The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust
Charity Number: 242721
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Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: £380,084 (2024 expenditure)
- Total Income: £424,232 (2024)
- Success Rate: Not publicly available
- Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
- Grant Range: Up to 50% training costs for employers; community grants up to £25,000+
- Geographic Focus: North West England, particularly Lancashire and Yorkshire
Contact Details
Address: 19 Shepherd Street, Rochdale, OL11 5SU
Phone: 01706 341731
Email: theciwmt@btinternet.com
Website: Information available via Textile Centre of Excellence (tcoe.co.uk)
For training grant enquiries, contact via the Textile Centre of Excellence.
Overview
The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust was established by Act of Parliament in 1947 and is a registered charity (242721) that came together from an amalgamation of Textile Unions, Textile Employers' Associations and the Board of Trade & Industry. With an annual expenditure of approximately £380,000, the Trust provides funding for good causes through its link to the textile industry across the North West of England. The Trust's mission encompasses all aspects of aid and assistance to employees, former employees, and students of the textile industry, including grants, pensions, support for education and training, and assistance to organizations supporting the sector. The Trust maintains eight trustees who serve without remuneration.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
Training Grants for Employers
The Trust provides funding to Yorkshire and Lancashire-based cotton and dyeing businesses towards the cost of:
- Industry approved courses for support businesses
- Graduate study support
- Technician training on textile equipment and machinery
- Additional support for apprentices
Amount: Up to 50% of training costs
Application Method: Contact the Textile Centre of Excellence directly
Individual Hardship Grants
Grants available to employees, former employees, and students of the textile industry who are in financial need.
Amount: Not publicly disclosed
Application Method: Contact the Trust directly
Community and Organizational Grants
Grants to organizations supporting the textile industry community and related causes in the North West.
Recent Example: £25,000 to Accrington Stanley Community Trust for construction of a Sports Hub
Application Method: Not publicly advertised; likely trustee discretion or invitation
Priority Areas
- Training and education to encourage efficiency in the textile industry
- Support for necessitous, disabled, or deserving persons connected to the textile industry and their families
- Assistance for former textile workers facing financial hardship
- Community projects with links to the textile industry across the North West of England
- Medical facilities and support for textile industry workers
- Convalescent homes and related facilities
What They Don't Fund
Not explicitly stated, but the Trust's focus is specifically on:
- Individuals and organizations with connections to the textile industry
- Projects within the North West of England, particularly Lancashire and Yorkshire
- Grants outside this specific remit are unlikely to be considered

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Governance and Leadership
The Trust is governed by a board of eight trustees who serve without remuneration. The Trust has no employees receiving benefits over £60,000 and operates without trading subsidiaries. Trustee names are not publicly disclosed in readily available sources, reflecting the Trust's relatively low public profile despite its substantial grant-making activity.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust does not operate a standard public application process with fixed deadlines or an online portal. Different application pathways exist depending on the type of support sought:
For Training Grants (Employers):
Contact the Textile Centre of Excellence directly to discuss eligibility and funding availability. This is the most clearly defined application route.
For Individual Hardship Grants:
Contact the Trust directly using the email (theciwmt@btinternet.com) or phone number (01706 341731) provided. The Trust appears in the Turn2us Grants Search database, suggesting they do accept applications from individuals in financial need.
For Organizational/Community Grants:
There is no advertised public application process for larger organizational grants. The example of the £25,000 grant to Accrington Stanley Community Trust suggests that these grants may be awarded through trustee discretion or by invitation.
Getting on Their Radar
For training grants administered through the Textile Centre of Excellence, the pathway is clear: contact the Centre directly to discuss your training needs and eligibility.
For other types of grants, particularly organizational grants, the process is less transparent. The Trust's connection to textile industry organizations through its founding (textile unions, employers' associations, and the Board of Trade & Industry) suggests that organizations with existing connections to the textile industry sector may have better visibility to trustees.
Decision Timeline
Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. Given the Trust's structure and lack of formal application rounds, decisions are likely made on a rolling basis by trustees.
Success Rates
Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available.
Reapplication Policy
No information is publicly available regarding reapplication policies or restrictions on unsuccessful applicants.
Application Success Factors
Due to limited public information about the Trust's grant-making processes, specific success factors must be inferred from the Trust's stated objectives and known grant activities:
For Training Grants:
- Must be a cotton or dyeing business based in Yorkshire or Lancashire
- Training must be from industry-approved courses
- Focus on graduate study, technician training, or apprentice support
- Connection to textile equipment and machinery is prioritized
For Individual Hardship Grants:
- Must be an employee, former employee, or student of the textile industry
- Demonstrate financial need
- Connection to the North West textile industry is essential
For Organizational Grants:
- Strong connection to the textile industry and its workforce
- Located in or serving communities in the North West of England
- Projects that align with supporting textile workers and their families
- Community benefit linked to the Trust's historical mission
The Trust's Heritage:
Understanding the Trust's origins as a war memorial established to support the textile industry workforce affected by the wars suggests that applications demonstrating support for vulnerable or disadvantaged individuals connected to the textile industry align closely with the Trust's founding mission.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- Textile Industry Connection is Essential: The Trust exists specifically to support the textile industry and its workforce in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Your organization or beneficiaries must have a clear connection to this sector.
