The Ken & Lynne Morrison Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1125586

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

Stay updated on changes from The Ken & Lynne Morrison Charitable Trust and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £209,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: £18,137,000
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales, with connections to Yorkshire
  • Application Method: No public application process (trustee discretion)

Contact Details

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

Phone: 01423 360258

Charity Number: 1125586

Website: No dedicated website

Note: The trust does not have a publicly advertised application process. Contact details are provided for reference only.

Overview

The Ken & Lynne Morrison Charitable Trust was registered on 22 August 2008 and is based in North Yorkshire. Established by the late Sir Ken Morrison, the supermarket tycoon who built the Morrisons empire, and his wife Lady Lynne Morrison, the trust holds substantial assets of over £18 million and makes grants primarily from investment income. In 2024, the trust spent £209,000 on charitable activities, though this represents only 1.7% of total funds, suggesting a cautious approach to grant distribution. The trust operates as a private grant-making foundation with broad discretionary powers, making grants to charitable institutions and individuals throughout England and Wales. The trust focuses on disability support, education and training, and other charitable purposes at the trustees' absolute discretion. Sir Ken Morrison died in 2017, leaving a legacy of Yorkshire philanthropy through this trust and the earlier Ken and Edna Morrison Charitable Trust.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate specific named grant programs. Instead, it makes discretionary grants determined by the trustees based on the charitable purposes outlined in the trust deed.

Grant-making approach: Trustee discretion based on applications or identified needs

Priority Areas

The trust's objects allow for grants across a wide range of charitable purposes, with particular focus on:

  • Disability and Special Needs: Support for people with disabilities or special needs
  • Education and Training: Educational programs and training initiatives
  • General Charitable Purposes: Broad discretionary charitable giving at trustees' absolute discretion

The trust operates throughout England and Wales, with historical connections to Yorkshire where the Morrison family has deep roots.

What They Don't Fund

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

Helpful Hinchilla

Ready to write a winning application for The Ken & Lynne Morrison Charitable Trust?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by two trustees:

  1. Lady Lynne Christina Morrison - Widow of Sir Ken Morrison, former lawyer who worked for Morrisons' legal advisers, and co-founder of the trust. Lady Morrison has approximately 20 years of trustee experience, including a long-standing role with Bradford Grammar School Trustee Limited.
  1. Andrea Shelley - Co-trustee with Lady Morrison

Neither trustee receives any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Background

Sir Ken Morrison, who died in 2017 at age 85, built a supermarket empire from an egg and butter stall and left an estate of £235 million. He was Life President and former chairman of Morrisons supermarkets and had a strong commitment to Yorkshire philanthropy, earning him a place in the Yorkshire Hall of Fame. In 2007, he opened the Born in Bradford project at Bradford Royal Infirmary, demonstrating his dedication to supporting his home city.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Ken & Lynne Morrison Charitable Trust operates as a private discretionary trust. Grants are made at the absolute discretion of the trustees, Lady Lynne Morrison and Andrea Shelley. There is no online application portal, application form, or publicly advertised application procedure.

Grants are typically made either:

  • To organizations identified by the trustees themselves
  • In response to direct approaches to the trustees
  • Through the trustees' personal networks and knowledge of charitable needs

Given the private nature of this trust and the absence of public application guidelines, organizations seeking funding should not expect to apply through a standard process.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As a private trust operating at trustees' discretion, there are no fixed decision dates or published timelines.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The trust does not publish data on the number of applications received or success rates.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

Given the private, discretionary nature of this trust, traditional application success factors do not apply in the conventional sense. However, the following considerations may be relevant:

  • Geographic Connection: The trust has strong roots in Yorkshire, particularly North Yorkshire and the Bradford area where Sir Ken Morrison built his business empire and focused his philanthropy
  • Alignment with Priority Areas: Organizations working in disability support, education and training, or other clear charitable purposes aligned with the trust's objects
  • Yorkshire Heritage: Given Sir Ken Morrison's legacy of Yorkshire philanthropy, including opening the Born in Bradford project and his place in the Yorkshire Hall of Fame, organizations with Yorkshire connections may align with the trust's historical focus
  • Personal Connection: As a private trust, grants are likely influenced by the trustees' personal knowledge of and connection to charitable causes and organizations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is a private discretionary trust without a public application process - standard grant applications are not accepted
  • The trust holds substantial assets (£18 million+) but distributes relatively modest amounts annually (£209,000 in 2024)
  • Funding decisions rest entirely with two trustees: Lady Lynne Morrison and Andrea Shelley
  • The trust has strong Yorkshire connections through Sir Ken Morrison's legacy, though it operates throughout England and Wales
  • Priority areas include disability support, education/training, and general charitable purposes
  • Organizations cannot apply through conventional means; funding typically comes through trustee initiative or personal connections
  • No public information is available about specific grants made, success rates, or decision timelines

🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.

Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.

✓

Data privacy and security by default

✓

Your organisation's past successful grants and experience

✓

AI analysis of what reviewers want to see

✓

A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours

Get Beta Access NowLearn More

References

  • Yorkshire Post, “Supermarket boss Ken Morrison leaves £235m in his will” (2017), Referenced in search results, Accessed 9 December 2025