A J Bell Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £148,307 (FY 2024)
• Annual Income: £167,666 (FY 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: United Kingdom (England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland)
• Primary Beneficiaries: Children and young adults under 25 years of age

Contact Details

Email: moorhall@outlook.com

Registered Address: A J Bell Ltd, Trafford House, Chester Road, Stretford, Manchester, M32 0RS

Charity Number: 1141269

Company Number: 07566567

Note: No public website available. The trust does not appear to have a public-facing online presence or application portal.

Overview

The A J Bell Trust was established in March 2011 by Andy Bell CBE, co-founder and former CEO of AJ Bell plc, the FTSE 250-listed investment platform company. The charity was set up as a charitable company limited by guarantee and operates primarily to support disadvantaged young people across the UK. While the trust reported total expenditure of £148,307 in the financial year ending September 2024, it maintains a relatively low public profile. The trust is funded mainly by donations from AJ Bell plc (historically) and personal donations from Andy Bell, though AJ Bell plc confirmed in 2022 that it would no longer be making annual donations to the trust. The charity has four trustees and operates without paid staff, with all trustees serving in a voluntary capacity. It should be noted that the A J Bell Trust (founded 2011) is a separate entity from the AJ Bell Futures Foundation (founded 2023), which is AJ Bell plc's corporate ESG initiative.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust makes grants to both individuals and organizations. Specific grant amounts and program names are not publicly disclosed.

Grant-Making Approach: The trust primarily organizes fundraising events and makes donations to other charities whose objectives align with its mission. Grants are made to support individuals in need and to charitable organizations working to prevent or relieve financial hardship.

Priority Areas

The charity's charitable objects focus on helping persons living in the United Kingdom who are in need due to:

• Age-related disadvantage
• Financial hardship
• Sickness or poor health
• Lack of opportunity
• Disability
• Other disadvantages

Primary Focus: Children and young adults under 25 years of age

Charitable Purposes Supported:

• Education and training
• Advancement of health or saving of lives
• Disability support
• Prevention or relief of poverty
• Amateur sport

Beneficiary Groups:

• Children and young people
• People with disabilities
• Other charities and voluntary bodies working in aligned areas

Methods of Support:

• Grants to individuals
• Grants to organizations
• Provision of items, goods, and services
• Other financial support
• Provision of buildings, facilities, or open space
• Direct services

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. Given the focus on young people under 25 in the UK facing disadvantage, it can be inferred that the trust would not fund:

• Projects outside the UK
• Work not focused on disadvantaged populations
• Individuals or organizations not aligned with the core charitable objects

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The A J Bell Trust is governed by four trustees, all serving in a voluntary capacity with no remuneration:

Andrew James Bell CBE (Chair) - Appointed 2011

Andy Bell co-founded AJ Bell in 1995 after qualifying as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in 1993. He graduated from Nottingham University in 1987 with a first-class degree in Mathematics and built AJ Bell into one of the UK's largest providers of low-cost online investment platforms. He stepped down as CEO of AJ Bell plc in 2022 after more than 25 years of leadership but established the A J Bell Trust in 2011 to support disadvantaged young people. Andy holds a CBE and has won numerous business and industry awards. He is also Independent Non-Executive Chairman at Applied Nutrition plc (since 2024).

Tracey Anne Bell - Appointed 2011

Co-trustee alongside Andrew Bell since the charity's founding.

Paul Bernard Barrow (Solicitor) - Appointed 2019

Independent trustee with legal expertise.

Paul Desmond Clements (Company Director/Investment Manager) - Appointed 2019

Independent trustee with business and investment management experience.

Governance Structure

• No employees with benefits over £60,000
• No trustees receive remuneration or payments from the charity
• One or more trustees are directors of subsidiaries
• The charity reports its governance to be up to date with the Charity Commission

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The A J Bell Trust does not have a public application process.

The charity operates through trustee discretion and appears to identify beneficiaries through its own fundraising events and trustee connections. There is no online application portal, published application guidelines, or formal application deadlines.

Grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to:

• Organizations whose objectives align with the charity's mission
• Individuals in need who meet the charity's criteria (children and young adults under 25 facing disadvantage)

The principal activity is organizing fundraising events, with proceeds distributed to various beneficiaries within the scope of the charity's objects.

