The Bloomfield Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £487,206 (2023)
• Success Rate: Data not publicly available
• Decision Time: Variable - at trustee discretion
• Grant Range: £50,000 - £150,000 (estimated based on known awards)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales, with emphasis on London
• Charity Number: 1145866

Contact Details

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

Phone: 0117 313 8200

Email: charitabletrusts@ludlowtrust.com

Application Portal: https://funding.ludlowtrust.com

Website: https://bloomfieldtrust.co.uk

Overview

The Bloomfield Charitable Trust was founded by Martin and Mandy Hellawell in 2012 with a primary aim to support children and young adults with special needs and autism. The trust is managed by Ludlow Trust Company Ltd (appointed in 2021) and has general charitable purposes, giving it flexibility to support a broad range of initiatives. In 2023, the trust had total income of £155,784 and total expenditure of £487,206, with an endowment fund generating much of its income. The trust has established itself as a significant supporter of employment opportunities for autistic young people and digital inclusion initiatives, partnering with major charities including the National Autistic Society and the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates through two main approaches:

1. Direct Applications via Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway: Rolling basis applications through online portal
2. Strategic Partnerships: Multi-year partnerships with select organizations aligned with trust priorities

Priority Areas

Primary Focus - Autism and Special Needs Employment:

• Job creation and employment support for young autistic people
• Workplace training and consultancy for employers
• Programs helping disabled young people access paid work, training, and volunteering
• Partnerships with charities supporting children and young adults with special needs

Secondary Focus - Digital Inclusion:

• Addressing the digital divide for vulnerable young people
• Providing technology access for disadvantaged students
• Supporting digital skills development

Additional Areas:

• Education access for disadvantaged youth
• Relief of poverty and financial hardship
• Advancement of health
• Support for those in need by reason of youth, age, ill health, or disability

What They Don't Fund

While the trust has general charitable purposes, their demonstrated focus is strongly on autism employment and digital inclusion. Applications outside these areas may be less competitive.

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Governance and Leadership

Founders: Martin and Mandy Hellawell

Trustee: Ludlow Trust Company Ltd (corporate trustee appointed 2021)

Initial Individual Trustee: Martin John Hellawell (appointed 2012)

The trust has 3 trustees, with one or more trustees receiving payments or benefits for providing services to the charity. The trust is governed by policies on trustee conflicts of interest, trustee expenses, risk management, and investment of charity funds.

Martin Hellawell has described the trust's vision as creating sustainable employment pathways for autistic individuals, stating that the Autism at Work programme (2019-2024) was “the brainchild” of his vision for supporting autistic employment.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Via Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway (https://funding.ludlowtrust.com):

• Create a free account on the portal
• Submit either a specific application to The Bloomfield Charitable Trust or a general application that can be matched to relevant trusts
• Provide comprehensive details about charitable aims and project specifics
• Applications reviewed and matched by experienced Ludlow Trust Managers

Application Requirements:

• Must be a registered or exempt UK charity
• Applications do not guarantee funding
• The portal connects applicants with over 400 charitable trusts managed by Ludlow

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are at the discretion of the trustees and vary by application. Many trusts managed by Ludlow operate on quarterly cycles, with trustee meetings typically in January, April, July, and October. However, specific timelines for The Bloomfield Charitable Trust are not publicly specified.

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly available. However, since the Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway launched in September 2023, nearly 8,000 applications have been received across all 400+ trusts, with over £2.5 million in grants distributed. This suggests high competition, with demand significantly outstripping available funding.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly stated. General guidance suggests that unsuccessful applicants may reapply, particularly if projects have been refined or circumstances changed.

Application Success Factors

Demonstrated Focus Areas

The trust has awarded significant grants in two main areas:

Autism Employment Projects:

• my AFK: £50,000 grant (2019) to support London's unemployed disabled young people into work
• National Autistic Society's Autism at Work Programme (2019-2024): Multi-year partnership providing employer training and consultancy, engaging over 350 employers and delivering 750+ job coaching sessions

Digital Inclusion Initiatives:

• Raspberry Pi Foundation: £150,000 commitment for Learn at Home campaign, distributing free computers to over 1,000 vulnerable young people during the pandemic
• Focus on addressing digital divide for low-income families entitled to free school meals

Key Success Indicators

Strong Applications Will:

• Clearly align with autism employment or digital inclusion priorities
• Demonstrate sustainable impact on young people with special needs
• Show partnership potential and scalability
• Provide measurable outcomes (jobs created, people supported, technology distributed)
• Address barriers faced by autistic or disabled young people
• Include employer engagement or workplace elements

Strategic Approach:

The trust appears to favor strategic, multi-year partnerships with established charities over one-off project grants. Major partnerships have run for 3-5 years, suggesting preference for sustainable, long-term impact.

Application Tips

1. Emphasize autism employment: Projects creating job opportunities for autistic young people are central to the trust's mission
2. Show scalability: Successful grants have reached hundreds or thousands of beneficiaries
3. Partner approach: The trust values “partnering with charitable organisations” - demonstrate collaborative potential
4. London focus: While operating across England and Wales, several major grants have focused on London-based beneficiaries
5. Innovative solutions: Digital inclusion work shows willingness to support innovative approaches to longstanding problems
6. Employer engagement: Programs working with employers to create inclusive workplaces align well with trust priorities

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Strongest alignment: Projects creating employment opportunities for young autistic people or addressing digital exclusion for disadvantaged youth
• Grant size: Be prepared to justify requests in the £50,000-£150,000 range based on known awards; smaller grants may be available
• Partnership mindset: Frame your organization as a potential long-term partner rather than seeking one-off project funding
• London connection: While not exclusive, London-based projects or projects serving London beneficiaries have received significant support
• Demonstrate impact: Use specific metrics (number of young people supported, jobs created, employers engaged)
• Application platform: Use the Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway - applications are professionally reviewed and matched by trust managers
• Strategic patience: Multi-year partnerships suggest the trust takes time to build relationships; early-stage projects may need to demonstrate track record first

References

• UK Charity Commission Register, The Bloomfield Charitable Trust (1145866): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1145866&subid=0 []
• Bloomfield Trust Official Website: https://bloomfieldtrust.co.uk []
• Ludlow Trust Funding Enquiry Gateway: https://funding.ludlowtrust.com []
• my AFK, “Bloomfield Trust awards my AFK grant to support disabled Londoners into work”: https://www.afkcharity.org/stories/bloomfield-trust-awards-my-afk-grant []
• Raspberry Pi Foundation, “Closing the digital divide with Raspberry Pi computers”: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/closing-the-digital-divide-with-raspberry-pi-computers/ []
• The National Autistic Society on LinkedIn, “Our Autism at Work Programme”: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/national-autistic-society_our-autism-at-work-programme-activity-7127320753816952833-VPIX []
• Ludlow Trust, “The Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway”: https://www.ludlowtrust.com/insights/the-ludlow-funding-enquiry-gateway/ []
• Charity Commission financial data for years ending February 6, 2023 and February 6, 2024