The Chaffield Shaw Trust

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 1164710
• Annual Income: £213,750 (FY ending March 2025)
• Annual Expenditure: £58,953 (FY ending March 2025)
• Grant Range: £1,000 - £30,000+ (based on known awards)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales (known focus on Cambridge)
• Application Process: No public application process - trustee discretion

Contact Details

Registered Address:

107 Chislehurst Road

Orpington

Kent

BR6 0DL

Phone: 07786 478411

Charity Commission: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1164710

Overview

The Chaffield Shaw Trust is a private grant-making trust registered with the UK Charity Commission in 2015. With an annual income of £213,750 and expenditure of £58,953 in the most recent financial year, the trust operates a focused grant-making strategy centered on three core areas: relief of poverty, advancement of education, and healthcare. The trust is administered by three trustees from the Reavley family, with Martin John Reavley serving as Chairman.

The trust's most significant and visible philanthropic relationship is with Robinson College, Cambridge, where it has established multiple endowed funds supporting students in medicine, veterinary medicine, and modern languages. The trust operates without a public application process, with grants made at the trustees' discretion according to their internal grant-making policy.

Funding Priorities

Known Grant Programs

The trust's documented grant-making activities center primarily on supporting students at Robinson College, Cambridge:

Chaffield Shaw MML Support Fund

• Approximately £5,500 distributed annually
• Supports Modern and Medieval Languages (MML) students undertaking immersion projects abroad
• Funding covers 2-4 week language and cultural projects including internships, volunteer positions, research projects, and language courses
• Robinson College manages applications, with deadlines of 11 December (for Easter projects) and 26 March (for summer projects)

Chaffield Shaw Medical Support Fund

• £30,000 seed-corn funding provided to establish the fund
• Target: £1,500 per medical student for Year 5 elective expenses
• Aims to support up to nine medical students annually
• Also funds up to four summer research project grants averaging £750 each
• Requires endowment of £413,000 to reach full funding capacity

Chaffield Shaw Veterinary Medicine Support Fund

• Up to £1,000 total per clinical veterinary student over their clinical course
• Reimburses accommodation and travel expenses for Extramural Studies (EMS)
• Available from Christmas vacation of 4th year onwards
• Claims processed retrospectively with receipts throughout the year

Priority Areas

Based on the trust's charitable objects and documented activities:

Education: Particularly higher education students in medicine, veterinary medicine, and languages facing financial barriers to educational opportunities such as overseas placements, electives, and immersion experiences.

Healthcare: Medical education and training, with emphasis on supporting students undertaking clinical electives and practical medical training.

Relief of Poverty: Financial assistance to individuals and organizations, though specific examples beyond educational support are not publicly documented.

What They Don't Fund

While the trust's governing documents allow for broad charitable purposes, their documented focus suggests:

• Organizations outside their established relationships
• Projects unrelated to their three core areas (education, healthcare, poverty relief)
• General operating costs or infrastructure projects
• Non-UK based organizations or individuals

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Martin John Reavley - Chair

Martin leads the trust's grant-making decisions and strategic direction. According to his LinkedIn profile, he serves as Chairman of The Chaffield Shaw Trust.

Philip James Reavley - Trustee

Member of the Reavley family serving as trustee.

Susan Lesley Reavley - Trustee

Member of the Reavley family serving as trustee. Susan has previously served as a director in Chaffield Shaw Limited.

The trust operates with three trustees as of the most recent filing, down from four trustees in 2023. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity, indicating the trust operates on a purely voluntary governance basis.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process.

The trustees identify beneficiaries and grant recipients according to their internal grant-making policy. According to the trust's governing documents: “The trustees will identify the purposes they wish to carry out that are charitable according to the law of England and Wales by reference to their grant-making policy in force from time to time, and will carry out the purposes by making grants in accordance with their grant-making policy in force from time to time.”

For students at Robinson College, Cambridge, separate application processes exist for the specific funds managed by the college (contact details and deadlines are available through Robinson College's Student Support office).

