In the 1870s there was a move to social reform and better health care for poorer in society. Private nursing homes for disabled children were set up as charitable trusts and run by governing bodies. Miss Mary Douglas and Miss Adelaide Hay were both tireless in their efforts to support disabled children, ran committees and were personally involved in homes in Edinburgh, in Mansionhouse Road, and in Peebles. Their aim was to ensure that the children had the best possible care and lived well. The homes were privately run and funded until the start of the NHS in 1948 when they were transferred to the National Health Service. In 1949 the Douglas Hay Trust was established and since then it has been working with referral agencies to fund children with physical disabilities to access a whole range of support that the NHS and the State do not fund.
Who do we help?
Individual children in Scotland who have a physical disability who are no more than 18 years old at the time of application. By physically disabled the Trust means a long term physical impairment of the musculo-skeletal, neurological, or cardio-respiratory system of the body and those who are registered blind.
Applications Process
The Committee meets once a month to consider grant applications. Sponsors should complete the application form and email/send it with any supporting documents to dht@jsca.co.uk or The Secretaries, The Douglas Hay Trust, 6 Redheughs Rigg, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ.
Who can apply?
The Trustees accept applications from GPs, local authority and hospital social work departments and from other charities for grants for specific children. Payments will only be issued to sponsoring bodies.
Criteria
We regret that the following examples on their own do not meet the criteria of the Fund: mental health conditions, learning disabilities, behavioural disorders, development delay, Down’s Syndrome, autism, hearing impairment, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, HIV, back pain and chronic fatigue syndrome. Children must be no older than 18 at the time of application. Funding is for children who live in Scotland only.
What can you apply for?
The Trust will provide funding for a wide range of items and services which are for the benefit of the child and are not provided for by the state or funded elsewhere. We do not award funding retrospectively.
Data protection statement
Any person can ask to have access to the information that is held about them or about anyone for whom they are legally responsible. Requests should be made in writing to the Douglas Hay Trust correspondence address and these will be dealt with to comply with the requirements of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR.) For more information please see our Privacy Policy.
