Police Children's Charity

The Police Children's Charity, founded in 1898 as the Northern Police Orphanage by Catherine Gurney and rebranded in 2022 after mergers and evolutions including the St George's Police Trust, is a UK-wide charity dedicated to alleviating financial hardship and promoting wellbeing for children and young people up to age 25 in police families. It supports those affected by a parent's or partner's death, or a serving/former officer's early medical retirement due to illness or injury—on or off duty—rooted in core values of care, compassion, and understanding. Governed by a Board of Trustees from police staff associations across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, it offers proactive, inclusive aid to build resilience and future prospects for these families.

The charity funds direct financial support for police families, including weekly allowances, educational grants (school fees, higher education, equipment like computers, school trips), driving lessons, counselling and mental health services, ex-gratia grants for essentials, and free annual respite stays at its Harrogate holiday home. Since 2021, it has emphasized mental health initiatives amid the unique stresses on police children, prioritizing bereavement, incapacity, and financial disadvantage without funding projects or organizational costs.

Eligibility is strictly for individual children/young people in qualifying police families (serving officers, retirees, donors); applications must come from the officer, partner, or guardian via downloadable forms submitted by email or post with proof of service and financial details—no unsolicited applications from organizations or the public. A £1,000 New Beneficiary Grant is awarded upon eligibility, with ongoing support decided quarterly (February, May, August, November meetings) on a rolling basis, varying from hundreds to thousands of pounds annually per need. Distinctive for its police-family exclusivity, historical legacy, and direct individual aid, it stands apart in the UK funding landscape (https://www.thepolicechildrenscharity.org).