Star Trust (east Midlands) Ltd

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £100,000+
• Total Distributed: £852,642+ to 114 charities (since 2013)
• Decision Time: Not publicly stated
• Grant Range: £2,000 - £11,000
• Geographic Focus: East Midlands (Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland)
• Application Method: Rolling basis

Contact Details

Website: www.star-trust.org.uk

Email: enquiries@star-trust.org.uk

Phone: 01400 283224

Application Form: https://www.star-trust.org.uk/funding-application-form/

Administrator Contact: Emma Cozens coordinates fundraising events and serves as the first point of contact for charities.

Overview

Star Trust (East Midlands) Ltd was founded in 2013 by Steve Hampson and Tim Maxted, local entrepreneurs who previously worked together as Co-Chairs for The Prince's Trust in the East Midlands. The charity raises over £100,000 annually through unique “must-attend” fundraising events, distributing funds to small and medium-sized charities across the East Midlands region. To date, they have donated £852,642 to 114 charities, benefiting more than 71,000 people. The trust operates with zero overheads or remuneration—all board members are unpaid volunteers from private sector businesses who apply “business rationale” and due diligence to charity funding decisions. They maintain only a modest £20,000 reserve and focus on supporting charities with the greatest need, sustainability, longevity, and maximum potential life impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Star Trust operates a single rolling grant program for SME-style charities:

• General Grants: £2,000 - £11,000 (typical range based on recent awards)
• Application Method: Rolling basis - applications accepted year-round
• Recent Examples:
• £10,708 to Pasic Cancer Support for family support services
• £10,287 to The Children's Bereavement Centre for bereavement counselling sessions
• £5,000 to Nether Hall School for wheelchair-accessible swing
• £2,025 to We R Here for counselling sessions
• £9,850 to Lincolnshire Emergency Blood Bikes Service

Priority Areas

Star Trust does not discriminate by charity sector but shows strong support for:

• Children and Youth Support: Special needs, bereavement, education
• Health and Wellbeing: Mental health services, cancer support, disability assistance, hospice care
• Community Development: Homeless support, emergency services, therapeutic programs
• Vulnerable Populations: Families experiencing hardship, individuals with disabilities, at-risk youth

The trust prioritizes charities that demonstrate:

• Greatest need
• Sustainability and longevity
• Maximum potential life impact
• Difficulty securing funding from larger national funders

What They Don't Fund

• Local branches of National Charities
• Animal charities
• Individual beneficiaries
• Charities outside the five East Midlands counties (Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland)
• Organizations with employees earning over £60,000 annually
• Charities without 3-12 months operating cost reserves

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Governance and Leadership

Star Trust is governed by a board of local business owners and entrepreneurs who volunteer their time and expertise:

Founder & Chairman: Steve Hampson - Founded Hampsons Self Drive Hire, sold in 2007; Co-Chair for The Prince's Trust in East Midlands; currently operates investment funds

Board Members:

• James Bentley: Managing Director of Charles Bentley and Son (160+ year-old family business in home/garden/leisure products)
• Lisa Cawdron: Solicitor at Roythornes Solicitors with 20+ years legal experience
• Stacey Ferguson-Czersovski: Entrepreneur and founder of The Venue Experts (wedding/hospitality sector)
• Emma Cozens: Business Development/Property Executive at Harlaxton Estates; serves as trust administrator and first point of contact
• Sarah Fairburn: CEO/Founder of IMP & MAKER; Business Leader of Year 2024; Farm Africa Charity Ambassador
• Laura Mulley: Marketing/Business Development at Roythornes Solicitors; digital marketing specialist
• David Ryley: Founder of Ryley Wealth Management; created 1% Matters Fund
• Claire Coyne: Business Development Manager at Coutts Private Bank with 40+ years banking experience
• Anna Wooster-Mann: Entrepreneur who exited a successful renewable energy company
• Pat Musgrave: Founded P&D Specialist Services; Co-founded MVIS

The board's diverse expertise spans hospitality, manufacturing, legal, finance, design, construction, and communications. They use this collective knowledge to deliver exceptional fundraising events and apply rigorous business due diligence to funding decisions.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

