Paddington Charitable Estates Educational Fund

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 312347
• Annual Income: £23,533 (2024)
• Annual Expenditure: £107,120 (2024)
• Grant Range: Individual grants typically £100-£1,000; School grants vary
• Total Individual Grants: Approximately £3,000-£5,000 annually
• Total Educational Grants: Approximately £2,600 annually
• Geographic Focus: Former Metropolitan Borough of Paddington (W2, W9, parts of NW8 and W10)
• Age Restriction: Under 25 for individual applicants

Contact Details

Address: 19th Floor, Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP

Telephone: 020 7641 1859

Email: cheadly-barton@westminster.gov.uk

Website: Applications via Westminster City Council - https://www.westminster.gov.uk/leisure-libraries-and-community/charities-and-community-grants/paddington-charities

Overview

The Paddington Charitable Estates Educational Fund was established in 1959 as part of the Paddington Charitable Estate's reorganization, receiving four-fifths of the umbrella charity's investment income. The fund has historical roots dating back to 1905 and has been part of the Paddington Charitable Estates structure since 1934. Operating alongside its sister charity, the Paddington Relief in Need Charity, the Educational Fund is managed by a single board of nine trustees. The charity serves the historic Paddington area, providing targeted educational support where other agencies cannot help. With an annual income of approximately £23,500 and expenditure exceeding £107,000 in 2024, the fund draws on capital reserves to maintain its vital support for young people's education in one of London's most diverse communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Individual Educational Grants: Typically £100-£1,000 per grant

• Financial assistance for educational courses
• Support for entering a profession or trade
• School uniforms and clothing
• Educational holidays and trips
• Course fees and educational materials
• Applications accepted on a rolling basis via Westminster City Council online form

School Capital Grants: Variable amounts

• Annual grants to voluntary-aided schools in Paddington
• Specifically for repairs or physical alterations
• Helps maintain Church of England and other faith schools in the area
• Keeps schools in good repair and allows necessary adaptations

Priority Areas

• Young people under 25 pursuing education
• Residents of W2, W9, and parts of NW8 and W10 postcodes
• Students needing assistance with course fees
• Individuals training for a profession or trade
• School pupils requiring uniforms or educational materials
• Voluntary-aided schools requiring capital improvements
• Educational trips and learning experiences
• Music and arts education

What They Don't Fund

• Grants are not made in “relief of public funds”
• Applicants must be under 25 years of age (for individual grants)
• Applicants must reside in the former Metropolitan Borough of Paddington
• No support for those outside the defined geographic area

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Governance and Leadership

The charity is governed by a board of six trustees who also oversee the Paddington Charitable Estate (charity 212102) and Paddington Relief in Need Charity (charity 810132). The trustees bring diverse perspectives from local government, faith communities, and civic leadership.

Current Trustees:

• Rev David Michael Ackerman MA LLM - Chair (appointed December 2015) - Serves as trustee for three charities
• Rev Stephen Mason - Trustee (appointed November 2023) - Serves as trustee for three charities
• Councillor Barbara Jolanda Arzymanow - Trustee (appointed March 2017) - Westminster City Council representative
• Lady Margot Joan Bright - Trustee (appointed March 2017) - Serves as trustee for two charities
• Jan Prendergast - Trustee - Honorary Alderman with extensive local knowledge
• Rev Alistair Thom - Trustee - Serves as trustee for two charities

The board structure ensures strong local knowledge through Westminster City Council representation and community insight through clergy members who work directly in the Paddington area. All trustees serve without remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Individual Applicants:

Applications are submitted through Westminster City Council's online grant application form available at: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/leisure-libraries-and-community/charities-and-community-grants/paddington-charities

The application process:

1. Complete the online form via Westminster City Council website
2. Provide evidence of residence in the eligible Paddington postcodes (W2, W9, parts of NW8 and W10)
3. Demonstrate you are under 25 years of age
4. Detail the educational purpose for which funding is requested
5. Submit any supporting documentation regarding course fees, uniform costs, or educational needs

Schools:

Voluntary-aided schools in Paddington receive annual grants for capital purposes. Schools should contact the charity directly via the email address or phone number provided.

General Contact:

For enquiries: Call 020 7641 6000 (Westminster City Council general number) or email cheadly-barton@westminster.gov.uk

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available. The Westminster City Council website states “we will contact you shortly” after form submission, suggesting applications are reviewed on a rolling basis rather than fixed deadlines. Applicants should expect to be contacted within several weeks of submission.

