Sue Hammerson Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £208,128 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

Address: Acre House, 11-15 William Road, London, NW1 3ER

Telephone: 020 7388 7000

Email: NBARDELL@HWFISHER.CO.UK (provided contact)

Alternative Email: rwatson@hwfisher.co.uk (also associated with the trust)

Overview

The Sue Hammerson Charitable Trust was registered on 8 May 1970 and has been making grants to charitable organisations throughout England and Wales for over 50 years. Established through a trust deed dated 18 February 1957, the trust was created by the late Mrs Sue Hammerson CBE. In the financial year ending 5 April 2023, the trust had an income of £131,906 and total expenditure of £208,128, demonstrating active grant-making despite declining income in recent years (from £244,210 in 2019). The trust operates exclusively through grant-making to other charitable organisations and does not raise funds from the public. No trustees receive remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity. The trust maintains policies on conflicts of interest, financial controls, risk management and safeguarding.

Funding Priorities

Charitable Objectives

The trust's objects are broad: “such charitable purposes or institutions as the trustees shall in their discretion think fit.” However, trustees are requested (though not required) to give particular consideration to:

• The advancement of medical learning and research
• The relief of sickness and poverty

Priority Areas

The trust has supported organisations across a wide range of charitable activities including:

• General charitable purposes
• Education and training
• Advancement of health and saving of lives
• Medical research
• Disability support
• Prevention and relief of poverty
• Overseas aid and famine relief
• Accommodation and housing
• Religious activities
• Arts, culture, heritage and science

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. The trust appears to exercise broad discretion in its grant-making.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by three trustees:

1. James Anthony Trafford - Appointed 14 October 2024; also serves as trustee for multiple other charitable foundations
2. Patricia Ann Beecham - Serves on related trusts within the Hammerson family of charities
3. Rory Hammerson - Family trustee representing the Hammerson legacy

The trustees share governance responsibilities with related charitable entities including The Sue Hammerson Foundation (Charity No. 262580) and The Sue and Lew Hammerson Charitable Trust (Charity No. 1001437).

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The trust operates through trustee discretion, and there is no publicly available application form, online portal, or published guidelines for submitting grant applications.

Grant-making appears to be conducted at the discretion of the three trustees, who identify and support charitable organisations aligned with the trust's broad objectives. Prospective applicants may contact the trust directly via the contact details provided above, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited applications will be considered.

The trust is administered through HW Fisher, an accounting firm, which handles correspondence at the London address provided.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly available. Given the trust's small trustee board and discretionary approach, decision-making processes are likely flexible and determined on a case-by-case basis.

Success Rates

Application numbers, awards made and percentage success rates are not publicly available due to the trust's private nature.

Reapplication Policy

No information is publicly available regarding reapplication policies or restrictions.

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public information about this trust's grant-making practices, the following factors are inferred from the trust's stated objectives and operational structure:

• Alignment with core priorities: Organisations working in medical research, healthcare, relief of sickness, and poverty alleviation may receive particular consideration, though the trustees retain broad discretion
• Established charitable status: The trust makes grants exclusively to other charitable organisations operating in England and Wales
• Fit with trustee interests: As a discretionary trust with a small trustee board, funding decisions may reflect the specific interests and knowledge of the current trustees
• Connection to trust values: Understanding the legacy of Mrs Sue Hammerson CBE and the trust's historical focus areas may be beneficial
• Clear charitable impact: Organisations should be able to demonstrate measurable charitable outcomes in line with the trust's broad objectives

Without published guidelines or case studies of funded projects, it is difficult to identify specific factors that make applications successful.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Private trust with discretionary grant-making: This is not an open-application funder; grants are made at trustee discretion
• Contact via administrators: Initial contact should be made through HW Fisher at the London address or via the email addresses provided
• Broad but focused objectives: While trustees have wide discretion, medical research and poverty relief receive particular (though not exclusive) consideration
• Geographic limitation: Only organisations operating in England and Wales are eligible
• Limited public information: Annual reports with detailed grant recipient lists are not readily accessible online; contact the trust directly for more information
• Financial trend: The trust's income has declined in recent years, which may impact the scale of grants available
• Administrative note: The trust's reporting to the Charity Commission was noted as overdue by 325 days as of the most recent check, which may indicate administrative transition or restructuring

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: Sue Hammerson Charitable Trust - Full Details -
• Charity Commission Register of Charities: Trustees Information -
• OpenCharities: Sue Hammerson Charitable Trust -
• Charity Commission Beta Site: Charity Details -