The Challenges of Living With ADHD

ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – is a type of neurodivergence that can present as being unable to concentrate, making careless mistakes, being unable to listen, being forgetful or easily distracted and losing things necessary for daily tasks. For those with ADHD, normal day-to-day life can be made harder. Schoolwork, work environments, tasks around the house or general life admin might be difficult to keep on top of or feel generally overwhelming. Not too long ago, the stereotype of someone with ADHD was normally seen as young school-age boys being unable to sit still or concentrate. However, because there’s far more public awareness now on what ADHD is, more people from all walks of life are getting diagnosed. As mentioned above, this is good for them in terms of getting answers as to why they feel a certain way and being put on a path to treatment, but it does mean that the NHS waiting lists for ADHD diagnoses are now overwhelmed. According to ADHD UK, wait times for the NHS vary between 12 weeks in Dorset to 550 weeks in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. 

More people are choosing the private route to get diagnosed – but this also comes with obstacles. Private diagnoses may cost hundreds of pounds, plus prescriptions or therapy to address the problem. But crowdfunding on GoFundMe can help you reach out to your community to shoulder the costs.

How Much Is a Private ADHD Assessment in the UK?

So, if you’ve decided that you might want to look into getting a private ADHD diagnosis, you need to be armed with the facts to enable you to make that decision. How much does an ADHD diagnosis cost in the UK – and what kind of private treatment might you need as a follow up should you pursue this route? Well, a private ADHD diagnosis can cost between £400 to £2,000, depending on how many consultations are required, according to Psychiatry UK. 

Prices can vary depending on the specific clinic you use, how many appointments you have and which medical professionals are involved. Additional costs may come from follow up appointments, medication reviews and the prescriptions themselves, should you choose to go down that route after diagnosis. Some clinics may also offer packages which encompass several appointments whereas others charge individually. 

Funding a Private ADHD Diagnosis

There are a number of ways that you could fund a private ADHD diagnosis. 

• Using personal savings: An obvious way to fund a private ADHD diagnosis is to dip into any personal savings, if you have them. It’s important here to not overstretch yourself or spend too much of your rainy day money if you may need it for other things.
• Health insurance: Some private health insurers may cover the cost of an ADHD diagnosis in part. If you have a pre-existing policy, make sure to consult with them to see what’s available. 
• Employer support: Some workplaces may offer employee assist programmes that include some healthcare benefits –  make sure to check this out before reaching out to healthcare providers so you don’t miss out. 

Crowdfunding to Pay for A Private ADHD Diagnosis

Another effective (and free to start!) way to pay for a private ADHD diagnosis would be to start a GoFundMe fundraiser. Although it might feel daunting to ask for donations, many kind people are happy to contribute, especially when it comes to matters of health. 

To start a GoFundMe fundraiser, all you need to do is follow this link and complete the process. To really make your fundraiser shine you should:

• Share your story: Your fundraiser story is a place to be candid. Go into as much detail as you feel comfortable with as to why you’re fundraising and what the money will go towards. You could include specific amounts which will pay for the first doctors appointment, for example. Be transparent here – it might feel vulnerable but it will help with your journey.
• Engage your friends, family, community: Once you’ve started your fundraiser, get sharing that link far and wide! Use your group chats, email lists, social media profiles to share, share, share. You could even print out posters with the QR code, too. 
• Thank your supporters: Make sure to say thank you to anyone who has donated!

Additional Resources and Support

Any decision about your health is a serious matter. That’s why it’s also good to look into additional resources and support which might be able to help you on your journey. A good starting point here is to try and connect with the community – find local ADHD support groups in your area to draw off the experience of others who have gone through or may be going through a similar thing. ADHD UK has a resource here to try and track these down, as does UK ADHD and ADHD Aware.

Before you make a decision on a diagnosis route, it might be worth trying to speak to a healthcare professional too – such as your GP – who might be able to give you a steer in which direction or practitioner is best to start with. 

Start Your Journey Towards A Private ADHD Diagnosis with GoFundMe

ADHD is a condition which is manageable, but can be overwhelming and debilitating. The first step in a lifechanging journey for many may be to seek a diagnosis and then get the professional support needed to overcome the challenges that ADHD can present.

