Dear Neighbours,

We hope this update finds you well.

We are changing the way we allocate grants to people who have received from the fund four or more times, to make the system fairer.

Since May 2021 we have prioritized newer applicants by operating a reserve list. Neighbours who have already received £200 or more have their applications held in reserve until the 22nd of the month, when they become eligible for a grant in the order that they applied that month.

An unintended consequence of that system is that it encourages people to stay up until midnight on the last night of the month, every month, to try to get to the front of the queue. It’s impractical for most people and impossible for some, meaning some people often don’t receive a grant at the end of the month.

We hope the new system will make the fund fairer. Starting in October, the system will be as follows:

1.     People who have received from the fund four times or more will be placed in a queue for funding.

2.     On the 22nd of the month, remaining funds will be distributed to people in the queue, in the order of their application.

3.     People who have not received funding will remain in the queue for the next month and for as long as it takes for them to receive a grant. They do not need to re-apply in the next month.

4.     People who have received funding will be removed from the queue, and may re-apply for another grant if they need to. If they re-apply, they will join the back of the queue, and will not receive a grant until everyone in the queue has received a grant

As well as meaning that long-standing applicants don’t need to rush to apply on the 1st of the month, it’s also not necessary for them to apply every month - an application that is unsuccessful in the month it was made will remain on the reserve list until a grant is awarded.

If you are awarded a grant in this way, you can re-apply immediately. If you don’t re-apply, you won’t be added to the queue again.

Making multiple applications in one go won’t improve the chance of receiving a grant, and it’s only possible to re-apply (to be added to the back of the queue) once you have been awarded a grant.

We still require proof of address (using your unique code from the postcard we sent you) as before, and we still prioritize newer applicants (those who have received fewer than 4 grants).

We welcome your feedback and thank you for your patience as we implement this change. As we approach 3 years since making our first grants, we’d also like to thank you for your continued involvement in this project.

With best wishes,

Newham Solidarity Fund Admin Team