The Ninesquare Trust

Quick Stats

• Registered Charity Number: 1110605
• Founded: 2005
• Total Grant Distribution to Date: Over £400,000
• Annual Income: £222,812 (year ending 31 August 2025)
• Annual Expenditure: £515,673 (year ending 31 August 2025)
• Geographic Focus: Street, Somerset and surrounding area (Somerset Levels)
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified

Contact Details

• Email: theninesquaretrust@gmail.com
• Phone: 01793 430000
• Address: 10 Bath Road, Old Town, Swindon SN1 4BA

Overview

The Ninesquare Trust was founded in 2005 as a grant-making charitable company with a clear local focus on benefiting the people of Street in Somerset and surrounding areas. The trust has distributed over £400,000 in charitable grants since its inception, with nearly all funding directed to organizations and projects within Street and the Somerset Levels. The trust's funding strategy combines direct grant-making with asset-based philanthropy, owning and managing properties including Combe Hill Wood, a 25-hectare woodland open to the public, and previously owning land at Somerton Road which was sold to generate additional charitable funds. The trust focuses on three core charitable purposes: alleviating poverty, advancing education (particularly environmental education), and benefiting the local community. The trust operates through trustee discretion rather than open application rounds.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates grant-making through trustee discretion rather than structured grant programs. Historical grant-making has included:

• Long-term Mentoring Support: Multi-year funding for organizations like Raising Aspirations and Promise Works
• Environmental Education: Funding for Somerset Wildlife Trust's educational programs with primary schools
• Community Projects: Support for local voluntary organizations in Street and surrounding areas
• Environmental Conservation: Funding for projects like Polden Way path improvements and woodland management

Priority Areas

Education: Particularly environmental education for children in Glastonbury, Street and surrounding areas. The trust has funded the Ninesquare Project, which reconnects children with their local natural environment through seasonal visits to Somerset Wildlife Trust nature reserves on the Somerset Levels, coupled with in-school curriculum sessions.

Environment: Conservation projects, woodland management, public access improvements, and environmental social action projects for young people. The trust owns and manages Combe Hill Wood and has supported the Green Influencers Scheme across Somerset.

Poverty Alleviation: While this is a stated objective, specific projects in this area were not identified in public sources.

Geographic Focus: Strong preference for Street, Somerset and the immediate surrounding area including the Somerset Levels and Polden Hills.

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the trust's focus is clearly local to the Street area. Projects outside this geographic area are unlikely to be funded.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The trust is governed by five trustees:

• John Turbervill
• Sebastian William Edwards
• Margaret Esther Clothier
• Ben Trickey
• Peter Francis Clothier

The trust operates as a charitable company (Company Number: 05495731) with no paid employees.

Governance Policies

The trust maintains policies on:

• Financial controls
• Risk management
• Conflicts of interest
• Land and property ownership/leasing

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Ninesquare Trust does not have a public application process. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees rather than through open application rounds. Organizations interested in funding should contact the trust directly via email at theninesquaretrust@gmail.com or by phone at 01793 430000 to inquire about potential support.

The trust appears to identify funding opportunities through:

• Trustee knowledge of local organizations and needs
• Established relationships with community organizations in Street and surrounding areas
• Strategic partnerships (e.g., with Somerset Wildlife Trust)
• Direct contact from local organizations

Decision Timeline

No public information is available regarding decision timelines. Given the trustee-discretion model, timelines likely vary depending on the nature of the project and when trustee meetings are held.

Reapplication Policy

No public information is available regarding reapplication policies.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's closed application process, success factors are inferred from their documented grant-making patterns:

Geographic Proximity: The trust has a strong local focus on Street, Somerset and immediately surrounding areas. Nearly all of their £400,000+ in grants have been distributed locally.

Long-term Partnerships: The trust values sustained relationships, as evidenced by their “long-term support” for mentoring schemes like Raising Aspirations and Promise Works, and ongoing partnership with Somerset Wildlife Trust.

Environmental and Educational Focus: Projects combining environmental conservation with educational outcomes appear particularly aligned with the trust's interests, as demonstrated by the Ninesquare environmental education project and Combe Hill Wood management.

Community Benefit: Projects that provide direct, tangible benefits to the people of Street and surrounding areas align with the trust's core charitable purpose.

Alignment with Trust Assets: The trust owns and manages physical assets (Combe Hill Wood, formerly the Somerton Road site) and appears to integrate these assets into their charitable strategy.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Open Applications: This trust operates by trustee discretion without a public application process. Direct contact is necessary to explore funding possibilities.
• Hyperlocal Focus: Unless your organization operates in or directly benefits Street, Somerset and the immediate surrounding area, funding is unlikely.
• Education + Environment: Projects combining environmental conservation with educational outcomes for children and young people align strongly with documented funding patterns.
• Long-term Relationships: The trust values sustained partnerships rather than one-off project funding, as evidenced by multi-year support for mentoring programs.
• Asset-Based Giving: The trust generates charitable income through property ownership and management, including selling land for development with proceeds directed to grant-making.
• Small Trust, Significant Local Impact: With over £400,000 distributed since 2005, this is a modest but meaningful funder for the Street area.
• Contact Proactively: Organizations working in the trust's priority areas in Street should reach out directly via email or phone to introduce their work and explore potential alignment.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• THE VERDON-SMITH FAMILY CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT
• The Portishead Nautical Trust
• THE NORMAN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Ralph and Irma Sperring Charity
• Somerset Community Foundation
• Bishop Fox's Educational Foundation
• The Pople Charitable Trust
• Sir John and Lady Heathcoat Amory's Charitable Trust
• The Avon and Somerset Police Community Trust
• The Elmgrant Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, “The Ninesquare Trust - 1110605, Full Print,” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4017390/full-print
• Charity Commission Register of Charities, “What, who, how, where, The Ninesquare Trust - 1110605,” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4017390/what-who-how-where
• Land at Somerton Road Street website, “About the Ninesquare Trust,” http://www.landatsomertonroadstreet.co.uk/
• Combe Hill Wood website, “About Ninesquare,” http://www.combehillwood.co.uk/about-ninesquare
• Somerset Wildlife Trust, “Ninesquare,” https://www.somersetwildlife.org/get-involved/next-generation/ninesquare, content unavailable due to access restrictions but referenced in search results)
• Companies House, “The Ninesquare Trust overview,” https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05495731