Barchester Healthcare Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £221,000 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Up to 10 weeks
• Grant Range: £100 - £2,600
• Average Grant: £650
• Geographic Focus: England, Scotland, Wales, and Jersey
• Total Giving Since 2003: Over £3.2 million to 3,000+ causes

Contact Details

Website: www.bhcfoundation.org.uk

Email: info@bhcfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 0800 328 3328

Application Portal: www.bhcfoundation.org.uk/apply

Overview

The Barchester Healthcare Foundation (Charity Number 1083272) was established in 2003 and has since distributed over £3.2 million to more than 3,000 beneficiaries. The Foundation awarded £221,000 in grants during 2023, distributing over 200 grants annually with an average value of £650. The Foundation's mission centers on helping older people (65+) and working-age adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, or mental health issues across England, Scotland, Wales, and Jersey. Their strategic focus is on connecting or reconnecting vulnerable people with their local communities, with applications that combat loneliness and enable people to be active and engaged receiving highest priority. The Foundation operates with a board comprising both Barchester Healthcare representatives and independent trustees, each bringing specialist skills and experience in working with older people or adults with disabilities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Individual Grants: £100 - £1,500

• Mobility equipment for outdoor use (manual and powered wheelchairs, mobility scooters, specialized trikes/bikes)
• Car adaptations to improve independence
• Applications must be completed by a third party in a professional or community-based capacity (healthcare professional, social worker, Citizens Advice worker, or charity representative)
• 79 individual grants totaling £44,000 awarded in 2023

Group and Charity Grants: £100 - £2,600

• Activity projects (physical exercise, arts, music therapy, nature, garden and living skills projects)
• Equipment and materials for group members (craft, technology, exercise equipment)
• Member transport
• Day trips, outings, and group holidays within the UK
• Social activities, workshops, and special events
• Grants under £1,000: 85 awarded totaling £49,000 in 2023
• Grants £1,000 and over: 74 awarded totaling £128,000 in 2023
• Must provide budget breakdown and latest annual accounts
• Charities and groups with financial reserves over £100,000 are ineligible

Application Method: Rolling basis - applications accepted at any time via online application form. The Foundation meets quarterly to review applications.

Priority Areas

• Combating isolation and loneliness: Highest priority given to applications addressing social connection
• Promoting group activities: Supporting community-based activities that bring people together
• Improving mobility and independence: Equipment and adaptations enabling outdoor mobility
• Community connection and reconnection: Projects helping vulnerable people engage with their local communities
• Enhancing quality of life: Activities promoting personal independence, self-sufficiency, and dignity

What They Don't Fund

For Community Groups and Small Charities:

• Core/running costs including salaries and venue hire
• Indirect services such as helplines, websites, newsletters, leaflets, or research
• Building/renovation projects or large capital projects, including minibuses
• Charities and groups with financial reserves over £100,000
• Vehicles
• Retrospective costs
• Training of staff and volunteers
• Foodbanks (unless part of a broader activity project)
• Activities for residents in any care home
• Repeat funding within 3 years

For Individuals:

• Home disability equipment or indoor mobility equipment
• Equipment repairs or maintenance
• Personal activities or holidays
• Educational courses
• Home improvements or adaptations
• Household items
• Medical treatments
• Cars or driving lessons
• Computers, tablets, or electronic devices
• Daily living costs (rent, utility bills, debt repayment)
• Equipment for care home residents
• Retrospective costs
• Repeat funding within 3 years

Additional Restrictions:

• The Foundation reserves the right to cap grants to a single charity (including all branches) in any one year

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Governance and Leadership

Board Structure: Mix of Barchester Healthcare representatives and independent trustees

Key Personnel:

• Simon McCall - Chairman: Commercial Director of Barchester Healthcare, joined February 2020. Responsible for building new care homes and Barchester's change and acquisition programmes. Appointed Chair of the Foundation after Pete Calveley stepped down. McCall stated: “The Foundation paid out its first grant in 2003 and since then it has given more than £3.2m to over 3,000 good causes, helping to connect vulnerable people with their local communities. I very much want to carry on that great work and continue to make a positive impact on local communities.”

• Dr Pete Calveley - Trustee: Chief Executive of Barchester Healthcare with over 25 years of leadership in health and social care. Served as Chair for six years before stepping down. He commented: "I have very much enjoyed my work as Chair of the Foundation but now I feel it is time for some fresh thinking. I'm delighted to welcome Simon as Chairperson and I'm excited to work alongside him. I'm certain he will bring a new approach and his commercial experience will be hugely beneficial in helping us shape the Foundation's future."

• Helen Hamblen - Trustee: Founder and Chief Executive of Dementia Support Hampshire & IOW, leading a charity providing free emotional support for people with dementia and their families

• Irene Lewis - Trustee: Retired Hospitality Operations Manager who worked at Barchester Healthcare for 24 years (1998-2022), progressing from kitchen assistant to Hospitality Operations Manager

• Mitch Counsell - Trustee: Recently retired with 45+ years' career in public and private sectors, with experience in project and operation management across care, health, environment, and hospitality sectors. University educated in architecture

• Sally Hale - Trustee: Occupational Therapist who believes in “the therapeutic benefit, value and power of purposeful Occupation”

• Shannon Cullen - Trustee: Senior Head of Lifestyle & Enrichment at Barchester Healthcare since August 2021

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Application Method: Online application form available at www.bhcfoundation.org.uk/apply

Key Requirements:

