John And Penelope Lebus Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £194,610 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales
• Established: November 2022 (governing document from July 2020)

Contact Details

Address: S & W Partners, Stone Cross, Trumpington Road, Trumpington, Cambridge CB2 9SU

Phone: 07787556810

Email: ajlebus@yahoo.co.uk

Charity Number: 1201045

Note: This trust does not have a website or public application portal.

Overview

The John and Penelope Lebus Trust is a relatively new charitable trust registered with the Charity Commission in November 2022, operating under a trust deed dated July 2020. In its second year of operation (2024), the trust distributed £194,610 in grants. The trust operates as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation based in Cambridge and focuses on supporting registered charities throughout England and Wales that serve vulnerable populations. While the trust experienced significant initial funding through legacies (£3.97 million in 2023), its ongoing annual income has stabilized at approximately £131,335. The trust is family-run, with four trustees from the Lebus family, and operates without any trustee remuneration or administrative overhead, ensuring maximum impact from charitable expenditure.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust makes grants to registered charities in England and Wales. While specific grant amounts are not publicly disclosed, the trust distributed £194,610 in grants during 2024. There is no evidence of structured grant programs or fixed funding cycles - grants appear to be awarded on a discretionary basis by the trustees.

Application Method: No public application process - trustees make grant decisions at their discretion

Priority Areas

The trust focuses on supporting registered charities that address:

• Relief of Need: Supporting people experiencing circumstantial disadvantage, educational disadvantage, ill-health, disability, or financial hardship
• Children and Young People: Particular emphasis on supporting vulnerable children and youth
• Education: Supporting educational opportunities for disadvantaged individuals
• Health and Disability: Assisting those facing health challenges or living with disabilities

Known Grant Recipients:

• London Music Fund (music education charity)
• The Junction Foundation (Cambridge-based youth charity)

What They Don't Fund

Based on their stated charitable purposes, the trust does not fund:

• Organizations not registered as charities in England and Wales
• International organizations or causes outside England and Wales
• Individual applications (grants are made to charitable organizations, not individuals, despite the governing document mentioning individual grants)
• Commercial enterprises

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by four trustees, all members of the Lebus family:

Andrew Jonathan Lebus (Chair) - Appointed November 30, 2021. Also serves as a trustee of Friends of St Oswalds, Grasmere, demonstrating broader philanthropic engagement beyond the family trust.

Matthew John Lebus (Trustee) - Appointed November 30, 2021. No other recorded charity trusteeships.

Amanda Jane Carolyn Suzanne Lebus (Trustee) - Appointed November 30, 2021. No other recorded charity trusteeships.

Simon David Lebus MA, CBE (Trustee) - Appointed November 30, 2021. Former Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment Group (now Cambridge University Press and Assessment) from 2002-2018, and Interim Chief Regulator at Ofqual in 2021. He was appointed CBE in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours list for services to educational assessment. Currently serves as a Non-Executive Director to education technology companies and as a governor of The Perse School in Cambridge. He is also a Bye-Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. His extensive background in education and assessment suggests the trust values rigorous, impactful educational interventions.

Simon Lebus's leadership background indicates the trust likely appreciates evidence-based approaches, measurable outcomes, and professional governance in potential grant recipients. His involvement with Cambridge Commonwealth and Overseas Trusts and the Education Faculty demonstrates a commitment to educational access and equity.

Governance Notes:

• No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity
• The trust has no trading subsidiaries or property holdings
• All charitable expenditure goes directly to grant-making

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees, who appear to identify and select charitable beneficiaries through their own networks and knowledge of the charitable sector.

The trust does not accept unsolicited applications and there is no application portal, guidelines, or published criteria for grant awards. Organizations interested in securing funding from this trust cannot apply directly.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the trust operates on a discretionary basis without fixed decision cycles.

Success Rates

Not available due to the absence of a public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's discretionary grant-making model and the absence of a public application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have received grants from this trust share certain characteristics:

Alignment with Trustee Values:

• Educational Focus: With Simon Lebus's distinguished career in educational assessment and the trust's stated focus on educational disadvantage, organizations providing educational opportunities to disadvantaged children and young people appear to align with trustee priorities
• Cambridge Connections: The trust is based in Cambridge, and known recipient The Junction Foundation is also Cambridge-based, suggesting possible geographic preferences
• Music and Arts Education: Support for London Music Fund indicates interest in arts-based educational interventions for young people
• Professional Governance: Given the trustees' backgrounds, particularly Simon Lebus's experience in assessment and standards, organizations with strong governance and outcome measurement may appeal to trustee sensibilities

Recent Grant Recipients:

• London Music Fund: A music education charity that provides instruments, lessons, and performance opportunities to children who otherwise couldn't afford them - demonstrating the trust's interest in removing barriers to cultural and educational participation
• The Junction Foundation: A Cambridge-based charity supporting young people

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Direct Application Possible: This trust does not accept applications and selects beneficiaries at trustee discretion. Traditional grant-seeking strategies will not work.
• Focus on Children's Education and Welfare: The trust's stated priorities center on children and young people facing educational, health, or circumstantial disadvantage.
• Quality Over Quantity: With annual giving of approximately £195,000, this is a modest trust that likely makes selective, meaningful grants rather than numerous small awards.
• Evidence-Based Approach Likely Valued: Simon Lebus's background in educational assessment suggests trustees may value organizations that measure outcomes and demonstrate impact rigorously.
• Geographic Consideration: Being Cambridge-based with at least one Cambridge-focused grant recipient suggests possible preference for organizations operating in Cambridgeshire or with Cambridge connections, though the trust's remit covers all of England and Wales.
• Family Governance: As a family trust with all trustees sharing the Lebus surname, decision-making likely reflects shared family values around education, youth development, and social welfare.
• No Administrative Overhead: With zero trustee remuneration and direct grant-making representing essentially all expenditure, this trust operates with maximum efficiency - a model they may appreciate in potential beneficiaries.

References

• Charity Commission Register - John and Penelope Lebus Trust Full Details -
• London Music Fund Supporters Page -
• The Junction Foundation - John and Penelope Lebus Trust Supporter Acknowledgment -
• The Perse School - Simon Lebus CBE Biography -
• Charity Commission Register - John and Penelope Lebus Trust Overview -