The Northwick Trust
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Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: £365,000 (historical reference)
- Grant Range: £1,000 - £50,000
- Geographic Focus: UK (principally), also overseas
- Registered: 1982
- Charity Number: 285197
Contact Details
Address: 13 Queensway, Wellingborough NN8 3RA
Email: petermc1711@btinternet.com
Phone: 01933 222986
Note: The Trust does not have a website
Overview
The Northwick Trust was established by a Deed of Declaration on 6 March 1982 and registered with the Charity Commission on 13 August 1982. The Trust was generously endowed by Wilfrid Willcocks during his lifetime and from his estate following his death in 2011. As of the 2024 financial year, the Trust had a total income of £297,310 and total expenditure of £490,551. The Trust makes modest grants to UK registered charities, principally across the United Kingdom but also overseas, focusing on environmental conservation, supporting people with disabilities, youth work that helps communities, and relief of suffering and hardship. The Trust is governed by seven trustees, none of whom receive remuneration.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
The Trust operates a single grant program offering awards between £1,000 and £50,000 to UK registered charities. Applications may be made at any time in writing (rolling basis).
Priority Areas
The Trust focuses on four key areas:
- Conservation and Environmental Protection: Supporting charities that work to protect the natural environment. Historical grants have been made to organizations such as the RSPB for woodland and nature reserve projects.
- Supporting People with Disabilities: Enabling life-enhancing opportunities for the mentally and physically disabled. Past beneficiaries include the M.S. Society.
- Youth Work: Encouraging youth work concerned with helping the community.
- Relief of Suffering and Hardship: Providing support to charities that relieve suffering and hardship.
What They Don't Fund
Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the Trust focuses grants on registered charities operating within their four priority areas.

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Governance and Leadership
Current Trustees
- Thomas Peter Blyth
- Norman Duncan Cumming
- Hannah Jane Elizabeth Shuckburgh
- Peter Graham McCarthy
- Xanthe Vaughan Williams
- Anne Ursula Willcocks
- Miss Kate Willcocks
The presence of Willcocks family members on the board suggests continued family involvement in stewarding the founder's legacy. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
Applications may be made at any time in writing to:
The Northwick Trust
13 Queensway
Wellingborough
NN8 3RA
Or via email to: petermc1711@btinternet.com
The Trust operates on a rolling basis with no fixed deadlines. Written applications should be submitted by post or email.
Important Note: Some sources indicate the Trust may not be currently accepting new applications. Prospective applicants should confirm the current application status by contacting the Trust directly before submitting an application.
Decision Timeline
Decision timelines are not publicly documented. Applicants should inquire about expected timeframes when submitting applications.
Success Rates
Success rates and application volumes are not publicly available.
Reapplication Policy
Reapplication policies are not publicly documented.
Application Success Factors
Grant Award Criteria
The Trust applies three specific criteria when awarding grants:
- The effectiveness of the charity: Demonstrating clear impact and outcomes
- Minimization of administration costs: Showing efficient use of resources with low overhead
- Operations on a scale that can benefit from the amount of the donation: The grant amount should be meaningful to the organization's scale of operations
Strategic Considerations
- The Trust prefers to support charities where their grant will make a significant difference relative to the organization's size
- Emphasis on operational effectiveness suggests applicants should clearly demonstrate outcomes and impact
- Low administrative costs are explicitly valued, indicating the Trust wants donations to directly benefit beneficiaries
- The Trust has a historical pattern of supporting well-established national charities (e.g., RSPB, M.S. Society) but the criteria suggest they are open to smaller organizations where the grant size is proportionally significant
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- Clear alignment required: Ensure your charity's work falls squarely within one of the four priority areas (environment, disability support, youth/community work, or relief of suffering)
- Emphasize efficiency: Highlight low administrative costs and efficient operations in your application
- Demonstrate proportional impact: Show how the grant amount (£1,000-£50,000) would be meaningful and impactful for your organization's scale
- Evidence effectiveness: Provide clear evidence of your charity's effectiveness and impact
- Confirm application status: Before investing time in an application, contact the Trust directly to confirm they are currently accepting applications
- Written application only: No online portal exists; applications must be submitted by post or email
- Rolling process: Applications can be submitted at any time, providing flexibility in timing
Similar Funders
These funders frequently fund the same charities:
- Garfield Weston Foundation
- National Lottery Heritage Fund
- The Golden Bottle Trust
- THE LINBURY TRUST
- The Wolfson Foundation
- THE NANCY BATEMAN CHARITABLE TRUST
- The Muriel and Gershon Coren Charitable Foundation
- The Rank Foundation Limited
- The Medlock Charitable Trust
- THE REECE FOUNDATION
- Historic Houses Foundation
- BOTANIC GARDENS CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
- THE BRIDGE TRUST
- The Ofenheim Charitable Trust
- Hedley Foundation Limited
- National Lottery
- Environment Agency
- GRANTSCAPE
- WHITE ROSE
- THE ADA HILLARD CHARITABLE TRUST
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References
- Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Northwick Trust - 285197. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=285197&subid=0 (Accessed: December 2025)
- Charity Commission Trustees Information: Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/285197/trustees (Accessed: December 2025)
- Giving is Great Charity Factsheet: The Northwick Trust. Available at: https://givingisgreat.org/charity-factsheet/?regNo=285197 (Accessed: December 2025)
- Find that Charity: GB-CHC-285197. Available at: https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-285197 (Accessed: December 2025)
- Funding Scotland: The Northwick Trust. Available at: https://funding.scot/funders/001P100000DcAoXIAV/the-northwick-trust (Accessed: December 2025)