Cathy Wills Charitable Trust
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Quick Stats
- Charity Number: 1199576
- Annual Giving: £344,702 (year ending 31 December 2024)
- Total Income: £158,014 (year ending 31 December 2024)
- Success Rate: Not publicly available
- Decision Time: Not publicly available
- Grant Range: Not publicly available
- Geographic Focus: United Kingdom
- Application Method: No public application process
Contact Details
Email: cathywillscharitabletrust@gmail.com
Phone: 020 7916 7432
Charity Number: 1199576
Registration Type: Charitable Incorporated Organisation
The trust does not maintain a public website. Contact information is available through the UK Charity Commission register.
Overview
The Cathy Wills Charitable Trust was registered with the Charity Commission in 2021 (charity number 1199576) and is a grant-making trust that makes awards to other registered charities. The trust's stated charitable purpose is to support registered charities engaged in the welfare of the elderly, disabled, and children, as well as educational and cultural organisations. Founded by Cathy Wills, a prominent contemporary art collector and long-standing advocate for artists and visual arts organisations, the trust reflects her decades-long commitment to supporting the arts sector, particularly sculpture. With total expenditure of £344,702 in the year ending 31 December 2024, the trust operates with four trustees who receive no remuneration. The trust represents a continuation of Cathy Wills' philanthropic work, which includes founding the Cecil Lewis Sculpture Scholarship at University of the Arts London and the Cathy Wills Sculpture Fund for the Contemporary Art Society.
Funding Priorities
Priority Areas
The trust supports registered charities in the following areas:
Welfare Services
- Elderly care and support
- Services for disabled people
- Children's welfare and support services
Education
- Educational organisations and programmes
- Educational initiatives supporting the trust's priority beneficiary groups
Cultural Organisations
- Arts and cultural institutions
- Based on the founder's background, likely includes support for sculpture and visual arts organisations, though this is not explicitly stated in the charity's registered purposes
What They Don't Fund
While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, as a registered charity the trust can only support other registered charities operating within its stated charitable purposes. The trust:
- Does not accept unsolicited public applications
- Makes grants to registered UK charities only
- Operates within the areas of welfare, education, and culture
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Governance and Leadership
Trustees: The trust is governed by four trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.
Founder: Cathy Wills is a contemporary art collector and long-standing advocate and supporter of artists and visual arts organisations nationally and internationally. She studied History of Art at the University of Manchester and completed a postgraduate degree in Enterprise and Management in the Creative Arts at the University of the Arts, London (UAL). She began her career in the arts in the 1970s working with Henry Lydiate at Art Law and founded the Lewis Johnson Gallery, of which she was the Director between 1978 and 1984. Cathy Wills currently serves as Acting Chair and has been a Non-Executive Director of Pangaea Sculptors' Centre since 2013, and is a Trustee for the Contemporary Art Society.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
This funder does not have a public application process. The Cathy Wills Charitable Trust operates as a private grant-making trust that awards grants at the discretion of its trustees. There is no publicly available application form, online portal, or formal application guidelines.
Grants appear to be awarded through trustee identification and selection rather than through open competitive application rounds. Organizations interested in support from the trust cannot apply through a standard public application process.
Decision Timeline
Not applicable - the trust does not operate public application rounds or cycles.
Success Rates
Not publicly available due to the absence of a public application process.
Reapplication Policy
Not applicable as the trust does not accept unsolicited applications.
Application Success Factors
As this trust does not have a public application process, standard application success factors do not apply. However, based on the trust's stated purposes and the founder's known interests, the following may be relevant:
Alignment with Charitable Purposes
Organizations supported by the trust must be registered charities working in:
- Welfare of the elderly, disabled, and children
- Educational programmes and institutions
- Cultural organisations, particularly those in the visual arts sector
Founder's Interests
Given Cathy Wills' extensive background in contemporary art and sculpture, cultural organisations with a focus on:
- Contemporary sculpture and sculptors
- Visual arts education and development
- Supporting emerging and established artists in the sculpture field
Known Partnerships
The trust is listed as a collaborator with Pangaea Sculptors' Centre, suggesting potential interest in organisations working with sculptors and providing technical production support for contemporary sculpture.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- No Public Application Process: This trust does not accept unsolicited applications and awards grants at trustee discretion
- Focus Areas: Registered charities supporting elderly, disabled, and children's welfare, plus educational and cultural organisations
- Arts Emphasis: Given the founder's prominent role in the contemporary art world, particularly sculpture, cultural organisations in this sector may align with the trust's interests
- Private Trust Model: The trust operates as a private charitable trust with grant-making determined by trustees rather than open competition
- Limited Public Information: As a relatively new trust (registered 2021) without a public website or published annual reports, detailed information about specific grants awarded is not publicly available
- Contact Approach: Organizations seeking information should contact the trust directly via the email or phone number listed, though there is no guarantee of response or consideration for funding
- Relationship-Based: Like many private trusts, grant-making likely flows from existing relationships and trustee networks rather than cold applications
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