Tate & Lyle Sugars - Lyle's Local Fund

Charity Number: CUSTOM_01836406

Annual Expenditure: £0.0M

Stay updated on changes from Tate & Lyle Sugars - Lyle's Local Fund and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £25,000 - £50,000
  • Success Rate: 11% (110 applications for 12 awards in 2024)
  • Decision Time: 2 months (applications typically close mid-October, decisions announced December)
  • Grant Range: £2,500 - £5,000
  • Geographic Focus: London Borough of Newham only

Contact Details

Website: https://www.sustainablyrefined.com/priorities/local-community/

Application Portal: Newham Council website - https://www.newham.gov.uk/community-parks-leisure/funding-community-projects-1/7

Email: lyleslocalfund@newham.gov.uk

Phone: 020 3373 1460

Pre-Application Support: Grant Surgeries available - personalized support and expert advice on preparing applications and understanding grant criteria

Overview

The Lyle's Local Fund is a corporate social responsibility initiative run by Tate & Lyle Sugars in partnership with the London Borough of Newham. Established in 2017, the fund has awarded over £250,000 to more than 110 projects over its first seven years. Tate & Lyle Sugars has operated the Thames Refinery in Silvertown, Newham since 1878, giving the company deep roots in the local community spanning over 145 years. The fund was designed to reach smaller, community-led projects with a simple application process, specifically targeting organizations that larger engagement programs might overlook. In 2024, the fund was doubled to £50,000 in recognition of the high volume and quality of applications received.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Lyle's Local Fund - Annual competitive grant program

  • Grant Amount: Up to £5,000 per organization (increased from £2,500 in earlier years)
  • Total Fund: £25,000 annually (doubled to £50,000 in 2024)
  • Application Method: Online application through Newham Council website
  • Deadline: Fixed annual deadline (typically early November)
  • Application Period: Typically opens early October, closes early November

Priority Areas

The fund supports projects that create communities in Newham that are:

  1. Safe - Projects promoting community safety, crime reduction, and creating secure environments
  2. Prosperous - Initiatives supporting economic development, employment, skills development, and financial literacy
  3. Healthy - Programs promoting physical and mental health, wellbeing, and access to healthcare

Eligible Organizations:

  • Social enterprises
  • Schools
  • Charities
  • Community groups
  • Not-for-profit organizations

Geographic Requirement: Organizations must be based in Newham and their work must benefit residents of Newham.

Recent Funded Projects Examples

2024 Recipients (12 organizations):

  • Change Please Foundation - Driving for Change: Newham
  • Alternatives Trust East London - Counselling services
  • We Are Family - Adoptive Families Peer Support Groups
  • Fight for Peace - Lutadoras program
  • School21 - Rewilding Recentring Reviving
  • Money A+E UK CIC - Financial Survival Skills
  • 282 (East Ham) Squadron, RAF Air Cadets - Youths on Expeditions

2022 Recipients (11 organizations):

  • Cycle Sisters - Supporting Muslim women to cycle in Newham
  • Community Food Enterprise Limited - Newham Community Powered Micro Farm
  • Hopeful Futures CIC - Learning Disability & Autism Awareness
  • North Beckton Primary School - Let's get reading, Beckton!
  • Oasis Academy Silvertown - Drumworks partnership

Other Funded Project Types:

  • Car maintenance workshops for vulnerable women
  • Weekly line dancing classes for isolated elderly residents
  • Poverty audits at primary schools
  • Art workshops for individuals with mental illness

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated in available sources, the fund's focus on Newham-based organizations that benefit Newham residents means:

  • Organizations outside the London Borough of Newham are not eligible
  • Projects that don't directly benefit Newham residents are not supported
  • The fund focuses on community-level projects (not major capital projects or large-scale initiatives)
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for Tate & Lyle Sugars - Lyle's Local Fund?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Claire Crill - Head of Corporate Affairs at Tate & Lyle Sugars

Crill states: "We are so proud of our Newham roots and the Lyle's Local Fund exists to support the very special organisations, projects and people who work so hard to make our borough a better place to live and work."

