The Celia Blakey Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £343,856 (FY 2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: £500 - £5,000 (estimated typical range)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

Address: BDB Pitmans LLP, 1 Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7BL

Phone: 020 7227 7000

Email: Not available

Website: Not available

Overview

The Celia Blakey Charitable Trust (registered charity number 263482) was established on 23 February 1972, originally as “The Celia and Conrad Blakey Charitable Trust.” The trust was founded by Celia Sainsbury (married name Celia Blakey), daughter of Robert Sainsbury of the Sainsbury supermarket family. Operating as a traditional grant-making trust, it forms part of the broader network of Sainsbury family philanthropy, which represents one of Britain's leading examples of sustained charitable giving. With annual expenditure of £343,856 (FY 2024) and income of £198,433, the trust operates through making donations to organisations rather than providing direct services. The trust is administered by BDB Pitmans LLP, a law firm that acts for over 450 national and international charities. The trust has broad charitable objectives that give trustees discretion in their grant-making decisions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Small to Medium Grants: Estimated range of £500 - £5,000 (typical range based on sector intelligence)
• Grants are awarded to organisations carrying out projects that benefit the trust's priority groups

Priority Areas

The trust focuses on general charitable purposes helping:

• Children and young people: Projects and organisations supporting children's welfare and development
• Elderly people: Initiatives benefiting older people
• People with disabilities: Programmes supporting disabled individuals
• Other charities or voluntary bodies: The trust makes grants to organisations rather than individuals

The trust has also demonstrated support for the arts sector, having been listed as a supporter of New English Ballet Theatre.

What They Don't Fund

• Individuals (grants are made to organisations only)
• Projects outside England and Wales
• Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the focus remains on children, elderly people, and people with disabilities

Ready to write a winning application for The Celia Blakey Charitable Trust?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Join the Launch List

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Celia Blakey (Founder)

Appointed: 31 December 1971

Celia Sainsbury, daughter of Robert Sainsbury, established the trust with her husband Conrad Blakey. She has also been recognized by the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation for exceptional contributions to their work.

Judith Susan Portrait

Appointed: 26 July 1991

Judith Portrait has extensive experience as a trustee and director of charitable organisations. Her background includes work with SAPS (Science and Plants for Schools), The Balance Charitable Foundation for Unclaimed Assets, Vanheimer Trustee Limited, and Monument Historic Buildings Trust, where she served as a solicitor and director.

Trust Administration

The trust is administered by BDB Pitmans LLP, a prominent law firm specialising in charity law with a large multi-disciplinary team working within the charities sector. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process or website. The trust operates on a trustee-discretion basis, with grants awarded to organisations identified by the trustees. There is no online application portal, application forms, or published deadlines.

The administrative contact is through BDB Pitmans LLP at 020 7227 7000, though it is unclear whether they accept unsolicited enquiries.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. As a trustee-discretion trust without a formal application process, decision timelines are not published.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available due to the absence of a formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Given that The Celia Blakey Charitable Trust operates without a public application process, the following factors are relevant:

Alignment with Priority Areas: The trust has a clear focus on children, elderly people, and people with disabilities. Projects must demonstrate direct benefit to one or more of these groups within England and Wales.

Connection to the Sainsbury Family Network: As part of the broader Sainsbury family charitable network, the trust may be more receptive to organisations already known to or supported by other Sainsbury family trusts.

Arts Sector Presence: The trust's support for New English Ballet Theatre indicates openness to arts and culture projects, particularly those that may benefit the trust's priority groups or align with the founder's interests.

Organisational Capacity: With typical grants estimated in the £500-£5,000 range, the trust appears to support small to medium-sized projects. Applications would need to demonstrate appropriate use of relatively modest grant amounts.

Legal Administration: Given that the trust is administered by BDB Pitmans LLP, a specialist charity law firm, any approach should be professionally presented and demonstrate sound governance.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: This trust operates on trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited applications through a formal process. Getting on the trustees' radar requires sector connections or relationship building.

• Clear beneficiary focus: Successful grants support children, elderly people, or people with disabilities. Projects must demonstrate direct benefit to one or more of these groups.

• Small to medium grants: With an estimated typical range of £500-£5,000, this trust is suited for smaller projects or organisations seeking modest funding amounts.

• Geographic limitation: Only projects operating in England and Wales are eligible.

• Sainsbury family connections: As part of the Sainsbury family charitable network, relationships with other Sainsbury family trusts or the broader philanthropic network may be advantageous.

• Arts sector openness: Despite the focus on children, elderly, and disabled beneficiaries, the trust has supported arts organisations, suggesting potential for creative projects that align with priority groups.

• Professional administration: The trust is administered by a specialist charity law firm, indicating high governance standards and professional expectations.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• THE BASIL SAMUEL CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Batchworth Trust
• John James Underdown Charitable Trust
• RJ AND AH DANIELS CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Gunter Charitable Trust
• The E C Sosnow Charitable Trust
• The Hamilton Wallace Trust
• The Harris Family Charitable Trust
• The Payback Time Trust
• John Jacob Astor Charitable Trust

References

• Charity Commission for England and Wales, “Charity overview, THE CELIA BLAKEY CHARITABLE TRUST - 263482,” Register of Charities. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/263482/full-print

• Charity Commission for England and Wales, Financial information for The Celia Blakey Charitable Trust, financial year ending 05 April 2024.

• New English Ballet Theatre, “Our Supporters” and “Trusts and Foundations,”. https://www.nebt.co.uk/supporters/

• Wikipedia, “Sainsbury family,”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsbury_family

• BDB Pitmans LLP, “Charities and social enterprise,”. https://www.bdbpitmans.com/