Earl Of Chester's Fund

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 1119422
• Founded: 2007
• Annual Income: £312,964 (2024)
• Annual Expenditure: £113,906 (2024)
• Geographic Focus: Cheshire (as constituted on 1st January 1974)
• Grant Types: Grants to organizations and individuals
• Trustees: 7

Contact Details

Address:

SJC Chartered Accountants

St. Johns Chambers

Love Street

Chester

CH1 1QY

Phone: 01244 320532

Website: None identified

Email: None identified

Overview

The Earl of Chester's Fund was established in 2007 as a charitable trust supporting causes within the historic county of Cheshire. With an annual income of over £312,000 (2024), the fund operates through trustee discretion to make grants to both organizations and individuals across Cheshire East and Cheshire West & Chester. The charity's name references the ancient title of Earl of Chester, traditionally held by the heir apparent to the British throne. The fund operates without a public website or formal application process, with trustees exercising discretion in identifying and supporting charitable causes within their geographic remit. The Charity Commission lists the main method of carrying out the fund's purposes as “grant making” to serve “the general public/mankind.”

The charity was subject to a Charity Commission case report (now archived), though the fund continues to operate with current reporting to the Charity Commission. In recent years, the fund made a notable £25,000 grant to Bridge Community Farms in Ellesmere Port to develop Cheshire's first hydroponics unit supporting disadvantaged young people and adults with mental health conditions.

Funding Priorities

Charitable Purposes

The fund's governing document defines its objects as: “Such charitable purposes (other than the advancement of religion) within the County of Cheshire (as constituted on the 1st of January 1974) or for the benefit of persons ordinarily resident in the county (as so constituted) as the trustees shall from time to time decide.”

Priority Areas

• General charitable purposes within historic Cheshire boundaries
• Support for disadvantaged young people and adults
• Mental health and wellbeing initiatives
• Community development projects
• Support for individuals and organizations serving Cheshire residents

What They Don't Fund

• The advancement of religion - explicitly excluded in the governing document
• Projects or individuals outside the historic Cheshire geographic area (pre-1974 boundaries)

Example Grants

Bridge Community Farms, Ellesmere Port - £25,000

Funded the development of Cheshire's first hydroponics unit at a community farm providing therapeutic support and work experience for people with mental health conditions, learning difficulties, and the long-term unemployed.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The fund has 7 trustees who serve without remuneration:

1. Roderick Ewan Harries - Chair

Also serves as trustee for The F E Cleary Schools Fund

1. David Charles Starbuck-Edwards - Trustee (appointed 26 October 2022)

1. Michael Graham Huntriss - Trustee (appointed 26 October 2022)

1. Professor Kevin Sykes - Trustee (appointed 14 October 2015)

Emeritus Professor of Occupational Health & Workplace Fitness at the University of Chester, Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, former Scientific Chair of the British Association for Cardiac Rehabilitation, and developer of the Chester Step Test

1. David Owen Pickering DL - Trustee

Deputy Lieutenant with extensive business experience in Cheshire, including roles with Chester & County Unionist Buildings Limited and Meadow Foods

1. Rodney Brian Witter - Trustee

1. Nicolaus Stuart Jenkins - Trustee

Also serves as trustee for The Welsh Dee Trust

The fund is administered through SJC Chartered Accountants in Chester.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Earl of Chester's Fund operates as a discretionary trust where trustees identify beneficiaries and award grants based on their own judgment and knowledge of charitable needs within Cheshire. There is no website, online portal, or formal application procedure available to the public.

Grants are made at the discretion of trustees “from time to time” as stated in the governing document, suggesting that funding decisions are made on an ongoing basis rather than through fixed grant rounds.

Organizations seeking support may wish to contact the fund directly by phone (01244 320532) or in writing to explore whether their work might be of interest to the trustees, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited approaches will result in funding.

Decision Timeline

No public information available. As a discretionary trust, timing likely varies depending on when trustees meet and identify causes to support.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. As the fund operates without open applications, traditional success rate metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no formal application process exists.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No open application process - This is a discretionary trust; trustees proactively identify beneficiaries rather than reviewing applications
• Local knowledge essential - Trustees appear to identify causes through their own networks and understanding of Cheshire's charitable needs
• Geographic precision matters - Ensure your work clearly falls within the historic Cheshire boundaries (pre-1974)
• Multi-benefit projects - The Bridge Community Farms example shows interest in projects serving multiple vulnerable groups simultaneously
• Innovation welcomed - Funding for “first-of-its-kind” initiatives suggests openness to novel approaches
• Direct contact possible - While no formal process exists, organizations can contact the fund to introduce their work
• Building trustee awareness - Rather than “applying,” focus on ensuring trustees know about your organization's work in Cheshire through networking, visibility, and community connections

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Holroyd Foundation
• The Marjory Boddy Charitable Trust
• Cheshire Community Foundation Limited
• Brian Wilson Charitable Trust
• The Monmouthshire County Council Welsh Church Act Fund
• The Purslow Trust
• Chalkhill Community Trust Fund
• Market Harborough and The Bowdens Charity
• Lord Leverhulme's Charitable Trust
• The Whittlesey Charity

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: Earl of Chester's Fund (1119422) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1119422&subId=0 - Accessed 26 January 2025
• Charity Commission Trustees Page - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4031246/trustees - Accessed 26 January 2025
• Chester and District Standard: “Fund set up in name of Prince Charles donates £25,000 to Ellesmere Port community farm” - https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/news/19163118.fund-set-name-prince-charles-donates-25-000-ellesmere-port-community-farm/ - Accessed 26 January 2025
• Charity Commission Full Print Record - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4031246/full-print - Accessed 26 January 2025
• Charity Commission Contact Information - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4031246/contact-information - Accessed 26 January 2025
• Professor Kevin Sykes LinkedIn Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-kevin-sykes-8098a051/ - Accessed 26 January 2025
• GOV.UK: Earl of Chester's Fund Case Report (withdrawn/archived) - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/earl-of-chesters-fund-case-report - Accessed 26 January 2025