Bearder Charity

Charity Number: 1010529

Annual Expenditure: £0.7M
Geographic Focus: Calderdale

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £689,483
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: £50 - £500 (emergency grants)
  • Geographic Focus: Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, West Yorkshire (with discretion to fund outside this area)

Contact Details

Address: 5 King Street, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 1NX

Phone: 01484 710571

Website: www.bearder-charity.org

Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The Bearder Charity was established by John Alfred Bearder MBE, a Halifax solicitor and philanthropist, and constituted under a trust deed dated 5 March 1992 (Charity Number 1010529). The charity made grants totalling £689,483 in the financial year ending April 2024 to support a wide range of individual and community projects across the Calder Valley. Founded with deep roots in the local legal community—John Alfred Bearder joined his father at what became Bearders Solicitors in 1946—the charity maintains a focused commitment to addressing poverty, hardship, and distress in Calderdale. With total income of £67,760 and expenditure of £843,928 in the financial year ending April 2024, the charity operates as a trust with four trustees who oversee its grant-making activities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The charity operates with a dual focus:

  • Individual Support: Emergency grants to individuals experiencing poverty, hardship, and distress in Calderdale, typically in the region of £50 to £500
  • Community Projects: Grants to organisations and projects benefiting Calderdale residents, including support for children's activities, elderly services, and disability support

The charity awarded grants totalling £689,483 in the financial year ending April 2024 across these programmes. Emergency grant applications are processed by two designated trustees due to the weekly volume of applications, whilst larger community project grants follow a different approval process.

Priority Areas

  • Relief of poverty, hardship, and distress among Calderdale residents
  • Children and young people's services
  • Elderly and older people's support
  • People with disabilities
  • Community benefit projects in the Calder Valley area

The charity's objects explicitly state it can also benefit “other charitable institutions or charitable objects as the Trustees in their absolute discretion select even if outside Calderdale area,” providing flexibility for exceptional cases beyond the primary geographic focus.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly detailed. However, given the charity's focus on Calderdale residents experiencing poverty and hardship, applications from organisations or individuals outside this geographic area or addressing needs unrelated to poverty relief are less likely to succeed.

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Governance and Leadership

The Bearder Charity is governed by four trustees operating under a trust structure. The charity has comprehensive governance policies including:

  • Conflicting interests policy
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls
  • Risk management policy
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy
  • Trustee expenses policy
  • Safeguarding procedures
  • Serious incident reporting

One or more trustees receive payments or benefits for providing services to the charity, as disclosed in Charity Commission records. The charity is not recognised by HMRC for gift aid and does not own or lease land or property.

How to Apply to Bearder Charity

How to Apply

According to Charity Commission records, all applicants are asked to apply in writing, including by email, to the secretary. Due to the volume of weekly applicants for emergency grants (in the region of £50 to £500), two trustees have been designated to decide the outcome of these applications.

The charity's website (www.bearder-charity.org) was inaccessible during research.

Recommended approach: Contact the charity directly by phone at 01484 710571 to:

  • Obtain email address for the secretary
  • Inquire about application forms or procedures for larger community grants
  • Clarify required supporting documentation
  • Confirm eligibility criteria for individuals vs. organisations

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed, though emergency grant applications are processed on a rolling weekly basis given the volume of applications. Applicants should inquire about expected timeframes for larger community grants when making initial contact.

Success Rates

Success rates and application volumes are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly available. This should be clarified during initial contact with the charity.

Application Success Factors

Based on the available information about the Bearder Charity's history and purpose, the following factors may strengthen applications:

  • Clear demonstration of need: Show how the grant will address poverty, hardship, or distress among Calderdale residents
  • Local connection: Projects and individuals based in or serving the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale are the primary focus
  • Community impact: For organisational applications, demonstrate broad benefit to Calderdale residents, particularly vulnerable populations (children, elderly, disabled)
  • Practical outcomes: The example of funding art materials for children from Belarus in cancer remission suggests the charity values tangible, activity-based support
  • Priority populations: Applications supporting children/young people, elderly people, or people with disabilities align with the charity's documented areas of focus

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • The Bearder Charity is a locally focused trust with roots in Calderdale's legal and philanthropic community, established by solicitor John Alfred Bearder MBE
  • With £689,483 in grants awarded in the financial year ending April 2024, the charity supports both individuals and organisations across the Calder Valley
  • Geographic focus is critical—applications must demonstrate connection to Calderdale, though trustees have discretion for exceptional cases
  • Priority beneficiary groups include children/young people, elderly people, and people with disabilities
  • Applications should be made in writing (including by email) to the secretary—contact the charity by phone (01484 710571) to obtain contact details and guidance
  • Emergency grants for individuals typically range from £50 to £500 and are processed weekly
  • The charity's website was inaccessible during research; telephone contact is the most reliable initial approach
  • Applications should clearly articulate how funding will relieve poverty, hardship, or distress—the charity's core mission

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