The Rochester Bridge Trust

The Rochester Bridge Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 207100).

The Rochester Bridge Trust exists to provide a safe and well-maintained crossing of the River Medway at Rochester Bridge in perpetuity, and to apply any surplus funds to support education and other charitable projects. It currently offers grants, awards and scholarship opportunities. Over the last 35 years it has awarded £6.8m of grants across 359 grants.

Priority Areas

The Trust makes funds available for grants when it has long-term surplus funds after providing for its primary purpose of maintaining River Medway crossings. Its grants support education and research in engineering, mathematics, agriculture and relevant history; traditional crafts and heritage conservation; and science and professional development. It also considers projects relating to equality and diversity in engineering, construction and agriculture, the River Medway, environmental protection, carbon reduction and heritage. Grants are made to registered, exempt or excepted charities, educational establishments and other organisations with a charitable purpose or an exclusively charitable project. Projects generally need to benefit the ancient county of Kent or areas where the Trust has significant property holdings; some purposes may benefit a wider part of the United Kingdom if that benefit is available to historic Kent. Funding is primarily for capital works or materials and resources, with revenue grants available for specified education, research, placements and publications.

Themes

• Engineering education and research
• Agriculture
• Heritage conservation
• River Medway access
• Environmental protection
• Carbon reduction
• Equality and diversity

Geographic Focus

The ancient county of Kent; Medway; Bromley; Bexley; parts of Cambridgeshire; parts of Lincolnshire; parts of West Yorkshire.

Organisations submit applications through the online application system; a trustee, office holder or employee of the applying organisation may apply.

Application windows:

• Challenge Funds: Applications are open until 4 January.

Who can apply:

• Grants will be made only to a registered, exempt or excepted charity; educational establishment; or other organisation with a charitable purpose or delivering an exclusively charitable project.
• Registered charities MUST be up-to-date and have a sound record of reporting of accounts to the Charity Committee website on time where applicable.
• Registered charities must have at least three trustees in post (or the minimum required by its Charity Commission Scheme where this is a higher number).
• Other organisations must have a written constitution and a separate bank account, and at least three named office holders.
• All organisations must be based in the United Kingdom and should usually have been in existence for at least two years before making an application.

What to send:

• Charities with an income of less than £10,000 must provide two-years’ accounts when requested.
• A copy of the charity’s approved Reserves Policy.
• Other organisations must provide two-years’ accounts when requested.
• Applicants must declare any personal or financial connection between an applicant and a member of the Court of Wardens and Assistants, or a member of the Trust’s staff.

What the charity says:

• The project should promote one or more of the Trust’s charitable objects and be for public benefit.
• The Trust gives priority to applications with a historic or current connection to the Rochester Bridge Trust.
• The Trust prefers applications from organisations that have not previously received one of its grants.
• The Trust evaluates governing documents, accounts and reserves policies to assess organisational sustainability and need for funding.
• The Trust makes grants primarily for capital works or the purchase of materials and resources.