Sir Peter O'sullevan Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1078889

Annual Expenditure: £1.3M
Geographic Focus: Throughout England

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,349,940 (2024 expenditure)
  • Total Distributed: Over £15 million since establishment
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (trustee discretion)
  • Grant Range: £10,000 - £1,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: UK, with some international equine welfare
  • Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: The Old School, Bolventor, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 7TS

Phone: 01566 880292

Email: nigel@earthsummit.co.uk

Website: http://thevoiceofracing.com

Trustee Contact: Nigel Payne MBE (Trust Administrator)

Overview

The Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust was established in 1997 when the legendary racing commentator Sir Peter O'Sullevan retired from broadcasting. Over the past 26+ years, the trust has distributed over £15 million to animal welfare causes, with a particular focus on equine welfare. The trust operates through an annual fundraising lunch at the Dorchester Hotel in London, which serves as its principal income source. While the trust distributes over £5 million to six pre-selected core charities, it has pledged more than £10 million to other charitable causes beyond these core beneficiaries. The trust's instruction from Sir Peter was that funds should be spread across the racing industry for either animals or people working with animals, not limited to the original six charities. Following Sir Peter's death, the trust continues to honor his legacy by supporting a wide range of equine and animal welfare organizations, with around £15 million disbursed since his passing.

Funding Priorities

Core Beneficiary Charities

The trust distributes funds equally among six core charities hand-picked by Sir Peter O'Sullevan:

  1. Blue Cross - Finds homes for unwanted domestic animals (received over £1 million to date, including a £50,000 grant)
  2. Brooke - Improves the lives of working equines in developing countries (received over £1 million to date)
  3. Compassion in World Farming - Works to end factory farming and long-distance transportation of live animals
  4. World Horse Welfare - Improves the lives of horses in partnership with bodies including the BHA
  5. Racing Welfare - Supports stud, stable and support staff in British racing
  6. The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre - Retrains, rehabilitates and rehomes retired racehorses

Additional Grant Recipients

Beyond the six core charities, the trust has supported numerous other organizations, including:

  • The Racehorse Sanctuary - Funded the Peter O'Sullevan High Dependency Unit for rehabilitation of horses needing extra care before rehoming
  • Injured Jockeys Fund - Supported Peter O'Sullevan House in Newmarket (£10,000 grant to 2024 award winner)
  • Racing to School - Educational programs sharing Sir Peter's story with young people
  • Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) - Three-year sponsorship for the RoR Community Impact Award
  • The Ebony Horse Club, Brixton - Uses horses to help development of children in disadvantaged areas
  • National Horseracing College and British Racing School
  • Riding for the Disabled (RDA) and equine therapy programs
  • Happiness Horsebox CIC - Equine welfare organization
  • HEIR (Equine-Assisted Therapy centres accreditation)

Priority Areas

  • Horse and equine welfare (primary focus)
  • Animal welfare more broadly
  • Racing industry workforce welfare
  • Equine rehabilitation and rehoming
  • Equine-assisted therapy and education
  • Working equine welfare internationally

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the trust's focus is clearly on:

  • Animal welfare, particularly equine-related causes
  • Organizations with direct connections to racing or equine industries
  • The trust does not appear to support causes outside animal welfare
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by seven trustees:

  1. Nigel Payne MBE - Trust Administrator (joined 2001, administering for over two decades)
  2. Sir Anthony Peter McCoy (AP McCoy) - Champion jockey (appointed June 2015)
  3. Dierdre Flood (appointed February 2018)
  4. Michael Kerr-Dineen (appointed October 2011)
  5. John McManus (appointed October 2011)
  6. Geoffrey Hughes
  7. Michael Dillon

Leadership Perspective

Nigel Payne, commenting on a grant to The Racehorse Sanctuary, stated: “The Trustees knew immediately upon seeing the proposal that it was a cause we would like to support.”

This quote reveals the trust's approach: trustees proactively identify and respond to proposals that align with their mission, rather than operating a formal application cycle.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process. The trust operates through trustee discretion, with funding decisions made by the board of trustees based on proposals they receive or organizations they identify.

The trust's funding model works in two ways:

  1. Core beneficiaries: Six pre-selected charities receive regular distributions
  2. Additional grants: Trustees review proposals and proactively identify organizations whose work aligns with Sir Peter O'Sullevan's values and the trust's mission

Organizations may submit proposals to the trust administrator, Nigel Payne, but there are no application forms, deadlines, or guaranteed response timelines. The trustees make decisions at their discretion based on available funds and alignment with the trust's mission.

Decision Timeline

Decisions are made on a rolling basis by trustees. There are no published decision timelines. According to Nigel Payne, when the right project comes along, “the Trustees knew immediately” they wanted to support it, suggesting decisions can be made relatively quickly for compelling proposals.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to the nature of the trust's operations. Organizations may be supported multiple times, as evidenced by the ongoing support for core charities and some additional beneficiaries.

Application Success Factors

Since this trust operates without a formal application process, success in securing funding depends on:

Alignment with Trust Mission

Organizations must demonstrate clear alignment with animal welfare, particularly equine welfare. The trust shows strong preference for:

  • Thoroughbred welfare: Projects supporting retired racehorses and racing industry animals
  • Working equine welfare: Both in the UK and internationally
  • Direct impact: Projects with tangible benefits for animal welfare

Racing Industry Connections

Many successful grant recipients have clear connections to the racing industry:

  • The Racehorse Sanctuary (thoroughbred rehabilitation)
  • Retraining of Racehorses (retired racehorse rehoming)
  • Injured Jockeys Fund (racing workforce)
  • Racing Welfare (racing industry staff)

Organizations within or serving the racing community appear to have strong alignment with the trust's priorities.

Project Specificity

Successful grants often fund specific, tangible projects:

  • The Peter O'Sullevan High Dependency Unit at The Racehorse Sanctuary
  • Sir Peter O'Sullevan Racing to School Programme
  • Equine education scholarship for Brooke vets
  • RoR Community Impact Award sponsorship

Projects with clear deliverables and named outcomes may be more compelling to trustees.

Values Alignment

The trust honors Sir Peter O'Sullevan's legacy and values:

  • Compassion for animals, particularly horses
  • Supporting the “disadvantaged” (both animals and people in the racing industry)
  • Practical, hands-on welfare work
  • Education and training in animal care

Organizations should demonstrate how their work reflects these values.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This trust does not accept unsolicited applications in the traditional sense, but proposals can be submitted to the trust administrator Nigel Payne at nigel@earthsummit.co.uk
  • Focus must be on equine or animal welfare - this is non-negotiable, with strong preference for thoroughbred and racing-related causes
  • Projects with racing industry connections appear to have the strongest success, particularly those serving retired racehorses or racing workforce
  • Specific, tangible projects (like building a rehabilitation unit or funding a scholarship) may be more appealing than general operating grants
  • The trust is substantial - with over £15 million distributed and annual expenditure of over £1.3 million, they can make significant grants when the right opportunity arises
  • Trustees make quick decisions for compelling cases - Nigel Payne indicated trustees “knew immediately” when they saw the right proposal
  • The trust is winding down - funds are expected to be fully distributed within the next few years, so organizations should approach sooner rather than later
  • Contact Nigel Payne MBE - as the long-serving administrator, he is the key gatekeeper and can advise whether a proposal might interest the trustees

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