The Aitken Family Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £455,052 (2024 expenditure)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Decision Time: At trustees' discretion
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales
• Established: Registered 2016

Contact Details

Address: Ludlow Trust Co Ltd, Tower Wharf, Cheese Lane, Bristol BS2 0JJ

Phone: 0117 313 8200

Email: charitabletrusts@ludlowtrust.com

Administrative Body: Ludlow Trust Company

Overview

THE AITKEN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST is a private grant-making trust registered with the Charity Commission in 2016 (charity number 1168153). The trust operates with broad “General Charitable Purposes” throughout England and Wales. In the financial year ending February 2024, the trust had an income of £402,109 and made grants totaling £455,052. The trust is managed by Ludlow Trust Company, a specialist trust services provider that administers over 275 charitable trusts with more than £1.2 billion in assets. The trust employs seven trustees who oversee grant-making decisions. Importantly, the trustees do not accept unsolicited applications, meaning grant-making decisions are made at the trustees' discretion rather than through an open application process.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates under “General Charitable Purposes” with broad discretion to support charitable objectives according to the law of England and Wales. Specific grant programs, amounts, and thematic priorities are not publicly disclosed.

Priority Areas

The trust's charitable objects are deliberately broad: “to further such objects or purposes which are exclusively charitable according to the law of England and Wales.” Without publicly available annual reports detailing specific grants awarded, the precise priority areas remain undisclosed.

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are publicly documented, though the trust operates within the legal framework of charitable purposes under English and Welsh law.

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by seven trustees who make grant-making decisions. One or more trustees receive payments or benefits for providing services to the charity, as disclosed in the Charity Commission filings.

The trust's administration is handled by Ludlow Trust Company, a specialist provider managing approximately 3,500 trusts including over 275 charitable trusts.

How to Apply to The Aitken Family Charitable Trust

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process. The trustees do not accept unsolicited applications, as stated explicitly in their Charity Commission registration.

While direct applications are not accepted, organizations may explore contact through:

1. Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway: As the trust is managed by Ludlow Trust Company, organizations might submit applications through Ludlow's online Funding Enquiry Gateway (launched 2023), which matches charities with the 250+ charitable trusts managed by Ludlow. The platform has facilitated over £2.5 million in grants since September 2023 and has received over 17,000 applications.

1. Direct Contact: Organizations may contact Ludlow Trust Company at charitabletrusts@ludlowtrust.com or 0117 313 8200 to inquire about potential funding opportunities, though there is no guarantee of consideration without a public application process.

1. Eligibility for Gateway: The Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway accepts applications from UK registered charities, exempt charities, Community Interest Companies limited by guarantee, and community groups with a constitution, elected committee, and bank account controlled by two or more members.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are entirely at the trustees' discretion. There are no fixed application deadlines or standard review periods.

Success Rates

Not applicable, as the trust does not operate an open application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the closed application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's closed application model, success factors are not publicly documented. Organizations seeking funding should:

• Ensure their charitable purposes align with broad charitable objectives recognized under English and Welsh law
• Consider whether submission through the Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway might result in trustee consideration
• Understand that funding decisions are made entirely at trustee discretion without reference to specific published criteria
• Recognize that the trust's administrators at Ludlow Trust Company manage multiple charitable trusts, so applications through their gateway may be matched to other trusts even if not to this specific one

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: The Aitken Family Charitable Trust does not accept unsolicited applications; trustees make funding decisions independently
• Managed by specialists: Ludlow Trust Company administers the trust alongside 250+ other charitable trusts
• Potential alternative route: The Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway may provide an indirect route for trustee consideration, though this is not guaranteed
• Broad charitable purposes: The trust has wide discretion to support any charitable purpose under English and Welsh law
• Significant grant-making capacity: With annual expenditure exceeding £455,000, the trust has meaningful resources for grant-making
• Limited transparency: Without public annual reports detailing grant recipients, it's difficult to identify patterns in funding priorities
• Realistic expectations: Organizations should not expect to access this funder through traditional application processes

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Richard Harris Charitable Trust
• The George Cadbury Trust (george Henry T And Laurence J Cadbury Sections)
• Thorne Lodge Charitable Trust
• The Mather Family Charitable Trust
• The Ardwick Trust
• The Marcia And Andrew Brown Charitable Trust
• The Tomlinson Family Charitable Trust
• The Haley Family Charitable Trust
• Audrey Earle Charitable Trust
• The Theodore Maxxy Charitable Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, “THE AITKEN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST - Charity 1168153”, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5072178
• Ludlow Trust Company, “The Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway”, https://www.ludlowtrust.com/insights/the-ludlow-funding-enquiry-gateway/
• Ludlow Trust Company, "Ludlow's Funding Enquiry Gateway", https://www.ludlowtrust.com/insights/ludlows-funding-enquiry-gateway/
• Charity Choice, “The Aitken Family Charitable Trust”, https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/the-aitken-family-charitable-trust-252828