Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 286838

Annual Expenditure: £0.4M
Geographic Focus: Warwickshire

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £437,589 (charitable expenditure, 2023/24)
  • Total Income: £1,169,381 (2023/24)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable - no public application process
  • Grant Range: £4,500 - £1,000,000+ (varies by project/partnership)
  • Geographic Focus: United Kingdom
  • Application Method: Invitation only/strategic partnerships

Contact Details

Website: https://elizabethcreak.co.uk/

Email: creakcharity@hotmail.com

Phone: 01564 773951

Address: 27 Widney Road, Knowle, Solihull, B93 9DX

Overview

The Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust was established following the death of Elizabeth Creak in 2013, a widely respected and pioneering dairy farmer who left the bulk of her estate to support agricultural innovation. Inspired by her uncle Clyde Higgs, an agricultural innovator, Elizabeth envisioned a trust that would “support and encourage new blood in farming and finance projects to help farmers survive and thrive in their challenging modern environment.” The Trust operates as a grant-giving body with a mission to “facilitate the long term sustainability of food production in the UK by encouraging continual innovation in farming practices and by investing in people who advance healthy, fair and sustainable UK food production.” With an income of over £1.1 million and annual charitable expenditure of approximately £438,000 (2023/24), the Trust works exclusively through academic and charitable partnerships rather than accepting direct applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Trust does not operate traditional grant programs with open applications. Instead, it creates strategic partnerships with academic institutions and charitable organizations. Examples include:

  • Academic Chair Positions: Major multi-year funding commitments (e.g., Chair in Food Security at University of Warwick, Chair of Agri Tech Applied Economics at Harper Adams University)
  • Clyde Higgs Scholarships: £4,500 - £10,000 per student for postgraduate studies in agricultural sciences at University of Warwick and Harper Adams University
  • Infrastructure Projects: Capital grants for facilities (e.g., Elizabeth Creak Horticultural Technology Centre at Warwick, opened 2022)
  • Organizational Support: Sponsorship of Nuffield Farming Scholarships and grants to organizations like the Ecological Land Cooperative for barn construction

Notable partnerships have included donations exceeding £1 million to the University of Warwick and £25,000 to Harper Adams University Development Trust.

Priority Areas

  • Agricultural education and training
  • Innovation in sustainable farming practices
  • Food security research and development
  • Precision agriculture and agri-tech
  • Supporting new entrants to farming
  • Horticultural technology
  • Ecological and sustainable farming methods
  • Career development for agricultural professionals

What They Don't Fund

The Trust focuses exclusively on agricultural education and innovation within the UK. While specific exclusions are not publicly stated, their charitable objectives limit support to “agricultural education to appropriate training bodies” and projects advancing UK food production sustainability.

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Governance and Leadership

The Trust is overseen by three trustees who were personally invited by Elizabeth Creak to advocate for and manage the charity. At least one trustee receives payments or benefits from the charity, as disclosed in Charity Commission filings. The Trust operates through trustee discretion, with board members identifying and approving strategic partnerships aligned with Elizabeth Creak's original vision.

The founding vision came from Elizabeth Creak herself, a pioneering dairy farmer, and was inspired by her uncle Clyde Higgs, whose name lives on through the scholarship program. The Trust has no employees with benefits over £60,000.

How to Apply to Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust operates through strategic partnerships with established academic and charitable organizations. Grants are given through these partners “to facilitate growth in skills and knowledge that in turn strengthen the UK food and farming sector.”

The Trust does not accept unsolicited applications from individual organizations or projects. Instead, the trustees proactively identify and approach institutions for partnership based on alignment with the Trust's mission and objectives.

For individuals seeking scholarships: Apply through the partner institutions (University of Warwick or Harper Adams University) for Clyde Higgs Scholarships, which are administered by those universities' postgraduate scholarship programs.

Getting on Their Radar

The Trust has established relationships with specific academic institutions and charitable organizations in the agricultural sector. Based on their known partnerships, organizations might consider:

  • Partner institutions: The Trust has ongoing relationships with University of Warwick's School of Life Sciences, Harper Adams University, Nuffield Farming Scholarships, and the Ecological Land Cooperative. Being connected to or recommended by these existing partners may be valuable.
  • Sector presence: The Trust focuses on agricultural innovation and education. Organizations with strong reputations in sustainable farming, food security research, or agricultural training may be more likely to come to the trustees' attention.
  • Introductory contact: While there is no formal application process, organizations genuinely aligned with the Trust's mission might consider a brief introductory letter to creakcharity@hotmail.com explaining their work in agricultural education or innovation, though there is no guarantee of response or consideration.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the Trust works on a partnership basis with decisions made at trustee discretion.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since this Trust operates through strategic partnerships rather than open applications, the following factors appear important based on their existing partnerships:

  • Academic excellence: The Trust has partnered with leading UK agricultural universities (Warwick, Harper Adams), suggesting they value academic rigor and research capacity
  • Long-term impact: Multi-year commitments like endowed chairs and capital projects indicate preference for sustainable, lasting impact over short-term initiatives
  • Innovation focus: The Trust's stated mission emphasizes “encouraging continual innovation in farming practices” - projects demonstrating novel approaches to agricultural challenges align with this priority
  • UK food security alignment: All partnerships advance the Trust's goal of supporting “healthy, fair and sustainable UK food production”
  • Educational component: The charitable objectives specifically reference “supporting agricultural education to appropriate training bodies,” making educational/training elements critical
  • Practical application: Projects connecting research with real-world farming practice appear favored, consistent with Elizabeth Creak's own background as a working farmer

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This Trust does not accept direct applications - they work exclusively through strategic partnerships with selected organizations
  • Annual charitable expenditure is approximately £438,000, with significant reserves allowing for major multi-year commitments
  • Focus is exclusively on UK agricultural education, innovation, and sustainable farming
  • The Trust makes both capital grants (facilities/infrastructure) and program grants (scholarships, research positions)
  • Individual students can access support through Clyde Higgs Scholarships at partner universities (Warwick, Harper Adams)
  • Existing partnerships include major universities, Nuffield Farming Scholarships, and agricultural cooperatives
  • The Trust values innovation, sustainability, and practical impact in farming
  • Relationship-building with existing partners or strong reputation in the agricultural education sector may increase visibility to trustees

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