Forest Hill Charitable Trust
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Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: ~£240,000 - £311,000 (based on annual expenditure)
- Success Rate: Not publicly available
- Decision Time: Not publicly available
- Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
- Geographic Focus: Throughout England and Wales
Contact Details
- Address: The Bluff, Treknow, Tintagel, PL34 0EP
- Website: None
- Email: Not publicly available
- Phone: Not publicly available
Overview
The Forest Hill Charitable Trust was established in 1995 through a Declaration of Trust dated 6 November 1995 (amended 2 May 1997). The trust operates as a grant-making foundation with broad charitable objectives, focusing on the relief of poverty, deprivation, and disability both in the UK and abroad, with particular emphasis on supporting Christian organisations.
The trust is a family-run charitable foundation based in Tintagel, Cornwall. In its most recent financial year (ending April 2025), the trust reported total income of £172,819 and total expenditure of £311,092, indicating it regularly draws on reserves to support its grant-making activities. Over recent years, expenditure has consistently exceeded income, suggesting a deliberate strategy of distributing accumulated funds to charitable causes.
The governing document grants trustees absolute discretion to support “such charitable institutions or charitable purposes as the Trustees shall think fit,” providing significant flexibility in grant-making decisions.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
The trust makes grants to organisations across a broad range of charitable purposes:
- General charitable purposes
- Education and training initiatives
- Health advancement and life-saving activities
- Disability support
- Poverty relief
- Overseas aid and famine relief
- Religious activities (with particular support for Christian organisations)
The trust also provides human resources and buildings/facilities/open space to charitable causes.
Priority Areas
- Christian organisations (stated as receiving “particular support”)
- Relief of poverty, deprivation, and disability
- Children and young people
- Elderly people
- People with disabilities
- Other charities and voluntary bodies
What They Don't Fund
No explicit exclusions are publicly documented. However, as a trust with Christian charitable emphasis, applications outside this focus may be less competitive.
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Governance and Leadership
The trust is overseen by four trustees (as of April 2025):
- Charles James Tapper (appointed 02 April 2025)
- Marianne Sylvia Tapper
- Michael Thomas
- Ronald Stanley Pile
Previous trustees have included Mrs Patricia Jean Pile and Dr Horace Francis Pile, indicating the trust has historically been managed by members of the Pile and Tapper families.
No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. None of the current trustees hold other recorded trusteeships with the Charity Commission.
The trust maintains policies covering:
- Financial reserves management
- Internal financial controls
- Investment of charity funds
- Risk management
- Safeguarding
- Trustee expenses
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
This funder does not have a public application process. There is no website, published application form, or documented application procedure. The governing document grants trustees “absolute discretion” in determining which charitable institutions or purposes to support.
Grants are likely awarded through:
- Direct relationships with the trustees
- Trustee-initiated identification of beneficiaries
- Connections within Christian charitable networks
- Potentially unsolicited approaches by letter to the trust's registered address
Organisations wishing to be considered for funding would need to write directly to the trust at:
The Bluff, Treknow, Tintagel, PL34 0EP
Decision Timeline
Not publicly documented. Given the small trustee body and family governance structure, decisions may be made at periodic trustee meetings.
Success Rates
Not publicly available.
Reapplication Policy
Not publicly documented.
Application Success Factors
Based on the trust's stated objectives and characteristics, organisations most likely to be considered for funding would:
- Demonstrate clear alignment with the relief of poverty, deprivation, or disability
- Have a Christian faith basis or connection
- Work with priority beneficiary groups: children/young people, elderly people, people with disabilities, or other charitable organisations
- Operate in England and Wales (the trust's stated geographic scope)
- Have a track record of effective charitable work
Given the trust's significant annual giving (over £300,000 in 2024/25) and lack of public application process, it appears the trustees actively identify and select beneficiary organisations rather than responding to open applications.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- No public application process - The trust operates at trustees' absolute discretion without published application procedures
- Christian focus - The trust gives “particular support” to Christian organisations, making this alignment potentially important
- Substantial funder - With annual expenditure exceeding £300,000, this is a meaningful grant-maker despite its low public profile
- Family-managed - The Pile and Tapper families have historically managed the trust, suggesting personal relationships may influence funding decisions
- Direct approach only - Organisations must write directly to the trust's registered address in Tintagel, Cornwall
- Broad charitable scope - While having a Christian emphasis, the trust supports diverse charitable purposes including health, education, disability, and overseas aid
- Regional base, national scope - Though based in Cornwall, the trust operates throughout England and Wales
Similar Funders
These funders frequently fund the same charities:
- Church Commissioners for England
- Christian Aid
- AKO Foundation
- The Education Endowment Foundation
- Charity of Sir Richard Whittington
- Cambridgeshire Community Foundation
- THE ZOCHONIS CHARITABLE TRUST
- P F Charitable Trust
- The Shanly Foundation
- Baron Davenport's Charity
- The Hiscox Foundation
- THE THOMAS J HORNE MEMORIAL TRUST
- SIR JOHN PRIESTMAN CHARITY TRUST
- FOWLER SMITH AND JONES TRUST
- The Green Hall Foundation
- The James Weir Foundation
- The Earl Fitzwilliam Charitable Trust
- GLOBAL REACH
- SMITH CHARITABLE TRUST
- THE CHAMPNISS FOUNDATION
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References
- Charity Commission Register of Charities - Forest Hill Charitable Trust Overview: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1050862&subid=0
- Charity Commission - What, Who, How, Where page: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1050862/what-who-how-where
- Charity Commission - Full Print Record: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1050862/full-print
- CharityChoice - Forest Hill Charitable Trust: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/forest-hill-charitable-trust
- TotalGiving - Forest Hill Charitable Trust: https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/charity/forest-hill-charitable-trust