Prison Service Charity Fund

The Prison Service Charity Fund, an independent, volunteer-led charity established in 1989 by Prison Service staff through a national fundraising campaign, provides targeted financial assistance for medical equipment and support to enhance treatment, recuperation, or health outcomes in the UK. Born from a surplus that funded a child's lifesaving overseas surgery, it embodies staff solidarity, compassion, and mutual aid, managed by an elected committee of subscribing members and prison representatives, entirely separate from government or Prison Service hierarchies. Its stable mission empowers staff-led responses to acute medical hardships, prioritizing "last resort" needs unmet by statutory services.

It funds discrete projects addressing urgent medical needs, such as specialist equipment, mobility aids, rehabilitation, life-saving operations (including abroad), and support for partnered charities, benefiting individuals (e.g., children with complex conditions) or small community causes facing health crises. All grants require active sponsorship by local Prison Service staff, fostering grassroots identification of needs within and beyond the service community.

Eligible applicants include UK-registered charities and community groups of any size or income (with preference for small, local ones), operating anywhere in England and Wales, provided they secure staff endorsement and demonstrate clear, evidenced medical urgency via medical reports and quotes. Typical grants range from £1,000 to £5,000, awarded on a rolling basis through an online form with no fixed deadlines; the committee reviews periodically based on completeness and urgency. It excludes unrestricted/core funding, statutory duplication, or unsponsored applications, distinguishing itself through its unique staff-volunteer linkage and narrow focus on compassionate, practical medical aid.