Bathgate Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 278238

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

Stay updated on changes from Bathgate Charitable Trust and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Charity Number: 278238
  • Annual Giving: £232,251 (2024)
  • Income: £235,000 (2024)
  • Geographic Focus: Cheshire and Merseyside (Cheshire East, Cheshire West & Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral)
  • Grant Type: Small grants to charities, voluntary bodies, and individuals
  • Application Method: No public application process (trustee discretion)

Contact Details

Address: Arclid Quarry, Congleton Road, Arclid, Sandbach, Cheshire

Phone: 01270 762444

Email: s.bennett@bathgategroup.co.uk

Note: There is no dedicated website for the trust.

Overview

The Bathgate Charitable Trust was established in 1979 by Rod and Ann Walker, founders of the Bathgate Group, a diversified business enterprise based in Cheshire. With an annual giving of approximately £232,251 (2024), the trust gives small grants to a wide variety of worthy charities, voluntary bodies, organizations, and religious establishments. The trust operates across Cheshire and Merseyside regions, supporting general charitable purposes, religious activities, and amateur sport, with particular focus on people with disabilities and other charities or voluntary bodies. The trust is managed by three trustees who make decisions by unanimous consent. In 2024, charitable giving transitioned from the Bathgate Charitable Trust to the newly established Bathgate Walker Trust, which now manages the charitable giving on behalf of the Bathgate Group. The trust has grown significantly in recent years, with income increasing from £35,000 in 2020 to £235,000 in 2024.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate formal grant programs with set amounts or application cycles. Rather, grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees through unanimous consent. The trust is described as providing “small grants,” though specific amounts are not publicly disclosed.

Priority Areas

  • General charitable purposes supporting relief of poverty or suffering
  • Advancement of education or religion
  • Support for other registered charities whose charitable objects benefit residents of the United Kingdom
  • Amateur sport activities
  • Organizations serving people with disabilities
  • Other charities or voluntary bodies

Recent examples of support include:

  • Royal Marines Charity (2020 COVID-19 pandemic relief grant)
  • Liverpool John Moores University (£250,000 over five years through the Bathgate Early Career Launchpad Fund for degree apprentices in construction)
  • YMCA Crewe (education and life-changing opportunities)

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations or beneficiaries outside the United Kingdom
  • Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the trust's geographic focus is limited to Cheshire and Merseyside regions
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for Bathgate Charitable Trust?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by three trustees who make decisions by unanimous consent through formal deed execution.

Current Trustees:

  • Commodore Walker (Chair) - Also known as Roderick Walker, founder and Chairman of the Bathgate Group, established in 1964. Served as High Sheriff of Merseyside in 1993. The family motto is “Let us achieve prosperity through planning and toil.”
  • Mrs Ann Walker - Co-founder with Rod Walker of the Bathgate Charitable Trust
  • Stephen Bennett ACMA CGMA - Qualified management accountant

Leadership Philosophy: Roderick Walker stated in relation to educational funding: “We are proud to support the Early Career Launchpad Fund... investing in their education and training.” The Bathgate Group is “committed to supporting various charitable initiatives and organisations in local and wider areas” and “believes strongly in fulfilling corporate social responsibility by supporting local communities, providing financial help to charities through their charitable trust, adopting sustainable business practices and minimising environmental impact.”

Governance Notes:

  • No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity
  • The trust does not own or lease land or property
  • The trust is not recognized for Gift Aid
  • No trading subsidiaries
  • Charity reporting is up to date and submitted on time annually

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Bathgate Charitable Trust operates on a trustee discretion model, where charitable purposes and grant awards are determined by the three trustees through unanimous consent executed by formal deed.

There is no online application portal, published application guidelines, or open application periods. Grants appear to be awarded based on relationships and causes known to the trustees, particularly those aligned with the Bathgate Group's community engagement priorities in Cheshire and Merseyside.

Organizations seeking support may contact the trust directly via email (s.bennett@bathgategroup.co.uk) or phone (01270 762444) to introduce their organization and enquire about potential funding opportunities.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As grants are awarded by trustee discretion requiring unanimous consent, timelines likely vary depending on trustee meeting schedules and the nature of the request.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's discretionary grant-making approach without a public application process, success factors appear to include:

  • Geographic alignment: Organizations operating in Cheshire and Merseyside regions, particularly Cheshire East, Cheshire West & Chester, and surrounding areas
  • Alignment with Bathgate Group priorities: The trust's recent major funding has focused on education (LJMU degree apprentices), supporting young people from “challenged groups,” and removing barriers to early career opportunities
  • Connection to the construction and built environment sector: The Bathgate Group operates in silica sand, transport, flooring, and business finance, with recent educational giving focused on construction-related degree apprenticeships
  • COVID-19 response: Historical example of funding the Royal Marines Charity for pandemic-related costs demonstrates responsiveness to crisis situations
  • Support for people with disabilities: Explicitly listed as a priority beneficiary group
  • Religious and amateur sport activities: Listed as supported purposes
  • Small to medium-sized charities and voluntary bodies: The trust describes itself as providing “small grants” to a “wide variety” of organizations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this is a discretionary, trustee-led trust requiring relationship building or introduction rather than formal applications
  • Geographic focus is critical - the trust exclusively supports organizations in Cheshire and Merseyside
  • Recent focus on education and social mobility - the £250,000 commitment to LJMU demonstrates significant investment in supporting disadvantaged young people entering construction careers
  • Small grant tradition - the trust describes itself as providing “small grants,” though the LJMU commitment shows capacity for larger, multi-year funding relationships
  • Connection to Bathgate Group business interests - construction, built environment, and regional economic development appear to be emerging priorities
  • Trustee discretion with unanimous consent requirement - all three trustees must agree, suggesting proposals need broad appeal and clear charitable benefit
  • Contact Stephen Bennett - as the non-family trustee with professional accounting credentials, he may be the appropriate initial contact point at s.bennett@bathgategroup.co.uk

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References