Help The Homeless Limited

Quick Stats

• Registered Charity Number: 271988
• Annual Giving: Approximately £50,000
• Number of Grants: 15-20 grants per year
• Grant Range: Up to £5,000
• Decision Time: 8 weeks from quarterly deadline
• Geographic Focus: United Kingdom (England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland)
• Established: 1975

Contact Details

Address: 42 Roman Way, Southwick, Brighton BN42 4TN

Phone: 07717 004504

Email: hth@help-the-homeless.org.uk

Website: www.help-the-homeless.org.uk

Twitter: @HtHTrust

Important Note: The charity does not have a full-time member of staff and is unable to enter into telephone conversations. All contact should be via email or their online contact form.

Overview

Help the Homeless Limited is a grant-giving trust founded in 1975 following a National Appeal chaired by Sir Robert Mark, the then Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, which raised a substantial initial capital sum. Since its founding, the charity has awarded grants totalling almost £3 million to support the care and treatment of single homeless people across the UK.

The charity's principal aim is to help homeless people off the streets and enable them to live healthy, independent lives. Operating with five trustees and no paid staff, Help the Homeless financially supports hostels, drop-in centres and similar facilities with grants. The organisation specifically favours small, grassroots charities working with the most vulnerable people in their communities, including those who are ill, discharged offenders, drug and alcohol addicts, or facing other adverse circumstances. For the financial year ending 31 March 2025, the charity had a total income of £73,626 and total expenditure of £105,683, maintaining its commitment to direct support for frontline homeless services.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Capital Grants Programme

• Amount: Up to £5,000 per grant
• Type: Capital costs only
• Frequency: Quarterly awards (typically 15-20 grants annually totalling approximately £50,000)
• Application Method: Online application form via quarterly deadlines

Priority Areas

Help the Homeless funds capital projects that help homeless people return to the community and rebuild their lives, including:

• Equipment purchases: Kitchen equipment, café furniture, fixtures and fittings for homeless facilities
• Building refurbishments: Kitchen refurbishments, accommodation improvements, facility upgrades
• Furniture: Items for hostels, supported housing, drop-in centres, and move-on accommodation
• Capital improvements: Physical improvements to buildings used for homeless services

The charity particularly favours:

• Small, grassroots charities (turnover under £500,000 annually)
• Projects finding practical ways to help disadvantaged individuals through training or residential facility provision
• Charities working wholly or mostly with homeless people
• Organisations helping vulnerable people with complex issues

What They Don't Fund

Explicitly Excluded:

• Running costs or core operational expenses
• Salaries or staff costs
• Computers and IT equipment
• General community work not focused on homelessness
• Foodbanks
• Direct donations to individuals
• Multi-year funding requests

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Governance and Leadership

The charity is governed by five trustees who receive no remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity. The organisation operates without paid employees and has no trading subsidiaries, keeping administrative costs minimal to maximize funds available for grants.

The charity was established in 1975 with support from Sir Robert Mark, then Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, who chaired the first National Appeal that raised the initial capital sum. This founding legacy continues to inform the charity's commitment to supporting frontline services for vulnerable homeless individuals.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted via the online application form only available on their website at www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/applying-for-funding.

Quarterly Deadlines: Applications close at 5pm on:

• 20th March
• 20th June
• 20th September
• 20th December

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be a registered charity with the Charity Commission (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) or registered Scottish Charity
• Annual turnover must be less than £500,000
• Must work wholly or mostly with homeless people
• Application must be for capital project funding only

Applicants can review examples of recent grants on the charity's “Recent Grants” page before applying.

Decision Timeline

Decision Period: Applicants will be informed of the Trustees' decision within eight weeks of each quarterly deadline.

Notification Method: Decisions are communicated via email.

Success Rates

Help the Homeless awards between 15 and 20 grants per year from an unspecified number of applications. With approximately £50,000 distributed annually across these grants, the average grant size is typically £2,500-£3,000, though grants can reach the maximum of £5,000.

Reapplication Policy

Minimum Gap Required: There must be a minimum period of two years between receipt of a decision or grant from Help the Homeless and making a further application.