- Limited Public Application Process: Unlike many funders, the Trust does not have a standard application portal or publicized deadlines. Building awareness of your organization through textile industry networks may be beneficial for organizational grants.
- Training Grants are Most Accessible: The pathway through the Textile Centre of Excellence provides the clearest route to funding for eligible employers seeking training support.
- Historical Mission Matters: The Trust was established as a war memorial to support textile workers. Projects supporting vulnerable, disabled, or disadvantaged individuals connected to the textile industry align closely with founding objectives.
- Geographic Focus: The Trust specifically serves the North West of England, with emphasis on Lancashire and Yorkshire cotton industry communities.
- Contact Directly: For all grant enquiries, direct contact with the Trust (for individual/organizational grants) or the Textile Centre of Excellence (for training grants) is necessary.
- Modest Public Profile: The Trust operates with limited public-facing information despite substantial grant-making activity (£380k+ annually), suggesting relationship-based rather than competitive grant-making.
Similar Funders
These funders frequently fund the same charities:
- The Arts Council of England
- The London Community Foundation
- The Big Give Trust
- Backstage Trust
- The Rayne Foundation
- The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
- Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust
- THE SIMON GIBSON CHARITABLE TRUST
- The Clare Milne Trust
- THE JOHN HORSEMAN TRUST
- THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION
- P H Holt Foundation
- THE NORMAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST
- The Vernon Ellis Foundation
- The Howard Foundation
- KATHLEEN BERYL SLEIGH CHARITABLE TRUST
- The South Square Trust
- Singer Foundation
- The Golsoncott Foundation
- DAVID SOLOMONS CHARITABLE TRUST
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References
- Charity Commission Register: THE COTTON INDUSTRY WAR MEMORIAL TRUST - Charity Number 242721. Register of Charities, Charity Commission for England and Wales. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/242721
- Textile Centre of Excellence: “THE COTTON INDUSTRY WAR MEMORIAL TRUST.” https://tcoe.co.uk/projects-funding/the-cotton-war-memorial-trust/
- Accrington Stanley Community Trust: “The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust Donate £25,000 Towards New Sports Hub.” https://www.stanleytrust.co.uk/the-cotton-industry-war-memorial-trust-donate-25000-towards-new-sports-hub/ (Referenced December 2024)
- Turn2us Grants Search: “The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust.” https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/grant/the-cotton-industry-war-memorial-trust-14204
- UK Parliament: “Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust Act 1947.” Hansard Parliamentary Records. https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/1947-03-25/debates/42c86ccb-24bc-46d7-961b-6db3ffc818fc/CottonIndustryWarMemorialTrust (Referenced December 2024)
- The National Archives: "Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust Fund & Convalescent Home papers." https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/11ff0dc8-e825-4e20-aada-142ca471590b (Referenced December 2024)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust fund?
Grant Programs Training Grants for Employers The Trust provides funding to Yorkshire and Lancashire-based cotton and dyeing businesses towards the cost of: Industry approved courses for support businesses Graduate study support Technician training on textile equipment and machinery Additional support for apprentices Amount: Up to 50% of training costs Application Method: Contact the Textile Centre of Excellence directly Individual Hardship Grants Grants available to employees, former employees, and students of the textile industry who are in financial need. Amount: Not publicly disclosed Application Method: Contact the Trust directly Community and Organizational Grants Grants to organizations supporting the textile industry community and related causes in the North West.
How much funding does The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust provide?
The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust provides grants ranging from Up to 50% training costs for employers; community grants up to £25,000+, with total annual giving of approximately £380,084 (2024 expenditure).
How do I contact The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust?
Address: 19 Shepherd Street, Rochdale, OL11 5SU Phone: 01706 341731 Email: theciwmt@btinternet. com Website: Information available via Textile Centre of Excellence (tcoe.
Is The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust a registered charity?
Yes, The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust is a registered charity with the Charity Commission (charity number 242721). They serve organisations across 6 regions in the UK.
How do I apply to The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust?
How to Apply The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust does not operate a standard public application process with fixed deadlines or an online portal. Different application pathways exist depending on the type of support sought: For Training Grants (Employers): Contact the Textile Centre of Excellence directly to discuss eligibility and funding availability. This is the most clearly defined application route.
Where is The Cotton Industry War Memorial Trust based?
They fund organisations across 6 regions in the UK.