Hereford Municipal Charities
Charity Number: 218738
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Quick Stats
- Annual Income: £452,327 (Year ending December 2024)
- Annual Expenditure: £266,491 (Year ending December 2024)
- Grant Range: Small grants (amounts not publicly specified)
- Geographic Focus: City of Hereford only (within the legal boundaries as of 1972)
- Charity Number: 218738
Contact Details
- Address: 147 St Owen Street, Hereford HR1 2JR
- Phone: 01432 354002
- Email: clerk@herefordalmshouses.co.uk
Overview
Hereford Municipal Charities is a historic charitable foundation combining multiple ancient charities of the City of Hereford. Registered with the Charity Commission on 3 April 1964, the charity was previously known as “Hereford Municipal Charities (Inclusive of the Hereford Municipal Educational Foundation).” The charity operates under a Scheme dated 24th April 1972.
The charity operates three distinct branches serving residents within the legal boundaries of the City of Hereford as they existed in 1972:
- Almshouse Branch: Provides 80 almshouses for needy people over 60 years of age
- Eleemosynary Branch: Provides small grants for individuals in extreme need
- Apprenticing and Education Branch: Provides small grants towards educational needs or academic progress at school or university
The charity's mission encompasses education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty, and accommodation/housing provision. It serves children and young people, elderly people, people with disabilities, and other defined groups within its geographic boundary.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
Eleemosynary Branch (Poverty Relief)
- Small grants for individuals experiencing extreme hardship
- Combines historic charities including: John Abrahall, John Walter (Eleemosynary Charity), Provident Old Women's Pension Charity, Richard Gardiner's Eleemosynary Charity, Richard Vicars, The Annie Hall Fund, and William Leinthall
Apprenticing and Education Branch
- Small grants towards educational needs
- Support for academic progress at school or university
- Combines historic charities including: Jane Dowles, John Lewis, Richard Gardiner's Apprenticing and Educational Charity, Sarah Ward, and William Harper
Almshouse Branch
- Provision of 80 almshouse residences
- For needy persons aged 60 years and over
Priority Areas
- Poverty relief and hardship assistance
- Educational support for children and young people
- Housing for elderly people in need
- Support for people with disabilities
What They Don't Fund
- Applicants who are not residents within the legal boundaries of the City of Hereford (as defined in 1972)
- Organisations (grants are made to individuals only)
- Applicants outside the defined beneficiary groups
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Governance and Leadership
Trustees (9 total)
| Name | Role | Appointed |
|------|------|-----------|
| Polly Andrews | Chair | - |
| Hugh Brooks | Trustee | 15 March 2024 |
| Rhianon Robinson | Trustee | 19 January 2024 |
| Denis Brian Wilcox JP | Trustee | 1 June 2022 |
| David Ludwig Howerski | Trustee | 1 January 2021 |
| Elizabeth Foxton | Trustee | 1 July 2020 |
| Paul Morris | Trustee | 1 January 2018 |
| Susan Boulter | Trustee | 1 September 2015 |
| Marian Hawkes | Trustee | 1 May 2015 |
No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The Chair, Polly Andrews, is also a local councillor representing Widemarsh ward for the Liberal Democrats at Herefordshire Council, and is a retired Registered General Nurse.
The charity maintains comprehensive policies on safeguarding, complaints handling, trustee conflicts of interest, and risk management.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
This charity does not have a publicly documented application process. To enquire about grants or almshouse accommodation, applicants should contact the Clerk directly:
- Phone: 01432 354002
- Email: clerk@herefordalmshouses.co.uk
- Address: 147 St Owen Street, Hereford HR1 2JR
Eligibility Requirements
- Geographic: Must be a resident within the legal boundaries of the City of Hereford (as defined in 1972)
- Almshouse Branch: Must be aged 60 years or over and in financial need
- Eleemosynary Branch: Must be experiencing extreme financial hardship
- Education Branch: Must have educational needs or be pursuing academic progress
Decision Timeline
Not publicly documented. Applicants should enquire directly with the Clerk.
Reapplication Policy
Not publicly documented.
Application Success Factors
Based on the charity's stated purposes and structure:
- Demonstrate genuine need: The Eleemosynary Branch focuses on “extreme need” - applicants should clearly evidence their financial hardship
- Confirm residency: Be prepared to prove you live within the City of Hereford boundaries as they existed in 1972
- Education grants: Show how the funding will support educational needs or academic progress
- Almshouse applicants: Demonstrate both age eligibility (60+) and financial need
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- Strictly local: Only residents within the City of Hereford (1972 boundaries) are eligible - this is a firm geographic restriction
- Individual grants only: The charity makes grants to individuals, not to organisations
- Three distinct purposes: Poverty relief, educational support, and housing for the elderly - each branch has its own criteria
- Direct contact essential: No online application process exists; contact the Clerk directly to enquire
- Small grants: Both the Eleemosynary and Education branches are described as providing “small grants” - do not expect large sums
- Historic foundation: The charity combines multiple ancient charitable endowments under a unified structure
- Voluntary trustees: All trustees serve without payment, demonstrating community commitment
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References
- Charity Commission Register of Charities - Hereford Municipal Charities Overview: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/218738
- Charity Commission - Full Charity Print: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/218738/full-print
- Charity Commission - Accounts and Annual Returns: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/218738/accounts-and-annual-returns
- Find Groups Herefordshire - Hereford Municipal Charities: https://www.findgroups.org.uk/browse_groups/group/163
- Herefordshire Council - Councillor Polly Andrews: https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=19
Information