Grants

The V for Life grant scheme aims to help older vegans and vegetarians living in the UK who are in financial need maintain their healthy lifestyle, and/or to be as independent as possible.

V for Life invites applications from UK organisations that work with older people who may need this kind of assistance. Please note, applications from individuals are no longer accepted.

The scheme is not for cash grants, rather V for Life will purchase goods and services on behalf of the applicant (see examples in the case studies below).

We expect the supporting organisation or professional to know the beneficiary well and be able to give a clear and comprehensive assessment of their needs. Furthermore, they must be able to help provide robust evidence that the applicant is vegan or vegetarian.

V for Life accepts applications from the following types of UK organisation:

Health and social care practitioners
Care and Repair
Charities
Faith-based groups
Mutual aid groups
Community larders
Citizen’s advice teams
Deadlines for applications fall four times per year. V for Life’s Trustees will aim to make a decision within 6 weeks of each deadline, although further supporting information may be required. For this reason, the V for Life grant scheme is not suitable for emergency financial support.

To be eligible for a grant, the supporting organisation or professional must be able to provide evidence that:

The person whose application they are supporting is aged 60 or over.
They are in financial need.
They have been a practising vegan or vegetarian for at least a year.
The application must also be accompanied by a covering letter from the submitting organisation, describing their relationship to the applicant and how long they have been in contact. It will need to confirm that the applicant is vegan or vegetarian.

The letter must also include as much information as possible about the applicant’s situation and how the grant will help. It must describe exactly what they wish to apply for and be accompanied by three estimates/quotes for all items and services requested.

More information on how to apply can be found in the Eligibility Requirements shaded box and will be included with the application form.

A history of the grants scheme.

The Vegetarian and Vegan Fund was launched in 2010 and we were pleased to make our first award in May of that year. This first grant was for a stairlift to enable a vegetarian lady to move out of care and back to her own home, so she could resume independent living. Since then we have helped many more older vegans and vegetarians to keep their independence. You can read some of their stories below.

Apply for a grant
Subject to available funding, the current deadline for new grant applications is 23 October 2026.

Eligibility Requirements
Applications must include evidence for all three elements of the eligibility criteria.

Evidence must include proof of age, financial status, and that the applicant is a practising vegan/vegetarian. Scanned or photographed documentation must be current, have the applicant’s name, address, and any official letterheading clearly visible.

Accepted forms of evidence include:

Age: Birth certificate, passport, statutory pension documentation or pension credit documentation (or similar benefit).

Financial status: Documentary evidence of benefits the applicant is currently in receipt of, or a bank statement.

Vegan/Vegetarian: Written confirmation from the organisation submitting the application that they know the applicant well enough to be able to confirm their vegan/vegetarian status.

Further information

In order that the grants fund can be used most effectively, we request applicants, and their representatives check whether their needs can be met through statutory service provision or community resources (e.g., a local care and repair service) prior to making their application to V for Life.

There are many medical conditions where equipment should only be provided following assessment by a health professional (e.g., occupational therapist, physiotherapist) to ensure the equipment is right for that individual. Applications for such equipment will only be supported if we are able to contact the professional concerned to discuss the specific circumstances and requirement.

Items requested should clearly link to a defined need and/or obvious enhancement of the quality of the applicant’s life.

Applications will not normally be considered from anyone who has already benefitted from the grant scheme within the last 3 years.

Applications will not be considered until all the documentary evidence (as stated above) is available.
Grants are provided for ‘one-off’ purchases and are not suitable for ongoing expenditure.
Grants are normally subject to an upper limit of £3,000 for individuals, but this may vary if the grant would benefit more than one eligible person.
Each application will be judged on its individual merit by the Trustees of V for Life, whose decision is final.
Applications will be accepted for consideration four times a year.
Applicants will be expected to provide consent (if application approved) to providing quotes and/or photographic evidence of the benefit experienced by obtaining support from the grant. These are for the purposes of promotion or publicity relating to V for Life’s services. These can be placed in the public domain in a manner that will protect your privacy but will require direct contact with our staff team.

Please ensure you have read through the eligibility criteria and guidance prior to proceeding to making an application. Doing so will help us to consider your application most effectively and timeously. Supporting organisations can contact us at info@vegetarianforlife.org.uk for an application form.