Felix Fund - The Bomb Disposal Charity

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £197,185 (income year ending April 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Announced by 7th of month following application
• Grant Range: £30 - £600 (capped amounts for specific grant types)
• Geographic Focus: UK national (military and SO15 personnel)

Contact Details

• Website: www.felixfund.org.uk
• Email: enquiries@felixfund.co.uk
• Phone: 07713 752901 / 01235 428073
• Address: Vauxhall Barracks, Fox Hall Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 7ES

Overview

Felix Fund was established in 2011 (registered 20 June 2011) as a small military charity dedicated to supporting the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Search community. The charity provides welfare support and financial assistance to serving personnel, veterans, and their dependents across the British Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and SO15 (Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Unit) who have conducted or assisted with bomb disposal and search duties. Operating as a volunteer trustee charity, Felix Fund has helped approximately 2,000 servicemen and women cope with the intense trauma and pressures associated with their work. The charity takes a holistic approach, addressing both mental health challenges through preventative training and practical needs through financial grants. In the year ending April 2024, the charity received £197,185 in income and distributed £387,851 in support.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Individual Financial Assistance Grants

• Grant amounts vary based on need and type of support
• Flight cost grants: Capped at 1/3 of flight cost or £600, whichever is lower (except in exceptional cases)
• Adventurous training grants: Routinely capped at £30 per head with an upper limit of £500 per exercise
• Applications considered monthly by trustees
• Applications must be received by Thursday in the preceding week
• Decisions announced by the 7th (or closest working day) of the following month
• Application method: Online grant application form only

Dashboard Programme

• Preventative stress training based on mindfulness
• 10 residential courses per year
• Up to 20 serving personnel per course
• Conducted at locations such as Ashorne Hill, Leamington Spa
• Free for eligible participants
• Invitation/referral basis

Unit Welfare Grants

• Grants to units for welfare needs
• Application process through unit welfare officers

Priority Areas

Felix Fund actively funds:

• Medical and therapeutic support: Hydrotherapy treatments, specialist therapy for PTSD, mental health support
• Home adaptations: Stairlifts, specialist furniture, replacement windows, lift installations for multiple amputees
• Specialist equipment: Electric wheelchairs, specially adapted buggies for disabled children, adapted vehicles
• Sporting equipment: Rugby wheelchairs, racing wheelchairs, equipment for Invictus Games athletes, football wheelchairs
• Preventative mental health: Dashboard mindfulness courses, stress recognition training
• Adventurous training: Capped grants for team activities
• Travel costs: Limited support for flights (capped)
• Funeral costs: Support for families in need
• General hardship: Wide-ranging support tailored to individual needs

What They Don't Fund

• Applicants are expected to first seek statutory provision through defence medical channels or NHS
• For specialist equipment requests, applicants should first reach out to SSAFA for an Occupational Therapy assessment, which provides access to grants from numerous service charities including Felix Fund
• Grants above the standard caps require exceptional justification

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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

• Daniel Reyland - Chair (also trustee of Global Volcano Risk Alliance)
• Shelley Emery - Trustee
• WO2 Kenny Scott RE - Trustee
• Dr Andrew Pettitt - Trustee
• Matthew Duckering - Trustee

The seven-person trustee board includes members representing areas of EOD & Search, ensuring deep understanding of the community's needs. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Patron:

• Adnan Sarwar - Former Royal Engineer (33 EOD), award-winning writer, editor, filmmaker, and television presenter

Ambassadors:

• Ms Arpana Gandhi
• Mr Michael Gallacher

Staff:

The charity employs a small team consisting of a CEO and a Fundraising Assistant, plus 5 volunteers.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the online grant application form only, available on the Felix Fund website at www.felixfund.org.uk/need-our-help/

Important Pre-Application Guidance:

• Where statutory provision can be provided, applicants should first apply for assistance through defence medical channels or the NHS
• For specialist equipment requests, reach out to SSAFA for an Occupational Therapy (OT) assessment in the first instance - this provides access to grants from numerous service charities, including Felix Fund
• Alternative funding requests are considered on a case-by-case basis

Decision Timeline

• Grant applications are considered by trustees in the last week of each month
• Applications should be received by Thursday in the preceding week
• Decisions are announced by the 7th of the following month (or closest working day)
• Total timeline: Approximately 2-3 weeks from submission to decision

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. The charity operates on a needs-based assessment model, reviewing each application individually.

