The Dickinson Family Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £458,722 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: Somerset (Wells and Kingweston), with discretionary powers for broader charitable purposes

Contact Details

Administrative Contact:

• Email: gbarker@mercerslaw.co.uk
• Phone: 01491 572138
• Address: c/o Mercers Law, 50A Bell Street, Henley-On-Thames, Oxfordshire

Registered Charity Number: 1068948

Overview

The Dickinson Family Charitable Trust was established to support the historic churches with which the Dickinson family has deep historical connections. The family purchased the manor of Kingweston in 1740, and Francis Dickinson (a local MP) funded the rebuilding of All Saints Church, Kingweston between 1852-55. The family was also instrumental in founding Wells Theological College in 1840. The trust currently holds a small investment portfolio and in the financial year ending April 2024 had an income of £413,965 and expenditure of £458,722. The trust is governed by four trustees who receive no remuneration and operates with administrative support from Mercers Law, a long-established solicitors firm in Henley-on-Thames.

Funding Priorities

Primary Beneficiaries

The trust's governing document specifies that income may be applied “for the benefit of the public of the fabric of Cathedral Church of St Andrew in Wells and All Saints church in Kingweston AND any such other charitable purposes as the Trustees think fit.”

Named beneficiaries:

• Wells Cathedral (Cathedral Church of St Andrew in Wells) - specifically for the fabric and maintenance of the building
• All Saints Church, Kingweston - for fabric and maintenance

Discretionary charitable purposes:

The trust has broad powers to support other charitable causes at the trustees' discretion, though specific areas of interest beyond church fabric are not publicly documented.

What They Fund

• Historic church buildings (fabric, conservation, and maintenance)
• Potentially other charitable causes at trustee discretion

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly documented, though the trust's primary focus appears to be heritage and religious buildings.

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by four trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. Specific trustee names are not publicly disclosed on the Charity Commission register.

The trust employs no staff with benefits over £60,000 and has no trading subsidiaries.

Administrative support is provided by Mercers Law LLP, a solicitors firm established in Henley-on-Thames since 1827, which specializes in trust and estate administration, capital tax planning, and private client work.

How to Apply to The Dickinson Family Charitable Trust

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process.

The trust operates primarily through trustee discretion to support its two named beneficiary churches (Wells Cathedral and All Saints Church, Kingweston) and any other charitable purposes the trustees select. There is no publicly accessible application portal, published guidelines, or documented process for unsolicited applications.

Grants appear to be awarded through:

• Direct trustee decisions regarding the named beneficiary churches
• Trustee discretion for other charitable purposes
• Possible invitation or pre-existing relationships

Application Success Factors

Given the private nature of this trust, traditional application success factors do not apply. The trust operates through trustee discretion rather than competitive grant-making processes.

For the named beneficiaries (Wells Cathedral and All Saints Church, Kingweston), funding appears to be awarded based on:

• Needs relating to church fabric, conservation, and maintenance
• Trustees' assessment of priority projects
• The trust's ongoing commitment to these historic buildings with which the Dickinson family has deep historical connections

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is a private family trust without a public application process
• Primary focus is on two specific historic churches in Somerset with which the family has historic connections
• The trust has discretionary powers to support other charitable causes, but there is no information on how such grants are awarded
• With expenditure of £458,722 annually, this is a moderately sized family trust
• Contact should be made through the administrative office at Mercers Law
• Organizations seeking funding would need to have a compelling connection to the trust's interests or establish a relationship with the trustees
• This trust is unlikely to be accessible to organizations without specific connections to Somerset heritage, the named churches, or the trust's trustees

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Elizabeth And Prince Zaiger Trust
• Cecil Pilkington Charitable Trust
• Homelands Charitable Trust
• Maristow Charity
• Cathy Wills Charitable Trust
• L G Harris Trust
• Brian And Jill Moss Charitable Trust
• Sue Hammerson Charitable Trust
• Limoges Charitable Trust
• Robert F. And Gina Goldhammer Memorial Foundation Limited

References

• UK Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Dickinson Family Charitable Trust, Charity No. 1068948. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0&regid=1068948
• Somerset Community Foundation, “Our Supporters” - listing The Dickinson Family Trust as a supporter. https://www.somersetcf.org.uk/our-supporters/
• Wells Cathedral, “Grant-making trusts and corporate partners.” https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/your-cathedral/supporting-the-cathedral/grant-making-trusts-and-corporate-partners
• Church of All Saints, Kingweston - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_All_Saints,_Kingweston
• Somerset Heritage Centre, “Papers of the Dickinson Family of Kingweston.” https://somerset-cat.swheritage.org.uk/records/DD/DN
• Mercers Law Solicitors. https://mercerslaw.co.uk/