Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Background

The Trusthouse Charitable Foundation was formed in 1997 following the merger between Trust House Forte plc and Granada plc. The Foundation currently distributes around £2.5 million each year to charitable organisations and projects.

The Trust seeks to identify and support charitable initiatives that:

• Strengthen local communities – by empowering local people, bridging divides, building neighbourhood connection, encouraging community participation, and fostering inclusion.
• Address causes of deprivation.
• Create opportunity for disadvantaged individuals.
• Champion small to medium-sized charities – by supporting grassroots, community-based charities and voluntary organisations in the UK, with frontline experience of service delivery for vulnerable individuals.

Objectives of Fund

Grants are available to support small and medium sized charitable and not-for-profit organisations based in and carrying out work to improve the lives of people in areas of extreme urban deprivation or deprived rural districts in the UK.

Projects should fall into the following two categories:

• Community support – small grants.
• Family support – major grants.

Value Notes

Two levels of grants are available:

• Small grants of £2,000 to £10,000 for one year. (Successful applicants can reapply for a further two years. No further applications can be made after the completion of a third grant.)
• Major grants of £10,000 to £50,000 for one year or multi-year grants for a maximum of three years not to exceed £100,000 in total over this period. (No further applications can be made for two years after the completion of the grant.)

The amount requested must not be for more than 50% of the total cost of the project.

Grant recipients must be able to start spending the grant within three months of the award being made.

Who Can Apply

Applications are accepted from charitable organisations (including social enterprises, not-for-profit registered companies and voluntary organisations) in the UK.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have a total annual income under £250,000 to apply for a small grant.
• Have a total annual income up to £500,000 to apply for a major grant.
• A demonstrable track record of success working to address local issues in communities in areas of extreme urban deprivation or deprived rural districts.

Eligible areas:

• Urban locations (with a population of more than 10,000 people) in England, Scotland and Wales - applicant organisations' postcodes must be ranked within the most deprived 15% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
• Rural locations (with a population of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants in a village/town) in England, Scotland and Wales - applicant organisations' postcodes must be ranked within the most deprived 50% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation.
• Northern Ireland - applicant organisations' postcodes must be ranked within:
  • The most deprived 15% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation for Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Portadown and Lurgan.
  • The most deprived 50% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation for the rest of Northern Ireland.

Location

United Kingdom

Restrictions

Funding is not available for the following:

• Organisations whose postcode is not within the IMD deprivation limits set out in the Trust's funding guidelines.
• Newly established organisations with no previous annual accounts.
• Individuals, whether direct or through a third party.
• Charities or NGOs registered outside the UK.
• Community Interest Companies (CICs).
• Statutory services including state schools, local or national authorities, prisons, NHS hospitals or services.
• Universities, further education colleges and independent schools.
• Organisations with an annual income over £500,000.
• Hospices.
• Grant-making organisations or umbrella organisations.
• Organisations that have applied to the Trust unsuccessfully within the previous 12 months.
• Organisations which have made their annual returns to the Charity Commission or Companies House late within the past three years.
• Organisations which have not reviewed their safeguarding policy and/or held formal safeguarding training/refresher sessions within the past 12 months.
• Organisations holding more than 12 months' operating costs in reserves.
• Capital projects.
• Set up costs for new organisations
• Projects outside the UK.
• Animal welfare.
• Environment and conservation.
• Medical research.
• Feasibility studies.
• One-off events (except under the Small Grants programme).
• PR and awareness raising.
• Fundraising salaries, campaigns, events, initiatives or websites.
• Non-secular activities.
• Projects primarily concerned with the production of films, podcasts or other media.
• Small Grants programme: urban projects not delivered in the same city/town (or borough for London) in which the applying organisation is based.
• Major Grants programme: adventure playgrounds, baby banks and disability charities.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding is available for revenue costs including core costs, salaries, running and projects costs.

The Trust's preference is to support front-line projects working directly with people in need. It will consider new projects which are a logical extension of existing work, but does not support work which represents a significant shift away from an organisation's existing core aims and experience.

Small grants

Projects will be expected to focus on community support. This could include the following types of activities:

• Community services – information, advice and guidance services; community transport schemes; employability training; volunteering; healthy eating and living; foodbanks which support clients out of crisis into long-term sustainability; intergenerational projects, befriending, community cohesion.
• Community centres – salary or running costs for community centres or village halls which offer a range of activities for all ages.
• Alternative education – support schemes for young people struggling in mainstream education; homework clubs; supplementary education classes for vulnerable individuals.
• Training, mentoring, employment and volunteering opportunities.
• Youth – youth clubs and detached youth work; after school and holiday clubs; opportunities for NEETs.
• Counselling – for any age in areas where statutory services are unable to cope with demand.
• Family support services – early intervention; families coping with addiction; prisoners' families.
• Substance misuse – recovery projects.

Major grants

Projects will be expected to focus on family support, in the following priority areas:

• Early intervention - ie identifying and providing effective early support to children and families at risk of experiencing poor life outcomes. The Trust is interested in supporting charities that provide:
  • Family support services/family hubs.
  • Parenting workshops and training, reducing parental conflict.
  • Engaging parents in their child's early education.
  • Supporting mothers' peri and postnatal mental health.
  • Supporting attachment between child and caregiver.
  • Supporting family relationships and lone parents.
• Families coping with addiction - the Trust is interested in supporting charities that provide:
  • Counselling and peer support groups for families where addiction is evident.
  • Advice and support for families where addiction is evident.
  • Befriending and listening services for families where addiction is evident.
• Prisoners' families - the Trust is interested in supporting charities that provide:
  • Parenting education and relationship support for offenders.
  • Counselling and coaching for prisoners' family members.
  • Befriending and peer support groups for prisoners' families.

How To Apply

The guidelines, frequently asked questions and the eligibility quiz can be found on the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation website. The online application forms are available once applicants have completed the eligibility quiz.

There are no deadlines. Applications for small and major grants are accepted at any time:

• Small Grants will usually receive a final decision within eight weeks of the receipt of application.
• Major Grants will be decided at the Grants Committee meetings which take place in January, April, July and October. Major Grant applicants should allow 12-15 weeks for the entire two-stage process.

Contact the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation for further information.