• Latest full financial accounts
• Detailed breakdown of funding request
• Explanation of expected project outcomes
• Confirmation of ability to deploy funds within 12 months

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be a registered charity or Not for Profit organization
• Operational base must be in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, or Rutland
• Must be SME-style (small to medium enterprise) organization
• Must have 3-12 months operating cost reserves
• No employee can earn over £60,000 annually
• Cannot have received funding from Star Trust in the last 3 years

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly stated. The board reviews applications on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations that have received a donation from Star Trust cannot reapply for 3 years from the date of their previous grant.

Application Success Factors

Key Success Indicators

1. SME Charity Focus: Star Trust specifically targets small to medium-sized charities that “can often struggle to secure public donations, simply because they lack the profile of national organisations.” Applications should emphasize your local, regional focus and challenges accessing larger national funding.

1. Business Rationale: The board applies “business rationale and due diligence” to funding decisions. Present clear, measurable outcomes and demonstrate sustainability. Show how the funding will create long-term impact, not just short-term relief.

1. Maximum Life Impact: The trust prioritizes charities “impacting the maximum number of lives possible.” Quantify your reach—how many people will benefit directly and indirectly from the funding?

1. Financial Health: Must demonstrate 3-12 months operating reserves (not too little, not too much). This shows financial stability without excessive reserves that might suggest you don't need funding.

1. Specific, Tangible Projects: Recent successful grants funded concrete items or services: counseling sessions, wheelchairs, equipment, specific support programs. Avoid vague or overly broad requests.

1. 12-Month Deployment: You must confirm ability to deploy funds within 12 months. Have a clear, realistic timeline for how you'll use the grant.

1. Salary Restrictions: No employee earning over £60,000 signals their preference for lean, efficiently-run organizations where funding goes to services, not high salaries.

Recent Funding Patterns

Star Trust has recently supported:

• Counseling and therapeutic services (bereavement, mental health, cancer support)
• Disability equipment and accessibility improvements
• Emergency and support services for vulnerable populations
• Specific, deliverable projects with clear beneficiary numbers

What to Avoid

• Applications from local branches of national charities (explicitly excluded)
• Requests without specific project details or outcomes
• Applications from organizations outside the five-county area
• Reapplications within 3 years of previous funding

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic Precision Matters: You must have an operational base in one of the five specified East Midlands counties. This is a hard eligibility requirement.

• Embrace Your SME Status: Star Trust exists specifically to support smaller charities that struggle against larger national organizations. Position your size as an advantage—you're nimble, local, and directly connected to beneficiaries.

• Think Business Case, Not Charity Case: With a board of successful business owners applying business rationale, frame your application as an investment with measurable returns (lives impacted, services delivered, outcomes achieved).

• 3-Year Cycle Planning: If successful, you cannot reapply for 3 years. Request meaningful funding that will sustain impact, but stay within their typical £2,000-£11,000 range.

• Demonstrate Financial Responsibility: Having 3-12 months reserves shows you're stable but still need support. Too little suggests instability; too much suggests you don't need funding.

• Quantify Everything: The trust has benefited “71,000 people” through “114 charities”—they think in numbers. How many sessions, how many beneficiaries, how many hours of service will your grant provide?

• Rolling Applications Are Strategic: Applications accepted year-round means you can apply when your need is greatest and your project is ready, not when an arbitrary deadline falls. Apply when you have the strongest case.

References

• Star Trust Official Website: https://www.star-trust.org.uk/
• Star Trust About Us Page: https://www.star-trust.org.uk/about-us/
• Star Trust Funding Application Form: https://www.star-trust.org.uk/funding-application-form/
• Star Trust Board Page: https://www.star-trust.org.uk/committee/
• Star Trust News: https://www.star-trust.org.uk/news/
• Charity Commission Register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5038412
• Love Business East Midlands: "Star Trust Event Proceeds Help Improve Local People's Lives"
• Newark Advertiser: “Star Trust announces next round of grant support for East Midlands charities”