Metropolitan and City Police Orphans Fund

The fund focuses on the welfare and education of children who have lost a parent officer or whose parent has retired on medical grounds. Support includes educational grants to cover school-related costs, regular maintenance allowances to help with daily living expenses, birthday and Christmas payments, and ad hoc welfare assistance for unforeseen needs. The fund is available to families of officers from the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police, wherever they live in the world. Over 14,000 children have benefited from this assistance since it began.

The fund provides support exclusively to individual children and their families. Eligible children are those whose parent served as an officer with the Metropolitan Police or City of London Police, and who died or retired on medical grounds. There are no income thresholds or size restrictions; eligibility is based on service. Applications are accepted directly from qualifying families, typically through a police welfare officer referral. Support continues while the child remains in full-time education. The fund does not accept applications from organisations or charities.

The fund does not provide grants to organisations, charities, or any entities other than the individual children and families of eligible officers. It also does not accept unsolicited applications; families must be referred through police welfare channels. Funding is not available for causes outside the specific scope of supporting police orphans from the two London forces.

The fund offers direct financial assistance through a mix of ongoing support and one-off payments. This includes educational grants, regular maintenance allowances, birthday and Christmas payments, and ad hoc welfare assistance. All grants are needs-tested and are provided directly to families. The fund does not accept unsolicited applications; referrals come through police welfare officers.