The Charity Service Limited

Charity Number: 1011293

Annual Expenditure: £1.4M

Stay updated on changes from The Charity Service Limited and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,400,000 (2021-22)
  • Success Rate: 40% of completed applications
  • Decision Time: 4-8 weeks (from deadline to committee decision)
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £3,000 (average £1,000)
  • Geographic Focus: Greater Manchester (primary), with national/international capacity through Donor Advised Funds

Contact Details

Website: www.charityservice.org.uk

Email: chris.mills@charityservice.org.uk

Phone: 0330 1330 780

For Grant Applications:

Pete Yarwood, Grants Officer

Tel: 07936 917679

Email: grants@charityservice.org.uk or pete.yarwood@charityservice.org.uk

Address: Jactin House, 24 Hood Street, Manchester M4 6WX

Overview

The Charity Service Limited (founded as charity number 1011293, company 02538910) is an independent, not-for-profit organization with deep roots in Manchester's charitable sector. The organization operates as both a Donor Advised Fund sponsor and grant-maker, distributing £1.4 million annually through 204 individual grants. Their vision is “a world where philanthropy is commonplace, generous and kind,” emphasizing community-driven change through trusting relationships and long-term perspectives. The organization distinguishes itself through values-based philanthropy and accessible, down-to-earth service. In the year ended March 2022, they focused primarily on health (particularly women's health), social welfare, and human rights work, with approximately one-tenth of grants by value supporting international organizations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Greater Manchester Grants

£1,000 - £3,000 (average £1,000)

Open to registered charities, constituted community groups, and voluntary organizations operating in Greater Manchester for at least 3 years with annual expenditure under £1 million. Applications reviewed quarterly with fixed deadlines.

Cinderella Grants (Chronicle Cinderella Home Fund)

Individual: up to £1,000 | Group: up to £3,000 (average £1,000)

Provides respite care support (including holidays) for children and young people under 25 who are sick, convalescent, have special educational needs, or face disadvantage. Geographic coverage: Greater Manchester, East Lancashire, North East Cheshire, North West Derbyshire. Individual applications must be professionally sponsored.

Application Method: Fixed quarterly deadlines (September, November, January) with committee decisions 3-4 weeks later.

Priority Areas

Greater Manchester Grants focus on:

  • Preventing homelessness
  • Reducing social isolation (activities that enhance social connectedness across the life-course)
  • Supporting vulnerable families and children
  • Improving access to employment (secondary priority)

What Gets Funded:

  • Activity/project costs
  • Capital costs
  • Organizational core costs (in some cases)
  • New project costs including time-limited staff costs

Cinderella Grants support:

  • Respite care and support services
  • Holiday provision
  • Activities for young people with special needs or disadvantage

What They Don't Fund

  • Retrospective costs: Grants will NOT be paid to cover costs already incurred
  • Repeat funding: Applications from previous recipients will NOT be considered for the same purpose
  • Organizations outside eligibility criteria: Must be embedded in local communities with volunteer involvement
  • Organizations exceeding £1 million annual expenditure (for Greater Manchester Grants)
Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Charity Service Limited?

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

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Staff Leadership

Rachel Tomlins, Head of Philanthropy

“A skilled relationship manager with extensive experience in the charitable and higher education sectors in Australia and the UK. Her focus is on developing meaningful relationships that lead to sustainable and impactful change.”

Pete Yarwood, Grants Officer

Manages all grant-making activities for The Charity Service and serves as primary contact for applicants.

Board of Trustees (10 members)

Eleanor Wotherspoon (Chair) - Financial services professional at Evelyn Partners

Kathryn Graham - Solicitor specializing in estate planning and wills

Paul Chorlton - Finance Director at LOVE Creative and Fellow of the ACCA; organiser of the Annual Manchester Ball

Pippa Smith - Leads the Sir John Fisher Foundation, a grantmaking foundation in South Cumbria

David Newns - Retired company director with expertise in sales, marketing and international trade; former Chair of Bury Independent Living Development

Jane Kiely - Marketing head and passionate fundraiser with experience in the charity sector

Karen Webster - Head of Philanthropy (North) for The Prince's Trust

Matt Ralph - Chartered Financial Planner at Castlefield Advisory Partners

Robert Nieri - Charity lawyer leading the charities team at Shoosmiths

Mehran Mokri - Chief Operating Officer at Youth Leads UK, with expertise in governance, finance, and digital transformation

