The Bell Foundation

Registered charity 311585 · since 1973bell-foundation.org.uk·Kent, London·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

£262k

Annual giving, year to 31 December 2025

From filed accounts

£11,500

Typical grant (median)

4 published grants

Key takeaways

If your work supports children or adults who use English as an additional language, through teacher training, school or staff support, or adult ESOL and access to work, this funder's focus fits closely.
The Bell Foundation paid £262,000 in its most recent annual report, but its grant range is not stated, so do not assume a size for your request.
No application process is published, so the sensible first step is to contact the person shown on its website and check whether the foundation would consider your proposal before you write a full application.
Its annual report shows grants mainly in London and Kent, but no geographic focus is stated, so an organisation elsewhere in the UK should not assume it is ruled out.
Neither the annual report nor its website says how many grants are made or how competitive they are, so treat this as an approach to test rather than a reliable source of funds.

Overview

The Bell Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 311585).

The Bell Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales (charity number 311585) that exists to promote and provide for the advancement of education for the public benefit, particularly through language research, teacher training and grants. It runs two programmes: the EAL Programme, which works through training teachers, school leadership and other staff to provide EAL training and resources at scale, and the ESOL Programme, which aims to give adults who speak English as a second language more opportunity to take part in the labour market and in the community. Its annual report shows £262,000 paid in giving.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Bell Foundation works to overcome disadvantage through language education, using evidence to improve policy, practice and systems for children, adults and communities who speak English as an Additional Language. Its work with partners encompasses innovation, research, training and practical interventions. Its programmes address educational outcomes for children who use English as an additional language, including teacher, school-leadership and staff training and resources at scale, and outcomes for adults excluded by language barriers, supporting their participation in the labour market and community. It works in the UK with organisations serving children, young people, adults and communities who speak English as a second or additional language; its reported grant commitments are to institutions.

Themes

EAL education
Adult ESOL

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the annual report shows grants mainly in London and Kent.

How to apply

No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.

Where they fund

Where its grants have gone

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Bell Foundation.

The Berkeley FoundationInvitation onlyGave £3.7M The Mercers Charitable FoundationNo public processGave £3.7M The Neville Abraham FoundationInvitation onlyGave £599k Archbishop Tenison's School FoundationNo public process Bedgebury FoundationMixed deadlinesGave £177k The Cherry Family FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £210k Charity of Sir Richard WhittingtonNo public processGave £5.3M Merchant Taylors' FoundationMixed deadlinesGave £1.3M Aldgate & Allhallows FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £192k Foundation for Future LondonFixed deadlinesGave £626k

Grants

4 published grants analysed · median £11,500

The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:

High Trees Community Development Trust
£100,000year to 31 December 2025
Refugee Education UK
£15,000year to 31 December 2025
Kent Refugee Action Network
£8,000year to 31 December 2025
The Law Centre Network
£5,000year to 31 December 2025

Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts.

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2021	£5,709,924	£8,304,534	£468,395	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£10,083,081	£11,079,076	£387,381	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£15,031,320	£15,074,076	£117,061	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£15,567,109	£16,695,638	£337,819	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024
year to 31 December 2025	£1,607,786	£2,683,375	£262,000	Accounts for year to 31 December 2025

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2021

£468k grants

YE 2022

£387k grants

YE 2023

£117k grants

YE 2024

£338k grants

YE 2025

£262k paid

Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.

Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023; year to 31 December 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants paid out in the year.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.