The Margarethe Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Approximately £118,000-£223,000 (based on recent expenditure)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: Not specified, but based in New Malden, Surrey
• Charity Number: 1030839
• Registration Date: December 22, 1993

Contact Details

Address: Montague House, Soames Walk, New Malden, KT3 4RZ

Phone: 020 8336 6196

Website: None available

Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The Margarethe Charitable Trust is a private charitable trust registered in 1993, operating from New Malden, Surrey. The trust operates with broad charitable purposes, with the trust deed granting trustees discretion to direct funds “for such charitable purposes as the trustees think fit.” This flexible approach allows the trustees to support a wide range of causes across multiple sectors. Recent financial data shows the trust drawing from reserves to make significant charitable distributions, with expenditure of £118,536 in one period and £223,139 in another, despite relatively modest annual income of approximately £17,000-£18,000. The trust is governed by three family trustees who serve without remuneration, maintaining a traditional private trust structure focused on grant-making rather than operational activities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate formal grant programs with specified amounts. All funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees based on the broad charitable purposes outlined in the trust deed.

Priority Areas

The Charity Commission classifications indicate the trust has supported causes across the following areas:

• Religious Activities: Support for faith-based organizations and religious purposes
• Children and Young People: Programs benefiting youth
• Health and Saving of Lives: Healthcare and life-saving initiatives
• Disability: Support for people with disabilities and related services
• Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Science: Cultural and educational initiatives
• Other Charities and Voluntary Bodies: Supporting the wider charitable sector
• General Charitable Purposes: Broad charitable activities serving the general public

The trust makes grants to both organizations and individuals, providing flexibility in how it distributes charitable funds.

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are publicly documented, though all grants must align with general charitable purposes under UK charity law.

Ready to write a winning application for The Margarethe 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:

• Mr Anthony Spiro
• Mrs Helen Spiro
• Mrs Nicola Bannerman

The three trustees serve without receiving any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trust operates without employees or trading subsidiaries, maintaining a simple governance structure typical of family charitable trusts. No public statements or quotes from the trustees about funding priorities are available.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process. The trust operates through trustee discretion, with grants awarded based on the trustees' own identification of charitable causes and beneficiaries. There is no published application form, online portal, or formal guidelines for submitting funding requests.

Given the trust's expenditure significantly exceeds its annual income, the trustees appear to be drawing from accumulated reserves to support causes they have identified or with which they have established relationships.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the trust does not operate a formal application cycle or decision timeline for external applicants.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

As this trust does not accept public applications, the traditional factors that influence application success do not apply. The trust appears to identify beneficiaries through the trustees' own networks and charitable interests across the broad areas outlined in their Charity Commission classification.

Organizations seeking support from trusts like this typically benefit from:

• Having existing relationships or connections with trustees
• Operating in the charitable areas the trust has historically supported
• Being brought to the trustees' attention through trusted intermediaries in the charitable sector

However, no specific information about how The Margarethe Charitable Trust selects beneficiaries is publicly available.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This trust does not accept unsolicited applications, so traditional grant-seeking approaches will not be effective
• Trustee Discretion: All funding decisions rest entirely with the three trustees based on their charitable interests
• Broad Charitable Scope: The trust's classification covers diverse areas from religious activities to arts and disability support, suggesting varied trustee interests
• Significant Giving Capacity: Despite modest income, the trust has demonstrated capacity for substantial annual distributions (£118,000-£223,000) by drawing from reserves
• Private Family Trust Structure: The trust operates as a traditional private charitable trust with family trustees, typical of discretionary grant-making
• Limited Public Information: Minimal public documentation means specific funding priorities, grant sizes, and beneficiaries are not disclosed
• Long-Established: Registered since 1993, indicating sustained charitable commitment over three decades

References

• The Margarethe Charitable Trust - Charity Commission Register -
• The Margarethe Charitable Trust - OpenCharities -