Buttle Uk

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £5 million (2025/26)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 3 working days (typical assessment time)
• Grant Range: Up to £2,400 per grant
• Geographic Focus: UK-wide (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland)

Contact Details

Website: www.buttleuk.org

Phone: 020 7828 7311

Email: info@buttleuk.org

Support for Applications: Contact Grants Development Officers on 020 7828 7311

Overview

Founded as The Frank Buttle Trust and now operating as Buttle UK, this charity (registered number 313007) has been supporting vulnerable children since 1965. With total funds of approximately £12.9 million as of March 2024, the organization distributed grants to over 50,000 children between 2021 and 2024. Buttle UK's mission is straightforward: “pay for things that we would want all children and young people to have but their parent or carers cannot otherwise afford.” Under CEO Joseph Howes' leadership since 2022, the charity has shifted from small grants to larger, more holistic support packages, aiming to support 6,000 children and young people annually. The organization emphasizes collaboration between statutory, voluntary and private sectors to address child poverty and its impacts on educational outcomes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Chances for Children Grants: Up to £2,400 per grant (rolling basis via online portal)

• Individually tailored grants designed to improve children's social and emotional wellbeing and educational engagement
• Applications made through referral organizations (registered charities, housing associations, public sector organizations)
• Grants averaging £1,500 in value, providing holistic packages of support

Support for Young People Living Independently: Up to £2,400 per grant

• Focused support for estranged young people aged 16-20 with no family support
• Funds course costs, equipment, field trips or basic living costs to prevent study abandonment

Note: The Support for Boarding Programme is now permanently closed to new applications.

Priority Areas

Buttle UK supports children and young people (aged 2-20) who have experienced crisis and are living in financial hardship. Supported crises include:

• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect
• Domestic abuse or violence
• Severe bullying
• Estrangement from parents
• Death of parent, caregiver, or sibling
• Parent or sibling receiving end-of-life care
• Sudden traumatic life-changing incidents

Funded Items Include:

• Essential household items (beds, bedding, cookers, washing machines)
• Clothing and school uniforms
• Laptops, stationery and educational equipment
• Books, educational toys
• Tools and technical equipment
• Items to decorate/personalize children's bedrooms
• Travel costs to education
• Tutoring lessons and homework clubs
• Moving costs
• Baby equipment and toys

What They Don't Fund

Exclusions:

• Applications solely for parents/carers with children under 2 (support available through Health Visitors, Family Hubs, Sure Start Centres)
• Poverty as the primary issue without a specific crisis event
• Disability or chronic illness as the primary issue
• General family separation
• Looked After Children
• Situations where statutory funding should be the primary source
• Applications where the child/young person is not in education or training for at least 12 hours per week

Income Restrictions: Families must be eligible for Universal Credit (though eligibility doesn't guarantee support). Buttle UK aims to support families in the lowest 10% of UK incomes before housing costs.

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Governance and Leadership

CEO: Joseph Howes (appointed 2022)

• Previously Executive Director of Fundraising, Development and Communications at Depaul UK
• 17 years of fundraising experience
• Led COVID-19 response and strategic shift to holistic grant packages

Chair of Trustees: Jill (appointed November 2020, serving since 2014 as trustee)

Key Leadership:

• Paddy Zervudachi, Director of Finance and Administration
• Richard Barron, Director of Fundraising and Marketing

Trustees: Include Peter Orlov (trustee since 2016, specializing in private investment funds)

CEO Vision and Priorities:

Joseph Howes on child poverty: “Our report demonstrates the catastrophic impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, which have meant more and more children are having to go without food, and the situations these challenges are creating are preventing them from having any chance to reach their potential at school.”

On collaboration: “To address these challenges as we try to recover from the crisis is going to take imagination and collaboration between statutory, voluntary and private sectors.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are NOT made directly by individuals. Only frontline professionals from eligible organizations can apply on behalf of children and families.

Eligible Referral Organizations:

• Registered charities
• Housing associations
• Public sector organizations (schools, social services, health centres)

Application Requirements:

• Online application via Buttle UK Applications Portal
• Applicant must be working directly with the child/young person
• Full needs assessment completed
• Consent from parent/carer and child/young person
• Home visit conducted (optional for schools/colleges)
• Demonstration of how grant addresses specific emotional and learning needs
• Evidence showing grant fits with other support being provided

Before Applying:

• Read criteria carefully to ensure eligibility
• Contact Grants Development Officers on 020 7828 7311 if unsure about eligibility
• Ensure capacity to speak with a Grants Development Officer
• Have complete information ready (incomplete applications may be declined)

Application Method: Rolling basis via online portal at buttleuk.org

Decision Timeline

Assessment Time: Grants Development Officers aim to assess and award/decline applications within 3 working days, though this can vary depending on completeness of information provided.

