The Ken And Edna Morrison Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 327639
• Annual Giving: £107,643 (2025)
• Geographic Focus: Yorkshire/West Yorkshire region
• Founded: 1987
• Grant Range: Information not publicly disclosed
• Application Process: No public application process (trustee discretion)

Contact Details

Address: C/o Haddocks Farm, Haddocks Lane, Myton On Swale, York YO61 2RB

Phone: 01423 360258

Note: No website or email address publicly available

Overview

The Ken and Edna Morrison Charitable Trust was established in 1987 by Sir Ken Morrison, the Yorkshire businessman who built the Morrisons supermarket empire, and his second wife Edna. Following Edna's death from cancer, the trust has continued its grant-making activities under the stewardship of two trustees: Eleanor Marie Kernighan and William Morrison, both appointed in 2012.

The trust operates as a private charitable trust, making grants at the discretion of its trustees. Recent financial information shows total income of £183,536 and total expenditure of £107,643 for the year ending April 2025. The trust previously awarded £144,000 in grants to charities in West Yorkshire, demonstrating an active commitment to supporting charitable causes in the Yorkshire region.

The trust maintains a relatively low profile, with no website or public-facing communications infrastructure. As a small private trust with just two trustees who receive no remuneration, it operates with minimal administrative overhead, focusing its resources on grant-making activities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a single discretionary grant program with no fixed grant amounts or tiers. All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees based on applications or approaches they choose to support.

Priority Areas

The trust makes grants for the benefit of charitable institutions and individuals, with particular focus on:

• People with disabilities or special needs: Supporting organizations and individuals facing disability-related challenges
• Education and training: Funding educational initiatives and training programs
• General charitable purposes: The trustees retain broad discretion to support other charitable causes they deem worthy

Previous grant-making activity has focused on charities in West Yorkshire, suggesting a regional preference for Yorkshire-based organizations.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented. As a discretionary trust, funding decisions rest entirely with the trustees' judgment.

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by two trustees:

• Eleanor Marie Kernighan (appointed 2012)
• William Morrison (appointed 2012)

Neither trustee receives any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trust has no employees and operates without trading subsidiaries, maintaining a lean operational structure focused entirely on grant-making.

The trust was founded by the late Sir Ken Morrison, who died in February 2017 at age 85, leaving an estate of £235 million. His legacy continues through this trust established with his second wife Edna.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Ken and Edna Morrison Charitable Trust operates as a private charitable trust where grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees. There is no online application portal, published application guidelines, or open calls for proposals.

Grant decisions are made by the two trustees based on charitable causes they identify or are approached about through personal or professional networks. The trust's small size and private nature mean that grants are typically awarded to organizations or causes known to the trustees or brought to their attention through trusted connections.

Given the contact phone number (01423 360258), it may be possible to make initial enquiries, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited approaches will be considered.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly documented and likely vary based on the trustees' discretion and meeting schedule.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not available, as the trust does not operate a formal application process.

Reapplication Policy

No information available regarding reapplication policies.

Application Success Factors

As this is a discretionary trust without a public application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, based on the trust's documented activities and focus areas, the following insights may be relevant:

• Yorkshire Connection: The trust has demonstrated a clear preference for supporting charities in West Yorkshire and the broader Yorkshire region. Organizations with strong local connections to Yorkshire are more likely to align with the trustees' interests.

• Core Focus Areas: Organizations working in disability support, special needs services, education, and training appear most aligned with the trust's stated purposes.

• Relationship-Based Grant-Making: As a small private trust, grants are likely awarded to organizations known to the trustees or introduced through trusted networks rather than through cold applications.

• Modest Scale: The trust's annual expenditure (approximately £107,000-£233,000 in recent years) suggests it makes modest-sized grants rather than major six-figure awards.

• Efficiency Focus: With no staff and trustees receiving no remuneration, the trust appears to prioritize efficient operations with funds directed toward charitable purposes rather than administration.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Route: This trust does not accept unsolicited applications through a formal process, making it unsuitable for most grant-seeking strategies.

• Private and Discretionary: Grant decisions rest entirely with two trustees who make awards at their discretion without published criteria or timelines.

• Regional Focus: Strong evidence of preference for West Yorkshire charities, with potential consideration for broader Yorkshire region.

• Disability and Education Priorities: Organizations working in disability support, special needs services, education, and training align most closely with the trust's stated purposes.

• Small-Scale Operation: This is a modest trust with annual giving around £100,000-£200,000, suggesting individual grants are likely to be relatively small.

• Limited Public Information: Minimal public-facing infrastructure or communications, with no website, email, or published guidelines.

• Personal Contact Possible: A phone number is available (01423 360258), though there is no indication that unsolicited calls will lead to grant consideration.

References

• The Ken and Edna Morrison Charitable Trust - Charity Commission Register -
• The Ken and Edna Morrison Charitable Trust - Giving is Great Charity Factsheet -
• Supermarket boss Ken Morrison leaves £235m in his will - Yorkshire Post, 2017 - Referenced for historical context and grant-making activities
• Charity Commission Register - Full Details -