• For individuals: Application must be completed by a third party who knows the individual in a professional or community-based capacity (e.g., healthcare professional, social or Citizens Advice worker, or charity representative)
• For groups/charities: Must provide a detailed budget breakdown and latest annual accounts
• Applications are only considered complete when all supporting documentation has been received
• Review eligibility carefully before applying - consult the “Who and what we fund” section on their website

Pre-Application Support:

• Telephone advice available at 0800 328 3328
• Email support at info@bhcfoundation.org.uk

Decision Timeline

• Processing Time: Up to 10 weeks from submission of complete application
• Review Frequency: The Foundation meets every three months (quarterly) to review applications
• Application Window: Rolling basis - applications accepted at any time throughout the year
• Notification: Applicants are notified of decisions after the quarterly trustee meetings

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly available. However, the Foundation notes it is “always in need of funding to respond positively to an increasing number of applications,” suggesting competitive demand. In 2023, over 200 grants were awarded totaling £221,000, representing a significant increase from previous years (2022: £171,000; 2021: £147,000; 2020: £160,000).

Reapplication Policy

Three-Year Exclusion Period: Both individuals and organizations that have received funding cannot apply again within three years of receiving a grant. This is a firm restriction stated in the Foundation's eligibility criteria.

Unsuccessful Applications: The Foundation does not specify a waiting period for unsuccessful applicants to reapply, suggesting they may submit new applications at any time.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Priorities:

• Focus on loneliness and isolation: The Foundation explicitly states that “applications that combat loneliness and enable people to be active and engaged receive highest priority”
• Community connection: Applications should demonstrate how the funding will help “connect or re-connect people with others in their local community” - this is a core mission statement
• Practical outcomes: The Foundation seeks “practical solutions that lead to increased personal independence, self-sufficiency and dignity”

Examples of Recently Funded Projects:

• Mobility scooter for Paul, who has Osteoarthritis and Peripheral vascular disease causing poor mobility
• Support for Wendy diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome, a serious neurological condition
• Reddish Men in Sheds - a group of mainly older men who meet three afternoons weekly to service and repair donated bicycles
• Music, art, and theatre projects
• Craft, dance, and exercise classes
• Nature and garden projects
• Social activities, workshops, and special events

Application Best Practices:

• Third-party applications for individuals: Applications must come from professionals or community workers who know the individual, not from the individual themselves
• Complete documentation: Ensure all supporting documents (budget breakdowns, annual accounts) are submitted upfront - applications are only considered complete when all documentation is received
• Small organizations prioritized: Focus is on small community groups and small local charities - large organizations with reserves over £100,000 are ineligible
• Outdoor mobility emphasis: For individual applications, equipment must be for outdoor use (not home or indoor equipment)
• Activity-based group applications: Group applications should focus on activities and engagement rather than operational costs
• Clear community benefit: Demonstrate tangible outcomes in reducing isolation and promoting community connection

What to Avoid:

• Applications for core costs, salaries, or ongoing operational expenses
• Retrospective funding requests
• Applications from or for care home residents
• Requests from organizations with substantial reserves
• Incomplete applications without required supporting documentation

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Combat loneliness: This is the Foundation's highest priority - frame your application around reducing isolation and increasing community connection
• Small is beautiful: The Foundation specifically targets small groups and individuals; average grant is £650, making this ideal for modest, targeted interventions
• Third-party requirement: Individual applications must be submitted by professionals or community workers, not by the individuals themselves
• Three-year gap: Plan strategically - successful applicants cannot reapply for three years, so ensure your request maximizes impact
• Complete applications only: Submit all documentation upfront including budgets and accounts; incomplete applications won't be reviewed
• Quarterly decisions: With meetings every three months and up to 10-week processing, factor in potential 4-5 month timeline from application to decision
• Growing fund: Annual giving increased 29% from 2022 to 2023 (£171,000 to £221,000), indicating expanding capacity and ambition under new leadership

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Charles Hayward Foundation
• BBC Children in Need
• THE ANTON JURGENS CHARITABLE TRUST
• IAH CHARITY COMPANY LIMITED
• Societe Generale UK Foundation
• SANTANDER UK FOUNDATION LIMITED
• Wooden Spoon Society
• THE ROBERT MCALPINE FOUNDATION
• The Clothworkers' Foundation
• LLOYDS BANK FOUNDATION FOR THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

References

• Barchester Charitable Foundation official website: www.bhcfoundation.org.uk
• Barchester Charitable Foundation - Apply for a grant: https://www.bhcfoundation.org.uk/apply
• Barchester Charitable Foundation - Who and what we fund: https://www.bhcfoundation.org.uk/apply/who-we-fund
• Barchester Charitable Foundation - What we don't fund: https://www.bhcfoundation.org.uk/apply/who-we-cant-fund
• Barchester Charitable Foundation - Our trustees: https://www.bhcfoundation.org.uk/our-charity/our-trustees
• Barchester Charitable Foundation - New Chairperson announcement: https://www.bhcfoundation.org.uk/new-chairperson
• UK Charity Commission Register - Barchester Healthcare Foundation (1083272): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/3972498
• LaingBuisson News - Simon McCall appointed Chair: https://www.laingbuissonnews.com/care-markets-content/inpost/simon-mccall-to-chair-barchesters-charitable-foundation/
• Care Home Professional - Pete Calveley steps down as Chair: https://www.carehomeprofessional.com/group-ceo-pete-calveley-steps-down-as-chair-of-barchesters-charitable-foundation/