Notification: Officers may call to discuss and clarify information if needed.

Success Rates

While specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed, Buttle UK notes that they have a limited budget and “will sometimes have to turn down grants that meet the criteria.” Between April 2021 and March 2024, they made 50,013 grants.

Impact Statistics:

• 90% of parents report improved children's educational engagement
• 95% of parents report increased child confidence
• 95% of parents report home now meets basic family needs
• 96% of parents report improvements in family relationships

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applications are not publicly detailed on the website. Contact the Grants Team at 020 7828 7311 for guidance on reapplication procedures.

Application Success Factors

Key Success Factors:

1. Demonstrate Clear Crisis Impact: Applications must show a recent crisis that has had “a significant and enduring impact” on the child or young person. The emphasis is on crisis-driven need, not general hardship.

1. Show Active Engagement: Families must demonstrate they have “taken action to move on from risk or crisis and are actively engaging with support.” Buttle UK wants to see families are working with services.

1. Complete Assessment: Applications must include a thorough assessment of emotional and learning needs, with clear explanation of how requested items/activities address these specific needs.

1. Obtain Proper Consent: Ensure applications have consent and input from both parent/carer and the child/young person themselves.

1. Exhaust Statutory Options: Demonstrate that statutory funding has been explored. Buttle UK grants are “complementary to statutory funding and not a substitute for it.”

1. Provide Complete Information: Incomplete applications may be declined or delayed. Have all information ready before submitting.

1. Focus on Wellbeing and Education: Frame requests around how they improve “social and emotional wellbeing and capacity to engage in education” - these are Buttle UK's core goals.

Direct Guidance from Buttle UK:

The organization provides a downloadable model for successful grant applications and emphasizes that applications should:

• Have consent and input from the parent/carer, children or young person
• Demonstrate a clear assessment of the emotional and learning needs
• Demonstrate how the items or activities applied for will address these needs
• Show how the grant fits with other support for the children or young person

Language and Approach:

• Use language focused on “crisis,” “wellbeing,” “educational engagement,” and “moving on from crisis”
• Emphasize the child's resilience and the family's active engagement with support services
• Frame requests as addressing specific needs arising from the crisis, not general poverty

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Crisis-focused, not poverty-focused: Buttle UK requires a specific crisis event, not just general financial hardship. Ensure you clearly articulate the crisis and its enduring impact.

• Fast turnaround: With 3-day assessment times, this is one of the quickest-responding funders in the sector. Ensure applications are complete to maximize this speed.

• Substantial grants with holistic approach: At up to £2,400 and averaging £1,500, these grants are designed to address multiple needs simultaneously. Think holistically about the child's needs rather than requesting single items.

• Referral-only model: Build relationships with eligible referring organizations if working with vulnerable families. Direct applications from individuals are not accepted.

• Education requirement is non-negotiable: The child/young person must be in education or training for at least 12 hours per week. This is a hard requirement.

• Professional relationship matters: Grants Development Officers will call to discuss applications. Ensure the referring professional has capacity to engage in this conversation and has detailed knowledge of the family's situation.

• Demonstrate active engagement: Show that families are working with support services and taking action to move forward, not just experiencing difficulty. Buttle UK wants to support progress, not maintain status quo.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Smallwood Trust
• John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust
• The Rayne Foundation
• John Laing Charitable Trust
• P F Charitable Trust
• THE BRIDGE TRUST
• The Ofenheim Charitable Trust
• Mayor of London
• LANCASHIRE WOMEN
• THE HULL AND EAST RIDING CHARITABLE TRUST
• SIR DONALD AND LADY EDNA WILSON CHARITABLE TRUST
• PETER DIXON CHARITABLE TRUST
• Copley May Foundation
• The Edinburgh Trust
• National Lottery
• Financial Times

References

1. Buttle UK official website - www.buttleuk.org
2. Buttle UK Chances for Children Grant Criteria - https://buttleuk.org/apply-for-a-grant/chances-for-children-grants/
3. Charity Commission Register - Charity Number 313007 - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=313007
4. Buttle UK Support Portal - https://support.buttleuk.org
5. 360Giving GrantNav - Buttle UK grants data - https://grantnav.threesixtygiving.org/org/GB-CHC-313007
6. “A word from our new CEO” - Joseph Howes, Buttle UK - https://www.buttleuk.org/news/a-word-from-our-new-ceo
7. “Fundraiser with a formula: Joseph Howes, chief executive of Buttle UK” - CYP Now - https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/features/fundraiser-with-a-formula-joseph-howes-chief-executive-of-buttle-uk/
8. Buttle UK Annual Reports page - https://buttleuk.org/what-we-do/our-services/annual-reports/
9. Buttle UK Our Impact page - https://buttleuk.org/our-research/our-impact/
10. Buttle UK Wikipedia entry - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttle_UK