Here you will find a variety of ways to support The Polar Academy. Together we can guide vulnerable young people towards positive life changes.
£25
This covers one pair of socks. Each young person needs two pairs of specialist cold weather socks when on expedition
Monthly Donation
Your monthly donation will help us to plan ahead and continue to provide our vital support to young people in Scotland.
You can choose how much you would like to donate, every penny makes a real difference.
One-Off Donation
Your donation can change a young life.
Please give what you can.
Payroll Giving
By setting up Payroll Giving, you can support us directly through your salary.
It’s an easy‚ tax efficient way to make a regular donation and support our next generation of decision makers.
The Polar Academy relies entirely on voluntary donations so your payroll gift really does make a difference to young lives.
Payroll Giving is tax-free
When you donate through your salary or occupational pension, the deduction is made before tax is applied – so your donation goes even further.
- Lower rate (20%) taxpayer
If you pledge £10 a month‚ we receive the full amount but only £8 will be deducted from your net pay or pension - Higher rate (40%) taxpayer
Only £6 would be deducted for every £10 you pledge - Additional rate (45%) taxpayer
Only £4.50 would be deducted for every £10 pledged
£50
This feeds one young person for one day on an Arctic expedition
£100
This pays for one pair of leather ski gloves. Our team carry five pairs of gloves on the trip
Payroll Giving is tax-free
When you donate through your salary or occupational pension, the deduction is made before tax is applied – so your donation goes even further.
- Lower rate (20%) taxpayer
If you pledge £10 a month‚ we receive the full amount but only £8 will be deducted from your net pay or pension - Higher rate (40%) taxpayer
Only £6 would be deducted for every £10 you pledge - Additional rate (45%) taxpayer
Only £4.50 would be deducted for every £10 pledged
Employees: How to set up Payroll Giving
It’s really easy to set up Payroll Giving and you can do it through your salary or your occupational pension.
Through your salary
Tell your employer you’d like to donate to us through your salary.
If your company is not registered for the scheme, they can sign up with a Payroll Giving agency who can process employee donations.
There is no long-term commitment. If your circumstances change and you no longer wish to donate to us‚ simply tell your employer.
Through your pension
Simply ask your occupational pension provider to make a donation from your pension before tax has been deducted.
Did you know?
It’s more efficient for higher rate taxpayers to donate through Payroll Giving than GiftAid as charities can’t claim back tax above the basic rate through the GiftAid scheme.
£300
This buys one pair of down expedition mitts
£500
This pays for a specialist Arctic jacket to keep a young person warm in this tough environment
Employers: How to set up Payroll Giving
It’s really simple to set up your own Payroll Giving scheme:
- Contact an HMRC-approved Payroll Giving agency to set up a scheme
- Offer your employees the opportunity to sign up to your new scheme
- Make the deduction each time you run payroll. Just take the donation directly from your employees gross salary and send it to your chosen Payroll Giving Agency. They will pass the money on to The Polar Academy.
All donations will be taken from your employees’ pay before tax but after National Insurance, which means the donation costs less to them.
If you have any questions about Payroll Giving, get in touch with us on info@thepolaracademy.org
Pay in Fundraising
Donate the money you have fundraised quickly and easily by one of the following methods.
Pay online
If you set up an online fundraising page on JustGiving, the money you raise is automatically sent to us so you don’t need to do anything more.
If people have given you cash to support your fundraising, you can drop it into us directly (see below) or deposit the money into your bank account and donate to your own online fundraising page.
Pay in person
If you are a current school team raising funds for us, you can give cash to any of The Polar Academy staff team during your weekly training sessions. Or you can deposit the funds into your school/own account and pay in your fundraising by credit/debit card.
Pay by bank transfer
You may find it easier to bank your fundraising and send it to use via bank transfer, please email us for our bank details.
Pay by post
To return your money by post, please send a cheque to:
The Polar Academy
43 Dean Road
Bo’ness
West Lothian EH51 9BH
Please ensure that cheques are in date and made payable to The Polar Academy. Please don’t send us cash through the post.
Adding Gift Aid to your donation is a really easy way to boost your donation and it doesn’t cost you a penny.
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a scheme that allows charities to reclaim tax on a donation made by a UK taxpayer, which means your donations will be worth 25% more to us at no extra cost to you.
If you Gift Aid your donations we can claim back from the government 25p for every £1 you donate to The Polar Academy.
Get in touch
To complete your Gift Aid declaration form or if you have any questions about Gift Aid, or your tax circumstances change, please mailto: with us.
You can find out more information about Gift Aid from HMRC
£750
This will put one of our expert guides through an advanced medical course
£1000
This buys boots, skis, poles, skins and bindings for one team member. This helps our Arctic explorers ski for around 8 hours per day
£1500
This pays for a specialist extreme cold weather tent to sleep in on expedition
£2000
This pays for two specialist medical kits for our team doctors. The safety of our kids is of foremost importance to us