The Chester Bluecoat Charity
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The charity funds not-for-profit organisations whose work benefits people in Cheshire West and Chester or Saltney and tackles poverty, disadvantage and inequality, with stated themes including food poverty, mental health, education, disability, young people and charity infrastructure.
- It gives grants of up to £10,000 per year, and it funds both projects and core costs, so a modest, clearly evidenced request fits its approach.
- Applications are rolling and reviewed quarterly, with an outcome about six weeks after the quarter end, and the charity invites an initial chat about suitability before you apply.
- It will not fund individuals, commercial organisations, fee-paying schools, or work primarily the responsibility of statutory authorities, and it will not fund work that is outside its area or similar to a project it already supports.
- Organisations that cannot show the impact of the grant, or that lack effective and transparent management, should not apply.
Overview
The Chester Bluecoat Charity is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1186378).
The Chester Bluecoat Charity exists to tackle the causes of poverty, disadvantage and inequality across Chester and the surrounding area. It does this through grants to charitable and community organisations, almshouse accommodation, and sponsored educational bursaries. Its grant giving has supported more than sixty-five organisations in the last five years. The annual report shows £198,848 paid, though the register does not confirm that scale.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The charity funds not-for-profit organisations, including charities, CICs and community groups, whose work benefits people within Cheshire West and Chester or Saltney and tackles poverty, disadvantage and inequality. Grants may support projects or core costs, including wages, utilities, equipment and office space. Its priorities include improving health and wellbeing across communities, creating opportunities and resilience for young people and future generations, and strengthening the essential infrastructure of charitable organisations. It describes supporting work on food poverty, mental health, education and disability, and reports multi-year core-cost grants to local organisations providing services such as meeting spaces, counselling, and finance and debt advice. Its grants help charities and volunteer organisations reach more people locally.
Themes
- Food poverty
- Mental health
- Education
- Disability
- Young people
- Charity infrastructure
Geographic Focus
Cheshire West and Chester; Saltney.
What they don't fund
- Grant Giving only:
- Core costs or projects that are exclusively for religious purposes. However, we do fund religious organisations if the grant benefits those experiencing poverty, disadvantage and inequality
- Work that is primarily the responsibility of statutory authorities
- Similar project or core costs that we have funded in the last two years
- Grants to individuals
- Grants to commercial organisations
- Work that takes place in or is delivered by fee-paying schools
- Work that we feel is similar to that being run by another organisation we are already supporting
- Organisations that are not not-for-profit organisations, such as charities, CICs and community groups
- Applications for more than £10,000 per year
- Work that does not benefit those within the Cheshire West and Chester boundary or Saltney
- Work that does not align with our goals of tackling the causes of poverty, disadvantage and inequality
- Organisations without effective and transparent management
- Organisations or work that are not sustainable
- Applications that cannot demonstrate the quantitative and/or qualitative impact of the grant
How to apply
Potential applicants are invited to have an initial chat about suitability. Eligible organisations download and return the application form with their latest accounts, governing document and relevant documents, including impact reports. Applications are reviewed quarterly; applicants receive confirmation within one week and an outcome within six weeks after the quarter end following submission.
Who can apply:
- We only award grants to not-for-profit organisations, such as charities, CICs and community groups.
- Your organisation needs to have effective and transparent management.
- Your organisation and the work you do should be sustainable.
- You need to be able to demonstrate the quantitative and/or qualitative impact of the grant.
What to send:
- Latest accounts
- Governing document
- Any relevant documents including impact reports
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Potential applicants are invited to have an initial chat about their work and suitability before applying.
- The organisation's work must align with the charity's goals of tackling poverty, disadvantage and inequality.
- The organisation needs effective and transparent management.
- The organisation and its work should be sustainable.
- Applicants need to demonstrate the grant's quantitative and/or qualitative impact.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Saltney
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Chester Bluecoat Charity.
6 years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 30 December 2020 | £0 | £0 | — | Accounts for year to 30 December 2020 |
| year to 30 December 2021 | £0 | £0 | — | Accounts for year to 30 December 2021 |
| year to 30 December 2022 | £0 | £0 | — | Accounts for year to 30 December 2022 |
| year to 30 December 2023 | £551,483 | £548,841 | £216,333 | Accounts for year to 30 December 2023 |
| year to 30 December 2024 | £572,629 | £582,184 | £158,715 | Accounts for year to 30 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | — | — | £198,848 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 2 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 30 December 2023; year to 30 December 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants paid out in the year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk
- thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk/support-for-grant-applications · read on 31 October 2026
- thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk/about-us · read on 31 October 2026
- thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk/grant-giving · read on 31 October 2026
- thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk/contact-us · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to The Chester Bluecoat Charity?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 01244 345787source
- office@thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uksource
- The Chester Bluecoat Charity, The Bluecoat, Upper Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 4EEsource
- thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk
Applying to The Chester Bluecoat Charity?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 01244 345787source
- office@thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uksource
- The Chester Bluecoat Charity, The Bluecoat, Upper Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 4EEsource
- thechesterbluecoatcharity.co.uk