Deptford Challenge Trust

Deptford Challenge Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1070483).

Deptford Challenge Trust is a registered charity that makes grants to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in a defined area of Lewisham, covering Deptford and parts of New Cross. It began as part of the national City Challenge regeneration programme, and rental income from student accommodation provides money for its grants. Its Open Programme supports small and new organisations through seedcorn funding and encourages strategic development of the area, and the trust also awards some multi-year core grants to organisations that have received at least three years of its funding. It paid £300,000 in grants in its latest reported year.

Priority Areas

The trust supports voluntary and community organisations carrying out activities in the DCT area, with the aim of improving quality of life for people who live and work there. Eligible applicants include constituted community and resident groups, registered charities, companies limited by guarantee, CICs limited by guarantee rather than by shares, charitable incorporated organisations and schools. The open programme welcomes projects working with residents of any age, gender and ethnic background. Its stated themes are education and skills; community cohesion and social inclusion; health and wellbeing; strengthening the DCT area; and crisis support. One-year grants can contribute to core, capital or project costs.

Themes

• Education and skills
• Community cohesion
• Health and wellbeing
• Strengthening the DCT area
• Crisis support

Geographic Focus

Deptford; parts of New Cross.

Applicants follow the fund page link to the full fund guidelines and application start. The London Community Foundation independently assesses each application and makes written recommendations to the Board; trustees consider these alongside the funding policy and their local knowledge.

Who can apply:

• Deptford Challenge Trust Open Programme: Constituted community and resident groups, registered charities, companies limited by guarantee, Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee and not limited by shares, Charitable Incorporated Organisations and schools are eligible to apply.

Applying again: An organisation that is unsuccessful on one occasion should not feel discouraged from applying in a later round.

What the charity says:

• The trustees consider each application against LCF’s recommendations, the trust’s funding policy and their own local knowledge.
• An unsuccessful organisation is encouraged to apply in a later round.