Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 233838

Annual Expenditure: £5.4M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £5.4 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: 33% (Ann Rylands programme)
  • Decision Time: 3 months (Ann Rylands); 6-8 months (major programmes)
  • Grant Range: £1,500 - £1,700,000
  • Geographic Focus: UK national

Contact Details

Website: www.julesthorntrust.org.uk

Email: info@julesthorntrust.org.uk

Phone: 020 7487 5851

Address: 24 Manchester Square, London

Enquiries: donations@julesthorntrust.org.uk

Overview

The Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust was established in 1964 by Sir Jules Thorn (1899-1980), founder of Thorn Electrical Industries, which at its peak employed over 100,000 people. Since its founding, the Trust has awarded over £120 million in grants to UK charities. The Trust operates from an endowment established by Sir Jules, who was knighted in 1964 and created the Trust primarily to support medical research. The charity's vision is to improve health and care for people living with serious long-term or life-limiting conditions through world-leading translational research, investment in research equipment and facilities, projects that integrate and improve care, and support for smaller charities providing practical and emotional support to people with ill health or disability, and their families and carers.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. The Sir Jules Thorn Award for Biomedical Research

  • Amount: Up to £1,700,000 over maximum five years
  • Application: Annual competition via institutions (one application per institution)
  • Deadlines: Preliminary applications typically mid-December
  • Focus: Translational biomedical research at leading edge of international science

2. Research Infrastructure Fund

  • Amount: £150,000 - £500,000
  • Frequency: 2-3 awards annually
  • Application: Two-stage process (Preliminary proposal: February 28; Full application: August 21)
  • Focus: Capital investment in research equipment and facilities

3. Innovation and Improvement in Health and Care Fund

  • Amount: £100,000 - £500,000 over two years
  • Eligibility: Organizations with £10 million+ annual income, minimum 5-year history
  • Application: Three-stage process (EOI, second-stage, full application)
  • Focus: Scalable, evidence-based interventions ready for implementation

4. Ann Rylands Small Donations Programme

  • Amount: Up to £5,000 (average £2,000-£3,000)
  • Application: Rolling basis via online form, one application per 12 months
  • Decision: Typically within 3 months
  • Eligibility: Charities 3+ years old, £100,000-£2 million annual income
  • Focus: Unrestricted funding for smaller health and care charities

5. Hospice Support

  • Amount: Up to £5,000 via Ann Rylands programme
  • Note: Dedicated Hospice Fund closed 2021; hospices now apply via Ann Rylands or Innovation Fund

Priority Areas

  • Translational medical research that benefits patients
  • Research equipment and facilities that accelerate internationally competitive research
  • Integration of health and care services
  • New models of care for people with serious long-term or life-limiting conditions
  • Support for people with physical or mental ill health and disabilities
  • Palliative and end-of-life care
  • Support for older people
  • Areas of unmet need in health and care
  • Smaller charities providing practical and emotional support to patients, families, and carers

Research Areas Covered: Ageing, blood disorders, cancer, cardiovascular, child health, congenital disorders, ear/eye conditions, end-of-life care, infection, inflammatory and immune disorders, injuries, mental health, metabolic and endocrine, musculoskeletal, neurological, oral and gastrointestinal, renal and urogenital, reproductive health, respiratory, skin, and stroke.

What They Don't Fund

  • Religious organizations (for religious purposes)
  • Political activism
  • Medical research via Ann Rylands programme
  • One-off events
  • Scholarships or endowments
  • Overseas organizations
  • Staff costs (research programmes)
  • Routine equipment replacement
  • Research projects or pilot studies (Innovation Fund)
  • Small incremental improvements (Innovation Fund)
  • Organizations that received recent capital funding from the Trust
  • Organizations outside the UK
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Mrs Elizabeth Charal - Chairman
  • Mr Ben Dulieu - Solicitor (appointed 2025)
  • Mr Timothy Harvey-Samuel
  • Mr Julian Ide
  • Mr Mark Lever OBE
  • Professor Sharon Peacock CBE FMedSci (appointed 2023)
  • Professor David Russell-Jones MB BS, MD, FRCP (appointed 2005)
  • Mr William Sporborg (appointed 2003)

Executive Team

  • Richard Benson - Trust Director
  • Allison Balsamo - Grants Manager
  • Judy Pallant - Trust Accountant
  • Rachael Bemrose - Trust Administrator

Governance Note: No trustees receive remuneration. Senior staff costs represent 5% of total spending, with highest pay band £110,000-£120,000.

