The EPIC Charity - Bristol offers small grants of up to £500 to Bristol's care-experienced children and young people.

EPIC Charity – Bristol is a grant giving charity supporting care experienced children and young people with £500 experience-based grants.

Why is EPIC needed?

Across Bristol, more than 1,700 children and young people are supported as children in care or care leavers. Around 3% of the city’s population is care experienced.

These are Bristol’s children. They live in our neighbourhoods, attend our schools and grow up alongside our own families. And like any child, we want to provide them with the opportunities, experiences and support that help them build confidence and develop a sense of possibility about their future.

While Bristol City Council funds statutory care, financial pressures mean that the additional opportunities that help children truly thrive – hobbies, enrichment activities, skills development and real-world experiences – are often out of reach.

That’s where EPIC comes in.

EPIC provides £500 experience based grants for care experienced children and young people. These grants fund things like driving lessons, bikes, sports equipment, day trips and hobbies that help young people feel valued by giving them access to opportunities they might otherwise miss out on.

These aren’t luxuries. They’re the moments that can help shape who we become.

Research consistently shows that access to stable hobbies, skill-building activities and supportive networks contributes to improved mental health, higher educational engagement and increased employability.

Over the past four years, EPIC has awarded over £30,000 in micro-grants to 84 care-experienced young people, enabling them to take significant steps toward independence, resilience and long-term social participation.