May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £102,394 (FY ending 05 April 2025)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly available
• Geographic Focus: National charities OR organizations working principally in South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, East Lancashire, and Cheshire
• Charity Number: 1008638

Contact Details

Address: BHP LLP, Albert Works, 71 Sidney Street, Sheffield, S1 4RG

Phone: 0114 266 7171

Email: paul.randall@bhp.co.uk

Website: No public website identified

The trust is administered through BHP LLP, Chartered Accountants in Sheffield. Contact Paul Randall for inquiries.

Overview

The May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust is a long-established grant-making trust, registered with the Charity Commission on 24 February 1992. The trust operates as an endowed charitable trust that does not raise funds from the public, instead distributing income from its assets to charitable organizations. With expenditure of £102,394 in the financial year ending April 2025, the trust provides support to charities working across a range of causes. The trust maintains a regional focus while also supporting national charities, with particular emphasis on organizations serving South Yorkshire and surrounding areas. The trust is managed by four trustees and administered through BHP LLP, a Sheffield-based chartered accountancy firm. Financial reporting is maintained on time with the Charity Commission.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a single grant-making program without publicly advertised application rounds or specific program streams. Grant amounts and typical funding ranges are not publicly disclosed.

Priority Areas

The May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust supports organizations working in the following areas:

• General Charitable Purposes: Broad charitable activities that benefit the community
• Education and Training: Educational initiatives and skills development programs
• Health: Projects that advance health or save lives
• Disability: Support for people with disabilities and organizations serving them
• Poverty Relief: Initiatives that prevent or relieve poverty
• Accommodation and Housing: Projects addressing housing needs and homelessness

Who They Support

The trust makes grants to charitable organizations that help:

• Children and young people
• Elderly people
• People with disabilities
• Other charities and voluntary bodies

Geographic Scope

The trustees' policy is to support either:

• National charities working across the United Kingdom, OR
• Regional charities working principally in South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, East Lancashire, and Cheshire

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. As the trust does not have a public application process, eligibility is determined at the trustees' discretion.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by four trustees:

1. Michael Ross Ward
2. Charles Howard Ringrose
3. Richard David Law
4. William Alfred Munro

None of the trustees receive remuneration for their service to the trust.

Administration

The trust is administered by BHP LLP, Chartered Accountants, based in Sheffield. Paul Randall serves as the primary contact for trust matters.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process. The May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust does not maintain a website, publish application guidelines, or advertise open grant rounds. The trust appears to operate on a trustee-discretion model, where grants are awarded to organizations identified by the trustees rather than through competitive application processes.

Organizations interested in the trust's support may consider contacting Paul Randall at BHP LLP to inquire whether the trust would consider supporting their work, though there is no guarantee of response or consideration.

Decision Timeline

No information is publicly available regarding decision-making timelines or meeting schedules for the trustees.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly available due to the absence of a formal application process.

Reapplication Policy

No reapplication policy is documented as the trust does not operate a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the absence of a public application process, success factors are difficult to determine. However, based on the trust's documented priorities and geographic focus, organizations most likely to receive support would be:

Geographic Alignment

• Organizations based in or primarily serving South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, East Lancashire, or Cheshire
• Well-established national charities with proven track records

Cause Alignment

• Projects clearly falling within the trust's priority areas (education, health, disability, poverty relief, housing)
• Organizations serving the trust's stated beneficiary groups (children/young people, elderly people, people with disabilities, other charities)

Organizational Characteristics

• Registered charities or voluntary bodies (the trust specifically makes grants to organizations, not individuals)
• Organizations with demonstrable community impact in their geographic area

Practical Considerations

• As the trust operates on an annual expenditure of approximately £100,000, successful applicants are likely smaller to medium-sized organizations rather than large institutions
• The trust may favor established relationships and organizations known to the trustees through their networks in the South Yorkshire region

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - this trust awards grants at the trustees' discretion rather than through open competition
• Regional focus is strong - despite supporting national charities, the trust's Sheffield base and regional priorities suggest a preference for organizations serving South Yorkshire and surrounding areas
• Broad charitable remit - the trust supports a wide range of causes, offering flexibility in the types of projects that might be considered
• Modest annual giving - with expenditure around £100,000 annually, this is a small to medium-sized trust that likely makes grants in the low to mid four-figure range
• Established trust - registered since 1992, the trust has a long history of grant-making in the region
• Contact through accountants - all inquiries must go through BHP LLP, suggesting a formal administrative structure despite the lack of public application process
• Limited transparency - the absence of published guidelines, grant lists, or success rates means organizations cannot easily assess their chances of success

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Ken and Edna Morrison Charitable Trust
• Stadium Charitable Trust
• Brian Wilson Charitable Trust
• THE MICHAEL MARSH CHARITABLE TRUST
• THE J F BRIGNALL CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Pople Charitable Trust
• The Bassil Shippam and Alsford Trust
• J N Derbyshire Trust
• THE LORD AUSTIN TRUST
• MOLE CHARITABLE TRUST

References

1. Charity Commission for England and Wales - May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust, Charity Number 1008638. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1008638 (Accessed: 4 February 2026)

1. Charity Commission - Contact Information for May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1008638/contact-information (Accessed: 4 February 2026)

1. Charity Commission - Full Print Overview of May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1008638/full-print (Accessed: 4 February 2026)

1. NGO Explorer - May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust Profile. Available at: https://ngoexplorer.org/charity/1008638 (Accessed: 4 February 2026)

1. Charity Choice - May Hearnshaw Charitable Trust Directory Entry. Available at: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/may-hearnshaw-charitable-trust-103994 (Accessed: 4 February 2026)