A private ADHD diagnosis might be expensive, but it could be priceless when it comes to what it means in the day to day running of your life. If you’ve decided to pay for private and want to crowdfund, you can start a GoFundMe today to see donations rolling in. Good luck and happy fundraising. 

The death of a loved one abroad can be devastating. 

But it’s another thing to worry about the cost of repatriation, or understanding where to begin with understanding it all. 

Here we can break down some of the processes, costs and methods of repatriation involved. 

The process of repatriation

When someone dies overseas, there needs to be a process of repatriating them back home to the UK from another country. 

This can also be the case if a loved one needs medical attention back in the country they are from. 

This can be an unfamiliar system to navigate and includes several steps, including  the death, post mortems, bringing the body to the UK and getting help from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

If you’re abroad when someone dies, you should contact the nearest British embassy, High Commission or consulate. They’ll be able to give you advice on what to do. If you’re on a package holiday you should tell your package organiser’s representative in the resort as soon as you can. 

If you’re notified about the death by someone else, for example a tour operator, you should phone the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) who’ll be able to keep you informed and help with arrangements.

A post mortem is a medical examination of the person who died and this may also need to be done.  The local authorities may carry out a post mortem to help find out what caused the death and to gather evidence if the death appears suspicious. Local authorities do not usually need permission to do this.

You will then need to register the death. You must register the death in the country where the person died. In many countries you can also register the death with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK.

Once you begin the process of organising a funeral, you’ll need to consider how you want the send-off to be arranged. 

You can either arrange to have the funeral overseas or for the body to be returned to the UK. This is known as repatriation. If you want the funeral to be held in the UK you will need to use international undertakers who can advise you about the arrangements. 

Factors affecting the cost of repatriation

There’s several steps to repatriating a loved one. 

Each stage has its own individual cost. These costs can include: 

• Flight costs and transportation logistics 
• Involvement of medical teams and their expenses
• Legal requirements and paperwork – this can include death certificates and paying for those – this can cost £12.50 and are sent 4 days after you apply.
• Burial or cremation 
• Funeral and wake costs 

All of these costs can vary depending on the method of which you do it. Some of these can be cost efficient, like funerals. 

While funeral costs can vary (depending on size, venue etc) you can get support in paying for one. 

How to cover the cost of repatriation

There are various ways to cover the cost of repatriation. 

This can be as simple as it being covered in your travel insurance. When this isn’t the case, there are other routes to go down. 

Here’s some of the help that is available, should you need. 

Travel insurance

Some forms of travel insurance do offer protection against the high cost of bringing you (or a family member) home after illness, injury, or death suffered while abroad. 

If you have a serious health condition, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive. Repatriation insurance is included as standard in most travel insurance policies, though. 

The levels of cover may vary between providers, but repatriation will typically include:

• The cost of getting you home
• Accommodation and travel costs for a friend or relative to stay with you during treatment and repatriation
• Organisation of getting you home
• 24/7 emergency assistance helpline
• Repatriation of the body if a traveller on the policy dies while abroad.

Government support

If you don’t have travel insurance, or if this isn’t enough to cover your costs, there is also support available from the Government. 

This can include bereavement support and funeral expenses payment. 

Bereavement Support can be available if your partner has died. 

Bereavement Support Payment is not means-tested. This means what you earn or how much you have in savings will not affect what you get. 

However there is a certain criteria you must adhere to. 

Funeral Expenses Payment is available if all of the following apply:

• you get certain benefits or tax credits
• you meet the rules on your relationship with the deceased
• you’re arranging a funeral in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland

Public health funerals

There is also the option of public health funerals. 

Public health funerals are provided by local authorities for people who have passed away and have no next of kin, or whose next of kin, relatives or friends are unable or unwilling to make the necessary arrangements for a funeral.

This also requires a certain criteria that you must adhere to. 

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is also an excellent way to help get much-needed funds in times of emergency. 

It can help to get together cash for unexpected expenses and can go towards repatriating a body from abroad. 

