The Lister Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 288730

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

Geographic Focus: Morocco, Romania, United States, Zimbabwe

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Quick Stats

Annual Giving: Approximately £190,000-£298,000 (based on recent expenditure)
Success Rate: Not publicly available (trustee discretion grants)
Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed (project funding)
Geographic Focus: UK, Zimbabwe, Romania, Morocco, United States
Application Method: No public application process - trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: Apperley Ltd, 45 Welbeck Street, London W1G 8DZ
Phone: 020 7486 0800
Email: info@apperleylimited.co.uk
Charity Number: 288730
Administrator: Apperley Ltd

Overview

The Lister Charitable Trust was established on 28 February 1984 (with governing settlement dated 20 October 1981). The trust was founded by Noel Lister (1927-2015), the entrepreneur who co-founded MFI furniture retailers in 1964 and sold the business in 1985. After selling MFI, Noel Lister invested £4 million in the Lister Charitable Trust and used it to acquire and develop the UK Sailing Academy (UKSA) in Cowes, Isle of Wight, in 1987.

The trust operates with a focused approach to grant-making, with trustees stating their objective is “to restrict the number of different charities helped through donations in order to achieve focus, optimum effect and the close personal interest and involvement of the trustees in the areas selected.” This indicates a deliberate strategy of supporting a small number of organisations with which trustees have personal connections rather than accepting open applications.

The trust's total assets stood at £88,931 as of April 2024, with income of £147,309 and expenditure of £244,415, indicating significant drawdown from investments to support charitable activities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust provides project funding to charitable organisations, with a particular emphasis on:

Youth Maritime Activities: Creating sailing opportunities for disadvantaged children under 25 by subsidising courses at the UK Sailing Academy (UKSA)
International Development: Supporting charitable work in Zimbabwe, Romania, Morocco, and the United States
General Charitable Purposes: Grants to charities and voluntary bodies at trustee discretion

Related Initiatives

The Lister Charitable Trust has helped establish:

The Whirlwind Charitable Trust (2007): Established with a generous donation from the Lister Charitable Trust, focusing on maritime activities and outdoor pursuits for disadvantaged young people, providing grants of £1,000-£10,000
The Noel Lister Memorial Fund: Created jointly with the Whirlwind Charitable Trust and UKSA to support young people aged 17-25 pursuing careers in the marine industry

Priority Areas

Youth development through maritime activities
Disadvantaged young people under 25
International charitable work (Africa, Eastern Europe, North America)
Organisations where trustees have personal involvement and connection

What They Don't Fund

Based on their stated approach, the trust does not appear to:

Accept unsolicited applications from unknown organisations
Fund organisations where trustees do not have personal interest or involvement
Support a broad range of causes (deliberately restrictive in focus)

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust has five trustees, all members of the Horne family (Penny Horne, née Lister, is the daughter of founder Noel Lister):

| Name | Date of Appointment |

|------|---------------------|

| Penny Horne | Not specified (likely founding trustee) |

| Samuel Charles Horne | 15 October 2011 |

| Benjamin Barclay Horne | 20 January 2015 |

| Joe Harvey Horne | 17 October 2016 |

| Tomas Robert Horne | 16 October 2016 |

No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trust is administered by Apperley Ltd.

Founder's Legacy

Noel Lister was a keen sailor and Admiral's Cup contender who met and married Sylvia in 1955, having two children, Penny and Paul. The family sailing yacht was named “Whirlwind XII,” and Noel and Sylvia spent a decade sailing around the world after selling MFI. The trust reflects Noel's passion for sailing and youth development.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded entirely at trustee discretion, with the stated objective of restricting support to organisations where trustees have “close personal interest and involvement.”

The trust operates as a family foundation focused on causes with which the Horne family has direct connections, primarily UKSA and related maritime charities.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Decisions are made by the five family trustees at their discretion.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the trust does not accept open applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's explicit approach of restricting support to organisations with which trustees have personal involvement, organisations cannot directly “apply” in the traditional sense. However, based on the trust's documented activities:

Characteristics of Organisations the Trust Supports:

Strong connection to the Lister/Horne family or their networks
Focus on youth development, particularly through maritime activities
Organisations operating in the UK or the trust's international focus areas (Zimbabwe, Romania, Morocco, United States)
Charities that align with Noel Lister's legacy of using sailing and outdoor pursuits to transform young lives

Historical Focus:

The trust's primary beneficiary has been UKSA, which Noel Lister founded in 1987. The trust also established the Whirlwind Charitable Trust in 2007, which now operates as a separate grant-making body with grants of £1,000-£10,000 for maritime and outdoor activity charities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process: This is a family trust operating by trustee discretion with explicitly stated preference for organisations where trustees have personal involvement
Consider the Whirlwind Charitable Trust instead: For organisations working in maritime activities and outdoor pursuits for disadvantaged young people, the Whirlwind Charitable Trust (established by the Lister Charitable Trust) does accept applications for grants of £1,000-£10,000
Youth maritime focus: The trust's primary legacy is supporting sailing and maritime training for disadvantaged young people under 25
Family-run foundation: All five trustees are members of the Horne family, descendants of founder Noel Lister through his daughter Penny
International scope: Despite being UK-based, the trust operates in Zimbabwe, Romania, Morocco, and the United States
Modest asset base: With total assets under £100,000, this is a small family trust rather than a large institutional funder
Contact as introduction only: While contact details are available, unsolicited funding requests are unlikely to succeed given the trust's stated approach

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