The Greggs Foundation

Charity Number: 296590

Annual Expenditure: £5.2M
Throughout England And Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland

Contact Info

Website: www.greggsfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 0191 212 7626

Email: info@greggsfoundation.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £5,000,000+ (2024)
  • Success Rate: Highly competitive (specific percentage not disclosed)
  • Decision Time: 10 weeks from closing date
  • Grant Range: £20,000 - £60,000 (over 2-3 years)
  • Geographic Focus: National (UK), with special priority for North East England and areas near Greggs Outlets in areas of social deprivation

Contact Details

Website: www.greggsfoundation.org.uk

Email: info@greggsfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 0191 212 7626

Overview

The Greggs Foundation is a grant-making charity established to build stronger and healthier communities in areas served by Greggs. Greggs donates at least 1% of annual profits to the Foundation each year. In 2024, the Foundation reached a significant milestone by awarding over £5 million into communities for the first time, including over £1.85 million in community grants to 75 organisations. The Foundation also reached 1,000 Breakfast Clubs in UK schools. Their strategic approach focuses on sustainable community development from within, creating partnerships with businesses, schools and community organisations to offer funds, food and resources. The Foundation prioritises core running costs - recognising these are the most difficult to secure - to help organisations become more sustainable and offer better quality services.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community Grants Programme: £20,000 per year for up to three years (total £60,000)

  • Four funding rounds per year with published closing dates
  • Rolling application system across four annual rounds
  • Recent rounds (2024) have offered £20,000 per year for two years (£40,000 total)
  • Applications open quarterly with 10-week decision timelines

Breakfast Clubs Programme: Funding for school breakfast clubs

  • 1,000+ clubs now operational across the UK
  • Expanding to “Feeding Brighter Futures” programme from April 2025
  • Includes extracurricular activities throughout the school day

Hardship Fund: Small grants for individuals and families in sudden financial difficulty

  • Vouchers and individual items (e.g., washing machines, fridges, cookers)
  • Applications through pre-approved referral partners only
  • Weekly assessment with 3-week decision timeline
  • Maximum one application per individual/family per calendar year
  • Can reapply after 12 weeks if unsuccessful

Priority Areas

The Foundation gives priority to organisations:

  • Supporting people to access effective community services to widen networks, reduce isolation and build knowledge, confidence and opportunities
  • Addressing direct needs in local communities
  • Providing food and support for individuals
  • Located near Greggs Outlets (identifiable by red signage) or in areas of need
  • Based in areas of social deprivation (minimum: most disadvantaged 10% of areas using indices of deprivation)
  • Operating in North East England (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and Teesside) - special regional commitment
  • Supporting priority groups: people with disabilities, homeless people, voluntary carers, older and isolated people
  • Delivering activities aligned with their Theory of Change
  • Focused on core running costs and sustainability

What They Don't Fund

Geographic Restrictions:

  • Only organisations in published geographical focus areas for each funding round
  • Focus areas change round-to-round
  • Organisations operating across multiple regions unlikely to succeed unless demonstrating strong, locally-focused approach

Organisational Requirements:

  • Annual income must be between £25,000 and £1,000,000
  • Organisations with turnover exceeding £300,000 unlikely to be successful for Hardship Fund
  • Must be not-for-profit organisations
  • Must have at least one set of annual accounts
  • No funding for Breakfast Clubs alongside another provider
  • Staff cover costs for schools not eligible

Safeguarding:

  • Applications rejected without adequate safeguarding policies and procedures

Activities Not Aligned:

  • Partnerships/donations that could adversely impact Foundation reputation
  • Activities not compliant with charitable objects

Governance and Leadership

Chair of Trustees: Joanna Dyson OBE

The Chair leads the Trustee Board and ensures the Foundation delivers against its goals and commitments, with influence extending to Greggs, the partner network, and local/national government.

Recent Trustee Appointments (2024):

  • Samia Akram: Over 20 years leadership experience in education sector; serves on grants and breakfast club sub-committees
  • Kelly: Serves on grants and monitoring/evaluation sub-committees

Leadership Quote

Joanna Dyson OBE stated: “We are thrilled to have Samia and Kelly join the Greggs Foundation. Their extensive experience and dedication to improving the lives of young people and communities will be invaluable as we continue to expand our efforts across our grant-making programmes.”

