The Herbal Medicine Trust

Registered charity 1183842 · since 2019herbalmedicinetrust.org·United Kingdom·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The Trust's stated themes are herbal education, herbal knowledge and practice, medicinal plants and community initiatives, and it gives priority to projects based in the UK, so a project in those areas is the best fit.
For the funding round the fund is £30,000 and the maximum award is £5,000 per project, so a modest, well-costed request fits best.
Applications are made online with the Project Budget Template, and the round closes on 30 September, with late applications considered for a future round, so aim to submit in good time.
The Trust says it is unlikely to support projects that do not clearly relate to its charitable objectives, projects that mainly benefit a commercial business without wider public benefit, applications without enough information for the Trustees to assess, or requests for activities already completed, and applicants whose projects fall into these should not expect funding.
The annual report gave no readable grants figure and the grant range is not stated, so how competitive the round will be is unclear.

Overview

The Herbal Medicine Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1183842).

The Herbal Medicine Trust exists to advance education in the science, study and practice of herbal medicine and allied disciplines. It began as the NIMH Education Fund, set up to create a school of herbal medicine. It supports grassroots projects through its grant funding programme and has established Heartwood College of Herbal Medicine for training and tuition. For the funding round, the fund is £30,000, with a maximum award of £5,000 per project.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Herbal Medicine Trust supports education and training in herbal medicine, as well as projects that protect, promote and develop herbal knowledge and practice. It encourages research, conservation and public understanding of medicinal plants, and supports grassroots and community initiatives that further its charitable aims. Applications are welcomed from individuals, registered charities, community organisations, educational institutions, social enterprises and other organisations whose projects align with the Trust's aims. It particularly likes projects advancing herbal education, protecting or promoting medicinal plants, increasing public understanding, supporting research or practical herbal knowledge, and encouraging community engagement. Proposals are assessed against the Trust's objectives and their potential benefit and impact; it also considers whether the budget is realistic and good value, and the completeness of the application. The Trust gives priority to projects based in the UK.

Themes

Herbal education
Herbal knowledge and practice
Medicinal plants
Community initiatives

Geographic Focus

Priority: The UK.

What they don't fund

The foundation is unlikely to support projects that do not clearly relate to the Trust's charitable objectives
The foundation is unlikely to support projects that primarily benefit a commercial business without wider public benefit
The foundation is unlikely to support projects that lack sufficient information for the Trustees to assess
The foundation is unlikely to support projects that request funding for activities that have already been completed

How to apply

Applicants complete the online application form and upload their completed documents.

Deadlines: Each funding round has a closing date; late applications are considered for a future round.

Application windows:

Applications are open and close on 30 September.

Who can apply:

Applications may be submitted by individuals, registered charities, community organisations, educational institutions, social enterprises and Community Interest Companies (CICs), and other organisations whose projects align with the aims of the Trust.

What to send:

A clear and realistic project budget, including all anticipated project costs, the amount requested, how remaining costs will be funded, and quotations or estimates where available. Use the Project Budget Template.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

The Trustees assess how well the project supports the Trust's charitable objectives and its potential benefit and impact.
The proposed budget should be realistic and represent good value.
The strongest applications clearly explain what the project aims to achieve, why it is needed and how the requested funding will make a difference.
The Trustees consider the overall quality and completeness of the application.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

United Kingdom

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Herbal Medicine Trust.

The Sackler TrustRollingGave £3.5M The Nineveh Charitable TrustNo public processGave £498k Jephcott Charitable TrustRollingGave £166k Sir Halley Stewart TrustInvitation onlyGave £1.1M The Britford Bridge TrustFixed deadlinesGave £1.1M Hamamelis TrustRollingGave £1.1M The D'Oyly Carte Charitable TrustFixed deadlinesGave £2M Chapman Charitable TrustFixed deadlinesGave £430k Thriplow Charitable TrustFixed deadlinesGave £222k The Michael and Betty Little TrustRollingGave £410k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2020	£0	£0	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2020
year to 31 December 2021	£0	£0	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£513,329	£298,032	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£738,565	£661,227	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£802,670	£752,932	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024

— No grants figure for those years.

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.