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Important notice – closed for applications

The Trust has temporarily closed for applications with effect from 15 November 2024. We are sorry but no applications received after that date and before we reopen will be considered. This closure will enable the Trustees to review their strategy, and it is likely that changes will be made to the grants programme. We expect to be able to accept applications for our revised programme from around midsummer 2025. The date will be announced on this website in due course.

If your charity has received a grant, it will still be expected to comply with reporting requirements. The Grants Office will be staffed from time to time and if you have any queries, please email us.

 
 

See also

 

What we need: learning disabilities

The Trust awards grants to UK registered or exempt charities whose work fulfils the criterion:

Long term care of people with learning disabilities either: in a residential care or supported living environment in a way that provides a family environment and a wide choice of activities and lifestyle; or by providing very long term day/employment activities.

In a typical year the Trust is able to respond positively to around 1 in 3 eligible applications with around 17 charities awarded grants varying from £3,000 to £30,000. In this field, charities must satisfy us that they support individuals over an extremely long period of time. Charities which provide residential care or supported living schemes clearly meet this condition. The Trustees do sometimes consider charities which provide day or employment services, but only when those services are very long term for the individual beneficiaries (eg providing work until retirement). This requirement means that, for instance, we do not normally support schools or colleges.

We are not necessarily looking for glossy professional bids and understand that your application will vary according to the size of organisation and the project. The following lists the areas that must be covered – if you fail to do so we will not consider your application:

  1. Organisation overview

    1.1 Name and contact details including:

    • Name, address, charity number (state if exempt from requirement to register);
    • name of main contact, telephone and email.

    1.2 Background and overview to include:

    • a very short history of the charity, when it was founded and why for instance;
    • overarching aims and objectives;
    • if part of a larger national, regional or international organisation, please provide details;
    • numbers and relevant information about clients/beneficiaries (this might include geographic location, age group etc); and
    • numbers of staff; and volunteers (and an indication of the areas in which they help).
  2. Additionally for project grants

    2.1 Project description Explain what you want a grant for/towards including:

    • why it is necessary;
    • who will benefit and how;
    • how you will deliver it.

    2.2  Give the total cost and:

    • include a breakdown of the main items of expenditure, including the VAT position (explain if reclaimable or not);
    • tell us how you intend to raise the funding and how much raised so far; and
    • if you have other applications outstanding, tell us how many and for how much.

    2.3  Contingency plan. Explain what you intend to do if you fail to raise all the funds.

    2.4  Timetable. Tell us your timescale for raising funds and when you aim to start and complete the project.

    2.5  Annual accounts. You must include your latest audited accounts and annual review (if you have one). If your financial reserves are not clear in the accounts, please provide further details. If your reserves are greatly under or over policy we would like to know why.

    2.6  Other information. Please include any other information which you feel will assist us in judging your application. This could include for example a copy of your newsletter, or short promotional/ advertising leaflets.

  3. Additionally for unrestricted grant applications

    3.1  Your need. Tell us why you need unrestricted funding. Has income reduced? Has expenditure increased? Please give us details and explain the reasons.

    3.2  How you will use the fund. While any grant will be unrestricted we know that such funding may enable you to undertake a small project otherwise unaffordable and if this is the case include brief details of the project and its cost.

    3.3  Future funding. Our policy on awarding unrestricted grants will be kept under review as we do not want to encourage reliance on us for core funding, so please do tell us how you plan to raise such funding in future years. We do however recognise the current economic pressures on charities and will continue to award unrestricted funding to charities who can justify requests.

    3.4  Accounts. We need a clear understanding of the charity’s financial situation so please ensure you include:

    • latest audited accounts and annual review;
    • draft accounts for last complete financial year (if applicable and available);
    • budget summary for the current year; and
    • clear details of free and designated (non-fixed asset) reserves and an explanation of your reserves policy. The more adequate your reserves may appear, the fuller the explanation should be as you will need a convincing case to persuade us of your need.

    3.5   Other information. Please include any other information which you feel will assist us in judging your application. This could include for example a copy of your newsletter, or short promotional/ advertising leaflets.

  4. If you wish to talk through a potential application then please contact us in the Grants Office either by email or by telephone on 020 8941 0450. It is only manned part time so email is sometimes quicker.

  5. Applications may be submitted as soon as you have all relevant information: see How to Apply

 

Examples of previous grants

A grant of £15,000 was given towards the £44,000 cost of refurbishing the kitchen at this charity’s residential care home.

£20,000 was awarded to a local charity with 2 residential homes towards the £260,000 cost of reconfiguring and extending its day centre for residents and local people with a learning disability.

£20,000 was awarded towards the £300,000 cost of re-roofing a charity’s two residential homes.

£30,000 was donated to a national charity’s £1.5M capital appeal to re-house people from a large communal home into smaller independent living units in the local community.

A small local charity which runs day activity centres which many have attended for most of their working life, was awarded £12,000 to upgrade outdated lavatory facilities.

A charity which runs 2 residential care homes was awarded £8,000 to convert 2 standard lavatories at its social enterprise to accommodate the increasing needs of ageing workers.

£4,000 was awarded to a charity which runs supported living schemes, to fund a pilot volunteer buddy scheme for its beneficiaries..