Annual Review 2008
Human Needs Fund
Many people with spinal injuries use specialist equipment to help them maintain their independence - but this often comes at a cost and many people can’t afford the equipment they need. Aspire’s Human Needs Fund is there to provide financial support to ensure that people with spinal injuries can get the equipment they need, when they need it.
Requests for funding come to Aspire direct from the individuals or through our Independent Living Advisors. The applications are then considered by our expert panel – including a Spinal Injuries Centre Consultant – who agree the grant to be paid. Despite assessing each case individually, our turnaround time from application to notification of a successful grant is never more than six weeks. And we’re delighted that we have yet to have to resort to a waiting list, meaning that those who are successful get the equipment they need now, rather than several months down the line.
In this last year, Aspire has awarded grants to 70 individuals, with a total of £71,396 spent by the Fund. Individual awards ranged from just £74 that paid for a specialist keyboard to give the applicant the ability to use a computer again to £8750 towards the cost of making essential adaptations to a young lady’s home. Wherever possible, we’ll work with the individual and other charities to spread the cost of the equipment, meaning our funds go further and help more people.
