Royal Free Charity

Royal Free Charity funds pioneering medical research into conditions such as long COVID, kidney health, cancer diagnostics, and limb loss. It supports patient experience improvements including digital surgery pathways, complementary therapies, virtual reality distraction therapy for chemotherapy, hospital-based welfare rights advice that prevents homelessness, and peer support groups for amputees and cancer patients. Staff wellbeing initiatives include psychological support, mental health first aid programmes, peer support networks, wellbeing spaces, diversity training, and LGBTQ+ awareness. The charity also backs volunteering schemes that lower age barriers for young volunteers with disabilities, innovative equipment for accelerated diagnosis and recovery, and therapeutic activities promoting holistic, person-centred care. Funding is exclusively for projects tied to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust sites, which include Royal Free Hospital, Barnet Hospital, and Chase Farm Hospital, serving North and Central London communities.

Only organisations can apply, specifically registered charities and community groups. Projects must be connected to Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust sites and serve patients, staff, or the wider hospital community in North and Central London. The charity prioritises initiatives that support vulnerable patients, including those with complex health needs, physical disabilities, and those facing health inequalities. They also welcome projects that involve young volunteers with disabilities and focus on staff wellbeing. The charity is open to unsolicited applications.

Royal Free Charity does not fund initiatives outside the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust sites or the North and Central London area. It does not provide capital, core, or unrestricted funding. Projects that fall outside the trust's remit or research and development strategy are also not supported.

Royal Free Charity provides project-based funding for initiatives that align with its mission. They welcome unsolicited applications and support a range of activities from medical research to patient care and staff wellbeing. Funding is directed to specific projects rather than core costs or unrestricted use.