GoFundMe is a custom-build platform for crowdfunding and it’s free to start your fundraiser. All you need to do is think of a title, upload your fundraiser story and set the page live to see the donations start. 

After explaining what’s happened and why funds are needed, you can begin sharing the fundraiser among friends and family to widen the scope of it. 

How people are turning to crowdfunding to help with the cost of repatriation

If you’re struggling with where to get started on all this, here are some examples of when people have previously crowdfunded for repatriation. 

Repatriation of Angela funds

Harriet sadly had to organise the repatriation of her sister, who died when she was just 30. 

The family wanted to repatriate Angela back to Zimbabwe from the UK. 

Angela said she would need to get together £8,000 to be able to make this happen and was offered support from her friends and family when she crowdfunded.  

Urgent Help for Medical Costs

Osmund Fernandes was raising money to support his father-in-law, Derick Fernandes.

Derrick fell ill while visiting the UK and suffered a major stroke. He wrote: “Since he was on a visiting visa and not a UK citizen, the hospital has now asked us to pay the bills for his treatment which stand at around £20,000 and this figure could go up as he’s still under care.” 

He has so far managed to raise £14,000.  

Jamie Sandhu’s Memorial Fund

Jamie, 31, tragically died while in Australia. After this, the family said they are “forever indebted” to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust who supported them during this devastating time. 

They said: “At one of the hardest moments of our lives, the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust were able to organise bringing Jamie home. The work they do is absolutely amazing and takes a load off grieving families by bringing their loved ones home.” 

The family are raising money for the charity after they were supported so well. 

Fundraising can help cover unexpected costs

If you’re ever faced with unexpected costs or even the need to repatriate, you can crowdfund. 

Hopefully you won’t need to, but you can always fundraise for the charities that offer invaluable support to others. 

How much does adult social care cost?

The cost of adult social care can vary wildly depending on which option you choose, but also on the personal circumstances of the person needing care too. Here we look at some of the different adult social care options and how much you might expect to pay. 

Residential care homes

There are various factors which might affect how much you pay for a residential care home. This can change depending on if you’re self funding, have help from the council or own your own property / the amount of savings you have. It can also vary from place to place, so location makes a difference. In the UK, the average cost of residential care is £1,160 a week. You can get more information on costs of care here.

Home care

The other option in adult social care is getting care in your home – through carers visiting once or several times a day, or even having live-in carers round the clock. This is generally cheaper than living in a care home. According to the NHS website, carers are usually around £20 per hour or £800 a week for live-in.

How to pay for care

When it comes to options in paying for care, there are various things you can look at – from crowdfunding to support from your local authority. Here, we take a look at the different options. You can also take a look at our blog post here on financial help for seniors.

Apply for support from your local authority

It’s always good to do research on what support you might be able to get from your local authority when it comes to care costs. There are certain conditions that you need to meet to qualify for support, such as being under the threshold for savings. You can have a look on how to apply for local authority support for adult social care here.

Use your home as capital

Using your home (if you own it) is a popular way to pay for adult social care. Getting equity from your house can provide a chunk of money to help to pay for expensive care, and the property may also be included in the financial assessment when it comes to seeing if you qualify for local authority support for adult social care – so selling may be the best option. You can read more on the NHS website here.

Immediate needs annuities

An immediate needs annuity is designed to cover the shortfall between your income and the care for the rest of your life, if you have one. You invest a lump sum up front and then the annuity gives you an income for the rest of your life.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

PIP – or Personal Independence Payment – is a benefit available for those who have a long term disability or health condition, and if you have difficulty getting around or performing certain tasks because of this. These are the two parts that are assessed for PIP. You can read more about how to apply here.

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is a payment which helps with the extra costs if you have a disability severe enough to need someone else to help look after you. It’s paid in two different rates depending on need – £72.85 or £106.55 per week. You could be eligible if you’re state pension age or older, or have a physical or mental disability. You can read more about applying here.

Crowdfunding

Another option to help cover the cost of your adult social care could be crowdfunding. It’s easy and free to set up a GoFundMe and would be easy to circulate and keep the link open so that friends, family members or loved ones can donate as they wish. You can read more about how GoFundMe works here.

