What types of caving expeditions does the Ghar Parau Foundation support?

The Ghar Parau Foundation (GPF) supports British caving expeditions anywhere in the world, with priority given to those that include innovative exploration or scientific study. It also runs a separate strand of support aimed at young cavers going on their first foreign expedition. The charity describes itself as 100% voluntary and funds its grants through the management of an investment fund. Since 2007 it has awarded £156,025 to 243 expeditions travelling to 48 different countries, plus 122 individual grants totalling £10,225 to first-time expedition cavers over the last 19 years.

The two main strands of support

1. Expedition grants

These go to British caving expeditions, and the foundation is explicit that it is "particularly" interested in expeditions that contain an element of innovative exploration or scientific study. In practice that means a trip whose value rests on new ground or new knowledge — pushing known cave systems further, surveying and documenting passages, or collecting data that answers a scientific question — rather than a trip that only repeats well-trodden routes.

The geographic reach is global: the 48-country figure shows the fund is not limited to a single region or caving area.

2. First foreign expedition grants

This is a distinct, smaller award for individual cavers going on their first foreign expedition. It exists to lower the barrier for people who have not yet joined an overseas trip, and it reflects the foundation's stated keenness to "encourage young cavers into expedition caving." Because these are individual grants rather than expedition-level awards, they sit alongside — not instead of — any grant the expedition itself may receive.

What the supported projects look like

The foundation's own site lists current and recent projects, which illustrate the range of what gets funded:

The Maya caves project is the clearest example of the "scientific study" criterion in action: the work is framed around preservation, so the expedition's purpose extends beyond exploration itself. The 2025 and 2026 dated projects show the fund backs both established large expeditions and newer efforts.

How to judge whether your expedition fits

Use these as working conditions rather than a formal checklist:

• British expedition, international destination. The fund is framed around British caving expeditions travelling worldwide.
• A genuine exploration or science component. If you can state what new cave, new passage, or new data the trip will produce, you are in the core of the fund's interest. A trip that is primarily a holiday with some caving is a weaker fit.
• First foreign expedition for individuals. If you are a caver who has never caved abroad, the individual grant strand is the relevant one, and it is designed to encourage exactly that step.
• Young cavers are a stated priority. The foundation says it is particularly keen to bring younger cavers into expedition caving, so teams that include and develop less experienced members align with its aims.

Practical next step

The site's project headings (Tresviso 2026, Mae Hong Son 2026, Mulu Caves 2025) are the best guide to the scale and style of work the foundation currently backs — read them alongside your own expedition plan and ask whether your project would sit naturally in that list. If it would, the expedition grant is the route; if the need is an individual's first trip abroad, the first-foreign-expedition grant is. The foundation does not publish pricing or application-fee information on the material available here, so treat any cost assumptions as unconfirmed until you check directly with the charity.