A life of discovery is for everyone, and we don’t want anyone to miss out simply because of cost. As far as we are able, we would like to help.
Our bursary fund enables people who wouldn’t normally be able to afford to stay at The Beacon, to come at a subsidised rate. This is made possible by generous donations.
How do I apply?
Please review the bursary policy below (or in the PDF) and then download and submit the application form via your group leader.
Who can apply?
Beneficiaries of the fund should be aged between 8 – 18 years on the final date of their visit and must be enrolled as a student as defined by the school/college or as member of the group/organisation they intend to visit The Beacon Activity Centre with.
We will consider all applications where need is demonstrated on the Bursary Form. When completing the form please briefly explain the reason for this bursary application so that we can make a fair assessment that financial assistance is justified. We also request that wherever possible there is a parental contribution and/or some funding from the school/group (i.e., Pupil Premium) or other sources. Please state what these contributions will be.
How much can we apply for?
Each applicant can apply for up to 50% of a residential visit to The Beacon Activity Centre and £15 for a day visit. However, this does not include travel to and from the Centre or other costs added by the school or organisation or additional expenses incurred to participate in this visit.
The fund is sustained through voluntary donations and varies in amount from year to year. The Beacon Activity Centre cannot therefore say in advance how much money there will be available in the Bursary Fund per year.
We will consider bursary awards for a maximum of 10% of the group (rounding to the nearest whole number). Each individual applicant may only benefit from one bursary award each academic year.
When to apply
Applications for Bursary places must be submitted at least three months before the visit date. For bookings made within three months of stay please speak to the Centre at the time of booking. Schools can book a maximum of two years in advance for future bookings.
Deadlines and decisions
We will inform the school of the outcome of bursary requests within four weeks of receiving the application, assuming that you provide us with all the information we need.
Decisions will be made by the Head of Business and are final. There is no appeal process.
The school will be notified by letter or email confirming the award and the award amount will be deducted from the invoice. We would ask that the school informs the parents of the outcome of the application.
If Bursary funding is awarded to an individual from your school or organisation we may be in touch after your stay to ask you to complete a simple, anonymous questionnaire about the impact that the award has made. We will use this to report back to those who have donated to the fund, and to help promote future donations.
Confidentiality
We will deal with all applications for bursary funding in a confidential manner and will never disclose to pupils that they have been considered for or awarded funding.
Additional information
Groups may apply to The Beacon Activity Centre Bursary Fund in subsequent years, but support will be on a sliding scale and preference will be given to first time applicants.
We welcome suggestions for the future development of our Bursary Fund from schools, groups, and individuals.
Please contact us with any questions.
