Crowborough Community Church Trust

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 1088189
• Annual Income: £81,010 (2024/25)
• Annual Expenditure: £95,196 (2024/25)
• Grant Type: Individuals and Organisations
• Geographic Focus: East Sussex (primarily), with potential for wider UK/international reach
• Application Process: No public application process (trustee discretion)

Contact Details

Address: Beacon Road, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1AS

Phone: 01892 661723

Email: crowcomchurch@gmail.com

Website: www.ccchurch.co.uk

Overview

Crowborough Community Church Trust was established in August 2001, formalizing a church fellowship that has existed since 1997. The trust operates as a grant-making charity with dual objectives: advancing the Christian faith and relieving persons in conditions of need, hardship, or who are aged or sick. With an annual income of approximately £81,000, the charity is supported by 30 volunteers and governed by five trustees. The organization is recognized by HMRC for gift aid and owns or leases property on Beacon Road in Crowborough. While the Charity Commission classifies this trust as making grants to both individuals and organizations, it operates primarily as a church-based benevolent fund without a public application process, with grants distributed at trustee discretion.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Charity Commission confirms that Crowborough Community Church Trust makes grants to both individuals and organizations. However, no specific grant programs, funding tiers, or grant amounts are publicly documented. The trust appears to operate as a benevolent fund, making awards based on trustee discretion rather than through structured grant rounds.

Priority Areas

Primary Focus Areas:

• Poverty Relief: Supporting persons in conditions of need or hardship
• Care for Vulnerable Groups: Assisting those who are aged or sick
• Religious Activities: Advancing the Christian faith in accordance with their statement of beliefs
• Community Support: Addressing distress and need within the East Sussex community

Geographic Focus:

• Primary focus on East Sussex, particularly the Crowborough area
• Potential for support in other parts of the United Kingdom or internationally at trustees' discretion

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are documented publicly. However, as a church-based trust with limited resources (annual income of approximately £81,000 and expenditure of approximately £95,000), funding is likely highly focused on individuals and organizations aligned with the church's mission and known to the trustees.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees (as of 2025)

The charity is governed by five trustees:

1. Alan Frederick Penney - Chair
2. Krysna Maboueki
3. Alastair Mark Uren
4. Judith Goode
5. John Robert Lovell

The trust is supported by 30 volunteers and has no paid employees receiving benefits over £60,000.

Governance Structure

The charity operates under a Declaration of Trust dated 16 November 1999, amended by supplemental deed on 10 July 2001. The trustees have established policies including safeguarding, financial controls, and risk management. The organization is recognized by HMRC for gift aid purposes.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: Crowborough Community Church Trust does not operate a public grant application process. While the Charity Commission confirms the trust makes grants to individuals and organizations, these grants appear to be distributed at the discretion of the trustees rather than through an open application system.

Grants are likely awarded to:

• Individuals known to the church community who are experiencing hardship, need, or are aged or sick
• Organizations with which the church has existing relationships or connections
• Causes that align with the trust's dual objectives of advancing Christian faith and relieving need

There is no evidence of application forms, funding guidelines, or published criteria available through the trust's website or public sources.

Application Success Factors

Understanding This Funder

Since Crowborough Community Church Trust operates without a public application process, success in securing funding is likely dependent on:

Connection to the Church Community: The trust was established “for the furtherance of the religious and other charitable activities of the church fellowship known as Crowborough Community Church.” Funding appears to be primarily directed toward individuals and causes connected to or known by the church community.

Alignment with Dual Objectives: The trust has two clear charitable objects:

1. Advancing the Christian faith in accordance with their statement of beliefs
2. Relieving persons in conditions of need, hardship, or who are aged or sick

Projects or individuals that can demonstrate clear alignment with both the Christian mission and relief of need or hardship may be most favorably considered.

Local East Sussex Focus: While the governing document allows for work in other parts of the UK or world, the trust's registered operating area is East Sussex, suggesting a strong local focus, particularly in the Crowborough area.

Modest Resources: With annual expenditure of approximately £95,000 (slightly exceeding income), the trust operates with limited resources. This suggests grants are likely modest in size and highly selective.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This trust does not accept unsolicited grant applications through a formal process. Grants are distributed at trustee discretion.

• Relationship-Based Funding: The trust appears to fund individuals and organizations known to the church community or trustees, making prior relationships essential.

• Dual Mission Focus: The trust uniquely combines religious advancement with poverty relief, requiring alignment with both Christian values and meeting practical needs of vulnerable individuals.

• Local Orientation: Despite potential for wider geographic reach, the trust is firmly rooted in serving the Crowborough and East Sussex community.

• Small-Scale Operation: With five trustees, 30 volunteers, and annual income of approximately £81,000, this is a small, locally-focused charitable trust rather than a major grant-making foundation.

• Direct Contact Recommended: Organizations interested in understanding whether they might be eligible for support should contact the church directly via phone (01892 661723) or email (crowcomchurch@gmail.com) to inquire about potential funding opportunities.

• Alternative Funders: Organizations seeking grant funding in East Sussex may wish to explore other local funders such as Sussex Community Foundation, Chalk Cliff Trust, or East Sussex County Council grant programs, which have public application processes.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• HESED TRUST
• THE DOUGHTY CHARITY TRUST
• Grimsdale Charitable Trust
• The James Grace Trust
• The Costa Family Charitable Trust
• Knowle United Charity
• THE MACDAIBHIDH CHARITABLE TRUST
• PANJU JESSA CHARITABLE TRUST
• ROSLYN FLORENCE HARDING
• GRACE CHARITABLE TRUST

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities - CROWBOROUGH COMMUNITY CHURCH TRUST (1088189), accessed 4 February 2026: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/3967707

• Charity Commission - What, Who, How, Where section for charity 1088189, accessed 4 February 2026

• Crowborough Community Church website: www.ccchurch.co.uk, accessed 4 February 2026

• Charity Choice Directory - Crowborough Community Church Trust profile, accessed 4 February 2026: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/crowborough-community-church-trust-66606