Wakeham Trust

Overview

In general they like to help projects that are small scale and would find it hard to get funding from big trusts. They are privately funded and don’t appeal for funds, so they can take risks and support unpopular causes in ways that big charities find hard to do. They are entirely run by volunteers, so their costs are low.

These are the sorts of issues they tend to look at:

• Is it something new for this particular area?
  It doesn’t matter if the idea is tried and tested in other parts of the country. If it is new for this community then they are interested in hearing about it.
• Is it small?
  They normally give grants to projects where an initial £125 to £2,500 can make a real difference. They almost never make contributions to large appeals, such as for buildings or minibuses. In general, they look at what it is costing per-head to reach the people the project is helping.
• Is it run by ordinary people, not professionals?
  This is partly a function of size – once a project is big enough to employ staff, it is probably too big for them. It is also a function of their philosophy. All the projects they support have, as a common theme, the empowerment of ordinary non-professional people.
• Will it find it hard to get support elsewhere?
  They try to help those projects that are too new and experimental to get support through established fund raising channels, or which (if established) are under threat due to changes in national or local policy.
• Does it have the potential to become self supporting?
  They like to see information that shows how the project will support itself in future years or (if it is a short-life project) over the course of its life. They need to know that the project is well planned, and that the people running it have their feet on the ground.
  They also like to see that projects have done some fundraising for themselves even if the amounts raised are small, before they commit our own funds.
• Is it outward looking, rather than being focused on its own members?
  They are especially keen to help groups who are usually considered recipients of voluntary action (for example old age pensioners, refugees or young offenders) when these people become involved in helping other groups in the community – because this helps empower the volunteers themselves, as well as supporting the project they are working on.
• Does it have a U.K. charity number, or can it find a charity to accept funds on its behalf?
  If your organisation is a U.K. registered charity, please give its full name and charity number. If your organisation is not a registered charity, they cannot make grants directly to it, for tax reasons. However, they can usually get round this by making a grant to a registered charity in your area, which then will pass the money directly on to your project. Local Church of England Parochial Church Councils are often a good place to start – even for projects that have nothing to do with religion. They are automatically charities, and are often willing to help.