The Folkington Trust

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 1183450
• Annual Income: £257,178 (FY ending April 2024)
• Annual Expenditure: £98,668 (FY ending April 2024)
• Grant Types: Grants to individuals and organizations
• Geographic Focus: Worldwide (though based in East Sussex)
• Registered: 16 May 2019
• Governed By: Trust Deed dated 1 April 2018

Contact Details

Registered Address:

Folkington Place

Folkington

Polegate

East Sussex

BN26 5SD

Administrative Contact:

Email: admin@jamesharveyassociates.co.uk

Telephone: 020 8579 8788

Alternative Address (for correspondence):

Laytons Solicitors

2 More London Riverside

London

SE1 2AP

Telephone: 020 7842 8000

Overview

The Folkington Trust is a private discretionary charitable trust established in 2018 by David Dimbleby, the distinguished broadcaster and former BBC Question Time presenter, along with his wife Dr. Belinda Susan-Mary Giles and trustee James Dacre Harvey. Registered as a charity in May 2019, the trust is based at Folkington Place, the Dimbleby family's country residence near Polegate in East Sussex. The trust operates with exceptionally broad charitable objectives, granting trustees absolute discretion to support “exclusively charitable objects and purposes in any part of the world.” With an annual income of over £257,000 and relatively modest expenditure of approximately £98,000, the trust makes grants to both individuals and organizations across multiple beneficiary categories including children and young people, elderly people, people with disabilities, people of particular ethnic or racial origin, other charities or voluntary bodies, and the general public.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Folkington Trust does not operate specific named grant programs. Instead, it functions as a discretionary grant-making trust where trustees have complete freedom to support charitable causes they deem appropriate.

Grant Types:

• Grants to individuals
• Grants to organizations and registered charities
• Support for other voluntary bodies

No fixed grant ranges are publicly available.

Priority Areas

The trust's charitable objects are intentionally broad, allowing trustees to support:

• Children and young people - welfare, education, and development
• Elderly and older people - support and care
• People with disabilities - accessibility, inclusion, and support services
• People of particular ethnic or racial origin - equality and support
• Other charities and voluntary bodies - strengthening the charitable sector
• The general public - broad public benefit initiatives

The trust can support causes “in any part of the world,” though given the trustees' connections to East Sussex, there may be particular interest in local causes.

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are documented. However, as a discretionary trust with broad charitable objectives, the trustees determine on a case-by-case basis what falls within their charitable purposes.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by three trustees who have served since its establishment on 1 April 2018:

David Dimbleby

Renowned British journalist and broadcaster, best known for presenting BBC's Question Time for 25 years and anchoring BBC Election Night coverage from 1979 to 2017. Dimbleby lives at Folkington Place, his country estate in East Sussex. He is also known for his charitable work with the Richard Dimbleby Cancer Fund (now Dimbleby Cancer Care), established in memory of his father. Dimbleby has demonstrated community engagement through opening his gardens at Folkington Place for charitable fundraising events.

Dr. Belinda Susan-Mary Giles

David Dimbleby's wife since 2000, and granddaughter of Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr. She brings family heritage and connections to the Sussex community to the trust's work.

James Dacre Harvey

Listed with additional trustee roles at Ealing Youth Orchestra and St. Luke's Hall, suggesting experience in charitable governance and community support.

Governance Structure

• No trustees receive remuneration or payments for their services
• No employees with benefits over £60,000
• No trading subsidiaries
• Trustees operate with “absolute discretion” in grant-making decisions
• Reporting is up to date with the Charity Commission (as of January 2026)

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Folkington Trust does not have a public application process. As a private discretionary trust, grant-making decisions are made by the trustees at their absolute discretion. There is no online portal, application form, or published guidelines for unsolicited applications.

This structure is typical of family trusts where trustees identify beneficiaries through their own networks, personal knowledge of causes, and direct approaches from organizations with which they have existing relationships.

Organizations interested in the trust's support would need to make direct contact via the administrative email (admin@jamesharveyassociates.co.uk) or through personal connections to the trustees, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited approaches will be considered.

Decision Timeline

No public information is available regarding decision timelines, as the trust operates on a discretionary basis rather than fixed funding rounds or deadlines.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the trust does not publish information about application volumes or success rates, consistent with its discretionary, invitation-based approach.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is a private discretionary trust - There is no open application process, and unsolicited applications are unlikely to be successful without prior relationships or connections to the trustees
• Broad charitable remit - The trust can support almost any charitable cause worldwide, giving trustees maximum flexibility
• Local connections matter - With trustees based in East Sussex and David Dimbleby's strong community ties to Folkington, local Sussex causes may have particular resonance
• Personal connection to trustees is likely essential - As with most private family trusts, knowing the trustees or being recommended by someone they trust significantly increases the likelihood of consideration
• Community engagement - David Dimbleby's history of community involvement (opening gardens for charity, campaigning for local causes) suggests trustees may be responsive to grassroots Sussex initiatives
• Heritage and conservation - Given the family's connection to historic Folkington Place and Dimbleby's documented interest in preserving Sussex countryside, heritage and conservation projects may align with trustees' interests
• No published grant amounts - Without public reporting of specific grants, it's impossible to gauge typical award sizes, though the trust's income suggests capacity for meaningful contributions

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• THE LILI TAPPER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
• The Margarethe Charitable Trust
• The Weldon UK Charitable Trust
• The Dischma Charitable Trust
• The John Hemingway Charitable Trust
• The Tomlinson Family Charitable Trust
• John James Underdown Charitable Trust
• The Doouss Charitable Trust
• KATHLEEN BERYL SLEIGH CHARITABLE TRUST
• Susanna Peake Charitable Trust

References

All information compiled from the following sources:

• UK Charity Commission Register: The Folkington Trust (Charity Number 1183450)

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1183450

• UK Charity Commission Trustees Page: The Folkington Trust

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5136704/trustees

• Wikipedia: David Dimbleby

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dimbleby

• Meetup: David Dimbleby Open Garden at Folkington Place for charity

https://www.meetup.com/eastbourne-fun-for-over-50s/events/308204791/

• Sussex Express: “Fundraising dinner at Folkington Manor raises £18,000 for Sussex Heritage Trust”

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/fundraising-dinner-at-folkington-manor-raises-ps18000-for-sussex-heritage-trust-4382222

• Press Gazette: “David Dimbleby campaigns to save Sussex countryside”

https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/david-dimbleby-campaigns-to-save-sussex-countryside/