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Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts

Open or will open again Age Aged 60+ Arts, culture and heritage Buildings and built environment Built heritage Communities Cultural heritage environment Faith and religion Family and parenting Health, wellbeing and sport Human rights and equality Human rights and justice Medical conditions Overseas aid and development Social inclusion Social welfare and poverty Sustainable development Visual arts and media World issues Antrim & Newtownabbey Ards & North Down Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Belfast City Causeway Coast and Glens Derry City and Strabane England Fermanagh and Omagh Great Britain Lisburn and Castlereagh Mid and East Antrim Mid Ulster Newry, Mourne and Down Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Scotland Wales Large (over £60,000) Medium (up to £60,000) Micro (up to £1,000) Small (up to £10,000)

Overview

The Trusts' donations to charitable causes over several decades represent one of the leading examples of sustained philanthropy in Britain.

The trusts only fund registered charities or activities with clearly defined charitable purposes.

These trusts will consider applications if they match their areas of interest: Alan & Babette Charitable Fund, Headley Trust, Jerusalem Trust, JJ Charitable Trust and Three Guineas Trust. Collectively, these areas of interest are:

In the UK

  • Arts and education projects in Southwark
  • Civil liberties and human rights
  • Practical autism projects
  • Support for older people and their carers
  • Family welfare
  • Youth work
  • Christian mission, education, evangelism, media and art
  • Literacy
  • Dyslexia
  • School inclusion
  • Sustainable environments, food or finance
  • Archaeology
  • Conservation of industrial, maritime and built heritage
  • Display, study or purchase of British ceramics
  • Regional museums and galleries, especially curatorial support and purchase of objects with local significance
  • Restoration and repair of cathedrals and major churches

Outside the UK

  • Healthcare (particularly mother and infant health) in Anglophone sub Saharan Africa
  • Access to secondary and tertiary education in Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa, especially for girls
  • Better quality teaching in Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa
  • Heritage conservation in south-east Europe, Turkey and Ethiopia
  • Trachoma prevention and treatment in Ethiopia
  • Christian evangelism and relief projects in sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and Iran
  • Sustainable community-based agriculture in Africa

Full list of Trusts

These trusts have proactive grantmaking programmes and do not accept applications: Ashden Trust, Gatsby Charitable Foundation, Glass-House Trust, Indigo Trust, Mark Leonard Trust, Staples Trust, Tedworth Charitable Trust and Linbury Trust.

These trusts have their own procedure for grant applications in clearly defined areas: Woodward Charitable Trust, True Colours Trust and Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund.

Other grantmaking programmes

Headley Museums Archaeological Acquisition Fund
A fund to help regional and local museums find in raising the money to buy archaeological artefacts.

The Frankopan Fund
An initiative of the Staples Trust to provide small grants to exceptionally talented students from Croatia to help them further their studies.

Headley Aids for Disabled People (Word application form)
Small grants towards purchase of practical aids and equipment for disabled people aged 16 and over.

Key dates

Review details 05/12/2025