Strongbones Children's Charitable Trust

Strongbones Children's Charitable Trust, established in 2001, is a UK-wide charity dedicated to providing financial, emotional, and practical support to children and young people under 21 with complex bone conditions such as brittle bone disease, scoliosis, bone cancer, spina bifida, arthritis, and other skeletal disorders, alongside their families and carers. Rooted in addressing isolation, hardship, and limited opportunities, its mission emphasizes inclusion, empowerment, and enhancing quality of life through aspirations, social connection, and independence. With a needs-led, lived-experience-driven approach, it deploys parent ambassadors and specialists in decision-making for flexible, innovative solutions.

The trust funds specialist disability equipment like all-terrain buggies, adapted trikes, sporting wheelchairs, portable hoists, sensory aids, smart home tech, and essential white goods unavailable via statutory services; accessible respite weekends, family days, and holidays; emergency cost-of-living aid via vouchers; and welfare benefits advice through an online network. Priority goes to socially isolated or economically disadvantaged families, with occasional grants to small grassroots organizations directly serving this group.

Eligible applicants include UK-resident individuals/families and small charities (typically under £500,000 annual income), with no religious restrictions; larger organizations are rarely funded. It accepts unsolicited applications via online form (requiring diagnosis details, healthcare letter, and quotes), reviewed on a rolling basis by panels every 6-8 weeks, with 8-12 week decisions and faster emergency processing. Typical grants range £250-£5,000 (£250-£2,500 for families), restricted to specific items/purposes, excluding core costs or non-bone-condition projects. Its distinctive holistic family focus, equipment/experience specialization, and frontline-grounded panels set it apart for transformative impact on marginalized young lives.