The fund is administered as a partnership between Tate & Lyle Sugars and the London Borough of Newham, with applications processed through the Council's community grants team.

Tate & Lyle Sugars is part of ASR Group and operates the Thames Refinery in Silvertown, which has been refining sugar since 1878.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Application Portal: Applications must be submitted through the Newham Council website grants portal
  2. Application Form: Online application form available through Newham Council
  3. Guidance Documents: “How to fill in your Application Form” guidance available for download
  4. Pre-Application Support: Grant Surgeries offered by Tate & Lyle Sugars providing personalized support and expert advice on preparing applications and understanding grant criteria
  5. Application Process: Described as having “a simple application process” designed to be accessible to smaller organizations

Decision Timeline

  • Application Opening: Early October (October 3 in 2024)
  • Application Deadline: Early November (November 3 in 2024)
  • Application Window: Approximately 1 month
  • Decision Announcement: December (approximately 2 months after deadline)
  • Notification Method: Not specified in public sources

Success Rates

2024: 110 applications received, 12 grants awarded = 11% success rate

2017 (first year): 75 applications received

The success rate is highly competitive, with approximately 1 in 9 applications funded in 2024.

Reapplication Policy

No specific information available in public sources regarding reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants. Applicants should contact the fund administrators directly at lyleslocalfund@newham.gov.uk for guidance.

Application Success Factors

Direct Guidance from the Funder

The fund was established “to support smaller, community-led projects” that larger engagement programs couldn't reach, suggesting a preference for grassroots, community-led initiatives.

The fund emphasizes a “simple application process,” indicating that applications should be clear, straightforward, and accessible.

What They Value

Based on funded projects, successful applications typically demonstrate:

  1. Clear Community Impact: Projects address specific needs within Newham communities
  2. Alignment with Priorities: Strong connection to making Newham safer, healthier, or more prosperous
  3. Grassroots Focus: Community-led initiatives with direct beneficiary involvement
  4. Vulnerable Populations: Many funded projects support marginalized or vulnerable groups (women, elderly, disabled individuals, young people, adoptive families, refugees)
  5. Diverse Approaches: Funded projects span education, health, social support, skills development, environmental initiatives
  6. Local Roots: Organizations embedded in Newham communities

Project Examples that Succeeded

  • Skills development (car maintenance, financial literacy, digital skills)
  • Health and wellbeing (counseling, mental health support, exercise programs)
  • Social cohesion (peer support groups, community spaces, intergenerational activities)
  • Youth development (cadets, sports, education support)
  • Environmental projects (community gardens, rewilding initiatives)

Strategic Considerations

The fund doubled in size in 2024 due to “high volume and quality of applications,” suggesting the program is growing and may continue to expand if strong applications continue.

The 11% success rate indicates high competition - applications need to be exceptionally well-aligned with priorities and clearly demonstrate impact.

Pre-application support through Grant Surgeries is available - applicants should take advantage of this to strengthen their applications.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Geographic Restriction is Absolute: Only organizations based in Newham whose work benefits Newham residents are eligible - do not apply if you don't meet this criterion
  2. Align with the Three Pillars: Clearly demonstrate how your project makes Newham safer, healthier, or more prosperous - use this exact language
  3. Emphasize Grassroots Nature: The fund was designed for smaller, community-led projects - highlight community involvement and leadership
  4. Use Pre-Application Support: Take advantage of Grant Surgeries to get feedback on your application before submission
  5. Competition is Fierce: With an 11% success rate, ensure your application is exceptional and clearly demonstrates impact
  6. Keep It Simple: The fund emphasizes a “simple application process” - be clear, concise, and avoid jargon
  7. Show Vulnerability Focus: Many successful projects support marginalized populations - clearly identify your beneficiaries and their needs
  8. Plan Ahead: The application window is only one month (early October to early November) - prepare in advance
  9. Consider the History: Tate & Lyle has 145+ years of history in Newham - applications that acknowledge this connection and demonstrate understanding of local context may resonate
  10. Annual Opportunity: The fund runs annually, so unsuccessful applicants can potentially reapply in subsequent years (though specific reapplication policies are not publicly documented)

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References