Motability is today launching a new portfolio of grant programmes for charities and organisations which support the transport needs of disabled people.
The new Grants to Charities and Organisations portfolio will see Motability award £50 million in funding over the next three financial years to organisations across the UK who can help fill gaps in existing transport services for disabled people. Research shows that disabled people make 38% fewer journeys every year than non-disabled people, due to poor access to transport.
Today the charity is launching two of six new grant programmes - Community Transport Grant Programme and Wheelchair Sector Grant Programme. The new areas for support were identified using a wide range of research, including insight from Motability beneficiaries and Scheme customers, other disabled people and representative organisations.
Barry Le Grys, Chief Executive of Motability said: “Our new Grant Programmes have been designed to provide even more support to other charities and organisations in areas where our research and insight has shown opportunities to have the greatest impact for all disabled people. They will help to address the challenges that disabled people face accessing transport right now, while Motability continues its research and innovation work into longer-term solutions to make all transport accessible.”
Community Transport Grant Programme
Through our new Community Transport Grant programme we will support charities and organisations to make an immediate impact by offering funding to develop, expand and improve community transport options for disabled people. Charities and organisations can apply for grants from £100,000 to £4 million at any point over the next three years.
We are focussing our grant making for this programme on:
- Providing funding support for staff or volunteer training and costs.
- Funding to increase the number of vehicles available in the community to help organisations support disabled people.
- Funding local, regional, or national initiatives to increase awareness of community transport and influence its inclusion in transport strategy and policy.
- Providing funding to schemes, programmes and initiatives that already exist, and who provide best practice solutions, but need further support to remain operational or scale up the service they can provide to help more disabled people.
This programme launches on 1 April 2022. For more information on how charities and organisations can apply for funding please visit our website.
Wheelchair Sector Grant Programme
Through our new Wheelchair Sector Grant Programme we aim to support charities and organisations to make an immediate impact for disabled people, by awarding funding to improve and expand their access to good quality affordable wheelchairs. Charities and organisations can apply for grants from £100,000 to £4 million for the next three years.
We are focussing our grant making for this programme on:
- Funding to fill current gaps in provision for groups of people who are excluded from receiving help from existing sources/providers.
- Funding to enable charities and organisations to help individuals by topping up self-funding.
- Raising awareness of the challenges faced by disabled people in obtaining suitable, quality and affordable wheelchairs.
- Programmes to help fund high quality and affordable equipment.
- Providing funding to schemes, programmes and initiatives that already exist, and who provide best practice solutions, but need further support to remain operational or scale up the service they can provide to help more disabled people.
This programme launches on 1 April 2022. For more information on how charities and organisations can apply for funding please visit our website.