Hands holding a paper cut out family.

Redundancy can be a very stressful process for anyone. But the pressure can really mount if you have children to care for.  When you’re facing a sudden loss of income, our grants can help bridge the gap and make sure your children have the essentials they need. 

Please read on to find out if you could apply and what we can fund. There is a link to our enquiry form at the end of this page. 

We're sorry but we can't fund household bills, food costs or replace lost income.

If you're struggling to cover the cost of household bills or food, find out what government support is available to replace lost income and help with bill costs .

Who can apply?

To apply for an FTCT grant, you must be the parent or carer for a child aged up to 18 years and work OR have recently worked in the UK fashion and textile industry, for at least one year within the last nine years.

This is any business which sells, makes, distributes or washes products made from fabric, e.g. clothing, textiles, etc. Find out more about our trade criteria. 

It doesn't matter if you don't have an end date yet. The sooner you decide to ask for help, the sooner it arrives. 

We have set up dedicated pages for a number of companies, listed below. If your employer isn't listed here, don't worry. Find out if your company meets our trade criteria here or email [email protected].

We are already helping families working at the following companies:

Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group
Debenhams
Warehouse & Oasis
Beales
Laura Ashley
Cath Kidston
Mothercare
Mamas and Papas
Karen Millen & Coast


Can't see your employer listed here? Find out which companies meet our trade criteria

How our grants can help your family

Our grants can fund essential items for your children such as school uniform and clothing for the year ahead, or essential household items. 

It doesn't matter where you work in the business, from store, to head office and distribution.  

You might want to apply for a grant if:

  • You are already struggling financially (in arrears on your household bills or have debt)
    OR
  • You have limited savings to cover your current and any future loss of earnings

What we fund

Our grants fund items which are essential for children's health and wellbeing. These might be items you were planning to buy, but now can't due to lost wages. 

These might include:

  • Essential clothing, e.g. seasonal clothing and school uniform and PE kit
  • Baby essentials, e.g. clothing or equipment
  • Children's bedroom furniture, e.g. beds, bedding, clothes storage furniture (chest of drawers)
  • Essential White Goods, e.g. replacing a broken appliance such as fridge/freezer, washing machine, cooker/oven.
  • Specialist items for children with additional needs, e.g.sensory toys, adaptive clothing or SEN adapted computers

All items will be considered at the discretion of the grants team.

Depending on your situation, we also offer a number of grants programmes such as:

What we can't fund

We're sorry but we can't fund household bills, food costs or replace lost income.

If you're struggling to cover the cost of household bills or food, find out what government support is available to replace lost income and help with bill costs .

By funding the other essential items your children need, we hope to free up money during this difficult time and give you one less thing to worry about.

If you need help with household bills, once you have made your enquiry we will signpost you to other charities who may be able to help with these.  

Make an enquiry

If you would like to apply for funding for any of the items listed above, the first step is to complete our online enquiry form. Click on the button below, to proceed to the next page. 

Make an enquiry  

When we found out the company was closing, it was like someone had taken a sledgehammer to my life. My son needed equipment for his college course and with no savings, I had no idea how I would afford it. Claire, Mum of Sam. Read Claire's story