The Brian Mercer Trust

The Brian Mercer Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1076925).

The Brian Mercer Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales that exists to reduce suffering caused by poverty, ill health or climate change in the UK or overseas, to support emerging artistic talent in visual arts in North West England, and to fund evidence-based interventions in Blackburn, Lancashire. Its annual report records £1,103,388 paid out in grants. Of its funds, 80% goes to prevention and relief of human suffering, 10% to art in North West England and 10% to causes local to Blackburn, Lancashire.

Priority Areas

The Trust funds interventions to reduce suffering caused by poverty, ill health or climate change, in the UK or overseas, where they are proven best value or could become so. It supports emerging artistic talent in visual arts in North West England, and evidence-based interventions benefiting people in Blackburn, Lancashire and delivered by local people. Grant partners need not be UK registered charities; the Trust favours direct support for grassroots organisations rather than intermediaries. It identifies organisations through research, partners and experts, and undertakes due diligence. Its approach gives particular weight to effectiveness, addressing fundamental causes, sustainability and community leadership.

Themes

• Poverty and ill-health
• Climate change
• Emerging visual arts
• Blackburn community initiatives

Geographic Focus

Globally; UK; North West of England: Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester and 2 more counties in United Kingdom; Blackburn, Lancashire.

Invited organisations download and complete the application form, then email it to applications@brianmercertrust.org.

Deadlines: Applications should reach the Trust at least four weeks before the next trustees’ meeting.

Who can apply:

• The form should only be completed by those who have been invited to apply.

What to send:

• The completed application form.

Applying again: The Trust aims to consider further funding of grantees well before the current grant expires.

What the charity says:

• The Trust particularly values evidence of effectiveness or a way to evaluate the proposed intervention.
• Trustees favour interventions addressing fundamental causes rather than ameliorating symptoms.
• The Trust favours interventions that are sustainable without indefinite funding from the Trust.
• The Trust values initiatives led by the communities most affected by the problem.
• The Trust favours direct grants to grassroots organisations rather than intermediaries.
• For grants lasting over a year, the Trust arranges two video calls during the grant period.