At Bucks Students’ Union, we are incredibly proud of the Big Deal which enables our members to take part in social, training, sports and a great range of other activities, completely free of charge. The Inclusion Fund is an extension of our financial support to members who might still be prevented from participating in activities due to personal or home circumstances. For example, members who have childcare needs and cannot afford to stay on after lectures for a yoga class because they need to get home to collect their children or a member who might be caring for an elderly parent and would have to pay for someone to care for them whilst they attend a sign language course.
The Students’ Union Inclusion Fund is a discretionary fund designed to be as flexible as possible so that we can help members with all sorts of issues. You can apply for help to attend a series of activities or to attend a one-off event.
Here are some of the ways in which the Inclusion Fund can help:
1. Childcare/caring costs: We can provide help with the costs of childcare/carers for those who are attending any of the activities offered by The Big Deal as well as:
- course representative meetings
- campaigning for sabbatical and other Students’ Union posts
- meetings which you are required to attend in your capacity as a committee member of a Students' Union club/society.
Members would be expected to have claimed for child care costs under their student funding as far as possible and full receipts will be required for all childcare/carer costs from a registered childcare provider or registered carer.
2. Travel costs: Travel costs may be included as part of the Big Deal but if your circumstances/disability mean that you cannot use the free transport on offer, or there is no free transport we will consider funding transport under the Inclusion Fund to attend any Students’ union event or activity as above.
Members must be registered with the University’s Disability Service and upon application, we will ask your permission to verify this with the Disability Service.
3. Other non-specified costs: We understand that students may have individual circumstances which do not fall into the above categories so even if your costs do not fit one of the above descriptions email us at suinclusion@bucks.ac.uk and we will consider your request.
Receipts for any costs applied for will be required before any funds are paid out. The fund is also limited to £100 per applicant per year.
How to apply
Download and fill out the interactive PDF application form by right-clicking on the link and selecting 'Save link as'.
Download the Inclusion Fund Application Form here (interactive PDF 95.2KB)
Once completed please submit this form to: suinclusion@bucks.ac.uk or by hand to either Students’ Union Advice Centres, or by post to:
Bucks Students’ Union Inclusion Fund
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe
Bucks
HP11 2JZ
We aim to reply to your application within five working days. The Inclusivity Fund is entirely discretionary, and Bucks Students' Union reserves the right to close the Fund without notice and/or determine individual applications as it sees fit.
What happens if my application is successful: Once you have attended the activity or event, you will need to provide a receipt for the costs you claimed for in order to be repaid. We aim to make the payment into your nominated a bank account within five working days of provision of receipts.
Important: if you do not provide satisfactory receipts within three months of the activity then the Fund will not repay your costs. NO RECEIPT, NO PAYMENT.
This is a discretionary fund so we cannot guarantee every application will be successful. You can always pop into the Students' Union Advice Centre at either High Wycombe or Uxbridge if you have any questions about the Inclusion Fund, or email suinclusion@bucks.ac.uk with your enquiry.