Support from charities

Under some circumstances, you might be able to get help from certain charities for your adult social care. One of these is the RAF Benevolent Fund. Another organisation which may be able to help with adult social care is ADASS.

NHS Continuing Healthcare

If you have a health problem or condition which requires support from live in carers or residential social care, you may be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. This means that it’s free to you and funded by the NHS. We have another post on NHS continuing healthcare here if you’d like to learn more.

How to start crowdfunding to cover costs of care

It couldn’t be easier to start crowdfunding on GoFundMe to cover the costs of care. GoFundMe is a custom-built crowdfunding platform, meaning that it’s easy and intuitive to use with features such as updates and being able to easily thank your donors. There are a few easy steps to take to get going.

1. Start by working out how much money you need to raise to cover the costs. If you have more than £23,250 saved, you will not be eligible for financial support from your local authority.
2. Set up a fundraising page and provide as much information as possible about why you’re raising money, to help engage potential donors.
3. Regularly update your fundraising page, saying thank you to the generous people who have contributed or letting them know how you’re doing.
4. Share your fundraising page with family and friends so they know that it exists.

If crowdfunding for your social care seems like a good option for you, it’s easy, fast and free to start your GoFundMe today. 

Research reveals that a fifth of Brits still have no pension savings at all, and people near retirement aren’t doing much better.

Pensions can be difficult to navigate and it can be stressful considering other means of income. 

Here we’ve broken down some support that is available. 

Start a fundraiser

Organisations that help senior citizens

There are many fundraising platforms and nonprofit organisations that help senior citizens with programs and benefits. Below we’ve listed some of these resources and charities you can turn to when you are in need of emergency financial assistance. 

Age UK 

Age UK is the leading charity for older people. It has a dedicated portal for people looking for advice about money, pensions and finances. 

The Silver Line helpline

The Silver Line Helpline run by Age UK is a free, confidential telephone service for older people.

GoFundMe

When you need financial help fast, crowdfunding is your answer. With GoFundMe, there are no long waiting periods to receive your funds and it’s a trusted way for your community to support you or a loved one. Thousands of people start fundraisers every day to get the help they need. From in-home care, to meal services, you can find help on GoFundMe.

Government financial help for older people

Retirement should be a peaceful time, spent from the stresses of working life. Unfortunately, many in retirement worry about how to get help with bills, both for everyday necessities and unexpected emergencies. Thankfully, the government programs listed below provide much-needed financial help for pensioners. 

Pension Credit

If you’re over State Pension age and have a low income, Pension Credit could help you make ends meet.

Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income. Pension Credit can also help with housing costs such as ground rent or service charges.

Council Tax Reduction

If you’re on a low income or receive certain benefits, you can get help paying your Council Tax bill.

Council Tax Reduction (also known as Council Tax Support) is a benefit to help people who are on a low income or claiming certain benefits to pay their Council Tax bill. 

You can make a claim whether you own your home or you’re renting, and your employment status won’t have an impact on your claim.

Attendance Allowance

Support for if you’re over State Pension age and need help with personal care because of an illness or disability.

Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of an illness or disability. There are 2 different weekly rates, and the amount you get depends on how much help you need.

Any Attendance Allowance you receive doesn’t necessarily need to be spent on your care. Many people spend the money on other types of help in the home, or on equipment to help them stay independent. For example, it could help you pay bills, get meals delivered or cover the cost of taxis.

TV Licence concessions 

If you’re 75 or over and you claim Pension Credit, you’re entitled to a free TV licence. If you’re visually impaired, you may be able to get a discount.

You need a TV licence to watch or record live programmes on any TV channel, including BBC channels.

Free bus pass and transport concessions

If you’re 60 or over or you have a disability, you might be eligible for public transport concessions – from discounts on your rail journeys to a free bus pass

Help for older people living alone

Many people want to continue to live independently in their own homes but may need assistance with everyday activities like cooking and shopping. Thankfully, there are many programs that help older people living alone. 

Meals on Wheels

Your council or other local organisations may provide meals delivered to your home, if you are eligible.

This service is only available in England and Wales, though. 

