The Edward & Catherine Wray Charitable Trust
Charity Number: 1160375
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Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: £271,271 (year ending December 2024)
- Annual Income: £192,506 (year ending December 2024)
- Success Rate: Not publicly available
- Decision Time: Variable - at trustee discretion
- Grant Range: Not specified
- Geographic Focus: England, Wales, and South Africa
Contact Details
- Website: https://funding.ludlowtrust.com
- Email: charitabletrusts@ludlowtrust.com
- Phone: 0117 313 8200
- Address: Trustee Department, 6th Floor, Trinity Quay 2, Avon Street, Bristol, BS2 0PT
- Alternative Contact: 020 4534 2750 (Ludlow Trust general enquiries)
Overview
The Edward & Catherine Wray Charitable Trust was established in 2015 as a charitable trust with general charitable purposes. The trust is managed through Ludlow Trust Company's administration services, with Coutts & Co serving as a corporate trustee alongside the settlors, Edward James Wray and Catherine May Wray. Edward Wray is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, best known as co-founder and former CEO of Betfair Group plc. The trust demonstrates a broad philanthropic approach, supporting causes across culture and arts, humanitarian and disaster relief, and animal welfare. With annual expenditure of approximately £271,000, the trust operates as part of Ludlow's network of over 400 managed charitable trusts, accepting applications through their online Funding Enquiry Gateway platform.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
The trust operates with general charitable purposes and does not appear to have restricted grant programs or fixed grant tiers. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway at https://funding.ludlowtrust.com.
Priority Areas
The trust has demonstrated interest in funding across the following broad categories:
- Culture and Arts: Supporting cultural projects and artistic endeavors
- Humanitarian and Disaster Relief: Emergency response and humanitarian assistance
- Animal Welfare: Projects benefiting animal protection and care
- Youth Development and Mental Health: Reflecting the trustees' personal philanthropic interests
The trust operates in England, Wales, and South Africa, indicating an international scope alongside domestic UK grant-making.
What They Don't Fund
Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. As with most charitable trusts managed through Ludlow, applications must come from registered UK charities or exempt charities.
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Governance and Leadership
Trustees
- Mr Edward James Wray: Co-founder and former CEO of Betfair Group plc (floated on London Stock Exchange in 2010 at £1.4bn valuation). He holds an MA in Engineering, Economics & Management from Oxford University and has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Coach Core Foundation since 2020. He previously chaired Mental Health Innovations from 2017 to 2025, demonstrating commitment to youth development and mental health causes.
- Mrs Catherine May Wray: Co-settlor and trustee
- Coutts & Co: Corporate trustee providing professional trustee services
At least one trustee receives payments or benefits from the charity for services rendered, which is standard practice for professional trustee services provided by institutions like Coutts.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online through the Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway at https://funding.ludlowtrust.com. UK registered charities and exempt charities are eligible to apply.
The platform offers two application approaches:
- Specific Application: Apply directly to The Edward & Catherine Wray Charitable Trust if you identify strong alignment with their interests
- General Application: Submit a general application that will be matched across 400+ charitable trusts managed by Ludlow, including this trust
Applicants submit information about their charity and the project requiring funding. The platform then matches applications to relevant charitable trusts based on alignment with trust criteria.
Decision Timeline
Decision timelines are at the discretion of the trustees, with no fixed meeting schedule publicly available. Once applications are matched via the Gateway, trustees consider applications “in the usual course of their decision making process.”
The Ludlow Gateway has processed over 17,000 applications since its launch in September 2023, facilitating over £5 million in grants across its network of trusts.
Success Rates
Specific success rates for The Edward & Catherine Wray Charitable Trust are not publicly available. The Ludlow Gateway as a whole has facilitated over £5 million in grants from 17,000+ applications since September 2023, suggesting an approximate network-wide success rate in the single digits, though this varies significantly by trust.
Reapplication Policy
No specific reapplication policy is documented. Standard practice for trusts managed through the Ludlow Gateway typically allows reapplication for future projects or after a reasonable period.
Application Success Factors
What to Include
- Clear charitable purpose: Explain your registered charity's mission and how it aligns with general charitable purposes
- Specific project details: Describe the work requiring funding, including geographical focus and target beneficiaries
- Alignment indicators: Highlight connections to the trust's known interests (culture/arts, humanitarian relief, animal welfare, youth development, mental health) if applicable
- Geographic relevance: Note if your work is in England, Wales, or South Africa
Strategic Considerations
Given Edward Wray's personal philanthropic focus on youth development and mental health initiatives (demonstrated through his trustee roles at Coach Core Foundation and Mental Health Innovations), applications in these areas may resonate particularly well if they also align with the trust's broader stated interests.
The trust's support for work in South Africa suggests international humanitarian projects in this region may be of interest.
Gateway Advantages
According to Ludlow Trust, the Gateway platform offers several benefits:
- Removes uncertainty about which trust to approach
- Increases visibility across multiple trusts simultaneously
- Reduces paperwork and administrative burden
- Allows proposals to reach trustees quickly
The platform explicitly states that general applications can be matched to multiple trusts, so charities should consider whether to apply specifically to this trust or submit a general application for broader consideration.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- Broad remit works in your favor: With “general charitable purposes” as the trust's object, a wide range of projects may be considered - don't self-reject
- Use the Gateway system: The Ludlow platform is designed to streamline applications and increase matching opportunities across 400+ trusts
- Highlight alignment where it exists: If your work relates to culture/arts, humanitarian relief, animal welfare, youth development, or mental health, make this clear
- Consider the South Africa connection: Projects with an international dimension, particularly in South Africa, align with the trust's stated geographic scope
- Be patient with timelines: Decision-making is at trustee discretion with no published meeting schedule
- Professional trustee involvement: Coutts & Co's presence as corporate trustee suggests a professional, structured approach to grant-making
- No cost to apply: The Gateway application process is free for registered charities, making it low-risk to submit applications
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References
- UK Charity Commission Register: The Edward & Catherine Wray Charitable Trust (Charity No. 1160375), https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1160375&subid=0 (Accessed: January 2025)
- Ludlow Trust Company: “The Ludlow Funding Enquiry Gateway”, https://www.ludlowtrust.com/insights/the-ludlow-funding-enquiry-gateway/ (Accessed: January 2025)
- Ludlow Trust Funding Gateway: https://funding.ludlowtrust.com (Accessed: January 2025)
- OpenCharities: The Edward & Catherine Wray Charitable Trust, http://opencharities.org/charities/1160375 (Accessed: January 2025)
- Nesta: Edward Wray profile, https://www.nesta.org.uk/team/edward-wray/ (Accessed: January 2025)
- Financial data from Charity Commission records for year ending 31 December 2024