Contact: Those seeking support may make initial contact via email at moorhall@outlook.com, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited applications will be considered.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. Given the small trustee board and absence of formal application cycles, decisions are likely made on a rolling basis at trustee meetings.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The trust does not publish statistics on applications received or grants awarded.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available due to the absence of a formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the lack of a public application process, the following factors appear most relevant for those seeking to bring their organization to the attention of the A J Bell Trust:

Alignment with Core Mission: The trust's primary focus is explicitly on children and young adults under 25 years of age who are experiencing disadvantage. Organizations working directly with this demographic in the areas of education, health, disability support, poverty relief, or amateur sport would be most aligned.

Geographic Focus: The charity operates throughout the United Kingdom, including England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. UK-based organizations serving UK beneficiaries are the focus.

Connection to Trustees: With no public application process, trustee awareness and discretion appear to drive grant-making decisions. The trustees have backgrounds in financial services, law, and business, and may be more familiar with organizations operating in the North West of England (Manchester area) given the registered address.

Organizational Credibility: As a grant-making trust supporting other charities, the A J Bell Trust would likely prioritize registered charities and established voluntary organizations with demonstrable track records serving disadvantaged young people.

Fundraising Events: The charity's principal activity involves organizing fundraising events. Organizations that participate in or benefit from such events may be more likely to receive support.

Small-Scale, Direct Impact: With annual expenditure of approximately £148,000, the trust is relatively modest in size. Projects demonstrating direct, measurable impact on disadvantaged young people would likely be prioritized over large-scale infrastructure or overhead costs.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: The A J Bell Trust operates through trustee discretion and does not accept formal grant applications through a public portal or advertised process.

• Focus is narrow and clear: The primary beneficiaries are children and young adults under 25 facing disadvantage due to poverty, disability, health issues, or lack of opportunity. Projects must clearly serve this demographic.

• Modest grant-making capacity: With annual expenditure around £148,000, this is a small trust. Expectations for grant size should be calibrated accordingly.

• Limited online presence: The trust has no website or public-facing communications. Information is only available through the Charity Commission register and Companies House filings.

• Trustee connections matter: Without a formal application process, awareness among the trustees (particularly Andy Bell and the two independent trustees Paul Barrow and Paul Clements) is likely essential for consideration.

• Separate from AJ Bell Futures Foundation: Do not confuse the A J Bell Trust (founded 2011) with the AJ Bell Futures Foundation (founded 2023), which is AJ Bell plc's corporate ESG initiative with different charity partners and processes.

• Funding source has changed: AJ Bell plc no longer makes annual donations to the trust (as of 2022), meaning the charity now relies on personal donations from Andy Bell and other fundraising activities, potentially reducing available funds for grants.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• ST CLARE AND ST FRANCIS TRUST
• THE TRUEMARK TRUST
• The Thales Charitable Trust
• THE MACDAIBHIDH CHARITABLE TRUST
• D D McPhail Charitable Settlement CIO
• John Horniman's Children's Trust
• MONDAY CHARITABLE TRUST
• D C R Allen Charitable Trust
• The Swire Charitable Trust
• The B G S Cayzer Charitable Trust

References

1. Charity Commission Register of Charities. “A J BELL TRUST - Charity Number 1141269.” Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5017617

1. Companies House. “A J BELL TRUST - Company Number 07566567.” Available at: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07566567

1. OpenCharities. “A J BELL TRUST.” Available at: http://opencharities.org/charities/1141269

1. AJ Bell. “AJ Bell to donate £10 million to charity via innovative CSR initiative.” Available at: https://www.ajbell.co.uk/group/news/aj-bell-donate-ps10-million-charity-innovative-csr-initiative

1. Charity Commission Register. “Governance - A J BELL TRUST.” Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5017617/governance

1. Bloomberg Markets. “Andy Bell, AJ Bell PLC: Profile and Biography.” Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/20881665

1. AJ Bell. “AJ Bell Futures Foundation.” Available at: https://www.ajbell.co.uk/group/futures-foundation [Note: This references the separate AJ Bell Futures Foundation for comparison purposes]