Key Quote: “We are now in a phase 3 trial and would never have achieved that milestone without the funding from The Sir Jules Thorn Award...” - Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, 2002 Award winner

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Ann Rylands Small Donations Programme:

  • Online application form only via Trust website
  • Submit at any time (rolling basis)
  • Required documents: recent signed accounts, bank statement (within 3 months)
  • One application per charity per 12 months

Research Infrastructure Fund:

  • Two-stage online process
  • Stage 1: Preliminary proposal (deadline: noon, February 28)
  • Stage 2: Full application for shortlisted applicants (deadline: noon, August 21)

Innovation and Improvement in Health and Care Fund:

  • Three-stage process via online forms
  • Stage 1: Expression of Interest
  • Stage 2: Second-stage application for shortlisted applicants
  • Stage 3: Full application
  • One application per organization per year

Sir Jules Thorn Award for Biomedical Research:

  • Institutional nomination only (one per institution annually)
  • Internal institutional competition required
  • Preliminary applications to Trust (typically mid-December)
  • Full applications for shortlisted candidates

Decision Timeline

Ann Rylands: Decisions typically within 3 months of submission

Research Infrastructure Fund:

  • Trustees review preliminary proposals May/June
  • Final decisions October/November
  • Total timeline: 6-8 months

Innovation and Improvement in Health and Care:

  • EOI review: November/December
  • Board consideration: May/October-November
  • Total timeline: 6-12 months depending on stage

Biomedical Research Award:

  • Preliminary review following December deadline
  • Final decisions typically 6-8 months after submission

Success Rates

Ann Rylands Small Donations: Approximately 1 in 3 applications successful (33%)

Innovation and Improvement Fund: Trust receives many more eligible applications than it can fund; approximately 2 in 3 submissions are unsuccessful (33% success rate)

Other programmes: Success rates not publicly disclosed but highly competitive due to limited awards annually

Reapplication Policy

Innovation and Improvement Fund: Unsuccessful applicants may reapply immediately without waiting periods. Successful applicants must wait two years from award date or until existing award is spent down (whichever is later).

Ann Rylands: Can only apply once per 12 months regardless of outcome.

Other programmes: Specific reapplication policies vary by programme; check guidance notes.

Application Success Factors

For Medical Research Programmes

Essential Requirements:

  • Research must be at “leading edge of international science”
  • Clear translational pathway from laboratory to patient benefit
  • Principal Applicant must be “outstanding quality in early years of established research career”
  • Projects must involve patients directly
  • Work must be major commitment of Principal Applicant (minimum 50% research time)
  • Visible strategic institutional commitment required

Strong Applications Demonstrate:

  • Pre-clinical experimental data supporting clinical study rationale
  • Clear hypothesis based on applicant's own prior work
  • How investment will “translate into improvements in healthcare for patients”
  • Institutional track record in competitive research
  • Alignment with host institution's research strategy

For Innovation and Improvement Fund

Selection Priorities:

  • Robust evidence of model effectiveness
  • Clear scalability potential beyond initial implementation
  • Sustainable funding strategy post-grant
  • Meaningful outcomes achievable within two years
  • Focus on integration of services
  • Address areas of unmet need

For Ann Rylands Small Donations

Success Factors:

  • Clear focus on health and care services delivery
  • Direct support to people with illness/disability and their families
  • Unrestricted funding request (not for specific projects)
  • Established charity (3+ years) with annual income £100,000-£2 million
  • Work exclusively in UK
  • Approximately 1 in 3 applications succeed

General Guidance

Language and Terminology:

The Trust emphasizes “translational research,” “patient benefit,” “integration,” “scalability,” and “evidence-based” approaches. Applications should demonstrate how work will “improve life for the sick and disadvantaged” in keeping with Sir Jules Thorn's humanitarian vision.

Recent Funded Projects (Examples):

  • WellChild: Better at Home training programme for parents of children with complex medical needs
  • Wintercomfort: Breakfast and support services for people sleeping rough in Cambridge
  • Keech Hospice Care: Specialist in-patient facilities and care
  • Cardboard Citizens: Performing arts workshops for people experiencing homelessness
  • Jumbulance Trust: Accessible holidays for disabled and seriously ill people
  • Professor Robin Ali (2001): Ocular gene therapy leading to world's first gene therapy trial for retinal degeneration

Chairman and Director Review: All expressions of interest are reviewed by the Trust Chairman and Director to decide whether full applications will be requested for consideration by the Board of Trustees.

Common Reasons for Rejection:

  • Lack of clear patient benefit or translational pathway
  • Insufficient evidence of scalability (Innovation Fund)
  • Research focus in Ann Rylands applications (explicitly excluded)
  • Organizations outside eligibility criteria (income, age, geography)
  • Lack of strategic institutional commitment (research programmes)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Understand the programme fit: The Trust operates distinct programmes with different eligibility criteria, grant sizes, and application processes. Ensure you're applying to the right programme for your organization's size, focus, and needs.
  1. Emphasize translational impact: For all programmes, especially medical research, demonstrate clear pathways from intervention to patient benefit. The Trust's founder was committed to practical improvements in healthcare, not abstract research.
  1. Build institutional support first: For major research awards, ensure visible institutional commitment before applying. The Award for Biomedical Research requires internal competition, and infrastructure grants need strategic alignment.
  1. Plan for long timelines: Major programmes have 6-12 month decision timelines with multiple stages. Budget sufficient time for application preparation and decision-making. Only Ann Rylands offers relatively quick 3-month decisions.
  1. Quality over quantity: With success rates around 33% for disclosed programmes and highly competitive selection for research awards, invest in strong, well-evidenced applications rather than frequent submissions.
  1. Demonstrate sustainability and scale: For the Innovation Fund, show how interventions will continue beyond grant period and scale beyond initial implementation. The Trust seeks systemic improvements, not one-off projects.
  1. Unsuccessful applicants can reapply: Most programmes allow unsuccessful applicants to reapply without waiting periods, but ensure you address the reasons for initial rejection and strengthen your application accordingly.

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