Buttle UK is a national children’s charity that has been helping children and young people who are in crisis to reach their potential since 1953. We do this by providing direct financial support of up to £2,000 through our Chances for Children grants and, for some children whose home environment is disruptive and chaotic, grants which allow them to go to boarding school. We define a crisis as those living in financial hardship and dealing with at least one other challenging social issue.

Chances for Children grants, which we began testing in 2014, are an innovation in the way Buttle UK delivers its grant-giving. Typically, within the grant-giving sector, the focus on supporting individuals has been solely on the emergency provision of single items, such as a cooker or washing machine. However, our Chances for Children grants look to go further, offering funding of up to £2,000, to provide a holistic package of support addressing the physical, emotional and educational needs of children aged 0-20. Evaluation has repeatedly found that these grants can have a disproportionately positive impact compared to their monetary value, and that in some cases they are transformational.