Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £250,000 - £270,000 (based on recent expenditure)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly documented
• Grant Range: Not specified (grants made to organisations)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

• Address: Crown Equerries House, Royal Mews, London SW1W 0QH (also listed: Fir Tree Cottage, Worlds End, Grimley, WR2 6NN)
• Phone: 07732 643235
• Email: whwhitbread.trust@googlemail.com

Overview

The Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust was established on 18 December 1953 and registered with the Charity Commission on 22 September 1962 (Charity Number 210496). The trust is named after Colonel William Henry Whitbread (1900-1994), a member of the Whitbread brewing dynasty who was educated at Eton and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Colonel Whitbread was a notable figure in British horse racing - as Chairman of Whitbread Brewers, he inaugurated the Whitbread Gold Cup in 1957, creating the first commercial sports sponsorship in British history.

The trust operates as a grant-making organisation distributing funds to charitable organisations across England and Wales. In its most recent financial year (ending December 2024), the trust reported total income of £288,718 and total expenditure of £249,719. Over the past five years, annual expenditure has ranged from approximately £134,000 to £401,000. The trust has previously operated under the names “The W H Whitbread Charity Fund” and “The Whitbread Charity Fund.”

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust makes grants to charitable organisations in four main areas:

1. Education: Particularly organisations supporting education, welfare and scholarships for the underprivileged or suffering. The trust has specific connections to Aldenham School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

• Ocean racing
• Finn Class sailing
• National Hunt Racing
• Flying
• Field sports
• Eventing
• Polo

1. Military Welfare: Charitable organisations supporting the health and welfare of soldiers.

1. Conservation: Charitable organisations supporting conservation projects.

Priority Areas

• Educational scholarships and welfare for disadvantaged individuals
• Specific amateur sporting disciplines (particularly equestrian and sailing)
• Armed forces welfare charities
• Environmental and heritage conservation

What They Don't Fund

Based on the stated charitable purposes, the trust is unlikely to fund:

• General community projects outside their four priority areas
• Individual applicants (grants are made to organisations only)
• Sports outside their specified disciplines
• Organisations not registered as charities in the UK

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by three trustees:

• Mr H F Whitbread (Chair) - Appointed May 1999. Also serves as a trustee of The Wixamtree Trust, another Whitbread family charity.
• Jeremy Robert Barkes - Appointed March 2005
• Rupert Thomas Foley - Appointed November 2008

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity. The trust has no employees with benefits exceeding £60,000 and maintains policies on financial controls, risk management, and trustee conflicts of interest.

Legacy of Colonel W H Whitbread

The trust honours Colonel William Henry Whitbread, who was awarded the Territorial Decoration (T.D.) and two bars for his military service. As an amateur jockey, he rode in the Grand Nationals of 1925 and 1926 on his own horse, Ben Cruachan. His love of horse racing led to the creation of the Whitbread Gold Cup, a pioneering moment in sports sponsorship.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not appear to have a formal public application process. There is no publicly available application form, online portal, or documented application procedure.

Interested organisations should contact the trust directly via:

• Email: whwhitbread.trust@googlemail.com
• Phone: 07732 643235

The trust's governing document states its purpose is “to pay, apply or appropriate the whole of the fund and the income arising thereon to charitable organisations in the United Kingdom to be used by them for their charitable purposes.” This suggests grants are made at the trustees' discretion.

Decision Timeline

No publicly available information on decision timelines.

Success Rates

No publicly available data on application numbers or success rates. The trust does not produce a detailed Part B annual return, so granular grant-making data is not publicly available.

Known Grant Recipients

The trust has made grants to heritage projects including:

• Great Witley Parish Church - contributed to the restoration of the Foley Family Memorial

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's specific funding priorities and family governance, applicants should consider:

1. Strong alignment with priority areas: The trust has very specific interests - education (particularly connected to Aldenham School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge), specific amateur sports disciplines, military welfare, and conservation.

1. Connection to Whitbread interests: The trust appears to favour causes connected to the Whitbread family's historical interests - horse racing, sailing, military service, and education.

1. Established charitable status: Grants are made only to charitable organisations registered in the UK.

1. Heritage and conservation projects: The grant to Great Witley Parish Church suggests interest in heritage conservation, particularly where there may be historical connections.

1. Direct approach: With no formal application process, a well-crafted initial letter or email explaining how your work aligns with their priorities may be the best approach.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No formal application process: This is a private family trust operating at trustee discretion. Direct contact is necessary.
• Very specific funding priorities: Focus on education, particular amateur sports (equestrian, sailing), military welfare, and conservation only.
• Strong family connections: The trust reflects the interests of the Whitbread brewing dynasty and Colonel W H Whitbread's personal passions.
• Modest but consistent giving: Annual grants typically around £250,000, suggesting meaningful individual grant sizes.
• Geographic scope: England and Wales, though connections to specific institutions (Aldenham School, Corpus Christi College Cambridge) suggest some geographical preferences.
• Long-term stable governance: Trustees have been in place for many years, suggesting consistent priorities and approach.
• Contact recommended before applying: Given the absence of formal procedures, an initial enquiry to assess fit is advisable.

References

• Charity Commission Register - Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust -
• Giving is Great - Charity Factsheet -
• Charity Choice - Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust -
• Great Witley Parish Church - Sponsors & Donations - Evidence of grant made Spring 2017
• The Peerage - Colonel William Henry Whitbread - Biographical information
• Horse Racing Matters - Whitbread Gold Cup History - Historical context on Colonel Whitbread