Getting on Their Radar

While The Chaffield Shaw Trust does not accept unsolicited applications, their established relationship with Robinson College, Cambridge demonstrates a pattern of:

Long-term institutional partnerships: The trust has made multiple substantial commitments to Robinson College across different academic disciplines, suggesting they prefer deep partnerships with select institutions rather than one-off grants.

Education-focused giving with measurable impact: All documented grants support students overcoming financial barriers to educational opportunities, with clear eligibility criteria and defined outcomes.

Cambridge University connections: The trust's only documented beneficiary relationship is with Robinson College, Cambridge, which may indicate a particular connection to or interest in Cambridge-based institutions.

Organizations seeking funding would likely need an introduction through existing trust contacts or trustees. Given the family nature of the trust and the lack of public application processes, personal connections and demonstrated alignment with the trustees' interests in education, healthcare, and poverty relief would be essential.

Application Success Factors

For students applying through Robinson College's established funds:

Demonstrate clear educational value: Applications to the MML Support Fund that present intellectual challenge, cultural immersion, and social impact are prioritized. Projects should enhance language skills and cultural understanding.

Show financial need: The funds were established specifically because of “increased student fees, increased numbers of clinical students at Robinson, and restricted grant-making resources,” indicating that financial need is a core consideration.

Plan efficiently: For MML projects, the “value-for-budget-costs” principle applies. Medical electives support is described as “unlikely to be more than £1000” per student, encouraging students to seek multiple funding sources.

Apply early: Priority for MML funding is given to students who haven't previously received funding from the program, and specific deadlines (11 December and 26 March) must be met.

Meet eligibility requirements precisely: Each fund has specific eligibility criteria (e.g., Year 5 medical students only; clinical veterinary students from 4th year onwards; first or second-year MML/HML students). Applications outside these parameters won't be considered.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Not open to public applications: The Chaffield Shaw Trust does not accept unsolicited grant applications and operates through trustee-identified beneficiaries only.

• Education is the primary focus: All documented grant-making supports educational opportunities, specifically helping students overcome financial barriers to overseas placements, electives, and immersion experiences.

• Institutional rather than project funding: The trust favors establishing endowed funds and long-term partnerships (as seen with Robinson College) rather than one-off project grants.

• Cambridge connection appears significant: The trust's only publicly documented beneficiary is Robinson College, Cambridge, suggesting a particular interest in or connection to Cambridge-based institutions.

• Small operational scale: With annual expenditure of £58,953 against income of £213,750, the trust appears to be building capital for longer-term endowed funding rather than distributing all income annually.

• Family trust structure: Governed by three members of the Reavley family, the trust operates with the flexibility and personal decision-making typical of private family trusts.

• Students can access funds: While organizations cannot apply directly to the trust, eligible students at Robinson College can apply through the college's established processes for MML, medical, and veterinary support funds.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Roy and Pixie Baker Charitable Trust
• Rotary Club of Cambridge Trust Fund
• MYRISTICA TRUST
• The Alborada Trust
• The Pharsalia Charitable Trust
• The Eranda Rothschild Foundation
• The Watson Family Charitable Trust
• Dr & Mrs J D Olav Kerr Charitable Trust No 2
• The Wyfold Charitable Trust
• The Scotshill Trust

References

1. Charity Commission Register of Charities. “THE CHAFFIELD SHAW TRUST - Charity 1164710.” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1164710&subid=0

1. Robinson College, Cambridge. “The Robinson MMLL Fund.” https://www.robinson.cam.ac.uk/college-life/academic-life/finance-and-expenses/bursaries-funds-and-claim-form/robinson-mmll-fund

1. Robinson College, Cambridge. “Bursaries and Scholarships - Fundraising Priorities.” https://www.robinson.cam.ac.uk/alumni/fundraising-priorities/bursaries-and-scholarships

1. Robinson College, Cambridge. “Prizes and Subject Grants.” https://www.robinson.cam.ac.uk/college-life/academic-life/finance-and-expenses/student-support-fund/prizes-and-subject-grants

1. LinkedIn. “Martin Reavley - Chairman - The Chaffield Shaw Trust.” https://uk.linkedin.com/in/martin-reavley-7360b734

1. Charity Commission. “Governing document, THE CHAFFIELD SHAW TRUST - 1164710.” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5071129/governing-document