The Headley Trust

Charity Number: 266620

Annual Expenditure: £6.5M
Throughout England And Wales, Ethiopia, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Malawi, Turkey ... [1 more]

Contact Info

Website: www.sfct.org.uk/the-headley-trust

Phone: 020 7410 0330

Email: headley.trust@sfct.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £5 million approximately
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: ~3 weeks (Archaeological Acquisition Fund); varies for other programmes
  • Grant Range: £500 - £5,000,000 (varies by programme; typical grants £15,000 average)
  • Geographic Focus: UK (Arts & Heritage), Sub-Saharan Africa (Overseas programmes)

Contact Details

Website: www.sfct.org.uk/the-headley-trust

Email: headley.trust@sfct.org.uk

Phone: 020 7410 0330

Archaeological Acquisition Fund: headley-archaeology@sfct.org.uk

Address: Allington House, 1st Floor, 150 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5AE

Overview

The Headley Trust was established under a Trust Deed dated 4 July 1973 and became a registered charity on 20 February 1974. One of 17 grant-making charities within the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, the Trust makes grants of approximately £5 million annually, with £4.98 million in charitable expenditure reported for the year ending April 2024. The Trust operates with six trustees and awards an average grant size of £14,982. The Headley Trust is distinctive in that it identifies many organisations it supports through its own research, though it does accept initial enquiries in defined areas. Notable recent support includes a historic £5 million gift to the British Museum in 2024 for their Documentation and Digitisation Project. The Trust prioritises regional museums and galleries, particularly those operating outside London.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Arts and Heritage UK

  • Regional museums and galleries (including Local Authority museums) - grant amounts vary widely
  • The Headley Museums Archaeological Acquisition Fund: £500 minimum acquisition, £10,000 maximum grant (runs alongside Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund)
  • Headley Fellowships with Art Fund: Up to £5,000 per fellow for curator training and research
  • Pre-1850 Anglican cathedral repairs (not education centres, organs, clocks, bells, plumbing, kitchens, or heating)
  • British ceramics acquisition, display, and study
  • Industrial, maritime, and built heritage conservation
  • Archaeology projects
  • Arts education, digitisation, and outreach
  • Applications accepted on a rolling basis

Health and Social Welfare

  • Support for older people to live independently or improve quality of life in residential care
  • Projects helping disadvantaged families and young people, especially regarding access to basic needs
  • Parenting support programmes
  • Young people with experience of the care system
  • Strengthening educational engagement
  • Small Grants Programme: Up to £2,000 for disabled people to purchase equipment for home use

Overseas

  • Projects by local organisations led by local experts in poorest anglophone African countries (Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Uganda, Zambia)
  • Education and employment interventions for women and girls
  • Water, sanitation, hygiene, and community health programmes
  • Arts and heritage projects in Southeastern Europe

Education

  • Apprenticeships and bursaries for conservation and heritage skills training (UK students only, not individuals directly)
  • Dance and music bursaries for UK graduate and post-graduate students
  • Primary school music tuition support
  • Since 2009, internship programme for careers in archaeology or museum/heritage sector

Priority Areas

The Trust particularly values:

  • Regional museums and galleries outside London
  • Community-led development and local initiatives creating sustainable impact
  • Projects supporting underserved populations, especially women, girls, and rural communities
  • Collections with strong local significance
  • Heritage conservation and archaeological preservation
  • UK heritage skills development

What They Don't Fund

Explicitly excluded:

  • Parish churches
  • Individuals (except through institutional bursary/scholarship programmes)
  • Expeditions
  • Fees
  • Cathedral education centres
  • Organs, clocks, and bells
  • Plumbing, kitchens, and heating systems

Governance and Leadership

The Headley Trust is governed by six trustees, all bringing different expertise and interests. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The Trust operates as part of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts umbrella organisation, which facilitates the work of grant-making trusts established by three generations of the Sainsbury family.