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Pre-application contact strongly encouraged: Contact Pete Yarwood (07936 917679 or grants@charityservice.org.uk) before applying to confirm eligibility and discuss your proposal
  1. Complete application form: Request form from Pete Yarwood; forms not publicly available online
  • For grants over £1,000: strategy document, budget/cashflow forecast, and impact report
  • For Cinderella Grants (individual): professional sponsorship from social worker, GP, or teacher
  1. Submit by deadline: Applications to grants@charityservice.org.uk by 4pm on deadline dates
  1. Due diligence: All organizations undergo due diligence checks before committee consideration

Decision Timeline

Quarterly Application Deadlines and Committee Decisions:

  • September 19, 2025 (4pm deadline) → Decision: October 17, 2025
  • November 21, 2025 (4pm deadline) → Decision: December 12, 2025
  • January 30, 2026 (4pm deadline) → Decision: February 20, 2026

Processing Times:

  • Applications under £1,000: Reviewed and assessed quickly
  • Applications over £1,000: Go to grants committee (3-4 weeks from deadline to decision)

Notification: Applicants notified in writing after committee decisions

Success Rates

40% of completed grant applications are successful

In 2021-22, The Charity Service awarded 204 individual grants from approximately 510 applications.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations that have previously received grant funding from The Charity Service may reapply, but applications must NOT be for the same purpose. No explicit waiting period mentioned, but new applications must demonstrate different activities or needs.

Unsuccessful applicants: No specific policy stated, but implied that reapplication is possible if eligibility criteria are met and the application addresses different needs or improved proposals.

Application Success Factors

Key Criteria for Strong Applications

  1. Established track record: Must have been active for at least 3 years with demonstrable community embedding and volunteer involvement
  1. Clear alignment with priorities: Applications explicitly addressing homelessness prevention, social isolation reduction, or vulnerable family support are prioritized
  1. Complete documentation: “Completing an application form does NOT guarantee that grant funding will be provided” - all requested supporting documentation must be included
  1. Forward planning: Applications must be submitted before costs are incurred; retrospective funding never provided
  1. Appropriate scale: Organizations with annual expenditure under £1 million preferred; reflects focus on grassroots community organizations
  1. Evidence of need: Particularly for Cinderella Grants, professional sponsorship demonstrates genuine need and family resource limitations

Organizational Philosophy

The Charity Service emphasizes philanthropy that:

  • Supports communities driving their own change
  • Builds trusting relationships
  • Respects diversity
  • Takes long-term perspectives
  • Learns from experience

Recent Funding Examples

The organization has supported:

  • Women's health initiatives (Operation Fistula, Abortion Support Network, Women for Refugee Women)
  • LGBT+ support services (Galop)
  • Human rights and civil rights organizations (Women for Afghan Women)
  • International development work in Nepal, Pakistan, and Palestine

Strategic Advice from The Charity Service

“Our expert advisors have a deep knowledge of the charity sector. We also draw upon research-based evidence for all our advice. We aim to make the giving process enjoyable and fulfilling, and we love working with thoughtful and engaged donors.”

"The real value of any charitable gift is not in the amount given but in the impact. That's why adopting a strategic approach and carefully selecting charities is important."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Pre-application engagement is critical: Contact Pete Yarwood before applying to confirm eligibility and discuss your proposal - this relationship-building aligns with their values-based approach
  1. Align explicitly with priority areas: Applications that clearly address preventing homelessness, reducing social isolation, or supporting vulnerable families/children have the strongest chance (40% success rate overall)
  1. Plan ahead for quarterly deadlines: With only three application windows per year (September, November, January), strategic timing is essential
  1. Keep it modest and community-focused: Average grant of £1,000 targets grassroots organizations; demonstrate volunteer involvement and community embedding rather than professional scale
  1. Never apply for retrospective costs: This is an absolute exclusion - ensure grant approval before beginning activities
  1. Leverage their Donor Advised Fund capacity: For larger or more strategic partnerships, The Charity Service manages £1.4m annually across diverse causes including international work - explore whether donor engagement might open additional opportunities beyond standard grant programs
  1. Emphasize impact over amount: Their stated philosophy values impact over grant size - focus your application on measurable outcomes and community-driven change rather than budget justification

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References