The Ouseley Church Music Trust

Charity Number: 527519

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M
Geographic Focus: Isle Of Man, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Throughout England And Wales, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £190,856 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 4-8 weeks after biannual deadlines
  • Grant Range: Varies (typically up to £5,000; average £3,300)
  • Geographic Focus: England, Wales, and Ireland
  • Application Deadlines: 28 February and 30 June annually

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 1505, Wroxham, Norwich, NR12 8TJ

Website: www.ouseleytrust.org.uk

Email: clerk@ouseleytrust.org.uk

Phone: 07912 696852

Clerk: Neil Parsons (available for pre-application consultation)

Overview

The Ouseley Church Music Trust was established in 1989 and administers funds arising from the closure and sale of St Michael's College, Tenbury—the choir school founded by Sir Frederick Ouseley. The Trust continues Sir Frederick's vision of promoting and maintaining high standards in choral worship in the Church of England, Church in Wales, and Church of Ireland. With an annual income of approximately £199,713 and expenditure of £190,856 (2024), the Trust has distributed over £4 million to date through grants averaging £3,300. In 2024 alone, 37 grants were awarded to support choral foundations, parish churches, cathedrals, colleges, and schools. The Trust operates a twice-yearly grant cycle with fixed application deadlines.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Musician Grants and Educational Support

  • Means-tested assistance towards school fees for individual choristers at cathedrals and choral foundations
  • Instrumental and vocal tuition for church musicians
  • Travel and subsistence costs for choristers at cathedrals
  • Typically up to £5,000 per grant

Liturgical Music and Course Funding

  • Purchase of liturgical music (excluding hymn books and psalters)
  • Courses for individual church musicians and groups
  • Professional development for organists and choir directors

Choral Scholar Support

  • Funding for choral scholar positions at parish churches and cathedrals
  • Recent example: £3,900 to St Mary Redcliffe Bristol for three choral scholars (2024)
  • Recent example: £4,200 to St Leonard's Church Streatham for three choral scholars over two years (2024)

Innovative Projects

  • Outreach projects that further the Trust's objectives
  • Music commissions in exceptional circumstances
  • Projects likely to advance choral excellence in new and effective ways

Priority Areas

  • Supporting chorister education at choir schools
  • Strengthening adult choirs through choral scholar positions
  • Training the next generation of church musicians
  • Enhancing the quality of choral liturgy
  • Promoting Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) programmes like “Voice for Life”
  • Supporting “Changing Voices” sections in chorister programmes

What They Don't Fund

  • Organs and musical instruments (no longer funded)
  • Endowments
  • Building projects or capital works
  • Choir robes or vestments
  • Recordings
  • Furniture
  • Tours or travel outside the UK
  • Retrospective projects (work already completed)
  • Hymn books or psalters
  • General school fee bursaries (only choristers)
  • Roman Catholic cathedrals (Anglican denominations only)
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Governance and Leadership

Chair and Trustees

The Trust is governed by 12 trustees, including distinguished figures from the church music world:

Dr Stephen Mark Darlington MBE (Chair) - Former Director of Music at Christ Church, Oxford (1985-2018), Lambeth Doctorate in Music, Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music, Honorary Canon of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford, and former President of the Royal College of Organists. Awarded MBE by The Queen in 2019.

Sir John Milford Rutter CBE - Renowned composer, conductor, and arranger, particularly known for sacred choral works and founder of the Cambridge Singers. Received a Lambeth Doctorate of Music from the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1996 for his contribution to church music.

Other Trustees: Rev Michael Hans Joachim Hampel, John Francis Attwater, Thomas Harold Daggett, Carl Anthony Jackson, Samantha Bradburne, David Lowe, Simon George Michael Hirtzel, Dr Jo Spreadbury, Gillian Perkins, and Paul Mason.

No trustees receive remuneration for their services, and the Trust has no employees earning over £60,000.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Pre-Application Stage

  • Strongly recommended to contact the Clerk, Neil Parsons, for an informal conversation before applying: 07912 696852 or clerk@ouseleytrust.org.uk
  • Review the "Procedures & Guidelines" document available on the Trust website thoroughly

Application Requirements

  • All applications must be submitted by an institution (cathedral, parish church, choir, college, or school)—not by individuals directly
  • Complete the Main Application Form available online or by emailing the Clerk
  • For chorister school fee support: parents/guardians must also complete a Financial Declaration Form, endorsed by an officer of the school or cathedral
  • Do not leave any sections blank—insert “Nil” or “N/A” if necessary
  • Attach all relevant supporting documents

Submission

  • Applications can be downloaded from the website or requested via email
  • Submit completed applications by the biannual deadlines

Decision Timeline

Application Deadlines: 28 February and 30 June each year

Trustee Meetings: Typically held in March and October (usually spring and autumn)

Decision Time: Approximately 4-8 weeks after the deadline, when trustees convene

Notification: Applicants are informed of decisions following trustee meetings

Reporting: Most successful grantees must submit a report 12 months after receiving funding

Success Rates

The Trust awarded 37 grants in 2024. Specific application numbers and success rates are not publicly disclosed. Given the Trust's focused remit and the requirement for institutional applications, competition is moderate but success depends heavily on alignment with the Trust's specific objectives around choral excellence in Anglican worship.

Reapplication Policy

Waiting Period: Trustees normally only consider further applications after two years from the original grant

Exceptions: Individual circumstances may be considered—contact the Clerk to discuss

Application Success Factors

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

Clear Connection to Choral Excellence

  • Applications must directly relate to promoting high-standard choral worship in Anglican denominations
  • Projects should demonstrate how they will enhance the quality of liturgical music

Institutional Commitment

  • Evidence that the applying institution is committed to sustaining choral worship
  • For choral scholar grants: demonstration of a thriving or developing choral programme (e.g., St Leonard's Streatham's vision to strengthen their adult choir and train choristers)

Financial Need and Means-Testing

  • For individual chorister support, clear evidence of financial need through the Financial Declaration Form
  • Demonstration that the grant will make a meaningful difference to sustainability

Innovative Approach

  • Projects that take fresh approaches to choral education and worship are welcomed
  • Examples: “Changing Voices” programmes, integration with RSCM initiatives, outreach to children from families who couldn't otherwise afford choral training

Completeness and Attention to Detail

  • Applications with all sections completed thoroughly
  • All required supporting documentation attached
  • Clear budget and timeline

Pre-Application Engagement

  • Taking advantage of the Clerk's offer for informal pre-application consultation demonstrates seriousness and allows alignment-checking before formal submission

Long-term Impact

  • Evidence of how the grant will create sustainable improvements to choral worship
  • For multi-year grants: clear plan for continuation beyond the funding period

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Pre-application contact is welcomed and encouraged—use the informal consultation with the Clerk to test your idea's fit before investing time in a full application
  • Institution must apply—even for individual chorister support, the cathedral/school must submit the application
  • Plan ahead for biannual deadlines—only two opportunities per year (end of February and June)
  • Focus on Anglican choral liturgy—projects must directly support choral services in Church of England, Church in Wales, or Church of Ireland
  • No organ funding—this was previously funded but no longer; ensure your project fits current priorities
  • Two-year gap between grants—plan accordingly if you've received funding before
  • Demonstrate innovation and sustainability—show how your project will create lasting improvements to choral worship
  • Be thorough and specific—complete all sections of the application form; gaps cause delays

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