CHUF: Children's Heart Unit Fund

CHUF: Children's Heart Unit Fund is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1160831).

CHUF: Children's Heart Unit Fund is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Its principal objects are to promote the physical and mental health of patients and their families throughout the UK who suffer from conditions including congenital heart disease and heart disease acquired during childhood. Its mission is to drive positive change, enabling pioneering innovation and holistic services that provide lifelong benefit for Heart Heroes and their families. Its work is centred on the Children's Heart Unit at Freeman Hospital and other hospitals caring for cardiac patients across the North East. Its annual giving was £438,662, and its stated programmes are Holistic Care, Lifelong Support and Innovation.

Priority Areas

CHUF supports children with heart conditions and their families, with its work centred on the Children’s Heart Unit at Freeman Hospital and other hospitals caring for cardiac patients across the North East. It funds equipment, facilities, aftercare, salaries, research and services that take a holistic approach to cardiac care. Its stated priorities are holistic care, lifelong support for Heart Heroes and their families, and innovation in cardiac care, with support intended to target the areas of greatest need. Its organisational application route is aimed at medical professionals and teams: projects should fit one or more strategic pillars and have appropriate internal Trust approval. CHUF presents itself as a partner to medical teams, seeking collaboration, proposals shaped by beneficiaries’ experiences, and long-term, measurable impact.

Themes

• Holistic cardiac care
• Lifelong support
• Cardiac innovation
• Cardiac research

Geographic Focus

North East; UK.

Medical professionals and teams should confirm that the project fits one or more strategic pillars, complete the grant request form and obtain internal Trust approval. Larger grant requests may also need evidence that NHS or institutional funding is unavailable. Requests under £500 are approved by the Director; requests from £500 to £4,999 require the Director and a Trustee representative; requests of £5,000 or more go to a Board of Trustees meeting.

What to send:

• Medics grants
  • Complete a grant request form; requests must have appropriate internal Trust approval.
  • For larger grants, evidence that NHS or institutional funding is not available may be requested.

What the charity says:

• CHUF values insight into how projects are developed and where their ideas come from.
• CHUF encourages open, two-way dialogue throughout the year, not only when a funding request is made.
• CHUF wants requests to align with its strategic pillars and create long-term, measurable impact.
• For larger grants, CHUF may ask for evidence that NHS or institutional funding is unavailable.
• CHUF relies on updates, including annual reporting or mid-project check-ins, to understand the difference its funding makes.