C A Redfern Charitable Foundation
Stay updated on changes from C A Redfern Charitable Foundation and other funders
Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.
Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: ~£245,000 - £250,000
- Grant Range: £2,000+ (individual grants vary)
- Geographic Focus: England and Wales (with scope for UK and international)
- Application Method: No public application process - trustee discretion only
Contact Details
- Address: C/O PricewaterhouseCoopers, 3 Forbury Place, 23 Forbury Road, Reading, RG1 3JH
- Phone: 01189 383128
- Website: None
- Email: Not publicly available
Overview
The C A Redfern Charitable Foundation was registered as a charity in England and Wales on 31 August 1988 (Charity Number 299918). The foundation has been operating for over 35 years as a grant-making trust with broad charitable purposes.
The foundation's objectives are stated as “such exclusively charitable objects and purposes in the UK or any other part of the world as the trustees shall in their discretion think fit.” This gives the trustees complete flexibility in determining which causes and organisations to support.
The foundation's principal source of income is a portfolio of stocks and shares, which was valued at approximately £4.7 million as at April 2016. The investment portfolio is managed on a discretionary basis by Rathbone Investment Management. The foundation consistently distributes more than it receives in income each year, with annual expenditure typically ranging from £242,000 to £250,000 over the past five years.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
The foundation makes grants to registered charities across a broad range of charitable purposes. Based on identified beneficiaries, supported areas include:
- Health and Medical: Crohn's & Colitis UK
- Youth and Education: Youth Sport Trust International programmes
- Arts and Disability: Turtle Key Arts (supporting young people with autism spectrum conditions)
- Community and Urban: Vauxhall City Farm
- Healthcare Services: Friends of Woking Community Hospital (£2,000 donation recorded)
Priority Areas
The trustees have complete discretion over funding decisions, supporting:
- Registered charities in England and Wales
- General charitable purposes
- Both UK and international charitable activities
What They Don't Fund
- The foundation does not respond to unsolicited applications
- Only registered charities are eligible as beneficiaries

Ready to write a winning application for C A Redfern Charitable Foundation?
Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.
Governance and Leadership
Trustees
The foundation has a small board of four trustees:
| Name | Role | Appointed |
|------|------|-----------|
| David Simon Redfern | Chair | 1996 |
| Simon Roderick Ward | Trustee | 1988 (founding trustee) |
| William Maclaren | Trustee | 2005 |
| Julian Spenser Heslop | Trustee | 2011 |
About the Chair: David Simon Redfern (born July 1966) is a British national who serves as a Director of ViiV Healthcare Limited, a pharmaceutical company focused on HIV treatment. He has previously held directorships at Haleon PLC and related companies.
About the Founding Trustee: Simon Roderick Ward (born August 1928) was previously a Director at Slaughter and May, one of the UK's leading law firms, until 1992.
No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
This funder does not have a public application process. The Charity Commission explicitly states that “the trustees do not invite unsolicited grant applications.”
Grants are made at the trustees' discretion based on their own identification of suitable charitable organisations. The foundation proactively selects organisations it wishes to support rather than accepting applications from the public.
Getting on Their Radar
The foundation does not provide public guidance on how organisations might be considered for funding. Based on the trustees' professional backgrounds and the foundation's known beneficiaries:
- The trustees appear to identify beneficiaries through their own networks and interests
- Grants have been made to a diverse range of charities including health, youth, arts, and community organisations
- The foundation supports both well-established national charities and smaller local organisations
Financial History
| Year Ending | Income | Expenditure |
|-------------|--------|-------------|
| April 2024 | £161,278 | £250,394 |
| April 2023 | £186,648 | £246,493 |
| April 2022 | £165,290 | £248,990 |
| April 2021 | £136,680 | £242,800 |
| April 2020 | £166,110 | £244,690 |
The foundation receives no government grants or contracts.
Application Success Factors
Given the foundation does not accept applications, traditional success factors do not apply. However, organisations that have received funding share some characteristics:
- Registered charity status: All beneficiaries are registered charities
- Diverse charitable activities: Supported causes range from health research to youth sport to arts programmes
- Both large and small organisations: The foundation supports well-known national charities (Crohn's & Colitis UK, Youth Sport Trust) as well as smaller community organisations (Vauxhall City Farm, Friends of Woking Community Hospital)
- Clear charitable impact: Beneficiaries deliver tangible services to their communities
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- No application process exists - the foundation explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited applications
- Trustee discretion is absolute - all funding decisions are made proactively by the trustees
- Broad charitable purposes - there are no restrictions on the types of causes supported
- Significant annual giving - approximately £245,000-£250,000 distributed annually
- Investment-funded - the foundation draws from an investment portfolio managed by Rathbone Investment Management
- Professional administration - the foundation is administered through PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Long-established - operating since 1988 with stable governance
Similar Funders
These funders frequently fund the same charities:
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- THE HOSPITAL SATURDAY FUND
- Trust for London
- JOHN LYON'S CHARITY
- Jack Petchey Foundation
- THE 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITY
- THE CALLEVA FOUNDATION
- John James Bristol Foundation
- The Golden Bottle Trust
- P F Charitable Trust
- THE SCREWFIX FOUNDATION
- THE HOBSON CHARITY LIMITED
- THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUST
- Broome Family Charitable Trust
- THE BRIDGE TRUST
- The Girdlers' Company Charitable Trust
- The Oakdale Trust
- Scouloudi Foundation
- The Arts Council of England
- BIGKID FOUNDATION
🎯 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
References
- Charity Commission Register of Charities - C A Redfern Charitable Foundation Overview: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=299918&subId=0
- Charity Commission - Financial History: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/299918/financial-history
- Giving is Great - Charity Factsheet: https://givingisgreat.org/charity-factsheet/?regNo=299918
- Charity Choice - C A Redfern Charitable Foundation: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/c-a-redfern-charitable-foundation-132328
- Companies House - David Simon Redfern Appointments: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/H340bi_JK10rl579-MVJUpS98-I/appointments
- Vauxhall City Farm - Our Supporters: https://www.vauxhallcityfarm.org/support-us/our-supporters/
- Crohn's & Colitis UK - Trust and Foundation Funders: https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/get-involved/philanthropy-partnerships/trusts-foundations/our-trust-foundation-funders
- Youth Sport Trust - YST International: https://www.youthsporttrust.org/yst-international
- Friends of Woking Community Hospital - Thank You page: https://fwchwoking.com/thank-you/
Information