts where possible

Starr Trust Awards support a specific agenda activity that will last up to a period of 12 months. As well as helping with financial costs where required, Starr Award recipients will benefit from their Award in other ways for 12 months, including:
• Invites to our annual celebration evening
• Opportunities to meet professionals in their field of interest
• Opportunities that we hear about in other areas of Greater Brighton
• The chance to meet other Starrs and make new friends

We encourage our Starrs to:
• Keep us updated with their news
• Help our fundraising efforts and/or volunteer at some Starr Trust events
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Where circumstances are appropriate, we may request Starrs to:
• engage with our supporters
• help us source a personal sponsor
• share their stories for fundraising purposes and at some Starr Trust events.

‍Who is eligible to apply for an Award?
‍Applicants must be aged 10-25, come from a low-income background and live in or have links to the Greater Brighton area.
They should also fit one or more of the following criteria:
• are experiencing difficulties in their lives
• have emotional, physical or learning challenges
• are facing a roadblock that is stopping them reaching their goal

Regardless of talent we are looking to develop young people in our community to be the very best they can be and achieve their untapped potential. We are looking for young people who see an opportunity for personal development, but are unable to move forward without our help. Starr Trust Awards are not about who the young person is now, but about who they can become.

Application Deadlines
Please note that applications must be received by the following dates to be considered at our semiannual meetings. Any received after the cut-off date will be put forward for the following meeting.
• 1st May for consideration in June
• 1st December for consideration in January
‍Please note the above deadlines are subject to change.

‍Please tell us as much as possible about your application
‍As a small charity with limited funds it is incredibly important to us that any money awarded is able to make a meaningful difference to a young person’s life. Our funding team have to make very difficult decisions when we have more applications than funds, and these decisions are based on what impact the Award will have. Therefore, the more information you can give us to demonstrate this impact, the better.

‍If you are over 18 please fill in the application form yourself if you are able to.
‍We appreciate that a form isn’t always the best way to get your message across, so we welcome other formats to support the application, such as audio recordings, photographs and short videos. We do understand that this is not always possible and you will never be penalised for not including such material, however, please understand that it is easier for our Funding Team to make a decision when we have gleaned as much information about you as possible.

Please note: it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure your Referee fills in the Referee Form to support your application. Please contact your Referee and direct them to our Apply page.

Types of Award

Sports Award  
The Sports Award is for activities based on physical athleticism and dexterity (such as running) and non-physical activities such as mind sports (e.g. chess).
The award can be applied to a single cost or multiple costs; examples might be:
• Club fees
• Kit
• Lessons
• Training
• Camps
• Trips
• Memberships
• Competitions
• Race entry
• Equipment (i.e., racquets, balls, practise mats etc.)
• Associated travel and accommodation costs
These are just examples and not an exhaustive list.

Art Award  
The Arts Award is for the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, including literature (including drama, poetry, and prose), performing arts (including dance, music, and theatre), and visual arts (including drawing, painting, filmmaking, architecture, ceramics, sculpture, and photography), art combining visual elements with performance (e.g. cinematography) and artwork with the written word (e.g. comics).
The award can be applied to a single cost or multiple costs; examples might be:
• Equipment (e.g. computer software, dance kit, materials, instruments, sheet music)
• Lessons
• Courses
• Examinations
• Exhibitions
• Trips
• Memberships
• Competitions
• Associated travel and accommodation costs
These are just examples and not an exhaustive list.

Education Award
The Education Award is available if you are in full time or part time education, are unable to attend mainstream education, or if you desire the acquisition of knowledge, skills, or values. We consider any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts as educational, whether they take place in formal or informal settings.The award can be applied to a single cost or multiple costs; examples might be:
• Tuition
• School fees
• Courses
• Examinations
• Equipment (computer software, materials etc)
• Trips
• Competitions
• Associated travel and accommodation costs
These are just examples and not an exhaustive list.

Enterprise Award
The Starr Trust Enterprise Award is primarily aimed towards the ages of 18-25, although this does not mean you can’t apply if you are younger than that.  We have set up this award because we felt it was important to champion young people who are leaving full time education and embarking on a new career or wanting to set up a business of their own. We also want to encourage young entrepreneurs and can offer a wealth of experience and contacts if you feel that this is the path life is leading you down. The award can be applied to a single cost or multiple costs; examples might be:
• Help with producing a CV or putting together a Business plan
• Training costs for your new job or business
• Help towards your first year’s salary if you are looking for an apprenticeship position
• Financial help for work clothes, equipment or even travelling costs
• Start-up grants and loans
• General advice from someone with direct experience in the career you are considering as well as access to successful entrepreneurs.
These are just a few examples and not an exhaustive list.

Click here to fill in our online Application Form for individuals
Click here to fill in our online Referee Form
Group Projects 
‍The Starr Trust will now also accept applications for Projects from both groups and other charities.
For us to consider a Project outside of the Greater Brighton area (including outside the United Kingdom), there must be a specific link to a person within the Brighton area who is central to the Project and who we can be in direct contact with. The Project must fit into our existing criteria, meaning that it is for the benefit of young people from low income households and who are being hampered by specific roadblocks.
Our definition of a Project is one for which there is a definite start and end date, where it is a standalone project and not part of a group or charity’s general day to day operations and where we can measure the impact on the young people involved. 
Should you be awarded funding for your Project then we will send a contract to you that lists our full criteria and our expectations of how you can report back to us on the progress of your Project.
If you are not sure if you are presenting what we classify as a Project then please email or phone us (contact details below) and we will be happy to guide you on this. 

Click here to fill in our online application form for Group Projects

‍What happens if I need support for longer than a year?
‍A Starr Trust Award lasts for 12 months. After 9 months you will be given the opportunity to reapply for another Award.

‍Terms and conditions of a Starr Trust Award:
‍All Awards are made entirely at the Funding Team’s discretion, and must be spent as proposed in the submitted application. Where possible we will pay suppliers directly rather than providing cash awards to applicants.
• If the application is successful, you will receive an offer letter by email. Funding will only be issued after this form has been completed and returned along with parental/guardian consent (if applicable), proof of residence and proof of I.D. has been obtained.
• If you are unsuccessful, we kindly request that you please wait at least 12 months before re-application to the Starr Trust.
• If we need further information to support your application we may be in touch to ask some further questions.
• It is your responsibility to ensure the application is complete. We will confirm receipt of the application form and reference, but other than that we cannot guarantee to be able to chase you for relevant information. This includes ensuring that your Referee has completed a Referee Form.
• Starr Trust Awards support a specific activity that will last up to a period of 12 months. All funds awarded must be claimed within a year of the funding being awarded and for the purposes agreed, unless specifically agreed otherwise. We do not award funding to reimburse money already spent.

If you are successful, we would like to tell others about you so that we can encourage more young people to apply and more donors to support us. On our website and in our publicity material, with your permission we would like to share:
• a personal testimonial (on video or in writing)
• a photograph
• related material from your funded activity

All information provided in relation to the application will be treated in confidence and the handling of such information will be limited to personnel directly involved in its administration and evaluation. We will never use this information without your consent nor share your details with any non-authorised Third Party. Please let us know if you would not like us to publicise this information and we will work together to find alternative ways of sharing your story. This will not affect the success of your application to the Starr Trust.

If you have any questions, or would like help applying, please contact us at awards@starrtrust.com or 01273 715882