Funding

Schools across Wales are being very proactive and doing some great work to ensure that their Service children are not disadvantaged due to the impact of being part of an Armed Forces family.

Click here to see examples of good practice.

Sometimes, schools and local authorities need to access additional funds in order to continue to support Service children in the most effective way. SSCE Cymru recognises that it’s not always easy identifying what funds are available, what grants are most relevant to a project and what is the best way to approach completing the application forms.

For these reasons, we are happy to offer our support and guidance with funding opportunities.

SSCE Cymru funding advice

This document provides advice from the SSCE Cymru team for schools and local authorities, to assist them when applying for funding to support Service children / local Armed Forces community.

The advice provided is general and not specific to any particular funding stream.

The document also includes a checklist of suggested actions to help when preparing and completing a funding application and a list of funding ideas and suggestions.

Download the SSCE Cymru advice document here

Supporting Service Children in Education in Wales Fund (2023/24)

The Supporting Service Children in Education in Wales Fund (SSCE-WF) is funded by the Welsh Government and administered by SSCE Cymru, which is hosted by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA).

Schools and local authorities in Wales can apply for £1,000 or £5,000 to deliver a project in the 2023/24 academic year to support their Service children.

£1,000 projects – open to all schools and local authorities in Wales.
£5,000 projects – open to schools who have achieved their Armed Forces Friendly Schools Cymru Bronze status and all local authorities.

The funding can be applied for throughout the academic year (1st September – 24th May) and will be reviewed termly.

Deadline periods are:

- 27th October 2023*
- 15th December 2023*
- 9th February 2024*
- 22nd March 2024
- 24th May 2024.

*Applications for £5,000 projects will not be accepted after 9th February 2024.

Applications submitted will be reviewed within 14 days of the deadlines indicated above.

Overview and guidance

Application questions (sample - PDF)

Application questions (sample - Word Doc)

£1,000 project application form

£5,000 project application form

SSCE Cymru case management support

What is the funding purpose?
Support education settings in providing interventions for an individual Service child or a small number of Service children (aged 4-16) with specific need/s related to the impact of their Armed Forces lifestyle.

Who is eligible?

Schools and education settings in Wales.

What are the priorities?
Interventions that support Service children overcome barriers linked to:

Social / emotional wellbeing
Academic attainment.

Application deadline: Available all year.

Further information here

Grant funding

Further information and advice on applying for these funding streams can be found in the SSCE Cymru funding advice document

Service Pupil Support (SPS) programme

Partnered with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), this programme is administered by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), a charity who supports the Armed Forces Covenant by delivering funding programmes that create real change to Armed Forces communities across the UK.

Armed Forces Education Trust: Collective grants

This programme is funded by the Armed Forces Education Trust (AFET), a charity working for children and young adults whose education has been compromised or put at risk as a result of parents’ past or current service in our Armed Forces.

Armed Forces Covenant Fund: Force for Change programme

This programme is administered by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), a charity who supports the Armed Forces Covenant by delivering funding programmes that create real change to Armed Forces communities across the UK.

Service children’s quotes

"As soon as we get used to a house, you get moved - I’ve been to four schools and moved six times."

Aiden

"I lived in Nepal, then we went to Brunei, then Malaysia."

Ashim

"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."

Chloe

"I’m used to moving now and mixing with the children... I’ve done it so many times, it’s just a normal thing now."

Chloe

"It's ok talking over skype and that, but sometimes you just want a hug when Dad is away."

Georgia

"I’ve enjoyed going around to lots of places around the world, it's adventurous and exciting."

Harry

"In my eyes, you have hundreds of friends in different places."

Ieuan

"My mum got a chalk board and it says how many sleeps on it with chalk, every minute it’s getting closer for him coming home."

Mia

"I don’t want him to get promoted... I want him to get promoted but I don’t want to leave."

Oliver

"I might be going to boarding school so that I don’t change schools every few years."

Ryan

"I've been to seven different schools; I’ve not stayed put in one school long enough."

Shana

"He has been away for six months and he is back for two weeks, then he goes away again."

Sianed

"My parents were in the Army. My mum is a like a nurse and my dad went to the war in Afghanistan. I actually didn’t really know what he was doing so I was like, ‘Cool Dad, go there,’ but then I found out and thought, 'Thank God he came back alive.'"

Sanjog

"He signed off last week, so he will be done by the end of this year. He’s done 24 years. I find that better because he will be around a lot. He likes watching us playing rugby, so he will get to see us more."

Lewis

"I’m going to a new place entirely. They don’t know anything about me and that’s a big restart and that’s really good for me."

Piaras

"I moved to Wales because my dad was posted in the Army. I thought I would get bullied and I was shy when you meet new people, but I made some friends."

Dan