Pencare

Charity Number: 243968

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Charity Number: 243968
  • Annual Income: £127,227 (2024)
  • Annual Expenditure: £174,373 (2024)
  • Decision Time: Quarterly trustee meetings (March, June, September, December)
  • Grant Range: Not publicly specified
  • Geographic Focus: South Wales and West of England, focused on Cardiff and local Jewish community
  • Application Method: Rolling applications reviewed quarterly

Contact Details

Website: https://www.pencare.org/

Email:

  • info@pencare.org
  • penylan.mgmt@yahoo.co.uk

Phone: 07748960195

Postal Address:

PO Box 2526

Cardiff CF23 0GU

Pre-Application Support: Applications can be expedited in exceptional circumstances if urgent need is clearly stated

Overview

PENCARE (formerly Penylan House) was established in 1946 and operated a care home providing nursing and residential care for the aged within a Jewish orthodox environment until April 2013. Following the sale of the care home to Linc-Cymru Housing Association, PENCARE transitioned from direct service provision to a grant-making charity. The organization now focuses on funding care for the Jewish community, underwriting costs of kosher facilities in nursing and residential care homes, and providing broader community support. With an operating catchment area covering South Wales and the West of England, PENCARE makes grants to both individuals and organizations, supporting those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, or financial hardship, as well as advancing the Jewish faith through support to local synagogues. The charity is governed by 8 trustees and supported by 10 volunteers.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

PENCARE operates two distinct grant streams:

Individual Grants: Support for individuals of the Jewish faith in the local community or with significant connection to the community who are in need due to youth, age, ill-health, disability, or financial hardship.

Organizational Grants: Support for Jewish community organizations, synagogues, and community initiatives.

Applications are reviewed quarterly at trustee meetings held in March, June, September, and December. Forms are available in Word and PDF formats on the PENCARE website and can be submitted by email or post.

Priority Areas

PENCARE has demonstrated support for:

  • Care and Welfare: Funding nursing and residential care for elderly members of the Jewish community, including underwriting costs of kosher facilities
  • Social and Cultural Activities: Community events and programs that support the Jewish community
  • Transport Assistance: Helping community members access services and activities
  • Community Publications: Supporting communications within the Jewish community (e.g., Bimah communal magazine)
  • Religious Institutions: Grants to local synagogues for the advancement of the Jewish faith
  • Food Programs: Community feeding initiatives
  • Social Clubs: Programs combating isolation among elderly community members

Organizations and Projects Previously Supported

  • Food to Go initiative
  • Cardiff United Synagogue
  • Bimah communal magazine
  • Forget-Me-Not Choir
  • Thursday Lunch Club
  • Social and cultural activities funding
  • Transport assistance programs

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, PENCARE's charitable objects focus exclusively on:

  • Beneficiaries of the Jewish faith
  • Those living in the local Jewish community (South Wales and West of England)
  • Those with a significant connection to the local Jewish community

Applications from organizations or individuals outside these parameters would fall outside their remit.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

PENCARE is governed by 8 trustees:

  1. Judith Cotsen JP - Chair
  2. John Minkes - Trustee (appointed February 2017)
  3. Lynice Cawston - Trustee (appointed March 2014)
  4. Ruth Levene - Trustee
  5. Philip David Stewart - Trustee
  6. Laurence Kahn - Trustee
  7. Dr Ralph Whitten - Trustee
  8. Janet Whitten - Trustee

No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The organization operates with 10 volunteers and no paid employees with benefits over £60,000.

Strategic Direction

The trustees have indicated awareness that there is room for development of other services, including:

  • Domiciliary care services
  • Continued provision of kosher food
  • Accommodation for those in need within the community

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

PENCARE accepts applications on a rolling basis, with applications reviewed at quarterly trustee meetings.

Application Methods:

  1. Download application forms (Word or PDF format) from www.pencare.org
  2. Complete the form
  3. Submit by email to: info@pencare.org or penylan.mgmt@yahoo.co.uk
  4. Or submit by post to: PO Box 2526, Cardiff CF23 0GU

Application Requirements:

  • Beneficiaries must be of the Jewish faith and living in the local Jewish community or have a significant connection to the local Jewish community
  • Applications for individual support should clearly state the need (youth, age, ill-health, disability, or financial hardship)
  • Organizational applications should demonstrate advancement of the Jewish faith or support for the local Jewish community

Urgent Applications: In exceptional circumstances, applications may be expedited. Applicants should clearly state in their application if they consider their need for support to be urgent.

Decision Timeline

  • Review Schedule: Trustee meetings held quarterly in March, June, September, and December
  • Processing Time: There may be some delay in considering applications between trustee meetings
  • Expedited Applications: Available in exceptional circumstances for urgent needs

Success Rates

Success rate data is not publicly available. With annual expenditure of £174,373 against income of £127,227, the charity is actively distributing funds, though specific numbers of applications received versus grants awarded are not published.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is published. Given the charity's focus on community welfare and ongoing support for certain initiatives, it appears that organizations can maintain ongoing relationships with the funder.

Application Success Factors

While PENCARE does not publish specific guidance on what makes applications stand out, analysis of their funded projects and charitable objects suggests the following factors are important:

Strong Community Connection: Projects and individuals should demonstrate clear connection to the Jewish community in South Wales and West of England, particularly the Cardiff area.

Alignment with Care and Welfare Priorities: Given PENCARE's history and continued focus on care provision, applications that address the needs of elderly, ill, or disabled members of the community appear particularly well-aligned.

Support for Jewish Life and Practice: Projects that advance the Jewish faith or enable Jewish life (such as kosher facilities, synagogue support, or community gatherings) align with the charity's dual objectives.

Addressing Social Isolation: Multiple funded projects (Thursday Lunch Club, Forget-Me-Not Choir, transport assistance) suggest the charity values initiatives that bring community members together and combat isolation.

Clear Statement of Need: For individual applications, clearly articulating the specific hardship (financial, health-related, age-related, or disability-related) is essential.

Urgent Needs: The charity has made provision for expediting applications in exceptional circumstances, suggesting they are responsive to crisis situations within the community.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Community-Specific Focus: PENCARE exclusively serves the Jewish community in South Wales and West of England; applications must demonstrate clear connection to this community
  • Dual Grant Streams: The charity supports both individuals in need and organizations advancing Jewish community life; determine which stream fits your application
  • Quarterly Decision Cycle: Plan applications around March, June, September, and December trustee meetings, but note that urgent needs may be expedited
  • Care and Welfare Priority: Projects supporting elderly, ill, or disabled community members align strongly with PENCARE's historical mission and current priorities
  • Practical Community Support: Funded projects demonstrate a preference for initiatives addressing practical needs (transport, food, social connection) rather than theoretical programs
  • Small but Active Funder: With expenditure of approximately £174,000 annually, PENCARE is a modest-sized funder actively distributing more than its income, suggesting strong commitment to its beneficiaries
  • Accessible Application Process: Simple application forms and multiple submission methods (email or post) indicate a funder focused on accessibility rather than bureaucratic process

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