Right at Home

Right at Home provide what is known as domiciliary care at home. 

This can range from companionship, to help around the home, cooking and dressing.

Benefits programs for seniors with pets

For pensioners, owning a pet can provide a level of companionship that is essential to health and wellbeing. But owning a pet is costly, and some owners may find themselves worrying about how to get help with vet bills, pet food costs, and vaccinations. Thankfully, there are plenty of organizations that provide financial help for seniors with pets. 

Some animal charities help owners struggling with vet bills, either by providing some of the payment or by offering reduced costs through their own clinics. In most cases, you’ll need to fit specific criteria to use them so check first.

PDSA

People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) provides low-cost and free vet care to the sick and injured pets of people in need.

Dogs Trust

Dogs Trust offers free and reduced-cost vet assistance for people who are in housing crises or are homeless.

Cats Protection

Cat’s Protection offers free and low-cost neutering schemes throughout the UK.

Crowdfunding success stories

Read about how others are using the power of crowdfunding to quickly raise money for those in need. 

Sky Dive for Age UK Derby and Derbyshire

Craig Stewart bravely took on the huge challenge of skydiving to raise money for Age UK. 

Raising hundreds of pounds, Craig’s proceeds went directly to Age UK. 

Raising funds running in the Yorkshire Marathon

Taking part in the Yorkshire Marathon, Simon Holmes raised vital funds for Age UK York. 

He was able to fundraise while training and said the ‘cause meant so much’ to him. 

Find financial assistance for elderly in need

If you or an older person in your life needs financial aid, we’re here to help. With GoFundMe, you can help the elderly in need fast—without any lengthy applications or deadlines. Sign up today to start your fundraiser, and see what kind of difference you can make in the life of a friend or loved one. 

Start a fundraiser

Thankfully, there are many avenues to find financial assistance. Take a look at the main costs of pregnancy and the different resources that provide financial help for pregnant women.

Start a fundraiser

From nappies, to clothes and pushchairs the costs can vary greatly. 

According to a 2023 study by the Yorkshire Building Society, the cost of raising a child up to the age of 18 costs around £150,000 for couples and £200,000 for single parents in the UK. 

This works out as around £938 per month.

The cost of prenatal care

When baby delivery costs are so diverse, it’s no surprise that prenatal and postnatal care costs also run the gamut. 

NHS maternity care is provided free of charge to women who are:

• considered to be ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, or
• exempt from charges (including people who have paid the health surcharge).

However, there is an option for private healthcare and private scans. 

Each appointment can set you back and you will have to pay if you want to have a private scan alongside ones provided by the NHS. 

Private care, and its additional costs, can be broken down here by Which. 

Costs don’t end after giving birth

Without a doubt, the cost of having a baby is expensive. This exciting time can become stressful if pregnancy expenses follow women into postpartum. However, financial help for pregnant women is out there.

1. Government help for pregnant mothers

Reliable government programs can provide help to pregnant mothers facing financial struggles. Financial help for single parents is also available. 

1. Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance

Pregnant working women and those recently employed can usually get Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from their employer or Maternity Allowance (MA) through Jobcentre Plus.

SMP or MA is paid for a maximum of 39 weeks, starting, at the earliest, 11 weeks before the expected week of confinement (EWC) and, at the latest, the day following the baby’s birth. Within these limits working women can choose when to start receiving SMP or MA, unless they:

• have already given birth
• are absent from work due to pregnancy related illness

2) Sure Start Maternity Grant

The Sure Start Maternity Grant (SSMG) is available to help low income families with expenses associated with having a new baby. To make a claim for SSMG, parents must provide certified evidence of the pregnancy or birth(s) from a medical practitioner, this can be a MAT B1. The MAT B1 should be submitted with the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SF100) when a claim is made.

You may be asked to provide a MAT B1, or alternative certified evidence to confirm the pregnancy or birth(s).

3) Healthy Start

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, the Healthy Start scheme can help you:

• buy healthy foods like milk or fruit
• get free vitamins

You need to be claiming certain benefits to qualify.

If you’re pregnant and under 18 you can claim even if you do not receive any benefits.

How to apply: For more information or to apply, visit the NHS Healthy Start website.

