How it works
We aim to support all members of our community through funding, partnerships and advice.
Our community is at the heart of everything we do.
Over the last few years, we’ve expanded the ways we support you and your family. But we know that building the confidence to take that first step and ask for help can be one of the hardest things to do. At Foothold we'll do our best to make you feel supported and at ease so you can overcome whatever challenges you're facing with confidence.
Keep reading to understand what you can expect when you first reach out to us, and how we might be able to support you to get back on your feet. If you're ready to get in touch now, fill out our initial enquiry form.
To make the best use of our limited funding and to support as many engineers as we can, we may limit our support if your savings exceed the below:
- £3,000 for student support
- £16,000 for financial support
- £16,000 for wellbeing support
- £50,000 for care and disability support
- Savings levels are adjusted depending on what country you live in
We understand that sometimes savings may be set aside for an essential future expense such as home repairs or retirement so please do not let that stop you from contacting us – we will always consider this.
For financial awards, we also take into account your household income and use the Minimum Income Standards published annually by Joseph Rowntree Foundation for guidance.
If you are or used to be a member of IET/IEE/IERE, we can help support you with:
- Legal support
- Work-life support (if you have been unemployed for at least 6 months)
- Financial support
- Autism support
- Counselling and therapy grants
- Care and disability grants
- Mediation grants
- Anxiety UK membership and therapy
- Housing support
- Sleep support
- Wellbeing hub access
If you have an engineering connection, we can help support you and your family with:
- Care and disability grants
- Carer support
- Wellbeing hub access
If you are an undergraduate student or an apprentice on an IET accredited course, with savings of less than £3000, and have ever been an IET member (even if your membership is no longer active), we offer financial and wellbeing support to help you complete your studies. This could include:
- A student grant to cover essential living expenses
- Special needs support
- Disability and carer support
- Wellbeing hub access
- All other support available to IET/IEE/IERE members
If you’re a post-graduate student on an engineering course, or who has studied engineering at undergraduate level, depending on your circumstances, we may be able to support you too.
Eligible students who believe they may be neurodivergent can also benefit from our Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme, offering tailored support to help you finish your studies, achieve your career goals and reach your full potential.
To apply for this programme, you must:
- Be aged between 16-25
- Be studying your first engineering course
- Have less than £3,000 in personal savings
- Agree to the programme terms and conditions.
You can also join our free Differently Wired Hub for engineers, a dedicated online resource which offers expert advice, information and content on a range of neurodiverse conditions including ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Tourette’s Syndrome.
Find out more about our Engineering Neurodiverse Futures programme and our Differently Wired Hub here.
We could help support you with care-related costs if you are or ever have worked or trained in engineering and technology. This could include:
- respite care
- home adaptations
- breaks and activities for carers
- Wellbeing hub access
We aim to help support the wellbeing of the entire engineering community, and that includes family members too. Each situation is unique but we may be able to support:
- Partners of IET/IEE/IERE members
- Parents with care and disability needs who live with the eligible person
- Children under the age of 18
- Grandchildren (wellbeing support, and support for people living with autism)
- Partners of deceased IET/IEE/IERE members
- Wellbeing hub access
How to get in touch
The best way to get in touch with us is by filling out our initial enquiry form.
What happens next?
Once you’ve completed our initial enquiry form, we'll ask you for a few more details about your specific request.
Then one of the team will get back to you within two working days.
Financial support
This is our support for day-to-day living expenses or emergency financial support.
Once we have your information, we’ll make a decision and let you know the outcome.
We’ll make the payment directly into your bank account. Our payments are classified as ‘charitable gifts’ and won’t be taken into account if you apply for any benefits.
Please get in touch with us today - we're here to support you.
Foothold saved me from anxiety and from falling into depression. To anyone needing support I would say: make the call. You’ll receive wonderful support from fantastic, trained staff who really listen to your concerns.View story
I'd let my mental health define me. But now I’m in control of it - it’s not in control of me. If I hadn’t got in touch with Foothold I wouldn’t be in this position. I really do appreciate everything.View story
Ben had to miss out on activities, and it began to affect his day to day life. Unfortunately, a FES device is not available on the NHS in our area, so we’d need to fund it ourselves to keep Ben mobile. I could not allow Ben to return to pain and be reliant on a wheelchair, so we began to look at other options. Thankfully Foothold were able to help.View story