Pilkington Charities Fund

Charity Number: 225911

Annual Expenditure: £0.8M
Geographic Focus: Knowsley, Liverpool City, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £800,000+ (following 2025 trust transfer)
  • Assets: £25 million (transferred to Community Foundation for Merseyside in 2025)
  • Decision Time: 12 weeks from application deadline
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £20,000
  • Typical Grant: £1,000 - £6,000
  • Geographic Focus: Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral) with particular priority for St Helens

Contact Details

General Enquiries:

  • Email: pilkingtoncharitiesfund@rathbones.com
  • Phone: 0151 236 6666

Grant Applications (via Community Foundation for Merseyside):

  • Email: grants@cfmerseyside.org.uk
  • Phone: 0151 232 2444
  • Website: cfmerseyside.org.uk/grants/pilkington-charities-fund

Overview

The Pilkington Charities Fund, established in 1964 (Charity Number 225911), has been supporting charities across Merseyside for over 60 years. In July 2025, the fund completed the largest single trust transfer in UK Community Foundations history, transferring £25 million in assets to the Community Foundation for Merseyside. This historic transfer ensures over £800,000 per year will be distributed to charities and community groups in perpetuity. The fund maintains its commitment to supporting organisations helping people affected by poverty, old age, and ill health across the Liverpool City Region, with particular priority given to St Helens—the birthplace of the Pilkington legacy. The fund is notable for supporting both project and core costs, recognising the funding challenges faced by charities. Former trustees of the Pilkington Charities Fund continue to have input into grantmaking decisions, ensuring continuity of the fund's mission and values.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Main Grant Programme: £1,000 - £20,000 (typical grants £1,000-£6,000)
  • Applications accepted via online application form through Community Foundation for Merseyside
  • Fixed funding cycles (applications typically open in July with decisions in October)
  • Supports both project and core costs including salary costs

Priority Areas

Health and Wellbeing:

  • Raising awareness of health issues
  • Removing stigma associated with health problems
  • Projects developing resilience and wellbeing
  • Teaching methods and techniques to equip people with skills to prevent health issues
  • Salary costs for staff, support workers, counsellors or similar roles

Social Care:

  • Social inclusion projects for older people
  • Support for those affected by old age
  • Disability services

Poverty Relief:

  • Prevention and relief of poverty
  • Financial and debt management advice
  • Contributions to running costs for organisations addressing poverty

What They Don't Fund

  • Statutory organisations
  • Commercial ventures
  • Politically connected activities
  • Organisations benefiting only animals or plants
  • Costs already incurred before application
  • More than one grant to the same charity within any 12-month period (highly unusual exceptions only)
  • Grant requests exceeding 50% of the organisation's annual income
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Governance and Leadership

The Pilkington Charities Fund maintains strong governance principles with trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. Following the 2025 transfer to Community Foundation for Merseyside, former Pilkington Charities Fund trustees continue to provide input into grantmaking decisions, ensuring the fund remains true to its heritage while benefiting from the Community Foundation's infrastructure and expertise.

The transfer followed three years of discussions and due diligence, demonstrating the trustees' careful stewardship of the Pilkington legacy. The fund is permanently ringfenced for charitable activity in Merseyside, with particular priority for organisations based in St Helens.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are now made through the Community Foundation for Merseyside's online application portal. The fund operates on a fixed cycle basis with specific opening and closing dates.

Application Requirements:

  1. Complete online application form
  2. Ask for a specific sum rather than “a contribution”
  3. Provide detailed budgets or costs
  4. Detail any funding already received from other sources
  5. For national charities: explain how work will specifically benefit people of Merseyside

Required Supporting Documents:

  • Signed and dated copy of organisation's constitution or governing document
  • List of current Trustees/Directors/Management Committee members
  • Latest annual accounts or income/expenditure document
  • Recent bank statement
  • Current Safeguarding Policy (signed and dated)

Decision Timeline

  • Application Period: Applications typically open early July (e.g., July 3, 2025)
  • Deadline: Mid-August (e.g., August 15, 2025)
  • Decision Date: Late October (e.g., October 2025)
  • Decision Time: Approximately 12 weeks from deadline
  • Trustees meet twice a year (historically with deadlines of May 1st and October 1st)

Success Rates

Historical data indicates the fund awarded grants to 126 charities totalling over £500,000 in recent years. Following the 2025 trust transfer, annual giving has increased to over £800,000 per year. Specific application success rates are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Unsuccessful applicants can reapply in future funding rounds. The fund emphasizes that applications must meet their eligibility criteria. It is highly unusual for the fund to make more than one grant to the same charity within any 12-month period.

Application Success Factors

Specific Advice from the Funder

Proportionality: “Grant requests should be proportional to your income levels demonstrated in recent accounts - the amount applied for should not exceed 50% of your annual income levels.”

Be Specific: Applications should "ask for a specific sum, rather than simply asking for 'a contribution'“ and include ”any details relating to budgets or costs."

Demonstrate Established Track Record: The fund explicitly states it is “looking to support well-established organisations therefore to be eligible you must have been operating for at least 3 years at the point of application.”

Geographic Connection: For national charities, “care should be taken, wherever possible, to explain how your work will specifically benefit the people of Merseyside and the surrounding region.”

Key Focus Areas

The fund particularly values:

  • Projects that build resilience and prevent health issues rather than just responding to crises
  • Initiatives that remove stigma around health problems
  • Services that provide practical skills and techniques to participants
  • Core costs applications that demonstrate sustainability and impact
  • Strong connection to Merseyside communities, especially St Helens

Language and Terminology

The fund uses language focused on:

  • “Prevention” and “relief” rather than just crisis response
  • “Resilience” and “wellbeing”
  • “Advancement of health” and “social inclusion”
  • “Proven track record and outcomes”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Three-year minimum: You must have been operating for at least three years - this is non-negotiable
  • St Helens priority: If your work is in St Helens, make this prominently clear as it receives particular priority
  • 50% rule: Never apply for more than 50% of your annual income - this is a hard limit
  • Core costs welcomed: Unlike many funders, Pilkington actively supports core costs including salaries - take advantage of this
  • Be specific with figures: Don't ask for “a contribution” - specify the exact amount needed with detailed budget breakdown
  • Prevention focus: Frame your work in terms of preventing problems and building resilience, not just crisis response
  • One chance per year: You can only receive one grant per 12-month period, so make your application count
  • Unsuccessful applicants can reapply: Don't be discouraged by rejection - you can apply again but ensure you meet all criteria
  • 12-week wait: Plan your cashflow accordingly as decisions take approximately 12 weeks from the deadline

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