The Hartley Trust
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Trust awarded £33,500 according to its annual report, so a modest request fits its scale better than a large one, and no grant range is published.
- Its stated priority area is Berkshire and Oxfordshire, and its purposes give preference to people resident or working there, so a project based elsewhere should check the fit with the Trust Office first.
- Its purposes also name grants to charities and organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty, but no application process is published, so a small nonprofit should contact the Trust Office before preparing a full application.
- Individuals facing financial need after sickness or hardship can ask the Trust Office for a Relief in Need form for a one-off grant towards a specific item.
- People under 60, people without modest means, people who cannot live independently, and people who cannot budget for a monthly maintenance contribution, council tax and usual household bills should not apply for almshouse accommodation, which must be resubmitted every twelve months.
Overview
The Hartley Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 226021).
The Hartley Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales that exists to prevent or relieve poverty through donations, grants, goods, services and advice. It was originally founded by Royal Licence, later re-founded, and has been under the patronage of the Hartley Russell family. It provides over 70 self-contained almshouse homes and one-off grants for specific items to help people through sickness or hardship.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The Trust's charitable purposes include the prevention or relief of poverty through donations, grants, goods, services and advice for people in need and for charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty. It gives preference to people resident or working in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Its Relief in Need grants assist people in financial need through sickness or hardship, normally with a one-off grant for a specific item such as a washing machine or furniture. Alongside this grant activity, the Trust provides self-contained almshouse homes to people over 60 with modest means, primarily from Berkshire and Oxfordshire, who can live independently.
Themes
- Financial hardship
- Almshouse accommodation
Geographic Focus
Priority: Royal County of Berkshire; County of Oxfordshire.
What they don't fund
- Almshouses only:
- The Trust does not provide almshouse accommodation to people under the age of 60
- The Trust does not provide almshouse accommodation to people without modest means
- The Trust does not provide almshouse accommodation to people who are not capable of living independently
- The Trust does not provide almshouse accommodation to people who are not in need of a safe and affordable home
- The Trust does not provide almshouse accommodation to applicants who are not in genuine financial and personal need
- The Trust does not provide almshouse accommodation to applicants who are unable to budget for a monthly maintenance contribution, council tax and usual household bills
How to apply
For Relief in Need grants to people in financial need, contact the Trust Office for an application form.
What to send:
- Almshouse accommodation: Personal and financial details and references.
Applying again: Almshouse accommodation: The application needs to be resubmitted every twelve months.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Hartley Trust.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £1,980,099 | £1,707,431 | £71,483 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £1,849,113 | £1,877,543 | £50,345 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £1,926,578 | £2,315,660 | £35,700 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £2,709,329 | £2,093,748 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £2,641,949 | £2,093,135 | £33,500 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 4 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.
— No grants figure for that year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- hartleytrust.org/the-trust/relief-in-need · read on 30 October 2026
- hartleytrust.org/the-trust/welcome · read on 30 October 2026
- hartleytrust.org/applications · read on 30 October 2026
- hartleytrust.org/applications/faqs · read on 30 October 2026
- hartleytrust.org · read on 30 October 2026
- hartleytrust.org/contact · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance

Applying to The Hartley Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 01635 551530source
- office@hartleytrust.orgsource
- The Trust Office, 1 Groombridge Place, Donnington, Newbury, Berkshire. RG14 2JQsource
- hartleytrust.org
- Apply online

Applying to The Hartley Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 01635 551530source
- office@hartleytrust.orgsource
- The Trust Office, 1 Groombridge Place, Donnington, Newbury, Berkshire. RG14 2JQsource
- hartleytrust.org
- Apply online