This applies whether the previous application was successful or unsuccessful, ensuring fair access to limited funds across the sector.

Application Success Factors

Based on the charity's stated priorities and recent grant awards, successful applications typically demonstrate:

Alignment with Core Mission

• Direct homelessness focus: Projects must work wholly or mostly with homeless people, not general community development
• Capital investment: Clear need for specific equipment, furniture, or building improvements rather than ongoing operational support
• Practical solutions: Funding aims to find practical ways to help disadvantaged individuals through training or residential facility provision, not merely short-term shelter

Recent Funded Projects Demonstrate Pattern

Examples of successful grants include:

• Lifeline Harrogate (£4,000): Kitchen refurbishments in a group home for supported housing for homeless men and women with complex issues
• Dover Outreach Centre (£5,000): Refurbishment of move-on accommodation to help people transition into stable housing
• Back on Track, Manchester (£3,000): Upgraded café furniture for learning center supporting vulnerable adults

Strong Applications Show

• Specific capital need: Clearly defined equipment or refurbishment requirements with costs
• Small charity scale: Organisations with turnover under £500,000, particularly grassroots operations
• Vulnerable populations: Working with homeless people facing complex issues (mental health, addiction, offending backgrounds)
• Pathway to independence: Projects helping homeless people rebuild their lives and return to the community
• Infrastructure investment: Improving facilities that provide direct services to homeless individuals

Practical Considerations

• Ensure your charity registration and turnover are clearly documented
• Provide specific costs for capital items needed
• Demonstrate how the capital investment will improve services for homeless people
• Show understanding of the charity's focus on small grassroots organisations
• Time your application to meet quarterly deadlines with sufficient preparation time

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Capital only, small scale: This funder exclusively supports capital projects (equipment, furniture, refurbishments) up to £5,000 for small charities under £500,000 turnover - do not apply for salaries, running costs, or IT equipment.

1. Homelessness-specific: Your charity must work wholly or mostly with homeless people; general community work or foodbanks are not eligible regardless of homeless service elements.

1. Plan for the two-year gap: Whether successful or not, you cannot reapply for two years after receiving a decision, so ensure your application is well-prepared and timed appropriately.

1. Quarterly deadlines are firm: Applications close at 5pm on the 20th of March, June, September, and December - late applications will wait until the next cycle, adding months to your timeline.

1. Limited contact available: With no full-time staff, telephone conversations are not possible - all queries must be via email or the online contact form, so factor in response times when planning.

1. Grassroots focus: The charity explicitly favours small, grassroots organisations helping vulnerable people with complex issues - emphasize your local, hands-on approach to serving homeless individuals.

1. Eight-week decision window: You will receive a decision within eight weeks of the quarterly deadline, providing relative certainty for project planning compared to rolling grant programmes.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• THE ARCHBISHOPS' COUNCIL
• The British Film Institute
• Christian Aid
• The Henry Smith Foundation
• BENEFACT TRUST LIMITED
• Trust for London
• The Tudor Trust
• Cystic Fibrosis Trust
• The Brain Tumour Charity
• The Big Give Trust
• Fight for Sight
• ACTION MEDICAL RESEARCH
• SF Foundation
• THE A B CHARITABLE TRUST
• Hertfordshire Community Foundation
• The Greggs Foundation
• PROSTATE CANCER RESEARCH
• The Charles Hayward Foundation
• National Lottery
• THE UNITED SOCIETY

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: HELP THE HOMELESS LIMITED - 271988. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/271988 []

• Help the Homeless official website. Available at: https://www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/ []

• Help the Homeless - Applying for Funding. Available at: https://www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/applying-for-funding []

• Help the Homeless - Recent Grants. Available at: https://www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/recent-grants []

• Help the Homeless - Contact. Available at: https://www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/contact []

• Action Together - Help the Homeless Grant Scheme. Available at: https://www.actiontogether.org.uk/help-homeless-grant-scheme []

• Funding for All - Help the Homeless. Available at: https://fundingforall.org.uk/funds/help-the-homeless/ []