Ian M Foulerton Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1164969

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £150,185 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: £2,000 - £5,000 (based on documented grants)
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales, with particular focus on Sussex
  • Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: Thomas Eggar House, Friary Lane, Chichester, PO19 1UF

Phone: 01243 786111

Email: foulerton@irwinmitchell.com

Overview

The Ian M Foulerton Charitable Trust (registered charity 1164969) was established in 2015 and focuses on the preservation, conservation, protection, and restoration of buildings of historic, architectural, artistic, or scientific interest. The trust operates throughout England and Wales with a particular emphasis on supporting heritage conservation education and historic religious buildings. With annual expenditure of £150,185 in 2024 (against income of £55,880), the trust appears to be drawing on existing reserves to fulfill its charitable mission. The trust is administered through Irwin Mitchell LLP in Chichester, with Thomas Eggar Trust Corporation Limited serving as a corporate trustee alongside individual trustees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate formal grant programs with public application processes. Instead, funding is awarded through trustee discretion and established partnerships with heritage organizations. Known funding streams include:

  • Building Conservation Bursaries: Full or part-time bursaries covering course costs, travel, and accommodation for historic building conservation training (amounts vary)
  • Sussex Endangered Crafts Fund: Grants up to £2,000 for craft practitioners and organizations to support endangered traditional crafts (administered through Sussex Heritage Trust and Heritage Crafts Association)
  • Religious Building Restoration: Project-specific grants for church organ restoration and similar projects (e.g., £5,000 grant documented)
  • Heritage Skills Development: Funding for taster days and training events for young people (18-25) and those retraining in traditional building skills

Priority Areas

  • Historic building conservation training and education
  • Traditional building skills and endangered heritage crafts
  • Religious building restoration and preservation
  • Heritage skills development for young people and career changers
  • Building conservation projects in Sussex and surrounding areas

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly documented, the trust's focus is clearly on:

  • Heritage conservation and historic buildings only
  • Geographic focus on England and Wales
  • Based on known grants, does not appear to fund modern buildings, new construction, or non-heritage related causes
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • John Francis McEvoy - Chair (appointed March 2015)
  • Duncan Bernard O'Kelly - Trustee (appointed March 2015)
  • Thomas Eggar Trust Corporation Limited - Corporate Trustee (appointed March 2014)

The trust is administered through Irwin Mitchell LLP, with Thomas Eggar Trust Corporation Limited providing professional trustee services. According to Charity Commission records, no trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Simon Knight, Chairman of Sussex Heritage Trust, commented on funding from the Ian M Foulerton Charitable Trust and other supporters: “Without the support of our sponsors and grants providers, many of these vital traditional building skills would be lost.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Ian M Foulerton Charitable Trust awards grants through trustee discretion and established partnerships with intermediary organizations. Organizations seeking support cannot apply directly to the trust.

Grants are made to both organizations and individuals, but access is typically through:

  • Partnership arrangements with organizations like Sussex Heritage Trust
  • Trustee identification of suitable projects and beneficiaries
  • Potentially through approach to trustees, though no formal process is documented

Accessing Funding Through Partner Organizations

While you cannot apply directly to the Ian M Foulerton Charitable Trust, you may be able to access funding they support through:

Sussex Heritage Trust Endangered Crafts Fund: Craft practitioners and organizations in Sussex can apply for grants up to £2,000 for projects supporting endangered or critically endangered crafts (as listed on the Heritage Crafts Association Red List). Sussex-based applications are ring-fenced and compete only with other Sussex projects. Applications are submitted through the Heritage Crafts Association.

Building Conservation Bursaries: The trust funds bursaries through Sussex Heritage Trust for individuals aged 18-25 or those retraining in traditional building skills. These cover full course costs plus travel and accommodation for historic building conservation courses run in conjunction with Weald & Downland Living Museum and West Dean College of Arts and Conservation.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available, as grants are awarded through trustee discretion rather than application cycles.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to lack of public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this trust operates without a public application process, the following factors appear to characterize their funding approach:

  • Partnership model: The trust works through established intermediary organizations (particularly Sussex Heritage Trust) rather than accepting direct applications
  • Sussex focus: While registered for England and Wales, documented funding shows strong geographic focus on Sussex-based projects and beneficiaries
  • Skills preservation emphasis: Particular interest in ensuring traditional building skills and endangered crafts are passed on to younger generations (18-25 age group highlighted)
  • Education and training priority: Funding heavily weighted toward bursaries, courses, and skills development rather than pure capital projects
  • Heritage sector integration: The trust supports projects that fit within the broader heritage conservation ecosystem (listed buildings, endangered crafts on HCA Red List, etc.)

Recent Funded Projects:

  • Sussex Heritage Trust building conservation bursaries for full-time and part-time students
  • St Thomas' Church (Goring and Streatley) organ rebuild - £5,000
  • Sussex Endangered Crafts Fund grants up to £2,000 for traditional craft preservation
  • Heritage Skills Taster Days for young people and career changers

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No direct applications accepted - This trust does not have a public application process and grants are made through trustee discretion
  • Work through partners - Access funding through intermediary organizations like Sussex Heritage Trust rather than approaching the trust directly
  • Sussex connection helps - Documented grants show strong geographic focus on Sussex despite England and Wales remit
  • Target young practitioners - Clear priority for supporting 18-25 age group and those retraining in heritage skills
  • Heritage credentials essential - Projects must align with formal heritage conservation frameworks (listed buildings, HCA Red List of Endangered Crafts, etc.)
  • Training over capital - Funding appears weighted toward skills development, bursaries, and education rather than building works
  • Small to modest grants - Documented grants range from £2,000 to £5,000, suggesting this is not a major grant-maker for large capital projects

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