Our grants can help families who are struggling to afford the cost of sixth form or vocational college clothing and equipment for teenagers aged 18 years and under. 

To apply for an FTCT grant, one parent must work OR have recently worked for a UK fashion or textile company. This work must have been for at least one year within the last nine years. The person applying must also claim child benefit for the child who needs a grant. Find out more about our trade criteria. 

If you're not sure whether your job qualifies as fashion or textiles it’s always better to check with us before applying. You can contact our grants team by email [email protected]

What we fund

We encourage families to think about what is needed for the college year ahead, such as:

• Sixth Form Clothing and footwear (e.g. general clothing and/or formal attire if required)
• College Clothing (including specialist clothing for vocational courses)
• Study Essentials (e.g. schoolbag, stationery, books, etc)
• Course equipment (including specialist equipment for vocational courses)
• Laptop for coursework (if they do not currently have access to a home computer)
• Specialist educational tools: If your child has additional educational needs and could benefit form specialist educational tools we can support with this too.  Find out more

Please note: we do have capped amounts for most items. Amounts awarded are at the discretion of the charity. 

What we can't fund

There are some items which we cannot fund, including:

• Travel costs
• College trips 
• Tuition fees

Make an enquiry

If you would like to apply for a grant, the first step is to complete our enquiry form using the button below. 

Please try to submit your application with all supporting documents as soon as you can to allow enough time to process your application before the start of the new college term. 

 

Make an enquiry   

Don't work in fashion and textiles, what next?

If you're sure you have never worked in UK fashion or textiles, unfortunately we won't be the right charity for you. Try this list of other charities who might be able to help your family.