Windrush Compensation Advocacy Support Fund 2025-26

You can apply if you are:   

• An unincorporated charity or community organisation, a community interest company, or a company with a charitable purpose or,   

• A registered charity or,   

• A consortium or partnership (with a lead organisation that is one of the above)   

AND  

• An organisation with secure systems in place to ensure claimants data is securely stored, saved and destroyed (evidence of successful organisation’s privacy policy will be required) and,   

• Based in the UK and are already providing an advocacy service to Windrush Compensation Scheme applicants within your community. You must demonstrate that you are a trusted member of your community.  

  Notes:   

  Training will not be provided (although existing training materials will be shared.) Advocates will be expected to have a solid understanding of Windrush Compensation Scheme rules, guidance and process. 

  This competition relates to funding for Financial Year 2025/2026 (Year 1) only. Further information on the competitions for funding relating to Financial Years 26/27 and 27/28 (Years 2 and 3) of this grant will be communicated  in advance of those funding years.  

  For years two and three of this grant funded scheme we will widen the eligibility criteria to include those who do not currently provide a Windrush Compensation advocacy service within the community. 

  Unincorporated charities, community organisations, community interest companies and companies with a charitable purpose 

  You can apply if you: 

  • Were established for charitable and public benefit purposes. 

  • Have a governing body with at least 3 members. 

  • Can provide a valid governing document for your organisation with a set of rules on how your organisation is structured and its purpose. 

  • Can provide audited accounts for the last 2 financial years or an income-expenditure statement for two years if you were established after April 2022. 

   

  Registered charities  

  You can apply if:  

  • You can provide a valid registration number issued by the Charity Commission. 

  • Have a governing body with at least 3 members. 

  • Can provide a valid governing document for your organisation with a set of rules on how your organisation is structured and its purpose. 

  • Can provide audited accounts for the last 2 financial years or an income-expenditure statement for two years if you were established after April 2022. 

  Your details on the Charity Commission website will be checked as part of the assessment process.  

  Consortiums or partnerships 

  You can work with other organisations on a project and apply as a group. There is no limit on the number of organisations that can be involved in a consortium. 

  You can apply if you have:  

  • A lead organisation that meets one of the above criteria for eligibility.  

  • Details of the lead organisation and how it is structured.   

  • Details of partners you plan to work with and their role in your project. 

    Audited accounts will need to be provided for the lead organisation. Any funding awarded will be paid directly to the lead organisation.

The Windrush Compensation Advocacy Support Fund (WCASF), as announced in the Home Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement (WMS), will provide funding to organisations to offer advocacy and support with the WCS application process.  

Advocates must have an understanding of the claimants’ culture and background and will support them to articulate their story, with the aim of submitting a viable and eligible application. The support will include practical help with information and evidence gathering.  

Advocates must establish a trusting and positive relationship, ensuring claimants feel safe, supported, and able to provide their account in an environment where they are comfortable and at ease.  

Where appropriate, advocates will signpost claimants to external organisations for additional assistance, for example where health or wellbeing is a concern. 

The WCASF looks to provide additional support to WCS claimants, keeping them at the heart of what we do. The grant funding aims to build trust in the Home Office, ensure WCS claimants feel supported through the application process, providing their account to impartial members of the community. Our focus is enabling support that goes further than assistance already available, adding value for individuals using advocates that claimants recognise from within local communities.  

This aims to ensure claimants feel more comfortable, empowering them to share their trauma and tell their story, ultimately providing the WCS with a comprehensive account of their lived experiences, in a comprehensive application.  

By delivering meaningful and focussed support in a more accessible way we will build greater public trust in the Scheme and the work of the Home Office.

Indicative Timings are:

11/04/2025– Launch of competition

14/04/25 & 15/04/25 – Applicant information sessions 

01/05/2025 – 9am Deadline for Applicant clarification questions

01/05/2025 – 5pm dissemination of responses to Applicant clarification questions

09/05/25 – 5pm Deadline for Application

20/05/25 to 17/06/25 - Application Evaluation, Moderation, Due diligence on winning bids

30/06/25 – Applicants notified of award decisions.

31/03/26 – Funding window closed.

Please find the following links / documents which should be downloaded to assist with the application process. 

1. Guidance for Applicants

2.  WCASF FAQs

3. Draft Grant Agreement

4. WCASF Funding Toolkit Template

5. Applicant Clarification Question Submission Template

6. Design and Development of WCASF Presentation

7. WCASF Y1 ASF Information sessions April 2025

8. Find A Grant Walkthrough-Introducing Find a Grant for grant applicants

Please ensure you have watched the short video and have read all the documents before completing the Application Form.

Please ensure you have signed up to receive notifications for updates during the application window, as shown in the Find a Grant Walkthrough video.

The deadline for applications is 5pm on 9th May 2025.

Information sessions will be held for organisations who are interested to learn more about the Fund and how to submit an application. These virtual sessions will be held on Monday 14 April 2025 at 10:00 and Tuesday 15 April 2025 at 10.00**.** The presentation will be available to all applicants after each

Please find the following links / documents which should be downloaded to assist with the application process. 

1. Guidance for Applicants

2.  WCASF FAQs

3. Draft Grant Agreement

4. WCASF Funding Toolkit Template

5. Applicant Clarification Question Submission Template

6. Design and Development of WCASF Presentation

7. WCASF Y1 ASF Information sessions April 2025

8. Find A Grant Walkthrough-Introducing Find a Grant for grant applicants

It is important that Applicants read all of the documents before completing their application, and fully understand what is required as part of the application process.

The Authority expects grant activities to commence once the Grant Agreement has been signed. We expect this to be in the first week of July.