The Hemby Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1073028

Annual Expenditure: £0.1M
Geographic Focus: Knowsley, Liverpool City, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral

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Quick Stats

  • Registered Charity Number: 1073028
  • Annual Giving: £116,356 (2024/25 - 68 grants awarded)
  • Grant Range: £500 - £5,000 (most awards £500 - £3,000)
  • Decision Time: Notified within 10 working days after trustee meetings
  • Application Deadlines: 3 per year (1st February, 1st June, 1st October)
  • Geographic Focus: Merseyside and Wirral only

Contact Details

Website: https://www.hembytrust.org.uk

Email: adminathembytrust@talktalk.net

Phone: 0151 236 6666

Address: Contact via Administrator for application submissions

Overview

The Hemby Charitable Trust was established in 1998 by a local Merseyside family to provide cash grants to charitable organizations in Merseyside and Wirral. The trust operates as a traditional grant-making charity, holding three decision-making meetings annually (March, July, and November). With annual giving of £116,356 in 2024/25, the trust awarded 68 grants to organizations working across social need, youth and employment, older people support, arts, and the environment. All trustees serve on a voluntary basis without remuneration. The trust has shown steady growth in its grant-making, increasing from £96,283 to 54 organizations in 2022/23 to over £116,000 to 68 organizations in 2024/25, demonstrating increasing capacity and commitment to supporting local charitable work.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Hemby Trust operates a single grant program with fixed application deadlines:

  • Main Grant Programme: £500 - £5,000 (most awards between £500 - £3,000)
  • Applications accepted three times per year with fixed deadlines
  • Strong preference for capital funding projects
  • May offer conditional grants requiring matched fundraising

Priority Areas

The trust focuses on charitable projects in five key areas:

  • Social Need: Projects addressing poverty, disadvantage, and community support
  • Youth and Employment: Programs supporting young people and employment initiatives
  • Help for Older People: Services and support for elderly residents
  • Arts: Cultural and artistic projects benefiting the community
  • Environment: Environmental improvement and conservation projects

Recent Grant Recipients (2024/25) include Claire House Children's Hospice, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital Charity, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and Unity Theatre.

Recent Grant Recipients (2023/24) include Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, Hive Youth Zone, Liverpool Cares Ltd., North West Air Ambulance, and Teenage Cancer Trust.

Recent Grant Recipients (2022/23) include Alder Hey Children's Charity, Liverpool Cathedral, Merseyside Crimestoppers, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, and The Reader.

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations or projects outside Merseyside and Wirral
  • Individuals
  • Sponsorships
  • Religious bodies (unless facilities are available for community use)
  • Political organizations
  • Projects that should be funded by statutory bodies
  • Schools seeking Specialist Status
  • Repeat applications within 2 years of previous grant
  • Memorials
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Caroline Jane Lucy Tod (Appointed 18 June 2012)

  • Also trustee of The Cheshire County Lawn Tennis Association Youth Trust and The T I F Tod Charitable Trust

David Fairclough (Appointed 12 November 2013)

  • Also trustee of Marine in the Community

Stuart Neild Keppie (Appointed 12 November 2013)

Andrew Timothy Morris

  • Also trustee of Bedingfield's Trust and The Hadfield Charitable Trust

Bernard Kenny (Appointed 16 April 2025)

  • Also trustee of Price Parry Charitable Trust

All trustees serve on a voluntary basis with no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trustees carefully evaluate applications based on the effect on the locality and the number of local people who will benefit, ensuring grants are used to good effect.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Application Requirements:

  • Completed application form (available in PDF, Word, or JPEG format from the website)
  • Detailed budget breakdown
  • Latest Annual Accounts
  • Recent bank statement
  • All documents must be single-sided and unstapled
  • Additional 2 A4 sheets permitted if application form space is insufficient

Submission Process:

  • Send all materials to the Administrator at the address on the application form
  • Applications are not automatically acknowledged
  • Applicants may contact the Administrator for guidance before submitting

Application Deadlines:

  • 1st February (for March meeting)
  • 1st June (for July meeting)
  • 1st October (for November meeting)
  • Deadline is 12 noon on the specified date
  • If the deadline falls on a weekend or bank holiday, submissions are due by the last working day before

Decision Timeline

  • Trustee Meetings: Held three times per year in March, July, and November (specific dates may vary)
  • Notification: All applicants notified within 10 working days after the trustee meeting
  • Initial Contact: Successful applicants are initially informed by phone
  • Formal Notification: All applicants receive written notification by letter
  • Payment Method: Grants paid via BACS transfer

Post-Award Requirements

  • Written receipt of payment required
  • Evaluation Form must be completed and returned within 6 months of grant payment or project completion
  • Important: Failure to return the evaluation form will prevent future applications to the trust

Reapplication Policy

  • Organizations that have received a grant cannot apply again within 2 years of the previous award
  • No specific information provided about unsuccessful applicants reapplying - they may apply in subsequent rounds

Application Success Factors

Demonstrate Local Impact and Reach

The trustees carefully consider “the effect on the locality” and focus on “the number of local people who will benefit.” Applications should clearly quantify the number of Merseyside and Wirral residents who will directly benefit from the project and explain the broader community impact.

Show Evidence of Self-Help

The trustees explicitly look for “some element of self-help” in applications. This means demonstrating your organization's own fundraising efforts such as car boot sales, community competitions, sponsored events, or other grassroots fundraising activities. The trustees may offer conditional grants requiring the charity to raise a matching amount through its own efforts (not from other trusts or statutory bodies). Applications should detail existing and planned self-help fundraising activities.

Focus on Capital Projects

The trust states a preference for capital funding. Applications for equipment, facilities, or capital improvements are more likely to succeed than requests for running costs or salaries. Clearly explain how capital investment will create lasting benefit for the community.

Emphasize Geographic Specificity

Priority is explicitly given to projects benefiting the greatest number of residents in Merseyside and Wirral. Applications should demonstrate deep local roots and specific geographic impact within the eligible area (Knowsley, Liverpool City, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral).

Provide Complete Documentation

Submit all required documents (application form, budget breakdown, latest annual accounts, recent bank statement) in the specified format (single-sided, unstapled). Complete applications demonstrate organizational professionalism and respect for trustee time.

Be Realistic About Amounts

While grants up to £5,000 are available, most awards fall between £500 and £3,000. The trust distributed £116,356 across 68 organizations in 2024/25, averaging approximately £1,711 per grant. Request amounts that align with typical award levels and demonstrate good value for money.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic eligibility is absolute: Only organizations based in Merseyside and Wirral serving residents of this area will be considered - this is non-negotiable
  • Self-help fundraising is critical: Demonstrate active community fundraising efforts beyond grant applications; trustees may require matched fundraising as a grant condition
  • Capital projects are strongly preferred: Focus applications on equipment, facilities, or capital improvements rather than running costs
  • Timing matters: Three fixed deadlines per year mean careful planning is essential - missing a deadline means waiting 4 months for the next round
  • Volume of beneficiaries is key: Trustees prioritize projects reaching the greatest number of local residents - quantify your reach clearly
  • Two-year waiting period: Successful grant recipients must wait 2 years before reapplying, so make each application count
  • Evaluation compliance is mandatory: Failure to submit the post-grant evaluation form within 6 months will permanently bar future applications - this is strictly enforced

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