John Feeney Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Registered Charity Number: 214486
• Annual Giving: £114,547 (2023)
• Grant Range: £500 - £10,000
• Decision Time: 2 months (applications close March 31, decisions by May 31)
• Geographic Focus: Birmingham and surrounding areas
• Application Method: Annual funding round (opens January 1, closes March 31)
• Fellowship Bursary: Up to £5,000 for individual practitioners

Contact Details

Address: Cobbetts, 1 Colmore Square, Birmingham, B4 6AJ

Phone: 07454 777090

Email: secretary@feeneytrust.org.uk

Website: www.feeneytrust.org.uk

Pre-application contact: Recommended if you are in full-time employment applying for a Fellowship, or if unsure about eligibility

Overview

The John Feeney Charitable Trust was established in 1905 from a bequest by John Feeney (1839-1905), founder of the Birmingham Daily Mail and proprietor of the Birmingham Daily Post. John Feeney left £50,000 to Birmingham Corporation to build the Feeney Galleries and purchase paintings, and 9% of his estate residue to establish this charitable trust with a capital fund of approximately £1.5 million.

The Trust operates as a small grant-making charity dedicated to promoting and cultivating the arts, heritage, and open spaces in or near Birmingham. In 2023, the Trust had an income of £82,427 and expenditure of £114,547, distributed through grants to public charities and Feeney Fellowships. The Trust maintains 11 trustees who serve without remuneration.

The charity is particularly committed to the “Spirit of Feeney” - making funding that creates significant, transformational impact for both project deliverers and participants. The Trust prioritizes projects that would not otherwise happen and focuses its limited resources on supporting Birmingham's culturally diverse communities and heritage.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Arts Projects: £500 - £2,000

• Grants for arts organisations based in or with a working presence in Birmingham
• Support for public performances, exhibitions, or publications
• Most grants fall within this range
• Application deadline: March 31

Arts Commissions: Up to £10,000

• Support for commissioning new artistic works of any art form
• For public performance or exhibition in Birmingham
• Trust prefers to be sole or primary commissioner
• Started commissioning orchestral works for CBSO in 1955
• Application deadline: March 31

Heritage Projects: £500 - £2,000

• Projects that deepen public understanding of Birmingham's heritage
• Widening public engagement with local heritage
• Cultural heritage projects documenting and celebrating marginalised communities especially welcome
• Application deadline: March 31

Open Spaces Projects: Up to £5,000

• Support for Birmingham's public open spaces
• Activities enabling people to explore and deepen their experience of city open spaces
• Honouring John Feeney's legacy protecting spaces like Warley Woods and Clent Hills
• Application deadline: March 31

Feeney Fellowships: Up to £5,000

• Annual bursary for Birmingham-based individual practitioners
• Arts, heritage, or open spaces sectors
• Primarily for freelancers (not full-time salaried positions)
• Minimum 3 years' professional experience required
• Skills development and/or business development support
• Application deadline: September 30
• Interview process for shortlisted candidates

Priority Areas

Arts

• Encouraging artistic ambition and excellence
• Arts projects offering significant reflection of Birmingham's culturally diverse history and future
• New works in any art form for public performance or exhibition
• Supporting organisations including Ex Cathedra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Celebrating Sanctuary, Flatpack Festival, mac, Surge Forward, Friction Arts, Birmingham Bach Choir, Women & Theatre, Cross Currents Festival, sampad, Birmingham Symphonic Winds, Birmingham Opera Company, CBSO Youth Orchestra, and Birmingham Royal Ballet

Heritage

• Projects deepening public understanding of Birmingham's heritage
• Cultural heritage projects documenting marginalised communities and unsung histories
• Time-critical moments in Birmingham's history
• Projects celebrating the city's diverse heritage for future generations

Open Spaces

• Activities enabling active involvement with Birmingham's open spaces
• Supporting public enjoyment of outdoor spaces
• Protecting and promoting parks and public areas near Birmingham

What They Don't Fund

Geographic Restrictions

• Projects that don't directly benefit the Birmingham area or people of Birmingham
• Activities not taking place in Birmingham (unless substantial engagement with Birmingham residents can be demonstrated)

