The Biddestone Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £140,851 (year ending April 2024)
• Annual Income: £115,436 (year ending April 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland
• Charity Number: 267587

Contact Details

Email: jcs@jcssutton.co.uk

Phone: 020 8643 1166

Website: None

The trust does not maintain a public website. Contact is through the trust's correspondence address via the accountants J C Sutton.

Overview

The Biddestone Trust was established on 14 June 1974 (originally as The Biddestone Charitable Trust) and operates as a private grant-making trust supporting evangelical Christian ministry. The trust deed was amended on 18 September 1996. With annual expenditure of approximately £140,851 (2024), the trust makes grants to both individuals and organizations engaged in evangelical Christian work, specifically those aligned with historic Reformed confessions of faith. The trust is governed by eight trustees, all of whom are ministers or individuals with deep connections to Reformed evangelical Christianity. The trust operates throughout the United Kingdom and internationally “in such parts of the world as the trustees may decide.”

Funding Priorities

Charitable Objects

The trust has three specific charitable objects defined in its founding documents:

1. Support for Christian Ministers, Missionaries, and Churches: The financial support, relief or aid of Christian ministers, missionaries, or churches engaged in the evangelical Christian faith “as most purely represented in the Westminster Confession, the Savoy Confession, and the London Baptist Confession of 1689”

1. Relief of Dependents: The relief of dependents of Christian ministers or missionaries

1. Promotion of Christian Doctrine: The promotion and advancement of knowledge of the doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly as taught by the Protestant Reformers and English Puritans

Priority Areas

• Evangelical Christian ministers requiring financial support
• Missionaries engaged in evangelical work
• Churches aligned with Reformed theology (Presbyterian, Congregational, or Reformed Baptist traditions)
• Dependents of Christian ministers or missionaries in need
• Educational and promotional activities advancing Reformed evangelical doctrine

Theological Alignment

The trust specifically references three historic Reformed confessions of faith:

• Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) - primarily Presbyterian
• Savoy Declaration (1658) - Congregationalist adaptation of Westminster
• London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) - Reformed Baptist adaptation

This indicates the trust supports work within the Reformed evangelical tradition, encompassing Presbyterian, Congregational, and Reformed Baptist denominations.

What They Don't Fund

Based on the trust's stated objectives, they would not fund:

• Non-religious charitable work
• Christian work outside the evangelical Reformed tradition
• General community projects without a specific evangelical Christian purpose
• Secular educational institutions
• Non-Christian faith organizations

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by eight trustees (as of most recent filings):

• Rev Peter Lawrence Mackenzie
• Rev Mark Thomas
• Rev Gareth Norman Burke
• Rev John Watson Keddie
• Rev R W Fay
• John Leslie Rawlinson
• Mr G Brady
• R I Haffenden

The majority of trustees are ordained ministers, reflecting the trust's focus on supporting Christian ministry. The trust maintains policies for complaints handling, financial controls, risk management, and conflict of interest management, and is recognized by HMRC for gift aid purposes.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Biddestone Trust does not have a public application process or published application guidelines.

The trust operates as a private grant-making trust where funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees. There is no online portal, application form, or formal application procedure available to the public.

Grants appear to be awarded based on trustees' knowledge of needs within the Reformed evangelical Christian community, likely through their own networks and connections within Presbyterian, Congregational, and Reformed Baptist churches and missionary organizations.

Getting in Contact

While there is no formal application process, those who believe they meet the trust's charitable objects may contact the trust via:

Email: jcs@jcssutton.co.uk

Phone: 020 8643 1166

Contact should be directed through J C Sutton, the trust's accountants. Any initial inquiry should clearly demonstrate alignment with the trust's specific charitable objects, particularly the theological framework of the Westminster Confession, Savoy Declaration, or London Baptist Confession of 1689.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a private trust with trustee-led grant making, decisions are likely made at trustees' meetings, but the frequency and timing of these meetings is not published.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's private nature and specific theological focus, the following factors would be important for anyone seeking to connect with the trust:

Theological Alignment is Critical: The trust's founding documents explicitly reference the Westminster Confession, Savoy Declaration, and London Baptist Confession of 1689. Organizations or individuals seeking support must demonstrate clear alignment with Reformed evangelical theology as expressed in these historic confessions.

Focus on Ministry Support: The trust exists primarily to support Christian ministers, missionaries, and churches. Direct ministry work, particularly pastoral ministry and missionary work, appears to be the primary focus rather than general Christian charitable activities.

Relief of Those in Need: The second charitable object specifically mentions “relief of dependents” of Christian ministers or missionaries, suggesting the trust may be particularly responsive to cases of genuine financial need among those serving in ministry.

Doctrinal Education: The trust supports “the promotion and advancement” of knowledge of Christian faith doctrines, particularly as taught by Protestant Reformers and English Puritans. Educational initiatives that advance Reformed theology may be of interest.

Network Connections: As a private trust without public applications, relationships with the trustees or within the broader Reformed evangelical community in the UK would be valuable. The trustees are themselves ministers within this tradition.

Geographic Flexibility: While based in the UK, the trust's objects allow for work “in such parts of the world as the trustees may decide,” indicating international missionary work may be supported.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This trust does not accept public applications. Funding is awarded at trustees' discretion based on their knowledge of needs within the Reformed evangelical community.

• Highly Specific Theological Requirements: Only work aligned with the Westminster Confession, Savoy Declaration, or London Baptist Confession of 1689 will be considered. This effectively limits funding to Presbyterian, Congregational, and Reformed Baptist ministry.

• Ministry-Focused: The trust exists to support ministers, missionaries, churches, and their dependents, not general Christian charitable work.

• Private Contact Only: Initial contact should be made via email (jcs@jcssutton.co.uk) or phone (020 8643 1166), clearly demonstrating theological alignment and genuine need.

• Trustee-Led Decision Making: With eight trustees, all with strong connections to Reformed evangelical ministry, the trust operates through personal knowledge and networks rather than competitive grant rounds.

• Consistent Financial Activity: The trust has expenditure significantly exceeding income (£140,851 expenditure vs £115,436 income in 2024), suggesting it is actively distributing grants from accumulated assets.

• Limited Public Information: The trust maintains minimal public profile, with no website and limited information beyond Charity Commission filings, consistent with its private, trust-based approach to grant making.

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Biddestone Trust (267587) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/267587/full-print -
• Charity Commission Full Print Record for The Biddestone Trust - includes charitable objects, trustees, financial information -
• Contact details verified through Charity Commission public records