The Four Winds Trust

Quick Stats

• Registered Charity Number: 262524
• Annual Giving: £30,000 (approximate, varies by year)
• Total Income: £77,027 (FYE April 2024)
• Total Expenditure: £90,990 (FYE April 2024)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales, UK and overseas
• Grant Recipients: Both individuals and organisations
• Founded: 3 May 1971

Contact Details

Address: 64 Station Road, Drayton, Portsmouth, PO6 1PJ

Telephone: 02392 321250

Email: fourwindstrust1971@gmail.com

Website: No website identified

Charity Commission: Register Entry for 262524

Overview

The Four Winds Trust is a small, family-run charitable trust established by Trust Deed on 3 May 1971. The trust is governed by four trustees from the Charters family: P J Charters, S V Charters, F M Charters, and S R Charters. With an annual income of approximately £77,000 and distributing around £30,000 in grants each year, the trust focuses primarily on supporting Evangelical Christian work in the UK and overseas. The trust also extends support, where funds allow, to secular organisations concerned with education, health, and the relief of poverty and need. As an unincorporated charity controlled by its deed of trust, it operates throughout England and Wales, making grants to both individuals and organisations. The trustees receive no remuneration for their service, and the trust maintains a modest operational structure with no employees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Four Winds Trust does not operate distinct grant programs but makes discretionary grants across its charitable purposes. Grant amounts and frequency vary depending on applications received and available funds.

Annual Grant Distribution: Approximately £30,000 per annum (though this varies year to year)

Grant Types: Makes grants to both individuals and organisations

Priority Areas

Primary Focus:

• Evangelical Christian Work: Support for the furtherance of Evangelical Christian work in the UK and overseas (primary purpose)
• Religious Activities: Support for faith-based initiatives and missions

Secondary Focus (where funds allow):

• Education: Support for educational initiatives
• Poverty Relief: Prevention or relief of poverty
• Health: Advancement of health or saving of lives
• Overseas Aid: Famine relief and international humanitarian aid

Geographic Scope:

• UK (England and Wales primarily)
• Overseas missions and aid work

What They Don't Fund

The trust's exclusions are not explicitly stated in public documents. However, given the trust's focused mission on Evangelical Christian work and specific charitable purposes, it is unlikely to fund:

• Activities that conflict with Evangelical Christian values
• Secular projects unrelated to education, health, or poverty relief
• Commercial ventures or profit-making activities

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by four trustees from the Charters family:

• P J Charters
• S V Charters (correspondence address holder)
• F M Charters
• S R Charters

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trust operates as an unincorporated charity controlled by its governing document (deed of trust).

Structure

• Legal Form: Unincorporated charity (charitable trust)
• Governing Document: Trust Deed dated 3 May 1971
• Employees: None
• Volunteers: 4 (the trustees)

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Four Winds Trust does not appear to have a formal public application process or published application guidelines. The trust operates on a discretionary basis with grants determined by the trustees.

To enquire about potential funding, applicants should contact the trust directly:

By Email: fourwindstrust1971@gmail.com

By Post:

The Four Winds Trust

64 Station Road

Drayton

Portsmouth

PO6 1PJ

By Telephone: 02392 321250

When making initial contact, organisations and individuals should:

• Clearly explain how their work aligns with the trust's charitable purposes
• Provide details of the specific project or need requiring funding
• Include information about the organisation and its Christian credentials (if applicable)
• Specify the amount of funding being requested

Decision Timeline

No information is available about typical decision timelines. As a small family trust with discretionary grant-making, the timeline likely depends on:

• Frequency of trustee meetings
• Current availability of funds
• Volume of requests received

Applicants should allow adequate time when approaching the trust and should not rely on quick decisions.

Success Rates

No data is publicly available about application volumes, success rates, or the number of grants awarded annually. The trust distributes approximately £30,000 per year across an unknown number of recipients.

Reapplication Policy

No information is available about reapplication policies. Given the discretionary nature of the trust, applicants may wish to enquire about this when making initial contact.

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public information about The Four Winds Trust's decision-making criteria, the following factors are likely to be important based on the trust's stated purposes and structure:

Alignment with Core Mission: The trust's primary purpose is supporting Evangelical Christian work. Organisations and projects with a clear Evangelical Christian foundation and mission are most likely to be supported. Secular projects in education, health, and poverty relief are considered but appear to be secondary priorities “where funds allow.”

UK and Overseas Balance: The trust supports work both domestically (England and Wales) and internationally. Applications should clearly state the geographic location of the work and how it serves beneficiaries in these areas.

Clear Charitable Benefit: With a focus on health, poverty relief, education, and religious activities, applications should demonstrate clear charitable benefit in one or more of these areas, particularly for “the general public/mankind.”

Appropriate Scale: As a small trust distributing approximately £30,000 annually, the trust likely makes multiple small to modest grants rather than large single awards. Applicants should be realistic about the scale of funding requested.

Relationship-Based Decision Making: As a family trust with no formal application process, decision-making appears to be relationship-based and discretionary. The trust may favour organisations or individuals already known to the trustees or operating within their networks.

Stewardship and Accountability: While not explicitly stated, Christian charitable trusts typically value good stewardship of resources. Applicants should be prepared to explain how funds will be used and what outcomes are expected.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is a small, discretionary family trust with no formal application process, website, or published guidelines. Contact must be made directly via phone, email, or post.

• Evangelical Christian focus is paramount: The trust's primary purpose is supporting Evangelical Christian work. Secular projects are considered but are secondary priorities and funded “where funds allow.”

• Small grants expected: With £30,000 distributed annually across multiple recipients, expect modest grant amounts rather than major funding.

• Relationship-based grant-making: As a family-run trust, decisions appear to be made on a discretionary basis by the four Charters family trustees. Building a relationship through initial contact may be important.

• Be patient and flexible: Without published timelines or processes, applicants should be prepared for potentially lengthy or unpredictable decision-making processes.

• Both individuals and organisations eligible: Unlike many trusts, this charity makes grants to both individuals and organisations, expanding the pool of potential applicants.

• Geographic focus on England, Wales, and overseas: The trust specifically operates throughout England and Wales and supports international work, making it accessible to a wide range of UK-based and international Christian organisations.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Quartet Community Foundation
• The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund
• Two Ridings Community Foundation
• THE SHEARS FOUNDATION
• Woodroffe Benton Foundation
• The Green Hall Foundation
• The Primary Club
• CLA Charitable Trust
• Awards for All

References

1. UK Charity Commission, “THE FOUR WINDS TRUST - Charity Overview,” Register of Charities. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/262524 [Accessed: February 2026]

1. UK Charity Commission, “THE FOUR WINDS TRUST - What, Who, How, Where,” Register of Charities. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/262524/what-who-how-where [Accessed: February 2026]

1. Charity Choice, “The Four Winds Trust | Christian - Religious Charities,” Charity Directory. Available at: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/the-four-winds-trust-158515 [Accessed: February 2026]

1. UK Charity Commission, “THE FOUR WINDS TRUST - Financial Information,” Financial year ending 05 April 2024. Accounts approved 9 January 2025. [Accessed via Register of Charities: February 2026]