Talbot Village Trust

Charity Number: 249349

Annual Expenditure: £1.0M
Geographic Focus: Dorset, Bournemouth, Poole

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,000,000+
  • Success Rate: Highly competitive (specific percentage not disclosed)
  • Decision Time: 3-4 months from deadline to decision
  • Grant Range: £500 - £60,000
  • Geographic Focus: South East Dorset (Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Purbeck, and East Dorset)

Contact Details

  • Website: www.talbotvillagetrust.org
  • Email: info@talbotvillagetrust.org
  • Phone: 01202 028741
  • Pre-application Support: The Trust strongly encourages applicants to contact their Grants department before applying for a brief conversation about their organisation and funding needs

Overview

Talbot Village Trust was founded in 1850 by Victorian sisters Georgina and Mary Anne Talbot, who used their inheritance to create a model village and alleviate rural poverty in Dorset. For over 170 years, the Trust has supported people and communities across South East Dorset. The charity derives its income from land and property connected to its historic estate, as well as capital raised through an endowment investment fund, enabling it to award more than £1 million annually to charities working to improve quality of life. Following their Dorset 2050 report, which captured voices from over 70 leading experts and practitioners, the Trust has focused its strategic approach on three key priorities: Climate Change, Mental Health, and Educational Inclusion. Under the leadership of CEO Caroline Cooban (appointed 2024) and Chair Nicholas Ashley-Cooper (12th Earl of Shaftesbury), the Trust is expanding its team and grant-making capacity to address complex societal problems and amplify marginalised voices.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Trust operates multiple grant programmes with varying sizes and purposes:

  • Small Grants Programme: Up to £5,000 per grant (total funding pot: £100,000) - Open to organisations with annual turnover under £250,000
  • Capital Programme: £10,000 or more (total funding pot: £250,000) - For capital expenditure that is planned and integrated into broader organizational strategy
  • Strategic Partnerships Programme: To be announced
  • Major/Large Grants Programme: Launching in 2026

Applications are assessed twice yearly with fixed deadlines. Recent grant rounds have awarded between £487,455 and £571,098 to 36 organisations per round, with individual grants ranging from £500 to £60,000.

Priority Areas

Based on the Dorset 2050 report, the Trust's three key funding themes are:

  1. Climate Change - Supporting initiatives that drive environmental community action and raise awareness about urgent climate change solutions
  2. Mental Health - Backing projects that promote mental health and well-being, fostering emotional resilience and positive mental health outcomes
  3. Educational Inclusion - Supporting access to education and learning opportunities

The Trust funds capital, project, and revenue-funded items. They are open to offering core, unrestricted funding for organisations, recognising that some may need support through challenging times or to scale up operations. The Trust prioritises amplifying lesser-heard voices, ensuring marginalised groups are not failed or hidden from view.

What They Don't Fund

  • Church repairs: Unless these benefit the wider community
  • Environmental projects without community link: Applications purely concerned with the environment and not linked to local community-based sustainability efforts
  • Fee-paying schools: Unless the application assists those from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Local authority schools: Unless the application meets expenditure clearly outside the scope of State responsibility
  • Statutory obligations: Will not fund public bodies to carry out their statutory obligations
  • Landlord responsibilities: Will not fund items/refurbishment which are the responsibility of the applicant's landlord
  • Projects outside geographic area: Must benefit South East Dorset (Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Purbeck, and East Dorset)
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Governance and Leadership

Chair of Trustees

Nicholas Ashley-Cooper (12th Earl of Shaftesbury) - Joined the board as a trustee in 2008, became Chair. Landowner and farmer in Wimborne, ultramarathon runner, and former DJ in New York's East Village. Ashley-Cooper has stated: “Every single person deserves a permanent roof over their head as a human right” and “It is always a privilege to support organisations working tirelessly to improve lives in our community.”

Executive Leadership

Caroline Cooban, CEO - Appointed as the Trust's first CEO in 2024 after working as Head of Philanthropy since March 2022. Cooban stated: “Through my new role, I am excited to spearhead our combined efforts to address and tackle issues faced by the local community. It remains fundamental that we work in a more coordinated, connected and collaborative way with partners to ensure that we can reduce poverty and inequality in our communities.” She has also emphasised: “We back exceptional causes, charities and organisations that support people to live well; delivering impact, amplifying lesser-heard voices, and inspiring social change through work that matters.”

