Hesed Trust

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 1000489
• Annual Giving: £100,000 - £125,000
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: UK and International (8 countries: Canada, Cuba, India, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, United States, Zambia)
• Application Process: No public application process - trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: 14 Chiltern Avenue, Cosby, Leicester, LE9 1UF

Phone: 0116 286 2990

Website: No website available

Email: No email address publicly available

Note: This funder does not have a public application portal or website. Contact must be made directly via telephone.

Overview

HESED TRUST is a UK registered charity established on 4th October 1990, operating for over 34 years. The trust is a small, privately-managed Christian grant-making charity with annual expenditure ranging between £100,000-£125,000. The charity's mission focuses on the relief of poor and people in need, and the support of Christian Ministers and Charities both in the UK and internationally. The trust operates with an all-volunteer governance structure, with three trustees and volunteers managing operations. HESED TRUST works closely with churches in the UK and partners with Ministries Without Borders on specific projects. The charity maintains a consistent international presence across eight countries, with particular focus on Africa, Asia, and South America, providing both financial support and practical aid to enable Christian ministers to reach communities with the Gospel.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a single grant-making program without named streams. Grant amounts are not publicly disclosed. The charity makes grants to both individuals and organisations, and also provides other forms of financial support and services beyond traditional grant-making.

Application Method: By trustee discretion - no public application process

Priority Areas

Primary Focus:

• Support for Christian ministers in the UK
• Provision of holidays and recreational facilities for ministers in need, helping them carry out their Christian ministry more effectively
• Relief of persons in conditions of need, hardship and distress
• Support for aged or sick persons
• Overseas aid and famine relief
• Support for overseas travel to enable ministers to reach people with the Gospel
• Practical aid projects in Africa, Asia, and South America

Activities Supported:

• General charitable purposes
• Education and training
• Advancement of health or saving of lives
• Prevention or relief of poverty
• Accommodation and housing
• Religious activities
• Advancement of the Christian faith

Beneficiaries:

• Children and young people
• Elderly and older people
• Other charities and voluntary bodies
• Christian ministers and church workers
• General public and defined community groups

What They Don't Fund

Information about specific exclusions is not publicly available. However, given the charity's explicit Christian focus, funding is likely limited to Christian ministries, churches, and projects that align with advancing the Christian faith.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust operates with three trustees who serve without remuneration:

1. Anna Sian Smith - Appointed 2020
2. Glyn Rawlings FCCA - Chartered Certified Accountant
3. John Charles Pennington Smith - Also serves as trustee for Ministries Without Borders International, The Sole 2 Soul Foundation, and The Shoe Zone Trust

Gender composition: 67% female, 33% male

Management Approach

The trust has established policies for financial controls, risk management, and conflict of interest. No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity, and there are no employees earning over £60,000. The charity maintains partnerships with Ministries Without Borders, an Evangelical neocharismatic Apostolic network of nearly 50 Christian churches forming part of the British New Church Movement.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

HESED TRUST operates by trustee discretion, meaning grants are awarded based on trustees' knowledge, relationships, and strategic priorities rather than through an open application system. There is no application form, online portal, or published application guidelines.

The charity works closely with churches in the UK and partners with established networks like Ministries Without Borders on specific projects. Grant decisions appear to be made through the trustees' direct awareness of needs within their Christian ministry networks.

For those wishing to be considered: Direct contact via telephone (0116 286 2990) is the only publicly available avenue. However, given the private nature of their grant-making, establishing a relationship or connection through their partner networks may be more effective than cold contact.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. As a small trust operating by trustee discretion, decisions may be made on a rolling basis as needs arise and funds permit, rather than to fixed deadlines.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available. Given the trust operates without public applications, traditional success metrics do not apply.

Reapplication Policy

No information about reapplication policies is publicly available.

Application Success Factors

Given that HESED TRUST does not operate a public application process, traditional success factors do not apply. However, the following insights from their public records may be relevant:

Alignment Factors:

• The trust explicitly states its commitment to "continue their support of Christian Ministers, Charities and the poor in both the UK and overseas as long as the Charity's funds allow"
• Focus on supporting ministers to enable them to “carry out their Christian ministry more effectively”
• Partnership approach - the trust “works closely with Churches in the UK and also Ministries without Borders and partners with them on specific projects”
• International dimension - active work in 8 countries with emphasis on Africa, Asia, and South America
• Dual focus: both direct relief to those in need AND support for Christian ministry infrastructure

Relationship Building:

• Connection to Ministries Without Borders network may be relevant for churches within or aligned with the British New Church Movement
• The trust's partnership approach suggests they work with organizations they already know and trust
• Trustee John Charles Pennington Smith's involvement with multiple Christian charities suggests interconnected networks

Strategic Priorities:

• Practical aid combined with Gospel outreach
• Support enabling ministers to undertake overseas travel for ministry purposes
• Provision of rest and recreation for ministers experiencing hardship
• Projects addressing poverty, housing, health, and education from a Christian perspective

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public applications: This trust does not accept unsolicited applications. Do not attempt to submit formal grant proposals through traditional channels.

• Network-based funding: The trust operates through established relationships with churches and Christian networks, particularly Ministries Without Borders. Connection to these networks is likely essential.

• Christian ministry focus: All funding relates to Christian faith advancement. Secular projects or projects from other faith backgrounds would not be considered.

• International scope valued: The trust maintains active presence in 8 countries and appears to value projects combining Gospel outreach with practical aid in developing nations.

• Small-scale operation: With annual expenditure around £100,000 and only 3 trustees, this is a modest operation. Grant amounts are likely to be correspondingly small rather than major capital funding.

• Trustee discretion paramount: The trustees intend to continue their support "as long as the Charity's funds allow," suggesting flexible, responsive grant-making based on available resources and trustees' assessment of need.

• Partnership model: The trust explicitly “works closely” with partners rather than operating at arm's length - suggesting they seek collaborative relationships rather than simply funding external projects.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• THE MACDAIBHIDH CHARITABLE TRUST
• Grimsdale Charitable Trust
• Forest Hill Charitable Trust
• The Matthew 25:35 Trust
• The Brownlee Charitable Trust
• The James Grace Trust
• UK Foundation for Christian Service
• The Grace Trust
• GRACE CHARITABLE TRUST
• Hinchley Charitable Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, HESED TRUST (Charity No. 1000489), https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1000489, accessed 28 January 2026

• Charity Commission, HESED TRUST Full Print Record, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1000489/full-print, accessed 28 January 2026

• Giving is Great, HESED TRUST Charity Factsheet, https://givingisgreat.org/database/charity-factsheet/?regNo=1000489, accessed 28 January 2026

• Charity Choice, Hesed Trust Directory Entry, https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/hesed-trust-106115, accessed 28 January 2026

• NGO Explorer, HESED TRUST (1000489), https://ngoexplorer.org/charity/1000489, accessed 28 January 2026

• Annual Reports and Accounts 2022-2024 (as reported to Charity Commission)