Since 1997 Breath of Life have funded research and provided equipment and facilities to help in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients in hospital, in clinics and at home, where statutory funding was not available.  North Staffordshire has amongst the highest rates of lung disease in the UK.  Even though the area no longer relies on the traditional mining and manufacturing industries that may have contributed to lung disease in the past, the incidence of respiratory disease is still rising.  We help people with all lung diseases: asthma, lung cancer, COPD (the umbrella term for conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema), Cystic Fibrosis, TB, Sleep Apnoea and many other less common respiratory conditions.

Research

Breath of Life funds research into the causes, prevention, diagnosis, cures and treatments of respiratory diseases, also providing equipment for use in research and by patients, whether in hospitals, clinics, GP’s surgeries or at home.

Our support for asthma patients has included part-funding the local arm of a piece of international research which pinpointed one of the genes that causes asthma. More recently we have supplied one of the first of a new generation of machines to the Royal Stoke University Hospital to improve diagnosis and treatment of asthma in the area.

Children and young adults

We help children with lung disease and have raised funds so that youngsters with Cystic Fibrosis can have a more comfortable and homely stay in hospital when they have to remain in isolation for some time. We have also provided funding so that babies and children can have the breathing monitors and equipment that they need to safeguard them at home.

Equipment donations

Patients have benefited from a number of pieces of equipment we have provided to the Royal Stoke University Hospital to help patients who have respiratory conditions.  We have also produced a series of information leaflets for patients with COPD and lung cancer.

Respiratory equipment does not always cost a huge amount of money and some of the equipment that makes a big difference can cost as little as £250.

About Grants from the Breath of Life Fund
You can apply for a grant of up to £2,000.

This fund is available to organisations based in North Staffordshire, (Stoke on Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme or the Staffordshire Moorlands), who are supporting people with breathing difficulties.  Organisations who are helping to combat or research breathing difficulties may also be eligible.

What We Will Fund

Types of Organisation

We will support the following types of organisation;

  • Constituted community groups
  • Constituted voluntary groups
  • Registered Charities
  • Social Enterprises
  • Statutory Agencies
Geographic Reach

We will support organisations based in, or working for the benefit of people int he following local authority areas;

  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Newcastle-under-Lyme
  • Staffordshire Moorlands
Beneficiaries

In order to qualify for a grant from this scheme your project must be supporting the following types of beneficiary;

  • People with breathing difficulties
  • People with medical conditions affecting the lungs
Project Aims

Your project must meet one of the following criteria;

  • Increase or enhance your services to those with breathing difficulties
  • Make your organisation more efficient, more sustainable or more resilient
  • Be used to improve facilities for your service users
  • Be used to provide projects that alleviate or ease the symptoms that your service users may be suffering from
Eligible Costs
  • Core costs
  • Equipment costs
  • Capital costs
  • Training costs
  • Event costs

What We Will Not Fund

Types of Organisation

This fund will not offer funding to the following organisations;

  • Non-constituted community groups
  • Non-constituted voluntary groups
  • Organisations that have been established less than 12 months
  • Organisations that do not have a proven track record of service delivery
  • Limited companies, sole traders or partnerships without charitable aims
Geographic Reach

This fund cannot support organisations who are based in, or working in the following local authority areas;

  • Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, South Staffordshire, Stafford or Tamworth
  • Any area outside Staffordshire
Beneficiaries

This fund cannot support any organisation whose primary beneficiaries are

  • Not suffering from respiratory problems
Ineligible Costs

This fund will not offer support for the following costs;

  • Funding towards religious projects or projects that promote religion, (although religious organisations can be funded for non-religious projects)
  • Party political activities, (where one particular political party is promoted above another)

Documents You Must Submit With Your Application

The following documents must be provided with your application form.  If you fail to provide these documents your application will not be considered for funding.  All documents should be submitted at the time of application.

  • A copy of your governing document, (constitution or Memorandum and Articles of Association)
  • A copy of your most recent accounts, (audited or independently examined)
  • A recent bank statement, (dated within the last three months clearly showing account number and sort code)
  • A copy of your safeguarding policy
  • At least three quotes for any capital items

Closing Dates & Submission Deadlines

The following dates are submission dates and panel dates for 2019.

  • Applications submitted before 22nd January 2019 will go to the panel on 5th February 2019
  • Applications submitted after 22nd January 2019, but before 16th September 2019 will go to the panel on 30th September 2019
  • Applications submitted after 16th September 2019 will go to the panel in February 2020
How To Apply

To apply for a grant of up to £2,000 please submit an application using our online application facility.  You can attach your supporting documents to the application.