The Earley Charity

Charity Number: 244823

Annual Expenditure: £1.2M
Geographic Focus: Reading, Wokingham

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,170,513 (expenditure 2024)
  • Grant Range (Organisations): £500 - £5,000 (larger amounts possible)
  • Grant Range (Individuals): Up to £500 (larger for specialist equipment)
  • Decision Time: Quarterly review cycles (4 times per year for organisations; 8 times per year for individuals)
  • Geographic Focus: Earley, East Reading, and surrounding areas in Berkshire
  • Charity Number: 244823

Contact Details

Address: Earley Crescent Resource Centre, Warbler Drive, Earley, Reading RG6 4HB

Phone: 0118 304 9369

Email: ec@earleycharity.org.uk

Website: www.earleycharity.org.uk

Area of Benefit Check: The website offers a postcode search tool to verify eligibility

Overview

The Earley Charity is one of the largest local grant-making charities in central southern England, with a history spanning over 300 years. Founded in 1990 through the merger of two historic charities - the Englefield Charity and the Earley Poor's Land Charity (established 1816) - the organisation today operates with total annual expenditure of £1,170,513. The charity's primary object is the relief of need among older, disabled, or poor people living in their defined area of benefit. However, the charity's terms of reference have expanded to enable funding for community, educational, informational, cultural, sporting, recreational, and social initiatives. With a forward-thinking approach to grant-making, the charity has developed innovative programmes including the Earley Charity Workers scheme and significant capital funding initiatives, most recently the £250,000 “Building for the Future” capital grants programme for 2025.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Standard Organisational Grants: £500 - £5,000

  • Applications considered quarterly (four times per year)
  • One-off, non-recurrent funding for specific projects or equipment
  • Application form required, submitted by 12 noon on closing dates
  • Late applications rolled forward to next round

Individual Grants: Up to £500 (larger amounts for specialist equipment)

  • Grants Panel meets eight times per year
  • For purchases of equipment, goods, or services
  • Larger grants available for specialist medical/therapeutic equipment or essential building repairs where disability requires alterations

Capital Grants - Building for the Future Programme: £250,000 total budget (2025)

  • For bricks and mortar projects (new builds, extensions, large-scale refurbishments)
  • Multi-stage application process beginning with Expressions of Interest
  • Trustees will support multiple projects; full or part funding available
  • Previous capital programmes include the successful £350,000 Capital Projects Fund

Earley Charity Workers Programme

  • An exception to the no-recurrent-funding policy
  • Posts funded on a rolling programme, advance funded at least two years into the future
  • Currently funded at: Berkshire Women's Aid, Earley Crescent Community Resource Centre, RISC, Reading Voluntary Action, and Weller Centre

Trustee-Led Grants

  • Trustees may occasionally initiate grants to local groups they know well
  • Trustees can pool their discretionary grant funds for larger awards
  • Example: Three trustees pooled funds to award Reading Rep Theatre £24,000 for their ENGAGE programme

Priority Areas

  • Relief of need among elderly, disabled, or poor people
  • Community support and development initiatives
  • Educational projects and resources
  • Cultural and recreational activities
  • Sporting initiatives
  • Social support programmes
  • Mental health and wellbeing services
  • Support for refugees and vulnerable groups
  • Youth organisations (Scouts, Guides, etc.)
  • Environmental and climate education
  • Specialist equipment for individuals with disabilities
  • Building improvements and accessibility modifications

What They Don't Fund

  • Post-graduate education
  • General running costs or core costs
  • Open-ended salaries (except through the Earley Charity Workers scheme)
  • General charitable appeals
  • Religious activities
  • Applications from public sector bodies (except in exceptional cases)
  • National organisations operating in the area without a local office
  • Recurrent or ongoing revenue funding (except Earley Charity Workers)
  • Applications from outside the defined area of benefit
  • Schoolchildren's student exchange or study travel abroad
  • Foreign students
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Governance and Leadership

The Earley Charity is governed by a board of 8 trustees, none of whom receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The charity operates without any employees receiving benefits over £60,000 and has no trading subsidiaries.