While specific trustee names were not publicly disclosed in available sources, the Trust operates with a clear governance structure that emphasises independent decision-making and strategic grant-making informed by the trustees' own research activities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

General Programmes:

  • Phase 1: Initial enquiry form summarising project, objective, and impact
  • Phase 2: Shortlisted applicants submit full proposal with detailed budget and supporting documents

Archaeological Acquisition Fund:

  • Submit application through headley-archaeology.org.uk
  • Items must remain unbought until trustees make their decision
  • No telephone or written enquiries accepted
  • In applications, provide thumbnail sketch of museum (history, collections, visitor numbers) as trustees may not be familiar with the collection

Eligibility:

  • Must be registered charities or have clearly defined charitable purposes
  • Organisations operating in defined funding areas
  • For overseas work: local organisations led by local experts

Decision Timeline

Archaeological Acquisition Fund: Notification within approximately 3 weeks of receipt of application form at Trust office. Payment made within 3 weeks once offer accepted and object received.

General Programmes: Timeline not publicly specified; recommended to contact Trust directly for guidance.

Application Schedule: Rolling basis - no fixed deadlines, applications accepted at any time.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. The Trust notes that it identifies many organisations through its own research rather than solely through applications received, which suggests a proactive approach to grant-making alongside reactive application assessment.

Reapplication Policy

The Trust will not enter into correspondence over reasons why applications are unsuccessful. Specific reapplication policies, waiting periods, or restrictions for unsuccessful applicants are not publicly disclosed. Organisations seeking clarity should contact the Trust directly.

Application Success Factors

Key Success Indicators:

  1. Strategic Alignment: The Trust values projects that align closely with their specific funding priorities, particularly regional museums and underserved communities.
  1. Clarity and Context: For archaeological acquisitions, applicants should remember that “the trustees may well not know the collection in question, and that they are not archaeologists. The first paragraph should give a thumbnail sketch of the museum, its history, collections, visitor numbers, etc.”
  1. Local Leadership: For overseas projects, emphasis on local organisations led by local experts is critical. The Trust specifically targets community-led development.
  1. Clear Impact: Applications must clearly state anticipated outcomes or impact, together with who and how many people would benefit.
  1. Strong Financial Management: Include most recent Statement of Financial Activities showing income, expenditure, and Balance Sheet, plus recent bank statement showing account details.
  1. Sustainable Outcomes: The Trust values projects creating lasting, sustainable impact rather than short-term interventions.
  1. Contact Details Accuracy: Ensure contact details are accurate, specifically email and telephone numbers for communication.
  1. Heritage Significance: For museums and heritage projects, demonstrate the significance of collections or buildings to local communities and the broader heritage landscape.

Recent Funded Project Examples:

  • British Museum: £5 million for Documentation and Digitisation Project (2024)
  • Ely Museum: Support for Middle Bronze Age torc acquisition (1300-1100 BC) through Archaeological Acquisition Fund
  • Village Water: New pump installation in Nalolo Province, Zambia (overseas development)
  • Various curator fellowships at £5,000 each through Art Fund partnership
  • Industrial Museums Scotland: Nationwide project addressing skills gaps in heritage sector

Language and Terminology:

The Trust uses terminology emphasising “community-led,” “local experts,” “sustainable impact,” “regional significance,” “heritage conservation,” and “educational engagement.” Applications should reflect this values-based language.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Proactive Grant-Making: The Trust identifies many recipients through its own research, so organisations working in priority areas should maintain high visibility and demonstrate strong track records even before applying.
  • Regional Focus is Critical: For UK arts and heritage work, being based outside London and serving regional communities significantly strengthens applications.
  • Archaeological Fund is Fast: If seeking acquisition funding for archaeology, expect decisions within 3 weeks - but items must remain unbought until approval.
  • No Correspondence on Rejections: The Trust does not provide feedback on unsuccessful applications, so initial applications must be as strong as possible.
  • Wide Grant Range: While average grants are around £15,000, the Trust can award from hundreds to millions depending on project scale and significance, demonstrating flexibility for truly compelling projects.
  • Local Expertise Matters for Overseas: International projects must be genuinely community-led by local organisations and experts - external organisations imposing solutions will not succeed.
  • Financial Transparency Expected: Ensure all financial documentation is current, accurate, and clearly demonstrates sound financial management and the specific need for funding.

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References