The Horners Charity Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £30,000 (available for general grants after regular commitments)
• Total Income: £151,933 (2024)
• Total Expenditure: £269,732 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 3-4 months (applications by August 31, decisions in November, grants by December 31)
• Grant Range: Up to £5,000 per project
• Geographic Focus: Preference for City of London and surrounding areas, but national reach

Contact Details

Website: www.horners.org.uk

Phone: 7860115585

Application Contact:

Claire Chitty, Assistant Clerk

Quarry Hill, Brassey Road, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0ET

Email: claire.horners@btinternet.com

Overview

The Horners Charity Fund (Charity Number 292204) is the charitable arm of The Worshipful Company of Horners, one of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London, ranking fifty-fourth in order of precedence. The charity operates through separate sub-committees of the Trustees to consider grant applications, scholarships, and educational endowments. The charity's funds are generated from members of the Worshipful Company of Horners, enhanced by Gift Aid and bequests from past members. After regular annual donations (including significant commitments like £23,000 annually for bursaries at three City of London Schools), the Trustees typically have up to £30,000 available to donate to other charitable causes. The charity deliberately focuses on making grants to smaller charities or modest projects where donations of up to £5,000 will make a significant difference. All trustees are drawn from Court members but operate independently when fulfilling trustee responsibilities, guided by the principle “to govern not manage and to delegate not abdicate.”

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

General Charitable Fund: Up to £5,000 per project

• Annual application cycle with August 31 deadline
• Decisions made in November, grants distributed by December 31
• Exceptional “one-off” requests may be considered during the year outside the regular cycle
• Total annual funding available: approximately £30,000

Educational Charitable Fund: Variable amounts

• Primarily directed towards projects relating to plastics, their applications, scientific principles, and excellence in design
• STEM education at the core focus
• Supports initiatives such as SHAP (Salters Horners Advanced Physics)

Bursary Program: £7,000 per student annually (£23,000 total annual commitment)

• Match-funded with City of London Corporation
• Supports pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds at three City of London Schools
• Full fee coverage for selected students

Master's Charity: Variable

• Each year the Master nominates a specific charity and organizes fundraising events

Priority Areas

Children & Young People

• Educational programs and opportunities
• Support for disadvantaged youth
• STEM education and science initiatives

Homelessness

• Services for homeless populations
• Rehabilitation and reintegration support

Education

• Plastics-related education and research
• Science education (particularly STEM)
• Music education outreach in deprived inner-city schools
• Educational programs forming part of the national curriculum

City of London Focus

• Projects operating in and around the City of London receive priority
• Support for initiatives benefiting the local community

Specific Beneficiary Examples:

• Park Lane Stables: Equine therapy for children and adults with physical, sensory, and learning disabilities
• No Going Back: Livery Company initiative supporting offender rehabilitation with employment and accommodation
• Music Outreach programmes in London's deprived inner-city schools
• Educational projects with plastics and science connections

What They Don't Fund

• Applications from individuals seeking personal grants
• Organizations not registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales (generally)
• Large charities unlikely to benefit substantially from grants under £5,000
• Projects outside charitable purposes or public benefit

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Governance and Leadership

Trustee Structure

Chairman: Past Master David Giachardi

Trustee Composition (10 trustees total):

• One Chairman
• Ex Officio Trustees: The Master, Upper Warden, Renter Warden, Deputy Master, and Past Deputy Master
• Up to five Appointed Trustees (serving five-year terms)

Volunteers: 14

All trustees are drawn from Members of the Court of the Worshipful Company of Horners. While they are company members, they operate independently when acting in their capacity as Trustees, being responsible to the Charity Commissioners rather than to the Court. No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Leadership Notes

Past Master David Giachardi previously served as Master Horner in 2019, when he chose Sands (stillbirth and neonatal death charity) as the charity of the year in memory of his granddaughter Matilda who was stillborn in 2014. This demonstrates the trustees' personal commitment to charitable causes.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Nomination Requirement: Applications must be nominated by a donating member of the Horners Company. This is a key eligibility criterion that distinguishes this funder from open-access grant programs.

Application Method:

1. Obtain an application form from the charity's website (www.horners.org.uk under charitable activities)
2. Complete the form and email it to Claire Chitty (claire.horners@btinternet.com) in WORD format
3. If you cannot submit in WORD format, contact the Assistant Clerk for alternative instructions

Registration Requirement: The Charity will generally only support charities registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales.

Getting on Their Radar

Since applications require nomination by a Horners Company member, organizations should:

Build Connections with Livery Company Members: The key to accessing this funding is connecting with members of the Worshipful Company of Horners who can nominate your organization. Members are professionals often connected to the plastics industry, materials science, and related fields.

