Heveningham Hall Country Fair Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £263,657 (2024)
• Total Raised Since Launch: Over £1,000,000
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Variable (from small community grants to £40,000+)
• Geographic Focus: Six parishes in Suffolk (Cookley, Cratfield, Heveningham, Huntingfield, Laxfield, and Walpole)

Contact Details

• Website: www.countryfair.co.uk
• Email: enquiries@countryfair.co.uk
• Phone: 01986 798151
• Charity Number: 1095403
• Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter @heveninghamhall

Overview

The Heveningham Hall Country Fair Trust was registered as a charity in 2002. The trust operates the annual Heveningham Hall Country Fair, Heveningham Concours, and Heveningham Fireworks events to generate funds for charitable purposes. With total income of £246,575 and expenditure of £263,657 in 2024, the trust has raised over one million pounds since its inception. The charity is managed by three trustees and supported by approximately 200 volunteers, with no paid staff.

The trust's mission is focused on the relief of need and the advancement of Christian faith within a specific geographic area of rural Suffolk. The trust makes grants to both organizations and individuals, supporting a diverse range of causes including healthcare, community facilities, educational institutions, sports clubs, and individual cases of need. Their approach combines substantial multi-year grants to larger organizations with smaller community project grants.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate formal grant programs with set application cycles. Instead, grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on identified local needs and incoming enquiries.

Grant Examples:

• Major grants: £30,000-£40,000 (example: Pear Tree Fund received £40,000 in 2024, £30,000 in 2023)
• Community project grants: Variable amounts for village halls, playgrounds, church repairs, medical equipment
• Individual support: Confidential grants for local cases of need
• Educational support: Equipment grants to local schools, scholarships (including full 'i-mobility' design scholarship at Royal College of Art)

Priority Areas

Healthcare and Social Care:

• Local dementia units (including Halesworth Dementia Carers' Fund)
• Community nursing facilities (substantial contribution to Community Care Nursing Fund centre)
• Emergency services (East Anglian Air Ambulance)
• Palliative and bereavement support (Pear Tree Fund)

Community Infrastructure:

• Village hall improvements (Cratfield village hall upgrades)
• Community playgrounds (Heveningham community area playground)
• Emergency equipment (defibrillators for parishes)
• Church repairs (Huntingfield church)

Education:

• Equipment for local schools
• Scholarships for higher education

Sports and Recreation:

• Local sports clubs including Halesworth Town F.C., Waveney Gymnastics Club, Yoxford Cricket Club, Southwold Rugby Club, and Southwold Tennis Club

Individual Support:

• Relief of need for individuals in the designated parishes
• Confidential case-by-case assistance

What They Don't Fund

The trust's funding is strictly limited to the six designated parishes: Cookley, Cratfield, Heveningham, Huntingfield, Laxfield, and Walpole in Suffolk. Organizations or individuals outside this geographic area are not eligible.

Ready to write a winning application for Heveningham Hall Country Fair Trust?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by three trustees who serve without remuneration. The charity operates with a volunteer base of approximately 200 people who support the fundraising events. Specific trustee names and backgrounds are available through the Charity Commission register.

The trust maintains a lean operational structure with no paid employees and no trading subsidiaries, ensuring that proceeds from events go directly to charitable purposes.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a formal public application process with set deadlines or application forms. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on:

• Direct knowledge of local needs within the designated parishes
• Enquiries submitted by email to enquiries@countryfair.co.uk
• Relationships with local organizations and community leaders

Organizations interested in support should email their enquiries with details about their project, funding need, and how it serves the designated parish communities.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed and likely vary depending on the nature and scale of the request. The trust appears to make funding decisions throughout the year rather than at fixed intervals.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

No information is publicly available regarding reapplication policies. However, the Pear Tree Fund received support in consecutive years (£30,000 in 2023, £40,000 in 2024), suggesting that previous recipients can receive ongoing support.

Application Success Factors

Geographic Eligibility is Paramount: Your organization or project must directly serve one or more of the six designated parishes: Cookley, Cratfield, Heveningham, Huntingfield, Laxfield, and Walpole. This is a strict requirement based on the trust's charitable objects.

Local Connection and Visibility: The trust appears to identify funding opportunities through local knowledge and community connections. Organizations that are active and visible within the designated parishes are more likely to be considered.

Diverse Funding Portfolio: The trust supports a wide range of causes, from individual hardship cases to major healthcare facilities. Don't assume your project is too small or too large - recent grants have ranged from equipment purchases to £40,000 contributions.

Multi-Year Support Potential: The pattern of consecutive grants to the Pear Tree Fund suggests the trust may provide sustained support to causes that demonstrate ongoing impact and need.

Community Benefit Focus: Successful grants appear to address genuine community needs, particularly in areas where local services have been reduced (such as the closure of the local hospital leading to support for alternative healthcare provision).

Clear Communication: Given the informal application process, organizations should email clear, concise enquiries that explain the need, the proposed solution, the funding required, and the benefit to the designated parish communities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic restriction is absolute: Only organizations serving Cookley, Cratfield, Heveningham, Huntingfield, Laxfield, and Walpole are eligible
• No formal application process: Email enquiries to enquiries@countryfair.co.uk with project details rather than expecting application forms
• Wide funding range: Recent grants have varied from small community projects to £40,000, so don't self-select out based on project size
• Local presence matters: Being known and active in the designated parishes appears to be advantageous for funding consideration
• Healthcare and community infrastructure are strong priorities: The trust has shown particular commitment to supporting health services, community facilities, and addressing gaps in local provision
• Patience may be required: Without formal deadlines or published decision schedules, the process timeline is unclear
• Repeat funding is possible: At least one organization has received support in consecutive years with increased amounts

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: Heveningham Hall Country Fair Trust (1095403) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1095403&subid=0 -
• Heveningham Hall Country Fair official website, Charity page: https://countryfair.co.uk/charity/ -
• The Pear Tree Fund press release “Thank you for your generosity!”: https://peartreefund.org/thank-you-for-your-generosity/ - March 2025
• The Pear Tree Fund press release “Thank you to our generous supporters!”: https://peartreefund.org/thank-you-to-our-generous-supporters/ - January 2024
• Charity Commission financial data for year ending 2024: Total income £246,575, Total expenditure £263,657