The Bedgebury Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £150,000 - £210,000
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 3-4 months (applications close February, decisions by May)
• Grant Range: Up to £6,000 per school; variable for individuals and training
• Geographic Focus: Kent and East Sussex (excluding London Boroughs with Kent postcodes)

Contact Details

Website: www.thebedgeburyfoundation.org.uk

Email: clerk@bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk (also admin@bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk)

Phone: 07872 464195

Address: Priory Cottage, Romford Road, Pembury TN2 4JD

Application Portal: https://bedgeburyfoundation.flexigrant.com/

General Inquiries: The Foundation aims to respond within 5 working days

Overview

The Bedgebury Foundation was established approximately in 1916 as Bedgebury School through a charitable donation, pioneering the integration of support for students with additional needs like dyslexia. When the school was sold into private ownership in 2006, the governors established the Bedgebury Foundation to continue supporting children's learning. The foundation operates with annual income of approximately £149,000-£200,000 and is governed by a single corporate trustee (Bedgebury Foundation Trustee Company, Charity Number 1089801). By 2020, the foundation had made awards exceeding £1 million to support additional educational needs for children and young people in Kent and East Sussex. Today, working within a limited budget, the foundation focuses primarily on grant-making through two main programmes: Teaching and Training, and Inspiring Young Minds. In 2023, the Inspiring Young Minds programme alone reached 66 schools and over 11,000 children.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Inspiring Young Minds (IYM) - Up to £6,000 per school (online portal, fixed deadline)

• For state-funded schools and charities working in schools
• Supports innovative projects promoting inclusion and removing barriers to learning
• Current theme: Inclusion
• Covers facilitator fees, training, equipment (max 25% of total request), and subscription costs
• Schools cannot have received a grant in the last academic year
• Application deadline: Midnight on 15th February 2026

Teaching and Training (T&T) - Variable amounts (online portal, fixed deadline)

• For schools or charities supporting adults working with young people under 25
• Covers SpLD training (Levels 4-7), Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Play therapy, and CPD courses
• Applicants expected to first access Student Loan Company funding; grants may cover remaining shortfall
• Preference for trainees in mainstream schools who can share knowledge
• Application deadline: Midnight on 15th February 2026
• Grants from previous applications to be made in May 2025; new applications opening Autumn 2025

Programme for Individuals - Currently discontinued

• Previously supported individuals under 25 with Additional Needs and Vocational Education grants
• The programme supporting activities direct to individuals has been discontinued with funding redirected to schools programmes

Priority Areas

What They Actively Fund:

• Forest school/horticulture projects
• Speech and language interventions (identified as top priority by 35% of schools)
• Cooking sessions
• Arts activities
• Parent engagement programs
• Professional support introducing inclusion strategies
• Trauma recovery programmes (identified as priority by 27% of schools)
• Support for pupils with special educational needs, disability, financial hardship, or language barriers
• Non-written communication difficulties (Speech, Language, Hearing Impairment, Social communication, English as a second language)

Examples of Previously Funded Projects:

• Laptops and specialised software for children with dyslexia
• One-to-one and group tuition
• Dyslexia Association teacher training courses
• Assessment tools licences
• Speech and Language Therapist-led interventions
• Interventions provided by charities or CICs
• Autism awareness courses
• Wellbeing training
• Family Therapy training
• Therapeutic Coaching
• SpLD Level 7 training

What They Don't Fund

• Sensory rooms
• Staff cover
• National Curriculum replacements
• Statutory obligation funding
• Applications without specific educational purpose
• Projects easily funded elsewhere
• Needs unrelated to educational access

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Governance and Leadership

Structure:

• Single corporate trustee: Bedgebury Foundation Charitable Company Limited (Charity 1089801, Company 04259130)
• Board of Trustees manages charity activities
• Two sub-committees: Grant Award Team (GAT) and Strategic Investment Team (SIT)

Key Personnel:

• Claire Haffenden - Director of Administration and Company Secretary, with 25 years experience in the charitable sector. Executive member of Grant Award Team and Strategic Investment Team.
• Richard - Chair of the Board (served as Trustee since 2010, Chair since 2016; new Chair taking office from November 2025)

Board Composition:

The Board collectively represents professionals from teaching (including Heads, Deputy Heads, SpLD L7 Assessors), youth training and employment, child protection, business, finance, investment, law, Church of England, and charities.

Service Providers:

• Investment Managers: Brewin Dolphin
• Accountants: Lindeyer Francis Ferguson

From Grant Recipients:

• “My AMBDA L7 training has been invaluable to me and the whole school”
• "It's amazing that by map tracking data, we can give each student a numeracy age to monitor their progress"
• “I can play and forget what I worry about” (Student participant)
• “Has increased my confidence and I feel more able to know the way I learn at school” (Student participant)

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

All applications must be completed online through the foundation's grant management portal at https://bedgeburyfoundation.flexigrant.com/. Paper applications are not accepted.