The area of benefit is precisely defined as “the Ancient Liberty of Earley and the neighbourhood thereof,” which in practice covers:

  • All of Earley (Lower Earley and “old Earley”)
  • Northern part of Shinfield
  • Winnersh
  • South Reading (including Whitley)
  • East Reading (including Newtown)
  • Central Reading (as far west as the Reading West railway line)
  • Sonning
  • Lower Caversham

Trustees play an active role in grant-making, using their knowledge of local voluntary, community, sporting, and cultural organisations to identify worthy causes. On occasion, trustees will initiate grants to local groups based on their direct knowledge of need.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply - Organisations

  1. Request an Application Form: Contact ec@earleycharity.org.uk or complete the Pre-application questionnaire form
  2. Complete the Application: Provide information covering all requested points
  3. Submit by Deadline: Post or email application and supporting documents to arrive no later than 12 noon on the closing date
  4. Quarterly Review: Applications considered four times per year
  5. Late Applications: Automatically rolled forward to the next round

How to Apply - Individuals

  1. Obtain Application Form: Email contact details and brief outline of request to ec@earleycharity.org.uk
  2. Complete and Submit: Post completed application form with all supporting documents to the charity's office
  3. Eight Annual Reviews: Grants Panel meets eight times per year for applications under £500

Capital Grants - Building for the Future

  1. Expression of Interest: Submit initial EOI by deadline (12 noon)
  2. Shortlisting: If potential for funding identified
  3. Presentation: Invited to give short presentation to trustees (approximately 4 weeks after deadline)
  4. Final Selection: Projects shortlisted for further consideration
  5. Decision: Final decisions typically 8-10 weeks after initial deadline

Decision Timeline

  • Standard Grants: Applications reviewed quarterly (organisations) or 8 times per year (individuals)
  • Capital Grants: Approximately 8-10 weeks from expression of interest to final decision
  • Notification: Applicants informed of decisions following trustee meetings
  • No specific decision timeline published for standard grants, but quarterly review cycles suggest decisions within 3 months of each deadline

Reapplication Policy

Information not publicly available. Contact the charity directly to discuss reapplication after an unsuccessful attempt.

Application Success Factors

Demonstrate Clear Local Benefit

The charity emphasizes that trustees are “only able to consider applications from individuals living in the area of benefit and organisations working within the area.” Use their website's postcode checker to confirm eligibility and clearly demonstrate how your project serves the specific communities within their area of benefit.

Focus on One-Off, Specific Projects

The charity explicitly states that “applications should be for one-off non-recurrent funding for specific projects or equipment.” Avoid requesting general running costs or ongoing support (unless applying through the Earley Charity Workers scheme). Be precise about what you need and why.

Align with Relief of Need

While the charity has broadened its scope, its core object remains “the relief of need among older, disabled or poor people living in our area of benefit.” Applications that clearly connect to supporting vulnerable populations appear particularly strong, as evidenced by funded projects supporting refugees, mental health services, and accessibility improvements.

Consider Partnership Opportunities

The charity has shown willingness to support organisations it knows well with larger grants and ongoing funding through the Earley Charity Workers scheme. Building a relationship through smaller initial grants may open doors to more substantial support. Examples of successfully funded organisations include Reading Rep Theatre (£24,000), Refugee Support Group (£40,300), and various community organisations.

Strong Evidence of Impact

Recent funded projects show trustees value measurable outcomes. For example, they funded specific numbers of tents for a Scout group, free tickets for a defined number of children, and training with clear participant numbers. Quantify your expected impact wherever possible.

Avoid Excluded Categories

Carefully review the "What They Don't Fund" list. The charity is explicit about not funding public sector bodies, national organisations without local offices, religious activities, and general appeals. Don't waste effort on applications that fall into these categories.

Complete Applications by Deadline

Applications must arrive by 12 noon on closing dates. Late applications are automatically rolled to the next round, potentially delaying your funding by several months. Plan ahead and submit early.

Match Grant Range Expectations

For organisations, the typical range is £500-£5,000, though larger grants go to organisations trustees know well. If requesting more than £5,000 as a new applicant, ensure your rationale is compelling or consider building a relationship with smaller grants first.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Local focus is paramount - Only applicants within the defined area of benefit (Earley, East Reading, and surrounding areas) will be considered. Verify eligibility using their postcode checker before applying.
  • One-off project funding is the norm - The charity does not fund ongoing costs, salaries, or general appeals except through their specific Earley Charity Workers programme. Frame your application around a discrete project or equipment purchase.
  • Know the grant range - Organisations typically receive £500-£5,000; individuals up to £500. Larger amounts are reserved for organisations with established relationships or exceptional circumstances.
  • Quarterly deadlines create planning opportunities - With four annual review cycles for organisations and eight for individuals, you have multiple opportunities to apply, but missing a deadline means waiting for the next cycle.
  • Build relationships for larger support - The charity's Earley Charity Workers scheme and larger trustee-led grants suggest that developing a relationship through successful smaller grants can lead to more substantial, even ongoing, support.
  • Capital funding opportunities exist - The charity periodically launches significant capital programmes (£250,000-£350,000) for building projects. Monitor their website for announcements if you have capital needs.
  • Demonstrate relief of need - While the charity funds diverse projects, the strongest applications clearly connect to their core mission of relieving need among elderly, disabled, or poor people in the community.

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