Organisational Restrictions

• For-profit organisations (Grants and Commissions are for charitable/not-for-profit organisations only)
• Activities outside arts, heritage, and open spaces (as determined by John Feeney's Will which governs the Trust)
• Projects that have already taken place, started, or are due to take place before May 31 decision date

Fellowship Restrictions

• Individuals not living in Birmingham
• Those with less than 3 years' professional experience
• Full-time salaried employees (primarily geared towards freelancers - contact Trust first if in full-time employment)

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Governance and Leadership

Current Trustees (11 total)

According to available records, trustees include:

• Mr J R L Smith
• Hugh Carslake
• Stephen James Lloyd
• Michael Darby
• Charles King-Farlow
• Derek Montague Percy Lea
• Merryn Ford Lloyd
• Mrs Susan Wright
• Ms Anouk Perinpanayagam
• Mr William James Edward Southall

No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Trustee Commitment

The trustees meet once annually in May to make final decisions on Grant and Commission applications, and in November to consider Fellowship applications. The Trust emphasizes their commitment to the “Spirit of Feeney” - ensuring funding makes transformational impact.

Historical Context

The Trust has maintained continuous operation since 1905, guided by John Feeney's Will as its governing document. John Feeney was described by Joseph Chamberlain at his death in 1905 as “a generous and enlightened supporter” of Birmingham institutions.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Grants and Commissions (Organisations)

1. Acknowledgement: Automated acknowledgement sent upon submission (if not received, contact Trust Administrator)
2. One Application Per Year: Organisations may only submit one Grant or Commission application per funding round

Fellowships (Individuals)

1. Application Window: Opens in summer, closes September 30
2. Application Form: Submitted through website
3. Shortlisting: Conducted by trustees in November
4. Interview: Shortlisted applicants invited to interview with panel of Feeney Trustees
5. Assessment Criteria: Value of proposal to individual and contribution to Birmingham's arts, heritage, or open spaces sectors

Pre-Application Advice

The Trust recognizes the time and effort in preparing applications and encourages potential applicants to:

• Review grant application guidance carefully to determine fit
• Contact the Trust before applying if in full-time employment for Fellowships
• Understand the “Spirit of Feeney” and what the Trust values
• Ensure activities align with Birmingham focus and Trust priorities

Decision Timeline

Grants and Commissions

• Application Deadline: March 31
• Trustee Meeting: May
• Decision Notification: No later than 5:00 PM on May 31
• Total Timeline: Approximately 2 months from deadline to decision

Fellowships

• Application Deadline: September 30
• Trustee Meeting: November
• Interviews: Conducted in November for shortlisted candidates
• Decision Notification: No later than 5:00 PM on November 30
• Total Timeline: Approximately 2 months from deadline to decision

Success Rates

Specific success rate statistics are not publicly available. The Trust describes itself as a small charity that has seen significant growth in the range and volume of applications received. They focus on quality over quantity and prioritize limited resources on projects that would not otherwise happen.

Reapplication Policy

The Trust's reapplication policy is not explicitly stated in public guidance. Due to limited capacity, the Trust is unable to provide detailed feedback on unsuccessful applications. Potential reapplicants should note the Trust holds only one funding round per year for Grants and Commissions.

Application Success Factors

Demonstrating the “Spirit of Feeney”

The Trust consistently emphasizes their desire for funding to create transformational impact. Successful applications should demonstrate:

• How the project would not otherwise happen without Feeney support
• Transformational value for both project deliverers and participants
• Time-critical importance or unique opportunity for Birmingham

Geographic Connection

Applications must demonstrate:

• Direct benefit to Birmingham area or people of Birmingham
• Activities taking place in Birmingham (or exceptional demonstration of substantial Birmingham engagement)
• Strong connection to Birmingham's communities

Arts Priorities

For Arts Commissions:

• Trust prefers to be sole or primary commissioner (rather than one of many small funders)
• New works in any art form for public performance/exhibition in Birmingham
• Artistic ambition and excellence
• Significant reflection of Birmingham's culturally diverse history and future

Examples of previously supported commissions:

• Sir Arthur Bliss's Meditations on a Theme by John Blow (first commission, 1955)
• Michael Tippett's Piano Concerto
• Roxanna Panufnik's “A Faithful Journey” (CBSO, 2018)
• John McCabe's score for David Bintley's ballet “Arthur” (Birmingham Royal Ballet)
• Vanley Burke's “5000 Miles and 70 years” installation (mac, 2017)

Heritage Priorities

The Trust has explicitly stated: “Cultural heritage projects which document and celebrate marginalised communities and unsung histories for future generations are especially welcome.”