Strategic Philosophy

The Foundation's Theory of Change emphasizes that “lasting change occurs when communities can grow sustainably from within.” They create partnerships to leverage their wider network of partners and volunteers.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Community Grants:

  • Applications open four times per year
  • Apply through online portal on Foundation website
  • Focus areas published on website and social media for each round
  • Must submit:
  • Latest audited accounts
  • Income and expenditure forecast for current financial year
  • Full breakdown of costs applied for
  • Evidence of safeguarding policies and procedures

Hardship Fund:

  • Applications only through pre-approved referral partners
  • Not currently accepting new referral partner applications
  • Cannot accept applications directly from individuals

Decision Timeline

Community Grants: 10 weeks from closing date

Hardship Fund:

  • Weekly assessment
  • Response within 3 weeks
  • No response after 3 weeks indicates unsuccessful application

Success Rates

The Foundation describes the Community Grants programme as “highly competitive” but does not publish specific success rate percentages or application-to-award ratios. In 2024, 75 organisations received community grants totaling over £1.85 million.

Reapplication Policy

Hardship Fund:

  • Can reapply for same individual/family after 12 weeks
  • Maximum one application per individual/family per calendar year
  • Can apply again in following calendar year

Community Grants: Policy not explicitly stated; unsuccessful applicants should monitor for subsequent funding rounds.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment

Geographic Precision:

  • Focus areas change each round - check website and social media
  • Strong local presence essential; multi-regional organisations rarely successful
  • North East England receives priority allocation as Foundation's home region
  • Location near Greggs Outlets (red signage) advantageous
  • Must demonstrate operation in most disadvantaged 10% of areas minimum

Core Funding Priority:

The Foundation explicitly states they “know through consultation with the charity sector that core running costs are the most difficult area of a budget to secure, and they are motivated by helping organisations to be more sustainable and offer better quality services.”

Demonstrating Impact

  • Clear understanding of local issues required
  • Evidence of positive impact on community
  • Alignment with Theory of Change activities
  • Focus on sustainable community development from within
  • Evidence of network-building and reducing isolation

Recent Funded Projects (Examples)

Youth Support:

  • People and Drugs Ltd (Silx Teen Bar Youth Project) - safe social environment, mentorship, personal development for teens in Blyth
  • Projects providing safe spaces for young people

Mental Health & Community Support:

  • Support for refugees and asylum seekers (integration, skill-building, community belonging)
  • Support for vulnerable individuals including those facing homelessness

Continuing Success Stories:

  • Barnardo's (Glasgow) - children and families support through education, health, social services
  • Projects serving migrant and low-income communities in Bradford
  • Nature connection and outdoor education for children in Glasgow
  • Back on the Map (featured in 2023 impact report)
  • The Marie Trust (featured in 2023 impact report)
  • LS14 Trust (driving change in local area)
  • Hope St Mellons (driving change in local area)
  • Key charity (food bank transformation through team leader recruitment)

Language and Terminology

The Foundation uses language around:

  • “Building stronger and healthier communities”
  • “Sustainable” organisations and services
  • “Core running costs”
  • “Widen networks, reduce isolation”
  • “Knowledge, confidence and opportunities”
  • “Theory of Change”
  • “Lasting change from within communities”

Essential Requirements

  • Safeguarding policies mandatory - applications rejected without them
  • Income bracket £25,000-£1,000,000 strictly enforced
  • Geographic eligibility non-negotiable
  • Not-for-profit status required

Standing Out

  • Demonstrate strong, locally-focused approach with clear community presence
  • Articulate how funding addresses core sustainability needs
  • Show alignment with priority groups (disabled, homeless, carers, isolated elderly)
  • Evidence work in areas of high deprivation
  • Connect project to Theory of Change framework

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic targeting is critical: Focus areas change each round - monitor website and social media closely. Applications outside designated areas will not succeed.
  • Core costs are welcome: Unlike many funders, Greggs Foundation actively prioritizes core running costs recognizing these are hardest to secure. Frame applications around organisational sustainability.
  • Local focus over wide reach: Multi-regional organisations rarely successful unless demonstrating strong local presence. Emphasize deep community roots and local knowledge over breadth of coverage.
  • Deprivation data matters: Must operate in most disadvantaged 10% of areas minimum. Use indices of deprivation to verify eligibility before applying.
  • North East England advantage: Special allocation reserved for Foundation's home region (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham, Teesside). North East organisations should definitely apply.
  • Safeguarding non-negotiable: Applications rejected without adequate safeguarding policies. Ensure documentation ready before applying.
  • Theory of Change alignment: Understand their framework of sustainable community development from within, network-building, and reducing isolation. Use this language in applications.

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References