The Harebell Centenary Fund

Charity Number: 1003552

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £170,877 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

Email: PennyChapman@bdbpitmans.com

Phone: 020 7783 3533

Address: c/o BDB Pitmans LLP, 1 Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7BL

Overview

The Harebell Centenary Fund was registered as a charity on 19 July 1991 and is governed by a trust deed executed on 18 June 1991. The fund operates as a grant-making trust throughout England and Wales, with total income of £236,610 and total expenditure of £425,233 in the year ending 31 December 2024. The charity supports three distinct charitable purposes at the trustees' discretion: providing scholarships, exhibitions and bursaries for young persons in need to enable them to further their education; promoting neurological and neurosurgical research (particularly into motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis); and relieving sickness and suffering amongst animals. Support is given through donations to registered charities whose work aligns with the fund's aims and objectives. BDB Pitmans LLP, a law firm specializing in charity law, is associated with the fund's administration.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Harebell Centenary Fund operates through trustee-discretionary grant-making without publicly advertised grant programs or fixed grant amounts.

Priority Areas

Education and Youth Support

  • Scholarships, exhibitions and bursaries for young persons in need
  • Supporting young people to further their education
  • Educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth

Medical Research

  • Neurological and neurosurgical research
  • Specific focus on motor neurone disease research
  • Multiple sclerosis research and treatment
  • Research results must be published for public benefit

Animal Welfare

  • Relief of sickness and suffering amongst animals
  • Support for animal welfare charities

What They Don't Fund

Information about specific exclusions is not publicly available, but the fund's governing document limits grants to the three charitable purposes outlined above. Grants are only made to registered charities whose work aligns with these specific aims.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The charity is governed by three trustees:

  • Mr. Michael Goodbody
  • Ms. Penelope Chapman
  • Mrs. Angela Fossick

Note: Penny Chapman, who was associated with BDB Pitmans, passed away in 2024. She was recognized as a Band 2 ranked charity lawyer in Chambers UK and was known for helping charities become “properly constituted, effective and efficient” organizations.

The trustees receive payments or benefits for services to the charity. The fund has no employees with benefits over £60,000 and no trading subsidiaries.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Harebell Centenary Fund operates through trustee-discretionary grant-making. According to the Charity Commission register, “support is given through donations to registered charities whose work is in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Charity.” This suggests that grants are awarded at the trustees' discretion rather than through an open application process.

Organizations interested in support may contact the fund via the email and phone number provided above, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited applications will be considered.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed as the fund operates on a discretionary basis.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

No public information is available regarding reapplication policies.

Application Success Factors

Given the lack of a public application process, organizations seeking funding from The Harebell Centenary Fund should note:

Alignment with Charitable Purposes

The fund has three very specific charitable purposes. Organizations must clearly fit within one of these three categories: youth education support, neurological/neurosurgical research (especially motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis), or animal welfare.

Registered Charity Status

The fund explicitly states it provides “donations to registered charities” - applicants must be registered charities in England and Wales.

Published Research Outcomes

For medical research grants, there is an explicit requirement that “useful results of all such research be published for the public benefit.”

Evidence of Past Funding

Known recipients include organizations like Omega (addressing isolation and loneliness) and FOTE (Friends of the Earth), suggesting the fund has supported a range of causes within its remit.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • The Harebell Centenary Fund operates on a trustee-discretionary basis with no public application process
  • The fund has three specific funding areas: youth education, neurological research (particularly MND and MS), and animal welfare
  • Annual grant-making totaled £170,877 in 2023, though individual grant amounts are not publicly disclosed
  • Only registered charities whose work aligns with the fund's specific charitable purposes are eligible
  • Contact is through BDB Pitmans LLP, a law firm specializing in charity law
  • For medical research grants, publication of results for public benefit is a stated requirement
  • The fund operates throughout England and Wales

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References