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated, though the charity's case-by-case approach suggests unsuccessful applicants may reapply if circumstances change or additional information becomes available.

Application Success Factors

Specific Funder Guidance:

Felix Fund tailors support to match individual needs, as evidenced by their wide-ranging grant examples from wheelchairs to replacement windows to funeral costs. Based on their documented work, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Clear EOD/Search Connection: Applicants must have conducted or assisted with Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search duties in UK military (British Army, Royal Navy, RAF) or SO15 (Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Unit)

1. Evidence of Need: The charity supports both physical injuries and mental health issues (PTSD, stress, anxiety) as well as general hardship

1. Statutory Provision Exhausted: Applications should demonstrate that statutory support has been sought first, or explain why it's not applicable

1. Specific, Practical Support: Successful grants show concrete needs - specific equipment, treatments, or adaptations rather than general financial assistance

1. Impact on Quality of Life: The charity prioritizes grants that will meaningfully improve daily living, independence, or recovery

Examples of Recently Funded Projects:

• Hydrotherapy treatment for a former soldier suffering from PTSD and sleep deprivation
• Specially adapted buggy for disabled child of serving soldier whose family had relocated
• Rugby and racing wheelchairs for two former Sappers who lost legs in Afghanistan, enabling Invictus Games selection (team won silver medal)
• Football wheelchair for young disabled son of former Sapper
• Stairlift for widow of WWII Sapper
• Specialist chair for former RAF WWII bomb disposal veteran
• Over 100 normalization breaks for EOD and Search teams returning from Afghanistan and Northern Ireland

Testimonials from Beneficiaries:

• “My life has honestly changed. I have no built-up anger and can communicate with my wife without arguments.”
• “This is the only course I have ever attended where I paid full attention throughout.”
• “The charity has improved my life dramatically.” - Corporal Oliver Aspinall

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Know the monthly cycle: Submit applications by Thursday in the week before the last week of the month for consideration in that month's trustee meeting
• Use the online form only: Felix Fund requires applications through their online system - do not submit by email or post
• Demonstrate statutory pathways explored: Show you've sought NHS/defence medical support first, or explain why it's not applicable
• Get SSAFA OT assessment for equipment: For specialist equipment, an Occupational Therapy assessment from SSAFA strengthens your application and may unlock multiple funding sources
• Be specific about costs: With caps on flight costs (1/3 cost or £600 max) and adventurous training (£30/head, £500 max), be clear about what you're requesting
• Focus on EOD/Search connection: Clearly establish how you or your family member conducted or assisted with EOD and Search duties
• Highlight impact on wellbeing: The charity prioritizes support that addresses trauma, improves quality of life, or aids recovery from the intense pressures of bomb disposal work
• Consider the Dashboard Programme: For mental health and stress management, the free residential mindfulness training may be more appropriate than a financial grant

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust
• Variety, the Children's Charity
• IAH CHARITY COMPANY LIMITED
• THE VETERANS' FOUNDATION
• Peter Harrison Foundation
• BLUE LIGHT CARD FOUNDATION
• The Hargreaves Foundation
• Focus Foundation
• The League of the Helping Hand
• John Horniman's Children's Trust

References

• Felix Fund official website: www.felixfund.org.uk
• Felix Fund “Need Our Help?” page: https://felixfund.org.uk/need-our-help/
• Felix Fund “About” page: https://felixfund.org.uk/about/
• Felix Fund “Our Work” page: https://www.felixfund.org.uk/our-work/
• Felix Fund “Meet the Team” page: https://www.felixfund.org.uk/meet-the-team/
• UK Charity Commission Register: Felix Fund - The Bomb Disposal Charity, Charity Number 1142494, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5019242
• Veterans' Foundation grant story: “Grant Awarded To Felix Fund,” https://www.veteransfoundation.org.uk/stories/grant-stories/felix-fund/
• Innovation News Network: “Helping Felix – support for the entire EOD and Search community,” https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/profile-felix-fund-eod-and-search-community/370/
• Charity Commission financial data for year ending 30 April 2024
• Royal Logistic Corps: “Felix Fund Restarts Mindfulness Programme,” https://www.royallogisticcorps.co.uk/felix-fund-restarts-mindfulness-programme/