Engage with the Livery Company Network: The Horners Company participates in broader Livery Company initiatives (such as No Going Back for offender rehabilitation). Involvement in inter-Livery projects may provide networking opportunities.

Align with Company Interests: Given the Company's historical connection to horn working and modern association with plastics and materials science, organizations working in related educational or scientific fields may find natural connections with members.

Decision Timeline

Annual Cycle:

• August 31: Application deadline for the main annual cycle
• November: Applications reviewed and decisions made by trustees
• December 31: Grants distributed

Total Timeline: Approximately 3-4 months from submission deadline to grant distribution

Exception Process: The Trustees may respond quickly to exceptional “one-off” requests during the year outside the regular cycle, though criteria for what constitutes an exceptional request are not publicly specified.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. However, with approximately £30,000 available annually for general charitable grants and a maximum grant size of £5,000, the charity can support roughly 6-10 organizations per year (depending on individual grant amounts).

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is documented. Organizations are advised to contact the Assistant Clerk for guidance on reapplication after an unsuccessful attempt.

Application Success Factors

Critical Success Factors Specific to The Horners Charity Fund

Nomination is Non-Negotiable: “Charities are eligible if they...have been nominated by a donating member of the Horners Company.” Without this nomination, applications will not be considered. Organizations should focus energy on building relationships with Company members before applying.

Demonstrate Substantial Impact from Small Grants: The charity explicitly states they “look to make donations to smaller charities or modest projects where grants of up to £5,000 will make a significant difference.” Your application should clearly articulate how £5,000 or less will create meaningful impact relative to your organization's size or project scope.

Geographic Alignment: While not exclusively limited to London, the charity prioritizes organizations that “benefit children, homeless and educational funds or work in and around the City of London.” If your organization is outside this area, ensure your application clearly demonstrates exceptional alignment with other priority criteria.

Size Matters: The charity seeks organizations that “are small enough in size or which apply for support for a modest project, which will benefit substantially from a donation of less than £5000.00.” Large national charities with multi-million pound budgets are unlikely to be competitive unless applying for a very specific modest project component.

Charitable Registration: “The Charity will generally only support charities which are registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales.” While the word “generally” suggests occasional exceptions, unregistered organizations should clarify eligibility before investing time in applications.

Educational and STEM Focus for Education Grants: For organizations seeking educational funding, alignment with “plastics, their applications, their scientific principles and excellence in design” and “STEM at the core focus” will be advantageous, reflecting the Company's historical craft origins and modern industry connections.

Examples of Previously Supported Work:

• Park Lane Stables: Equine therapy for people with disabilities
• Music Outreach programmes in deprived inner-city schools
• No Going Back: Offender rehabilitation with employment support
• Bursaries for disadvantaged students at City of London Schools
• SHAP (Salters Horners Advanced Physics) educational programs

Application Quality Expectations

Given the charity operates through a structured trustee committee system with specific criteria, applications should:

• Clearly demonstrate charitable purpose and public benefit
• Provide specific budget information showing how £5,000 or less will be used
• Evidence the organization's size or project scale to justify why this amount is significant
• Detail the beneficiary group (children, homeless, educational recipients, or City of London community)
• If educational, explain STEM or plastics-related connections where applicable

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Nomination is Essential: You cannot apply without nomination by a Horners Company member. Invest time in identifying and building relationships with Company members before attempting to apply.

• Small is Beautiful: This funder specifically targets smaller charities and modest projects. If your organization has a large budget, focus your application on a discrete, small-scale project component rather than general operating costs.

• London Location Matters: While not an absolute requirement, work in or around the City of London significantly strengthens applications. Geographic alignment should be emphasized if present.

• Plan for Long Lead Time: With an August 31 deadline and December 31 distribution, plus the need to secure nomination from a Company member, organizations should begin relationship-building and planning at least 6-12 months before their funding need.

• STEM and Education Advantage: Organizations working in science education, particularly anything connected to materials science, plastics, or physics, align with the Company's historical identity and current priorities.

• One Shot Per Year: With a single annual deadline (excepting exceptional circumstances), unsuccessful applicants must wait until the following year's cycle. Make your application count.

• Impact Articulation is Critical: Given the explicit focus on grants making “a significant difference,” applications must clearly and specifically demonstrate meaningful impact from amounts up to £5,000.

References

• The Worshipful Company of Horners - General Charitable Activities -
• The Worshipful Company of Horners - Trustees Information -
• Charity Commission - The Horners Charity Fund (292204) -
• Find that Charity - The Horners Charity Fund -
• University of York - The Worshipful Company of Horners Educational Support -
• Interplas Insights - The Worshipful Company of Horners: Evolving Polymer Science -
• Sands - Worshipful Company of Horners Partnership Announcement -