The COSARAF Charitable Foundation was established in 2007 by Haroon and Farouq Sheikh, together with the wider Sheikh family, to benefit communities and individuals in the UK and abroad. The Foundation has the following overarching priorities of:
o Empowering women and girls.
o Enabling young people to realise their potential, and
o Promoting strong and cohesive communities.
The Foundation’s Hardship Fund is a cost-of-living fund designed to support families and individuals across the UK who are struggling with everyday costs, such as basic living expenses, household items and utilities, or rent arrears.
Although nominally grants of up to £2,000 are available, very few awards exceed £500. Third party organisations, such as a registered charity, a housing association, statutory agencies or schools may apply on behalf of an individual or family that can demonstrate that they’ve exhausted all other available options for financial support. An organisation may apply to the fund once every 12 months.
Applications on behalf of the following are prioritised:
o Families (more than individuals).
o Items that will make the most difference to the family or individual’s long-term future.
o People who are most excluded financially, and
o People with caring responsibilities.
Grants can be used for such things as (please note that this may not be an exclusive list):
o Basic Living Expenses, such as utilities or food.
o Contributions towards immigration related costs where the current immigration status directly causes financial hardship to the applicant
o Household items, such as white goods and occasionally other items (for example, sofas, wardrobes etc.)
o Rent arrears and Council Tax arrears where there is a clear and obvious risk of homelessness (For rent arrears involving a social landlord applicants are required to outline what support has already been offered to the tenant), and
o Work or education related expenses (for example, interview clothes, school uniforms, laptops)
Funding is not available for:
o Applicants who are already on an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or debt management solution.
o Caring for pets.
o Flooring or carpets.
o Higher Education tuition fees or maintenance during study (please refer to the Foundation’s annual Scholars’ Fund for this).
o Non-essential items such as TV licences or TVs.
o Private school fees for primary or secondary education.
o Repayment of credit card debts.
o Unspecified costs (applicants should explicitly state what they’re applying for and how much it will cost), or
o Water bill arrears.
Further information, guidance notes, together with an online application form, is available from the COSARAF website, where details of the Foundation’s Scholar’s Fund and Major Grants programme can also be found. The Foundation also produces a comprehensive Annual Report, explaining more about its aims, ambitions and achievements.
Applications may be made at any time by an eligible third party on behalf of a family or individual. Normally, the Foundation takes around 2 months to reply to an application. However, as the Fund is currently over-subscribed, a response may take longer. Please note that, since demand for the Fund is likely to increase as the cost-of-living crises becomes more widespread during the winter months, it may take the Foundation longer to respond to requests for financial support.
Contact details for the Foundation, as provided in its Charity Commission entry, are:
Haroon Sheikh
Chair
The COSARAF Charitable Foundation
Metropolitan House
3 Darkes Lane
Potters Bar
Hertfordshire
EN6 1AG
Tel: 0300 111 7890
Email: info(at)cosaraf.org
