Charles S French Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 206476

Annual Expenditure: £0.7M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £653,230 (FY 2024/25)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Quarterly (approximately 2-3 months between application deadlines)
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £5,000 (occasionally larger grants up to £25,000+ for specific projects)
  • Geographic Focus: Essex and North East London

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 5052, Hornchurch, RM12 9LQ, IG10 4LF

Website: www.csfct.org.uk

Email: trustmanager@csfct.org.uk

Phone: 07936 802044

Trust Manager: Joanne Challis

Overview

The Charles S French Charitable Trust was established in September 1959 by Charles French, Chairman of the former Buckhurst Hill civil engineering and construction company W&C French, with an initial settlement of £500 and interests in farming land. The trust now holds assets of approximately £9 million, with income generated from investments, farmland, and commercial property rentals. Over the past decade, the trust has distributed over £2.4 million to local charitable causes. In the financial year ending March 2025, the trust distributed £653,230 in grants across multiple sectors. The trust's principal objective is to provide grant giving support to a wide range of charitable activities, primarily within Essex and North East London, whilst maintaining and developing the value of its investments and assets.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a single grant program with quarterly decision-making meetings:

  • Standard Grants: £1,000 - £5,000 (most common range)
  • Larger Project Grants: Occasionally awarded above £5,000 for specific projects (e.g., £25,000 to St Clare Hospice for consulting rooms)
  • Application Method: Fixed quarterly deadlines via email application
  • Frequency: Only one grant per year to the same organization (with rare exceptions)

Priority Areas

The trust distributes grants across the following sectors with recent percentage breakdown:

  • Medical: 19%
  • Disabled: 16%
  • Disadvantaged: 14%
  • Health Assistance: 10%
  • Education: 9%
  • Community & Arts: 8%
  • Sports & Holidays (including respite breaks): 8%
  • Elderly: 7%
  • Youth: 6%
  • Hospices: 3%

What They Don't Fund

  • Non-registered charities: Must be registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales
  • Organizations outside Essex and North East London: Unless they are national organizations benefiting individuals in these areas
  • Repeat grants within the same year: Generally only one grant per organization per year

Applicants are advised to contact the trust to confirm that specific exclusions do not apply.

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Governance and Leadership

The trust maintains a small board of trustees, following the approach established by founder Charles French. No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Current Trustees

  • William Noble
  • Joanna Thomas
  • Michael Foster
  • Antonia McLeod
  • Chris Noble
  • Jamie Foster
  • Eddie Cook
  • Sue Gibson
  • Keran Reilly

Historical Leadership

  • Sir Arthur Noble: First Chairman and former Managing Director of W&C French. Under his leadership, trust assets grew through bequests from the French family and income from the M11 motorway construction.
  • Robert Thomas: Continued trust growth until his death in 2007, during which the trust acquired commercial premises in Loughton.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  • Completed application form
  • Final accounts
  • Current management accounts

Important: Only complete applications will be considered. The trust cannot answer funding queries by phone.

Decision Timeline

Grants are awarded at quarterly trustee meetings with the following application deadlines:

  • March meeting: Application deadline January 12th
  • June meeting: Application deadline April 13th
  • September meeting: Application deadline July 6th
  • December meeting: Application deadline October 13th

Note: Applications received after the cut-off date are held over to the next meeting.

Success Rates

Success rate statistics are not publicly available. However, with £653,230 distributed annually and most grants ranging from £1,000 to £5,000, the trust likely awards between 130-650 grants per year depending on individual grant sizes.

Reapplication Policy

The trust's policy on unsuccessful applicants reapplying is not explicitly stated in public materials. However, the general rule that organizations can receive “only one grant each year” suggests that unsuccessful applicants may be able to apply in subsequent years. Contact the trust manager for clarification on specific reapplication guidelines.

Application Success Factors

Key Considerations

  1. Geographic Alignment: Organizations must be based in or serve communities in Essex or North East London. National organizations are eligible if they can demonstrate specific benefits to individuals in these areas.
  1. Low Operational Costs: The trust focuses on supporting registered charities that demonstrate worthwhile contributions to their communities while maintaining low operational costs.
  1. Complete Applications: Only complete applications with all required documentation (application form, final accounts, and current management accounts) will be considered.
  1. Compliance: Applications must comply with GDPR data protection requirements.

Recent Project Examples

  • St Clare Hospice (Hastingwood, Harlow): Awarded £25,000 to fund newly equipped outpatient consulting rooms for both face-to-face and virtual appointments with their community palliative care team.

Application Tips

  • Ensure your organization clearly serves Essex or North East London communities
  • Submit well in advance of quarterly deadlines to ensure all documentation is complete
  • Highlight how your project aligns with the trust's priority sectors
  • Demonstrate low operational costs and community impact
  • Remember that email is the only accepted submission method
  • Late applications will automatically be deferred to the next quarter

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic specificity is essential: The trust exclusively serves Essex and North East London. Clearly demonstrate how your organization or project benefits these specific areas.
  • Plan around quarterly cycles: With only four decision points per year, timing your application strategically is important. Missing a deadline means waiting 2-3 months for the next cycle.
  • Most grants are modest: Budget for £1,000-£5,000 range unless you have a significant capital project that warrants a larger request with strong justification.
  • One grant per year rule: Don't expect repeat funding within the same financial year, so make your application count.
  • Complete documentation is non-negotiable: Applications missing final accounts or current management accounts will not be considered, regardless of project merit.
  • Medical and disability sectors receive highest allocation: If your work falls within these categories, you align with the trust's largest funding streams (35% combined).
  • Low operational efficiency matters: Demonstrate that your organization maintains low operational costs and delivers worthwhile community contributions.

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