Board of Trustees

  • Cecilia Bufton (Vice-Chair) - Extensive experience in strategic marketing, sales, and development. Chairs Dorset Integrated Care Partnership. Chair of Trustees for Macular Society and Plant Heritage.
  • Christopher Lees - Former chairman, passionate about arts, culture, and supporting disabled people. Manages farmland in Lytchett Minster.
  • George Meyrick - Environmental and real estate lawyer, Chairman of Meyrick family group, Executive Chairman of New Forest Energy, Chancellor of Bangor University.
  • Mary Riall - Former primary school teacher, founder of Ufton Educational Trust, former High Sheriff.
  • Richard Cutler - Chartered Surveyor and Town Planner, with lived experience of rehabilitation from spinal injury. Motto: “make a difference, never be defeated.”
  • Caspar Rock - Chief Investment Officer at Cazenove Capital, manages family farm in Dorset, trustee of multiple charities.
  • Nicholas Allen - Corporate finance and strategy expert specialising in renewable energy and community project finance.
  • Aldred Drummond - Trustee

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Pre-application contact: The Trust strongly encourages all applicants to contact their Grants department at info@talbotvillagetrust.org before applying for guidance and/or a brief phone call
  2. Online application: All requests for funding must be submitted on an online application form available through their website
  3. Match funding requirement: Applicants must prove they have raised or can raise at least 25% match funding
  4. Governance requirement: Organisations must have at least three unrelated people on their Board of Trustees/Directors or management committee

Application Schedule

The Trust runs a direct funding programme with deadlines advertised twice yearly on their website, social media, and through their networks. Trustees award grants twice a year.

Example Timeline:

  • Application Deadline: 31st January
  • Trust Decision: May
  • Decision period: Approximately 3-4 months from deadline to decision

Notification Timing:

  • Small Grants Programme: End of October/early November
  • Capital Grants Programme: November/December

Success Rates

The grant process is highly competitive. While the Trust strives to support as many charities as possible, they can only fund a percentage of those who apply. Additionally, many successful applicants receive only a portion of the amount they applied for. Specific success rate percentages are not disclosed. In recent rounds, the Trust has funded 36 organisations out of an undisclosed number of applicants.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy or waiting period is published. However, the Trust encourages applicants whose projects are time-sensitive to explore other funding options as well, given the 3-4 month decision timeline.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Funder

The Trust emphasises:

  • Contact them first: “Strongly encourages all applicants to contact” them before applying
  • Partnership approach: The Trust values “partnering with applicants” and open communication throughout the process
  • Clear case for support: Must explain why funding is needed, what difference it will make, and how you can deliver it
  • Evidence of need: How you've identified the need and who will benefit
  • Measurable outcomes: How you'll measure and monitor outcomes
  • Match funding: Must demonstrate 25% match funding is secured or achievable

Recently Funded Projects (Examples)

  • Poole Communities Trust: £15,000 for skatepark design and build on Turlin Moor, Poole
  • PramaLife: £11,600 to recruit part-time project coordinator to manage volunteers supporting carers of individuals with dementia
  • Safe & Sound Dorset: £31,000 for rent and manager's salary for 12 months
  • YMCA Bournemouth: £5,000 for free and paid one-to-one counselling sessions
  • Citizens Advice East Dorset and Purbeck: £50,000 for Move On project working with households to reduce risk of homelessness
  • Coda Music and Arts Trust: £20,000 to transform barn into new community space
  • Diverse Abilities: £10,000 for refurbishing The Treehouse in Hurn

Common Reasons for Rejection

Applications can be turned down for:

  • Ineligibility (outside geographic area, falls under exclusion categories)
  • Poor fit with impact goals and strategic priorities
  • Lack of community leadership or community benefit
  • Incomplete documentation
  • Insufficient evidence of need or impact
  • Failure to demonstrate match funding

Tips for Standing Out

  1. Align your application with the Trust's three strategic priorities (Climate Change, Mental Health, Educational Inclusion)
  2. Demonstrate how you're amplifying marginalised or lesser-heard voices
  3. Show evidence of community leadership and genuine community benefit
  4. Emphasise lasting impact and sustainability beyond the grant period
  5. Be prepared for potential follow-up interviews
  6. Use language that reflects the Trust's values: “partnering,” “reducing poverty and inequality,” “supporting people to live well,” “social change through work that matters”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic restriction is absolute: Your work must directly benefit South East Dorset (Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Purbeck, and East Dorset)
  • Pre-application contact is strongly encouraged: Don't skip this step - the Trust explicitly wants to talk with you before you apply
  • Match funding is mandatory: You must demonstrate 25% match funding; this is non-negotiable
  • Strategic alignment matters: Frame your application around Climate Change, Mental Health, or Educational Inclusion where possible
  • Competition is fierce: Many successful applicants receive only a portion of what they requested, so be realistic and prioritise your most critical needs
  • Partnership mindset: The Trust sees itself as partnering with grantees, not just funding them - emphasise collaboration and ongoing communication
  • Amplify marginalised voices: If your work serves lesser-heard communities or addresses systemic inequalities, make this explicit

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