Strong heritage applications should:

• Deepen public understanding of Birmingham's heritage
• Widen public engagement with local heritage
• Document marginalized communities and unsung histories
• Capture time-critical moments in Birmingham's history
• Celebrate Birmingham's cultural diversity

Example of heritage project supported:

• Sampad's Artists in Schools Training Programme (2023) - enabled 20 artists to participate in paid training programme

Open Spaces Priorities

Given John Feeney's legacy in protecting Warley Woods and Clent Hills, the Trust values:

• Activities enabling people to explore Birmingham's open spaces
• Active involvement with the city's outdoor spaces
• Projects understanding the value of outdoors for people's benefit

Organisational Requirements

• Formally constituted with formal governing document
• Recent financial accounts prepared to accepted legal standard
• Charitable/not-for-profit status
• Based in Birmingham or working presence in Birmingham

Application Quality

The Trust values:

• Clear demonstration of project need and impact
• Realistic budgets (Budget Template required)
• Understanding of Trust's history and values
• Recognition of their limited capacity as a small charity
• Quality applications that respect the time trustees invest in decision-making

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

1. Transformational over incremental: The Trust seeks to enable projects that would not otherwise happen - demonstrate why Feeney funding is essential, not just helpful. Think transformational impact rather than incremental support.

1. Birmingham-centric focus: Every application must demonstrate direct benefit to Birmingham's people and/or take place in Birmingham. Generic regional applications won't succeed - be specific about Birmingham connections.

1. Cultural diversity welcome: The Trust explicitly prioritizes arts and heritage projects reflecting Birmingham's culturally diverse history and celebrating marginalised communities and unsung histories. Don't shy away from highlighting diversity.

1. Respect the timeline: Single annual funding round with firm deadlines (March 31 for Grants/Commissions, September 30 for Fellowships). Plan ahead - projects must not start before May 31 decision date.

1. Understand commission vs grant distinction: For arts work, commissions (up to £10,000) support new artistic creation where Trust prefers to be primary funder. Projects (£500-£2,000) support delivery of existing or developed work.

1. Small charity, big impact: With approximately £114,000 annual giving distributed across arts, heritage, open spaces, and fellowships, the Trust carefully selects projects for maximum impact. Quality and strategic fit matter more than volume.

1. John Feeney's legacy matters: Understanding the founder's history as Birmingham newspaper proprietor and supporter of arts galleries, parks, and civic life helps frame applications in line with Trust values. Reference this legacy where genuinely relevant.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Roughley Charitable Trust
• The Saintbury Trust
• C B and H H Taylor 1984 Trust
• George Fentham Birmingham Charity
• THE EVESON TRUST
• The Grimmitt Trust
• THE LORD AUSTIN TRUST
• The Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust
• Henry James Sayer Charity
• The Rowlands Trust

References

• John Feeney Charitable Trust Official Website: www.feeneytrust.org.uk
• Charity Commission Register, Charity Number 214486: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/214486
• Grant Application Guidance: https://www.feeneytrust.org.uk/grant-application-guidance
• About John Feeney and the Trust: https://www.feeneytrust.org.uk/about-john-feeney-and-the-trust
• Feeney Commissions History: https://www.feeneytrust.org.uk/commissioned-works
• Fellowships Programme: https://www.feeneytrust.org.uk/fellowships-1
• 2023 Grants Information: https://www.feeneytrust.org.uk/2023
• Charity Commission Financial Data for year ending December 31, 2023
• Wikipedia: John Feeney (newspaper proprietor): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Feeney_(newspaper_proprietor)
• Birmingham Open Spaces Forum: http://bosf.org.uk/john-feeney-charitable-trust-grants/