Harborne and Smethwick Charitable Trust

Harborne and Smethwick Charitable Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1177527).

The trust exists to help people in need who live in the ancient parish of Harborne. Its endowments include one from a benefactor's will, and for its first two hundred years it acted only as a grant-making trust before also providing almshouses for people unable to meet their housing need in the parish. It awarded £222,850 in its most recent annual report. It runs organisational grants assessed in four rounds each year, alongside an individual grants programme for people in immediate poverty and crisis.

Priority Areas

Harborne and Smethwick Charitable Trust directs organisational grants towards identified needs in the ancient parish, setting an annual strategy using primary data on local needs and local economic and social plans. Target areas include child poverty, debt management, food and household goods distribution, older people living social isolation, and younger people at risk of becoming NEET. It also runs individual grants for people facing immediate poverty and crisis, supporting items that relieve need and cannot readily be funded elsewhere, such as white goods or essential furniture. Organisational applicants are invited to describe the group they will work with, expected outcomes and public benefit. The trust monitors grants after twelve months, or sooner for a shorter project, to check that money was spent as stated and expected results were achieved. Its wider charitable work also includes almshouses for people unable to meet their housing need in the ancient parish.

Themes

• Child poverty
• Debt management
• Food and household goods
• Older people's isolation
• At-risk NEET young people

Geographic Focus

The Ancient Parish of Harborne.

Organisational applications are assessed in four rounds each year. Applicants are asked to describe the group they wish to work with, the outcomes they expect to achieve and the public benefit of the work. The charity monitors use of the grant and the results after twelve months, or sooner for shorter projects.

Who can apply:

• Grants to Individuals: Applicants must be permanent residents of the charity’s geographical area. Grants are only awarded for the relief of poverty to applicants on a restricted income.

What to send:

• Grants to Organisations: The Charity’s grants to organisations application form and a copy of the organisation’s audited accounts.