For Inspiring Young Minds:

• Requires endorsement from Head Teacher or Deputy Head
• Payments made to school, not PTA

For Teaching and Training:

• Applications can be from the individual to be trained or their organization
• Requires endorsement from Head/Senior Manager

Application Steps:

1. Set up an account on FlexiGrant
2. Complete the online application form
3. Submit before the deadline (midnight on 15th February 2026)
4. Track grant balance through your account

Decision Timeline

Application Cycle:

• Applications close: Midnight on 15th February 2026
• Grant decisions made: Approximately May 2026 (based on previous cycle patterns)
• Typical timeline: 3-4 months from deadline to decision

Decision-Making Process:

1. Applications are screened and costed
2. Sent to Grant Awarding Team (GAT) for individual 'blind' scoring against set criteria
3. Scores totalled and checked for anomalies
4. Team discussion to make selection
5. Decision presented to Board for consideration and ratification
6. Board's decision is always final

Important Note: The Foundation does not fast-track applications to allow for prioritization between applicants within a session and to manage workloads fairly throughout the year.

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. The foundation notes experiencing “huge demand” for grants. In 2023, the Inspiring Young Minds programme reached 66 schools, with 70% of schools completing their funded programmes.

Outcome Data from 2023 Inspiring Young Minds:

• 83% of participants showed improved educational engagement
• 84% showed improved behavior
• 84% had improved emotional wellbeing

Reapplication Policy

For Previously Successful Applicants:

• Schools that received an Inspiring Young Minds grant cannot apply in the following academic year

For Unsuccessful Applicants:

• The foundation does not explicitly state reapplication restrictions for unsuccessful applicants in publicly available information
• Applicants can request variations to existing grants if needs change, but changes must align with original award criteria

Application Success Factors

Evaluation Criteria for Inspiring Young Minds:

• Level of need in the school
• Student benefit and reach
• Innovation of the proposal
• Potential outcomes and measurability

Evaluation Criteria for Teaching and Training:

• Need of students the applicant will support
• How the training will improve educational outcomes
• Likelihood of course completion
• Potential for knowledge sharing with other schools/groups

Key Success Factors:

1. Demonstrate Clear Inclusion Focus: Applications should show how the project will promote inclusion and remove specific barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils
2. Show Evidence of Need: Articulate the specific needs in your school or community that the project will address
3. Comprehensive Project Funding: The foundation prefers to fund complete projects rather than partial contributions
4. Measurable Outcomes: Clearly explain how you will track and demonstrate impact (the foundation values data-driven evaluation)
5. Innovation: For IYM, demonstrate how the project is innovative and goes beyond standard provision
6. Sustainability: For T&T, show how trained individuals will share knowledge with others to maximize impact
7. Geographic Eligibility: Ensure the school/organization is within Kent or East Sussex (excluding London Boroughs with Kent postcodes)
8. Means Testing: For individual/training grants, be prepared for means testing based on Minimum Income Standards

Direct Guidance from the Foundation:

• Applicants for T&T are expected to first access Student Loan Company funding before applying
• Equipment requests should not exceed 25% of total IYM grant request
• Focus areas identified by schools themselves (Speech and Language, Trauma Recovery) are strong indicators of current priorities
• The foundation values applications from mainstream schools where learning can be shared across multiple institutions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic specificity is critical: Only schools and organizations in Kent and East Sussex (excluding London boroughs) are eligible; this is strictly enforced
• Align with inclusion theme: All IYM applications must demonstrate clear focus on inclusion and removing barriers to learning for disadvantaged groups
• Plan for 3-4 month timeline: Applications close mid-February with decisions typically in May; plan your project timeline accordingly
• One grant per academic year: Schools that received IYM grants cannot reapply the following year, so make your application comprehensive
• Demonstrate innovation and measurability: The foundation values innovative approaches with clear, data-driven outcome measures
• Leverage school feedback priorities: Speech and Language (35%) and Trauma Recovery (27%) are top priorities identified by schools
• Show knowledge-sharing potential: Particularly for T&T grants, demonstrate how the learning will benefit multiple schools or groups
• Budget realistically with co-funding: Be prepared to show you've accessed other funding sources first (especially Student Loan Company for training)

References

1. Bedgebury Foundation Official Website - Homepage. https://bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk/
2. Bedgebury Foundation - Inspiring Young Minds Programme. https://bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk/inspiring-young-minds/
3. Bedgebury Foundation - Teaching and Training Programme. https://bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk/for-teachers-trainers/
4. Bedgebury Foundation - FAQs. https://bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk/faqs/
5. Bedgebury Foundation - Our History. https://bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk/our-history/
6. Bedgebury Foundation - Governance. https://bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk/governance/
7. Bedgebury Foundation - Our People. https://bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk/our-people/
8. Bedgebury Foundation - Outcomes. https://bedgeburyfoundation.org.uk/outcomes/
9. Charity Commission - The Bedgebury Foundation (Charity 306306). https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/306306/full-print
10. Charity Commission - Bedgebury Foundation Trustee Company (Charity 1089801). https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/3986949/full-print