Your Opportunity (18 to 24 year olds)

About Your Opportunity

Your Opportunity is a dedicated grant programme which aims to enhance the life of disabled, or seriously ill, young adults, aged 18 to 24 years old, living at home. Young people cannot apply on their own but applications should come from parents or carers.

Funding for Your Opportunity is limited and applications are accepted from families on a first-come, first-served basis, until funding is fully allocated.

Who can apply?

You can apply for your young adult if you can say yes to all the following:

• you are the main parent, or carer, of a disabled or seriously ill young adult aged 18 to 24, who lives at home with you
• you have not received a Your Opportunity grant, on behalf of this young adult, in the past 12 months
• you have lived in the UK for the last six months
• you are a family on a low income from work, or benefits such as Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit etc.

Our eligibility criteria

The young adult you’re applying for needs to have a high level of support needs, in three or more of the following areas, to meet our eligibility criteria:

• personal care, supervision and vigilance – needs support with feeding, washing, toileting, or needs to be supervised at all times
• access to social activities – needs extra support to access social or leisure activities, including difficulty travelling, or where they are currently socially isolated
• education/vocational training – has additional educational support needs, or needs extra help to attend vocational training
• communication – needs support to listen, speak or understand
• therapy and medical treatment – needs treatment or therapy. We’ll need to know what treatment is given, who does this, how often and when; or where your young adult is unable to manage their treatment or medication needs themselves
• specialist resources used – needs resources such as a wheelchair, oxygen, screen magnifier or electronic communication aid
• the physical environment – needs support with getting around, travelling independently, and keeping safe.

What can you apply for?

You may find the following ideas and examples helpful when thinking about what would benefit your young adult:

• digital equipment – including laptops, tablets or software to help with learning, coursework or gaming
• clubs and activities – membership fees, sports training, support with season tickets or materials for a hobby
• musical instruments – contributions towards an instrument of your choice
• sports equipment – kit or uniforms, specialist equipment, such as a specialist sport or lightweight wheelchair, or wheelchair maintenance
• transport – railcards, train tickets or bus passes
• day trips – tickets for the cinema, theatre, concerts or meals out
• support for learning – books, stationery or uniform, to support further education, training or vocational courses, including conferences or study weekends
• driving ambitions – contributions for a provisional licence, including licence costs, learning materials, theory tests or initial lessons
• bedroom furniture – assistance with beds and bedding, or televisions
• white goods – kitchen items such as fridge freezers, cookers or washing machines, to help with independence.

Your Opportunity cannot consider:

• requests for a family break or a holiday (but day trips can be considered)
• requests for standard or electric wheelchairs (as these should be provided by statutory services)
• any equipment that should be provided under statutory provision through local, education or health authorities.

Your Opportunity funders

‘Your Opportunity’ is funded by Family Fund along with The Edward Gostling Foundation and Pears Foundation.