Support for people on IPP and OLR sentences
We offer personalised support to men and women on IPP and OLR sentences. We can offer this support via grants as detailed on our Support to people on long sentences page. Please ensure that you are only completing the forms attached below if you are on an IPP (England and Wales) or OLR (Scotland) sentence. If you are not on an IPP or OLR sentence please ensure you use our other forms available here.
PLEASE NOTE: You can only apply for our grants if you are still in prison and preparing for release, not once you have been released.
See our Directory page for additional support.
How you can apply
If you are on an IPP or OLR sentence you can apply for two grants with the Hardman Trust up to a total of £1500.
The grants are split in two and will require two applications:
- Wellbeing
- Education, training and employment
These applications can be made at separate times so we can support you with wellbeing whilst you are still serving your sentence and then we can support you with education, training and employment when you are closer to release.
Grant criteria
To be eligible for a grant you must:
- have served at least six years (women) or ten years (men) in prison on your current sentence
- be applying for a wellbeing grant first, then
- be within two years of your estimated date of release or liberation (if in Scotland) when you apply for the second grant
Both applications must be fully completed and countersigned / endorsed by two members of prison staff.
The value of a full grant is £100 to £1,500 – two applications combined can not exceed this amount.
It is ok to submit one application if you are closer to release and would like to combine wellbeing items with employment / training. They do not have to be split across two applications.
If there are any questions about how to apply, please contact us at info@hardmantrust.org.uk
How to apply:
- Person in prison completes the relevant application form (below) for financial support. Application is given to the prison staff member, to be scanned and sent to Hardman Trust.
- A Hardman Trust representative meets with the applicant to discuss the application, by phone or in person.
- The Hardman Trust decision committee meets quarterly to allocate grants.
- If an application is successful grants can be paid in various ways, for example: directly to an applicant, by an invoice or by the Hardman Trust ordering items for you. This will be discussed with you and decided by the Hardman Trust with support of the prison and/or probation.
In the past year our grants have funded: HGV licence, forklift licence, SMSTS courses, bio hazard training, NEBOSH training, railtrack training, personal training qualifications, book publishing, bookkeeping, animal care, tools for various trades, work clothing, laptops for work and studying, academic and vocational education, art materials, musical instruments, items for hobbies and many more! Contact jess@hardmantrust.org.uk if you have questions about what we fund before you apply.
Note: we do not currently have enough funds to help everyone that applies. We might therefore prioritise by release date, give smaller amounts than have been requested, or turn down an application if we are unable to support. We will always endeavour to provide feedback to applicants, and signpost to other support services where appropriate.
Support after release
Once someone has made a plan for release and has been offered the financial support to make the plan a reality, we provide ongoing support through the gate and back into the community. At present this is by phone, for as long as the individual needs it. We are currently piloting a more in depth support offer, testing different approaches to this. What we learn from this pilot will be rolled out more broadly.
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