2. Fundraising for pregnant mothers

You may be in a situation where you can’t afford to wait for government aid. 

Crowdfunding can be a quick and lifesaving solution for those who are pregnant and need help with money fundraising for pregnancy costs. If you’re still looking for ways on how to get help with bills, online fundraising may be a good option for you.

How fundraising can make a big impact

Online fundraising through GoFundMe can provide financial help for pregnant women. By fundraising on GoFundMe, you’ll be able to put more of your money toward items for your newborn or your baby’s future.

How crowdfunding helped these expecting mothers

Many pregnant women use online fundraising to get financial help. These are just two mothers who found crowdfunding relief through community support:

My goal of going to Paris 2024 as a full-time mum

Team GB’s Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne launched a fundraiser after giving birth to her son so she was able to still compete in this year’s Olympics. 

She said due to the current cost of living crisis, she wouldn’t be able to have her family with her while she was training. More than £5,000 was raised in support. 

Naomi:A new Mums fight with rare pregnancy cancer!

At what should have been such a happy time, Naomi tragically diagnosed a form of cancer related to her pregnancy. A friend of Naomi’s launched the fundraiser to try and support the family financially after this unexpected cost. 

Thousands of pounds were raised to support and care for the family. 

You can also check out family fundraisers for more inspiration.

3. Organisations that help pregnant mothers

Besides government programs and crowdfunding, there are many charity organizations that offer free help for pregnant mothers. Whether you’re in search of more resources or looking to get involved, here are some organizations that are doing tremendous work.

Maternity Action

Maternity Action is the UK’s maternity rights charity dedicated to promoting, protecting and enhancing the rights of all pregnant women, new mothers and their families to employment, social security and health care.

The National Childbirth Trust

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) is the UK’s largest charity offering information and support in pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood

Birth Companions

Birth Companions works to improve the lives of women and babies who experience inequality and disadvantage.

Gingerbread 

Gingerbread works to provide support to single parent families where needed.cccccbiefuhddrhhkgiijcvghtblgrtidlfribgllbjc

Get help with maternity care costs now

Whether you need to get rid of debt or purchase essentials for the arrival of your newborn, GoFundMe can help. You deserve to enjoy the beauty of motherhood without stressing over medical bills or unpaid maternity leave. Sign up for a fundraiser and start raising money for pregnancy expenses today.

Start a fundraiser

What can you do on a gap year?

A gap year can mean many different things to different people – but it’s not usually just a year off. It might be to gain valuable life skills and experiences through travelling, volunteering or trying to gain experiences in the sector or industry you want to go into. A typical ‘gap year’ does refer to travelling, but there are many different ways it can look.

Volunteer

A popular option amongst gap-yearers is to spend it volunteering – either at home or spreading your wings abroad. Many people choose to travel around, volunteering at multiple different places throughout the year. As well as meeting people and hopefully having fun, volunteering looks great on your CV. There are costs associated though; if you’re volunteering abroad you’ll need to pay for travel, accommodation and sometimes project costs. Even if you’re choosing to stay at home, if the volunteering is full time you’ll still need a way to fund yourself. 

Get work experience

A gap year before university can also be a great opportunity to get in some substantial work experience. It’s a brilliant time to explore things you think you may want to do as a career and see how the world works outside of education. Again, this might look different for different people. It might be work experience in several different places, longer internships or even placements that last months at a time. The costs involved in this might be things like work clothes or travel to and from where you need to be. You can have a look at the Government website which also speaks of the benefits of work experience.

Travel

Now, this is the option most associated with a gap year. Many people choose to take a gap year to see a bit of the world and gain life experiences – but international travel does come at a cost. Traditionally, travel on gap years is seen as being done on a budget, staying in hostels and counting the pennies. Some people may have to work whilst they are travelling to help cash flow too. You can take a look at our travel fundraiser section to see how people are crowdfunding their travel, too.

Develop skills

Another option people choose to do on a gap year is use some or all of the time to take courses to develop skills which might be useful to the next stage of their career or education. You can take a look at the National Careers Service website for more inspiration on how to do this.

