The Medlock Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 326927

Annual Expenditure: £2.0M
Lincolnshire, Somerset, India

Contact Info

Website: https://medlockcharitabletrust.org/

Phone: 01225 946226

Email: charities@chatleigh.com

Be the first to know about new funding opportunities

Get notified when we add new funders to the directory

Quick Stats

  • Total Giving to Date: £37+ million
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Monthly trustee meetings (rolling applications)
  • Grant Range: £500 - £50,000
  • Typical Grant: £5,000 - £15,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Somerset and Lincolnshire; UK-wide considered
  • Multi-year Funding: Up to 5 years available

Contact Details

Website: https://medlockcharitabletrust.org/

Email: charities@chatleigh.com (general) / info@medlockcharitabletrust.org (queries)

Phone: 01225 946226

Application Method: Online application form via website

Overview

The Medlock Charitable Trust was founded in 1985 by Leonard Medlock, an engineer who built the Hebron and Medlock Group (later Sitec Ltd) from 1951. Leonard established the Trust believing that funds would be more effective supporting good causes directly rather than via government agencies. Now run by his son David Medlock, the family-led trust has donated over £37 million to UK causes. The Trust focuses on alleviating poverty through sustainable development, working with charities that support the young, elderly, disabled, and vulnerable through education, healthcare, housing, sport, arts and culture, environmental initiatives, community services, and employment schemes. Under David's leadership, the trust emphasizes spreading donations across numerous smaller organizations for whom grants of £5,000-£10,000 have transformative impact, particularly in Somerset and Lincolnshire where Leonard grew up and settled.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • General Grants Programme: £500 - £50,000 (majority £5,000 - £15,000)
  • Rolling applications via online form
  • Monthly trustee review meetings
  • Multi-year funding available up to 5 years
  • Typically one grant per charity per year

Priority Areas

  • Education - particularly community-focused educational initiatives
  • Health & Social Care - supporting vulnerable populations
  • Housing - addressing homelessness and housing insecurity
  • Sports & Recreation - youth mentoring and community engagement
  • Arts & Culture - community arts programs
  • Environmental Initiatives - local environmental projects
  • Community Services - enhancing local communities
  • Employment & Training - skills development and employment schemes

Target Beneficiaries: Young people, elderly, disabled, vulnerable populations

Geographic Priority: Somerset and Boston in Lincolnshire (regions where founder Leonard Medlock grew up and settled), though UK-wide applications considered

What They Don't Fund

  • Individual applicants (UK registered charities only)
  • Animal charities
  • Overseas projects or international work
  • Competitions or event sponsorships
  • Privileged educational initiatives
  • Capital/building projects (prefer funding activities over infrastructure)

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • David Medlock - Chair (Leonard's son, joined family firm 1979, now Chairman)
  • Mark Goodman
  • Peter Medlock
  • Jacqueline Medlock
  • Rebecca Kupa
  • Steven Medlock

Key Leadership Quote:

David Medlock: “We want to support what goes on in buildings rather than the buildings themselves.”

This quote reflects the Trust's strategic preference for funding programs, activities, and services that directly impact beneficiaries rather than capital infrastructure projects.

David Medlock was granted the Freedom of Boston Borough in recognition of his charitable work, following in his father Leonard's footsteps who received the same honor in 1991.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  • Complete online application form at medlockcharitabletrust.org
  • Applications accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year
  • Must be a UK registered charity
  • First-time applicants and previous grantees both welcome

Application Requirements:

  • Demonstrate clear need for the project
  • Explain impact in terms of numbers of people helped
  • Provide plans to measure impact and outcomes
  • Include detailed budget forecasts
  • Submit recent annual reports and accounts
  • Show sustainability plan beyond grant period
  • Demonstrate use of volunteers (where applicable)
  • Explain potential for project scalability

Decision Timeline

  • Trustees review and approve applications monthly
  • Specific decision timeframe not published
  • Financial year end: July 31st

Success Rates

Success rate statistics are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

  • If application is unsuccessful, must wait until the next financial year (after July 31st) before reapplying
  • Trust would not usually offer more than one grant to the same charity in one year, even for separate projects
  • However, multi-year funding available for same project (up to 5 years)

Post-Award Requirements:

  • Send confirmation of grant receipt
  • Provide written signed receipt
  • Submit progress reports during project
  • Complete outcomes assessment 12 months after funding ends

Application Success Factors

Based on the Trust's guidance and funded projects, successful applications demonstrate:

Clear Community Impact: Projects like Bath City Farm (£6,000/year for 3 years) supported 109 people with mental health diagnoses through 10 distinct projects. Successful applicants quantify beneficiaries and measurable outcomes.

Leverage and Sustainability: DHI Bath received £75,000 over three years to recruit a fundraiser, which generated £581,160 - seven times the original grant. The Trust values projects that demonstrate financial sustainability and fundraising capacity.

Multi-Year Impact: Sporting Family Change received £197,750 over five years, delivering mentoring in 27 schools, reaching 850 children with 8,400 mentoring hours. Long-term commitment to sustained impact appeals to trustees.

Activities Over Buildings: As David Medlock stated, they prefer funding “what goes on in buildings rather than the buildings themselves.” Focus applications on programs, services, and activities rather than capital projects.

Local Community Focus: Projects in Somerset and Lincolnshire receive priority. Even UK-wide charities should emphasize local delivery in these regions if applicable.

Supporting Smaller Organizations: The Trust's ethos emphasizes “spreading funding across lots of smaller charity organisations working within local communities, for whom grants will have a transformative impact.” Demonstrate how £5,000-£15,000 will transform your organization's capacity.

Volunteer Involvement: Applications that demonstrate volunteer engagement and community participation align with the Trust's community-focused approach.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic alignment is crucial - Prioritize applications if working in Somerset or Lincolnshire; emphasize local connections to these regions
  • Focus on programs, not infrastructure - Frame requests around activities, services, and direct beneficiary support rather than capital costs
  • Demonstrate leverage and sustainability - Show how the grant will enable future fundraising or long-term project sustainability
  • Quantify everything - Be specific about numbers of beneficiaries, volunteer hours, mentoring sessions, outcomes achieved
  • Consider multi-year funding - If project warrants it, request multi-year support (up to 5 years) to demonstrate long-term commitment
  • Smaller grants, bigger impact - Don't over-ask; £5,000-£15,000 is the sweet spot where grants are “transformative” for smaller organizations
  • Monthly decisions mean accessibility - Rolling applications with monthly trustee meetings mean no deadline pressure and relatively quick turnaround
  • Plan for post-award reporting - Budget time and resources for progress reports and 12-month outcome assessments

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

References