Postcode Local Trust

Charity Number: CUSTOM_133B89A5

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Not publicly disclosed (part of broader People's Postcode Lottery network)
  • Success Rate: 23-28% (2024 data)
  • Decision Time: 4-5 weeks
  • Grant Range: £500 - £50,000 (over three years)
  • Geographic Focus: West of England (BA, BS, EX postcode areas)

Contact Details

Website: www.postcodelocaltrust.org.uk

Email: info@postcodelocaltrust.org.uk

Address: 28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4ET

Charity Number: SC045504 (Scottish Charity)

Companies House: SC503019

Overview

Postcode Local Trust was established in 2014 and registered as a charity in March 2015. The trust supports smaller charities and good causes in West of England to make a difference to their community for the benefit of people and planet. Funded entirely by players of People's Postcode Lottery, the trust is one of six community-focused trusts operating across different regions of Britain. The trust is governed by an independent board of trustees who are responsible for all funding decisions. Recent strategic changes have shifted the trust towards longer-term support, now offering multi-year grants of up to £50,000 over three years to provide more sustainable funding to organizations with annual incomes between £10,000 and £1 million.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Three-Year Funding Programme

  • £500 - £50,000 total over three years
  • Funding split across up to three years (maximum 50% in any single year)
  • Funding cannot exceed 75% of organization's annual income
  • Flexible, unrestricted funding focused on overall organizational work
  • Three annual funding rounds, each open for 7-12 days
  • Online application portal (applications cannot be saved)

Priority Areas

Four Funding Themes (organizations must select ONE theme):

  1. Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty - Supporting communities experiencing economic hardship
  2. Improving mental health - Active support for specific mental health issues
  3. Enabling participation in the arts - Increasing access to arts activities
  4. Supporting marginalized groups and/or tackling inequality - Work with minority/marginalized communities

Geographic Priorities:

  • West of England (BA, BS, EX postcode areas including Bristol, Bath, Somerset, parts of Devon)
  • Organizations must use the Trust Finder tool on their website to confirm eligibility

Income Priorities:

  • Organizations with annual income £10,000 - £1,000,000 can apply
  • Priority given to organizations with income under £250,000
  • Priority for communities in the top 15% on the English Index of Multiple Deprivation
  • Priority for groups specifically set up to support minority/marginalized communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Promotion of religion (as sole activity)
  • Medical research (as sole activity)
  • Schools
  • Organizations operating for less than one year
  • Organizations without signed annual accounts
  • Organizations with overdue reporting to Charity Commission/Companies House
  • Smaller branches of charities already funded

Note: Organizations with additional objectives beyond excluded activities may still be eligible if they have other qualifying activities.

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Governance and Leadership

Postcode Local Trust is governed by an independent board of trustees who make all funding decisions. An administrative team manages grant administration across all trust awards.

Trustees include:

  • David - Director of Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust since 1997 and Trustee of Cumbria Wildlife Trust
  • Hannah - Social researcher with 20-year track record supporting organizational change and impact programmes in the voluntary sector
  • John - Over 15 years' experience in community development, grant making, project management and programme leadership

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Pre-Application: Use the Trust Finder tool on their website to confirm your postcode is eligible
  2. Eligibility Quiz: Complete the quiz to determine maximum fundable amount based on your organizational status
  3. Prepare Answers: Download application questions in advance (live form cannot be saved)
  4. Submit Application: Applications accepted only during 7-12 day windows, three times per year
  5. One Application Rule: Only one application per funding round; cannot apply to other Postcode Lottery Trusts simultaneously

Required Documentation:

  • Signed annual accounts (at least 1 year of operation)
  • Complete governing document
  • UK bank account details (not money transfer services)
  • Current Charity Commission/Companies House filings

Decision Timeline

  • Week 1: Application deadline
  • Week 2: Eligibility screening and assessment
  • Week 3: Consideration by Trustees
  • Week 4: Decisions finalized and communicated by email (4-5 weeks total)

Organizations are notified of decisions within four weeks of the application deadline.

Success Rates

2024 Funding Round Statistics:

Round 2 (May-June 2024):

  • 270 applications received
  • 58 successful, 193 unsuccessful, 16 ineligible
  • Success rate: 23% of eligible applications
  • Total awarded: £972,985

Round 3 (August-September 2024):

  • 250 applications received
  • 64 successful, 161 unsuccessful, 23 ineligible, 2 withdrawn
  • Success rate: 28% of eligible applications
  • Total awarded: £1,101,934

Overall 2024 Success Rate: 23-28%

The trust notes that “future funding rounds are not guaranteed to have the same success rate as this changes with the level of demand.”

Reapplication Policy

  • If funded: Must wait 12 months from award date before reapplying
  • If unsuccessful once: Can apply one additional time in the same calendar year
  • If unsuccessful twice in one year: Cannot reapply in the following year
  • Feedback: Extra feedback sessions offered to unsuccessful applicants (subject to specific criteria)
  • Final decisions: All funding decisions are final

Application Success Factors

Common Reasons for Rejection:

  • No clear link to selected funding theme
  • Overdue reporting to Charity Commission/Companies House
  • Incomplete or missing governing document
  • Applying as a smaller branch of an already funded charity
  • Selecting multiple themes or mentioning multiple themes in answers

Tips from the Trust:

  • “Answer questions directly and comprehensively”
  • Focus on your organization as a whole, not specific projects
  • Choose ONE funding theme that best represents your organization
  • Avoid mentioning multiple themes in written answers
  • Read the funding guide and FAQs thoroughly before applying
  • Ensure all documentation is current and filed properly
  • Pay attention to character count limits in application questions

What Strengthens Applications:

  • Annual income under £250,000
  • Operating in communities ranking in top 15% on Index of Multiple Deprivation
  • Specifically set up to support minority/marginalized groups
  • Clear alignment with one of the four funding themes
  • Strong organizational health and governance
  • Comprehensive online presence demonstrating impact

Important Note: “Some very strong applications are still unfortunately unsuccessful due to the high volume of applications they receive, as they are often oversubscribed with high quality applications.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Choose One Theme Carefully: Select the single funding theme that best represents your organization - mentioning multiple themes weakens applications. This is your primary alignment factor.
  1. Prioritize If You're Small: Organizations under £250,000 annual income receive priority - this trust genuinely focuses on grassroots initiatives.
  1. Timing Is Critical: Funding windows are only 7-12 days long, three times per year. Prepare answers in advance as the live form cannot be saved.
  1. Think Organizationally, Not Projects: Applications focus on overall organizational work, not specific projects. Request flexible, unrestricted funding that supports your mission broadly.
  1. Due Diligence Matters: Ensure all Charity Commission/Companies House filings are current and your governing document is complete - these are common rejection reasons.
  1. Competition Is High: With 23-28% success rates and significant oversubscription, even strong applications may be unsuccessful. If rejected once, you can reapply, but take feedback seriously.
  1. Multi-Year Planning: The new three-year funding model allows for more sustainable support - consider how you'd use funding over multiple years rather than requesting everything in year one.

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