Tips for planning your gap year

Now onto the fun part – actually planning your gap year and getting excited about what lies ahead. There are points to take into consideration when thinking about what you want to do and where you want to go:

• Plan your year well in advance: Planning is key to a gap year, especially if you’re going abroad or to several places. Try and do research on how to get the most value out of things like transport; are there train passes you can buy? Think about what you want out of your travelling experience too. 
• Budget carefully: There are many costs involved with a gap year so have a sit down and think about realistically what you can afford, how much you’ll need to save beforehand and when you’ll need to work when you’re out there. 
• Consider all costs: There are sometimes hidden costs when it comes to travelling. Make sure you’ve accounted for all things such as visas, any vaccinations you need etc.
• Take out travel insurance: Always take out travel insurance and make sure you’ve researched which kind will provide the right kind of coverage for your adventure.
• Have a backup plan: When travelling, things are often unpredictable and changeable. Make sure you’ve got a back up plan and some spare funds if you need to change at the last minute. 

How much does a gap year cost?

The concept of a gap year varies wildly – from staying at home and volunteering, to relocating around the UK to flying to far flung corners of the world. So it’s hard to estimate how much a typical gap year can cost, but it’s important to:

• Make enquiries: Contact relevant organisations as part of your planning. See how much transport, accommodation and general living costs are in the area you’re going to.
• Budget: Draw up a budget of how much money you can realistically spend whilst you’re on your gap year.

Plan as much as possible: Travelling can be unpredictable and that’s part of the fun! But plan the parts you can realistically.

How to fund a gap year

Regardless of the gap year journey you choose, there will be costs to cover and the sooner you get started on planning how to fund it, the less frantic it will be. 

1. Apply for grants and bursaries

One option when funding your gap year is to apply for grants and bursaries to help fund things like volunteering. If you contact colleges and universities, they may have their own funding for the sort of projects you want to do – along with charitable organisations like the Jack Petchey Foundation.

2. Find a part-time job

Another solution to funding gap year adventures is to have a part time job whilst you’re doing it. This option works for people doing gap years abroad or closer to home, and often having a part time job can help you experience more and also strengthen your CV whilst you’re at it. 

3. Get help from family and friends

You can approach friends and family to ask for help towards your gap year too, if it feels appropriate. This might take the form of asking them to contribute instead of physical birthday and Christmas gifts, for example. We’ve got a guide here on how to ask for help with money.

4. Sell unused or unwanted items

Funding a gap year is a perfect excuse to declutter and sell some of your unwanted treasures – and in turn, this will help if you’re heading out to move to university. Have a think about clothes, accessories, books and get them on second hand sites to make a little bit more money.

5. Start a fundraiser

You can also start a crowdfunder on GoFundMe to help cover the costs of your gap year. This means friends, family, loved ones can contribute as and when they can. It’s free to start a fundraiser and easy to circulate the link on your social media, WhatsApp or email contacts too. You can start a GoFundMe here.

 Gap year fundraising examples

And if you’re looking for a little bit more inspiration on crowdfunding for your gap year, look no further than these examples. 

Gap year volunteer work – teaching overseas

Ava has a passion for teaching and a love for maths – something which she wanted to take on her travels to Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Thailand. She started this GoFundMe to help her get closer to her goal – and asked for donations for her 18th birthday. 

YWAM Medical Mission Trip 2025

Anna’s dream is to take a gap year in New Zealand on a medical mission trip in 2025. She’s also committed to cycling 60km in September to help her raise money, plus other fundraising activities throughout the year to help move the total forward. 

Donate to help me volunteer in Cambodia

Sidnie wants to be a secondary school teacher – so volunteering to teach in Cambodia would give her vital experience needed to really nail that role. She wants to do it through a company called Plan My Gap Year which helps to connect people like herself to opportunities in the country. 

Start fundraising for your gap year

If you’ve been inspired to get planning your adventure after all this gap year talk, it couldn’t be easier to start a GoFundMe today and see donations towards your dream roll in. It’s free to start a GoFundMe – and it’s easy to use, fast and safe. Take a look below to get started or if you want to check out more on how GoFundMe works. Good luck!