Oglesby Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1026669

Annual Expenditure: £3.2M
Geographic Focus: Throughout England

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £3 million
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only funder)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Under £5,000 - £1,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily North West England (Greater Manchester and surrounding areas)

Contact Details

  • Website: www.oglesbycharitabletrust.org.uk
  • Email: welcome@oglesbycharitabletrust.org.uk
  • Phone: 0161 638 9200
  • Location: Manchester

Important: The Trust does not accept speculative applications and advises against submitting unsolicited proposals, as these will not be considered and no individual feedback can be provided.

Overview

The Oglesby Charitable Trust was established in its current form in 2000 by Jean Oglesby CBE and her late husband Michael Oglesby CBE DL, founder of Bruntwood. Since 2001, the Trust has donated over £35 million to support charitable work across the North West of England. Operating as an independent family trust with a small dedicated team, the Trust currently distributes approximately £3 million annually with the overarching purpose of “Creating Thriving Communities.” The Trust operates on an invitation-only basis, identifying potential grantees through the trustees' and team's extensive professional and personal networks. Both Jean and Michael received the Prince of Wales Medal for Arts Philanthropy in November 2011, and Jean was awarded a CBE for services to Philanthropy in the North West in 2016.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Trust makes grants ranging from under £5,000 to over £1 million across four core funding priorities:

  • Arts: Supporting cultural organizations, theatres, music education, and creative activities
  • Environment: Funding climate change mitigation and environmental improvements
  • Health: Supporting health services, medical research, and wellbeing initiatives
  • Social Inequalities: Addressing root causes of inequality and supporting underserved communities

Grant Types Offered:

  • Exploratory funding for testing new approaches
  • Core and unrestricted funding
  • Capital funding
  • Project funding
  • The majority of grants are multi-year commitments

Special Initiatives:

  • Wellbeing Grants: Additional grants dedicated to wellbeing activities for staff and volunteers (2023-2024)
  • Green Grants: Up to £10,000 available for non-environmental grantholders to develop climate change mitigation and environmental improvements (launched 2023, rolled out 2024)

Application Method: Invitation-only; the Trust proactively identifies organizations through their networks

Priority Areas

The Trust seeks organizations that:

  • Are deeply connected to their purpose and communities
  • Demonstrate positive social impact
  • Are located and/or deliver charitable activity in the North of England
  • Have proposals that typically struggle to secure support elsewhere
  • Can demonstrate that people with direct experience inform their work
  • Consult communities in designing solutions

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Trust:

  • Does not accept unsolicited applications
  • Focuses exclusively on the North West region of England

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Jane Oglesby (Chair of Trustees): Former GP with extensive primary healthcare experience, passionate about health inequalities. Director of Focused Care and Shared Health Foundation, also promotes sustainable farming and wildlife conservation.
  • Chris Oglesby OBE (Trustee and CEO): Son of the Trust's founders, former CEO of Bruntwood. Board member of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and GM Business Board, interim Chair of Innovation GM, and Chair of the Manchester Business Sounding Board. Founding trustee of Onside Youth Zones and Young Manchester. Interested in cross-sector partnerships to address social issues.
  • Kathryn Graham (Trustee): Solicitor and former law firm partner specialized in trust and charity law for over 30 years. Trustee for multiple charities and private trusts.

Staff:

  • Louise Magill (Trust Manager): Background in fundraising in the charity sector with experience supporting under-served groups, focused on finding solutions to complex social problems.
  • Osman Mohamed (Trust Coordinator): Background in education and academic publishing, joined the Trust in 2023.

The Trustee Board comprises family members plus professional advisors, with a small staff team managing day-to-day activity.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Oglesby Charitable Trust operates an invitation-only model. They identify and invite organizations through their collective professional and personal networks.

The Trust explicitly advises against submitting speculative applications, as:

  • Unsolicited applications will not be considered
  • They cannot offer individual feedback on speculative proposals

Organizations cannot self-apply to this Trust.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only nature and relationship-based approach with a small team, timelines likely vary depending on individual circumstances.

Success Rates

Not publicly available due to the invitation-only nature of the Trust's grantmaking.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the Trust operates on an invitation-only basis rather than accepting applications.

Application Success Factors

The Trust's 10 Core Principles

For organizations that receive an invitation, understanding the Trust's approach is critical:

  1. Support well-planned work that demonstrates impact - They seek organizations with clear vision and measurable outcomes
  2. Get closely involved in supported projects - Trustees take active roles and maintain engaged relationships
  3. Provide support beyond financial means - They offer connections, advice, and access to their networks
  4. Willing to support early-stage, unproven approaches - They embrace risk and innovation
  5. Offer flexible funding - Core funding and multi-year grants are central to their approach
  6. Create collaborative relationships - They act as “critical friends” and partners
  7. Streamline application and reporting processes - Minimal bureaucracy
  8. Continuously learn from grantholders - They believe those with direct experience are the true experts
  9. Encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration - They connect charities and stakeholders
  10. Use impact monitoring to inform future grantmaking - Evidence-based approach

Organizational Characteristics They Value

  • Community Connection: All communities have inherent strengths; organizations should be deeply rooted in the communities they serve
  • Lived Experience: People with direct experience should inform organizational approaches
  • Root Causes: Focus on identifying and addressing underlying causes of inequalities
  • Sustainability: Recognition that meaningful change takes time (hence multi-year commitments)

Recent Funded Organizations (2022/23)

The Trust funded 57 organizations including:

  • Royal Exchange Theatre
  • Chethams School of Music
  • St Ann's Hospice
  • Manchester Youth Zone
  • OnSide Youth Zones
  • City of Trees
  • Universities of Liverpool, Manchester, and Salford
  • Safe Families for Children
  • Maggies

Notable Funding Example

University of Salford and National FASD Clinic received £150,000 (as part of £400,000 total funding) for research and a parenting course to support families of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The Trust's support enabled the team to attract additional funding from other sources.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: Organizations cannot apply directly; building relationships and visibility within North West philanthropic and charitable networks is essential
  • Multi-year commitment preference: The Trust understands change takes time and prefers long-term partnerships over one-off grants
  • Core funding available: Unlike many funders, they actively support core and unrestricted funding
  • Relationship-based approach: Close involvement and collaboration are central; they act as partners, not just funders
  • Risk-tolerant: Willing to support early-stage, unproven approaches and projects that struggle to secure funding elsewhere
  • Geographic specificity: Strong focus on North West England, particularly Greater Manchester region
  • Beyond money: They offer networks, connections, advice, and strategic support alongside funding

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References