Success Rates

Based on annual reports, the fund makes grants totaling approximately:

• £3,000-£5,000 to individuals annually
• £2,600 in total educational grants annually

Given the relatively modest total grant amounts and the specific geographic focus, the fund appears to support a limited number of applicants each year, likely between 10-30 individual grants depending on the amounts requested. The fund serves a highly targeted population in a small geographic area, which may result in most eligible, well-documented applications receiving support.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is documented in publicly available materials. Applicants with questions about reapplying should contact the fund administrator at cheadly-barton@westminster.gov.uk.

Application Success Factors

Based on the charity's objectives and grant-making patterns, successful applications demonstrate:

1. Clear Geographic Eligibility: Applications must clearly prove residence in W2, W9, or parts of NW8 and W10. The annual reports consistently emphasize that beneficiaries “must be living in the former Metropolitan Borough of Paddington.”

1. Specific Educational Purpose: The fund responds to clearly articulated educational needs. According to the annual reports, grant assistance is given for “school and course fees, and school uniforms” as well as support to “pursue educational courses or a profession or trade.”

1. Demonstrable Need: The charity provides support “in need of financial assistance to enable them to pursue their education.” Applications should demonstrate genuine financial need that would prevent educational advancement without support.

1. Age Requirements: Strict under-25 age limit for individual applicants. Documentation of age will be required.

1. Gap Filling: The annual reports note the charities “provide support in educational and welfare fields where other agencies are unable to help.” Applications are strongest when they show that mainstream funding sources have been exhausted or are unavailable.

1. Practical Educational Costs: Successful grants have covered tangible items like school uniforms, course fees, educational materials, and specific training programs. Vague requests for general educational support are less likely to succeed than specific, costed requests.

1. Local Connection: Given the charity's deep historical roots in Paddington and its connection to local faith communities and Westminster City Council, applications that demonstrate strong ties to the local Paddington community may be viewed favorably.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Hyperlocal Focus: This is an extremely geographically focused funder. Only apply if your beneficiaries genuinely reside in W2, W9, or parts of NW8/W10. Geographic eligibility is non-negotiable.

• Small but Strategic: With individual grants averaging several hundred pounds and total educational grant-making around £2,600-£5,000 annually, this is not a major funder but can provide crucial gap funding for specific educational costs.

• Straightforward Process: The application is managed through Westminster City Council's online form, making it accessible and administratively simple. No complex multi-stage application process.

• Under-25 Focus: Individual grants are strictly limited to those under 25. Organizations working with this demographic should consider this a potential supplementary funding source for specific student needs.

• Schools Should Enquire: Voluntary-aided schools in Paddington receive annual capital grants. Faith schools in the area should proactively contact the charity about capital improvement needs.

• Rolling Basis: No fixed deadlines means applications can be submitted when needs arise, providing flexibility for urgent educational costs.

• Partnership Approach: The charity works closely with Westminster City Council and local clergy who “are offered £200 for Immediate Aid in Need during the year” under the sister charity, suggesting that referrals from trusted local partners may be welcomed.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• St Marylebone Educational Foundation
• Strand Parishes Trust
• Sir William Boreman's Foundation
• Sir Walter St. John's Educational Charity
• THE CAMPDEN CHARITIES TRUSTEE
• William Gibbs Religious and Educational Trust
• Westminster Amalgamated Charity
• Young Westminster Foundation
• ST OLAVE'S & ST SAVIOUR'S SCHOOLS FOUNDATION CIO
• The Hornsey Parochial Charities

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: Paddington Charitable Estates Educational Fund (312347) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/312347

• Charity Commission Register: Paddington Charitable Estate (212102) - Parent charity information and trustee details - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/212102

• Westminster City Council: Paddington Charities - Application information and contact details - https://www.westminster.gov.uk/leisure-libraries-and-community/charities-and-community-grants/paddington-charities

• The Paddington Charities Annual Report 2023 - Published on Charity Commission website - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search (Document reference 212102)

• The Paddington Charities Annual Report 2021 - Published on Charity Commission website - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search (Document reference 810132)

• Westminster Community Information: Paddington Welfare Charities - http://www.westminstercommunityinfo.org/content/paddington-welfare-charities.html

• British History Online: Paddington Charities for the Poor - Historical context - https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol9/pp271-272