Gale Family Charity Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £344,211 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: £2,000 - £250,000
• Geographic Focus: Bedfordshire (Bedford and Central Bedfordshire)

Contact Details

Address: Northwood House, 138 Bromham Road, Bedford, MK40 2QW

Contact: Alistair Law

Phone: 01234 354508

Email: galefamilytrust@gmail.com

Charity Number: 289212

Overview

The Gale Family Charity Trust was established in 1984 by Horace, Marjorie, and Ronald Gale to support charitable causes in Bedfordshire. The trust operates as a grant-making foundation managing bequested funds, with a primary focus on Bedford and Central Bedfordshire. In the financial year ending April 2024, the trust had an income of £164,207 and distributed £344,211 in grants. The trust is governed by 8 trustees and operates without employees. Typically making small donations to various charities throughout the year, the trust demonstrated its capacity for responsive grant-making during the COVID-19 pandemic with an unprecedented £500,000 donation to local hospices in May 2020.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a discretionary grant-making program without published grant tiers or fixed amounts. Known grant awards range from £2,000 for smaller projects to £250,000 for major institutional support.

Application method: No public application process - grants appear to be awarded at trustee discretion

Priority Areas

The trust supports a broad range of charitable causes in Bedfordshire including:

• Education and training
• Healthcare and saving lives
• Disability support
• Accommodation and housing
• Religious activities (including churches and church ministries)
• Homelessness services
• Heritage and restoration projects
• General charitable purposes

What They Don't Fund

• Organizations operating outside Bedfordshire
• Non-charitable causes

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by 8 trustees. Contact for grant-related inquiries is Alistair Law at Northwood House, Bedford. One or more trustees receive payments or benefits from the charity for providing services to the charity, as disclosed in the Charity Commission register.

The trust was founded by Horace, Marjorie, and Ronald Gale, and continues to honor their legacy of supporting Bedfordshire communities.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Gale Family Charity Trust does not have a public application process. Grants appear to be awarded at the discretion of the trustees. Organizations seeking support may contact the trust directly using the contact details provided above to introduce their work and express interest in funding.

The trust has historically supported a variety of organizations in Bedford and Central Bedfordshire, suggesting they maintain awareness of local charitable activities through trustee connections and community knowledge.

Decision Timeline

No public information is available about decision timelines or grant award schedules.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available.

Application Success Factors

While the trust does not operate a formal application process, analysis of their known grants suggests the following factors may be important:

Geographic focus: The trust has a clear mandate to support Bedfordshire, specifically Bedford and Central Bedfordshire. Organizations must operate in or serve this geographic area.

Responsive to community needs: The trust's 2020 hospice donation demonstrates willingness to make exceptional grants in response to urgent community needs. They typically make smaller grants throughout the year but can mobilize significant funds when circumstances require.

Broad charitable scope: The trust supports diverse causes including health, education, disability, housing, homelessness, religious organizations, and heritage preservation. This suggests trustees value a wide range of charitable activities that benefit the Bedfordshire community.

Local connections: Without a public application process, having established connections in the Bedford charitable sector or being known to the trustees may be advantageous.

Examples of funded projects:

• £250,000 to Keech Hospice Care (2020)
• £250,000 to Sue Ryder St John's Hospice (2020)
• £5,000 to SMART CJS for homelessness support
• £2,000 to St Michael and All Angels' Church, Shefford for tower restoration

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process - grants are awarded through trustee discretion; direct contact via the provided email or phone is the only route to introduce your organization
• Strong Bedfordshire focus - the trust exclusively supports charitable causes in Bedford and Central Bedfordshire
• Flexible grant sizes - the trust has awarded grants ranging from £2,000 to £250,000, suggesting they can scale support to match the project and need
• Responsive to crisis - the unprecedented 2020 hospice donation shows the trust can act decisively to support critical community needs
• Diverse interests - the trust supports a wide range of causes including health, education, housing, homelessness, disability, and religious organizations
• Well-established legacy trust - operating since 1984, managing bequested funds from the Gale family
• Contact Alistair Law - direct contact at galefamilytrust@gmail.com or 01234 354508 to introduce your organization and work

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Garfield Weston Foundation
• The Grace Trust
• Bernard Lewis Family Charitable Trust
• THE EVESON TRUST
• THE ZOCHONIS CHARITABLE TRUST
• THE SIR JAMES KNOTT TRUST
• THE BARBOUR FOUNDATION
• THE EVELYN TRUST
• The Britford Bridge Trust
• THE BRIDGE TRUST
• The Wixamtree Trust
• THE PAUL BASSHAM CHARITABLE TRUST
• PILKINGTON CHARITIES FUND
• DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Medicash Foundation
• THE WILLIAM ALLEN YOUNG CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Patricia Routledge Foundation
• G J W Turner Trust
• THE FULMER CHARITABLE TRUST
• THE BOSHIER-HINTON FOUNDATION

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=289212
• CVS Bedfordshire Funders Directory: https://www.cvsbeds.org.uk/fundersinbedfordshire
• SMART CJS Grant Announcement: https://smartcjs.org.uk/gale-trust-grant-smart-cjs/
• Bedford Independent - Hospice Donation Article: https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/bedfords-gale-family-trust-donates-500000-to-local-hospices/
• Find That Charity: https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-289212