Sylvanus Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 259520

Annual Expenditure: £0.1M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £140,129 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Not publicly available
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales, with international work in Mauritius, Switzerland, and Zimbabwe
  • Registered: 1969

Contact Details

Address: Hunters Law LLP, 9 New Square, London, WC2A 3QN

Phone: 020 7412 0050

Email: Wilfrid.Vernor-Miles@hunterslaw.com

Note: This trust does not have a public application process. Contact should be made through the trustees at Hunters Law LLP.

Overview

The Sylvanus Charitable Trust was established in 1969, previously known as the “Enid Margaret Hamlin Countess of Kinnowll Trust.” The trust operates as a private grant-making charity with very broad discretionary powers, with its charitable purposes determined entirely at the discretion of the trustees. In recent years, the trust has focused its grant-making on two specific areas: the welfare and prevention of cruelty to animals, and the advancement of traditional teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church as taught and accepted before the Second Vatican Council (pre-Vatican II). With annual expenditure of approximately £140,129 (2024), the trust operates throughout England and Wales while also supporting work internationally. The trust is administered through Hunters Law LLP, a specialist private client law firm.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates through trustee discretion rather than formal grant programs. All grants are made to registered charities and voluntary organizations rather than individuals.

Priority Areas

Animal Welfare

  • Prevention of cruelty to animals
  • Animal welfare organizations and sanctuaries
  • Environmental conservation and heritage projects related to animals

Traditional Roman Catholic Church

  • Organizations promoting pre-Vatican II Catholic teachings and practices
  • Traditional Catholic liturgy and worship
  • Organizations aligned with traditional Catholic values

The trust's connection to the Society of St Pius X (through shared trustees) suggests particular interest in traditional Latin Mass communities and organizations preserving pre-Vatican II Catholic traditions.

What They Don't Fund

  • Individuals
  • Non-charitable organizations
  • Projects outside their two core focus areas (animal welfare and traditional Catholic causes)
  • Organizations not registered as charities
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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by four trustees who serve without remuneration:

Mr. John Crosfield Vernor Miles (Chair)

Chair of the trust and trustee of multiple other charities including the Catholic Charitable Trust, Hobson Charitable Trust, The Pine Ridge Dog Sanctuary, The Society of St Pius X, Eleanor Hamilton Educational Trust, and Ruth Smart Foundation. His portfolio demonstrates a consistent focus on Catholic and animal welfare causes.

Mr. Wilfrid Edward Vernor Miles

Partner at Hunters Law LLP specializing in the formation and administration of UK and international charities and charitable trusts. He serves as trustee of 15 national, international, and grant-making charities, bringing significant legal and charitable sector expertise to the trust.

Matthew James Priday

Trustee with background in charitable governance.

Alexander David Gemmill

Trustee with background in charitable governance.

The trust has no employees and is administered through Hunters Law LLP. All trustees serve in a voluntary capacity with no remuneration, payments, or benefits received from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Sylvanus Charitable Trust operates on a trustee-discretion basis, with the trust deed giving trustees broad powers to direct funds “for such charitable purposes as the trustees or a majority of the trustees may from time to time think fit.”

Grants are typically awarded to organizations already known to the trustees or identified through the trustees' networks in the traditional Catholic and animal welfare sectors. The trust does not accept unsolicited applications through a formal process, and there is no application portal, deadline cycle, or published application guidelines.

Organizations seeking support would need to establish contact with the trustees through Hunters Law LLP, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited approaches will result in funding consideration.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available, as decisions are made at trustee discretion on a rolling basis.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The trust does not publish information about the number of organizations it considers or supports.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as there is no formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's trustee-discretion model and lack of public application process, success factors are based on analysis of the trust's stated purposes and trustee profiles:

Alignment with Core Missions

  • Organizations must clearly align with either animal welfare or traditional (pre-Vatican II) Roman Catholic causes
  • The trust appears to favor organizations preserving traditional practices and values in both areas

Trustee Connections

  • The overlap in trustee portfolios suggests the trust may favor organizations where trustees already have relationships
  • Organizations connected to the Society of St Pius X, traditional Catholic communities, animal sanctuaries, or similar causes in the trustees' networks may have better access

Registered Charity Status

  • Only registered charities and voluntary organizations are eligible
  • The charity must operate within England and Wales, though some international work (Mauritius, Switzerland, Zimbabwe) is also supported

Modest Scale

  • With annual giving of approximately £140,000, the trust appears to support a focused portfolio of beneficiaries rather than numerous small grants

Values Alignment

  • For Catholic organizations: commitment to pre-Vatican II teachings, traditional liturgy, and established Catholic doctrine
  • For animal welfare organizations: focus on prevention of cruelty and direct animal welfare outcomes

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This trust does not accept formal applications. Funding relationships are established through trustee connections and discretion.
  • Highly specialized focus: Only organizations working in animal welfare or traditional (pre-Vatican II) Roman Catholic causes will be considered. The trust has no interest in other charitable areas.
  • Trustee relationships are critical: With shared trustees across multiple Catholic and animal welfare charities, networking within these sectors may be the only route to consideration.
  • Small, focused grantmaking: Annual expenditure of £140,000 suggests the trust supports a limited number of beneficiaries each year rather than operating as a broad-based funder.
  • Traditional values: Both in its Catholic and animal welfare work, the trust appears to favor organizations preserving traditional approaches and values.
  • Professional administration: The trust is administered through Hunters Law LLP, a specialist law firm, ensuring professional governance and compliance.
  • Long-established trust: Operating since 1969, this is a stable, established funder with consistent focus areas.

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