The Paphitis Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1112721

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £195,217 (year ending June 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly specified
  • Grant Range: Not publicly specified - varies by project
  • Geographic Focus: UK, with emphasis on smaller charities
  • Application Process: No formal public application process

Contact Details

Email: charitabletrust@tprg.com

Phone: 020 3640 7839

Address: 1 St. Georges Road, London SW19 4DR

Website: Information available via https://www.theopaphitis.com/charity-patronages

Overview

The Paphitis Charitable Trust (registered charity 1112721) was established by entrepreneur Theo Paphitis to distribute his fees from TV appearances, speeches and book sales to causes close to his heart. The trust is governed by a panel of 5 trustees supported by 3 volunteers, with no trustees receiving remuneration. In the financial year ending June 2024, the trust had an income of £182,592 and distributed £195,217 in grants. To date, the trust has raised almost £1 million in charitable donations. The trust specifically targets smaller UK charities that have difficulty gaining funds from other organisations, with a particular focus on children's charities, hospices providing children's palliative care, dyslexia support, and youth services. The trust operates through trustee discretion rather than open applications, often supporting causes with which Theo Paphitis has a personal connection.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate formal grant programs with specified amounts. Instead, grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on causes that align with the founder's charitable priorities. Recent examples include:

  • Annual Charity Clay Shoot (2023): Raised £70,000, distributed equally (approximately £23,333 each) to Starlight Children's Foundation, HideOut Youth Zone, and CoppaFeel!
  • Theo Paphitis Dyslexia Bursary (launched 2023): Partnership with Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity providing free training for teachers and teaching assistants at state schools
  • Many Hands Campaign: Raised £46,000 from 21 companies for Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, and separately £300,000 for the same institution
  • Founder Patronage: Multi-year support for specific organizations like HideOut Youth Zone

Priority Areas

The trust's charitable objectives cover:

  • Children's charities - primary focus area, including children's healthcare and wellbeing
  • Children's hospices and palliative care - significant emphasis on supporting end-of-life care for children
  • Dyslexia support - reflecting Theo Paphitis's personal experience with dyslexia
  • Youth services - particularly youth zones offering safe spaces and activities
  • Education and sport - furtherance of educational and sporting opportunities
  • Relief of poverty - supporting those in financial need
  • Care in the community - projects beneficial to the general public
  • Elderly/older people - care and support services
  • People with disabilities - accessibility and support initiatives
  • Other charities or voluntary bodies - smaller organizations struggling to secure funding

The trust particularly values organizations working in areas where Theo Paphitis has personal connections, such as East Manchester where he grew up.

What They Don't Fund

Not explicitly stated, but the trust appears focused exclusively on UK-based charitable activities and registered charities. As a private charitable trust distributing personal income, funding is limited to causes selected by the trustees.

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by 5 trustees who form a panel to distribute funds to registered charities. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trust is supported by 3 volunteers.

While individual trustee names are not publicly disclosed in standard charity searches, Theo Paphitis is the founder and primary driver of the trust's charitable work. As a successful entrepreneur (Dragon's Den, former owner of Ryman, Robert Dyas, and other retail brands), he established the trust to channel his media earnings into charitable causes.

Key Leadership Perspectives

Theo Paphitis on HideOut Youth Zone: "When I first saw the Youth Zone in Wigan I was blown away, so when I got the call and was told that there was one coming to Gorton in Manchester where I grew up as a kid, it took me 30 milliseconds to say I'm in at HideOut Youth Zone."

After touring HideOut Youth Zone, Paphitis stated: "I would ask for everybody who is fortunate enough to get an opportunity here in Manchester, to give something back, and help HideOut Youth Zone to become the great success I'm sure it will be."

Andy Cook, CEO of Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity (partner organization): "Helen Arkell's aim is to remove barriers to learning, employment and life for more and more people with dyslexia, regardless of ability to pay, and we are indebted to Theo Paphitis and Ryman for helping us to achieve this."

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Paphitis Charitable Trust operates through trustee discretion, with funds distributed by a panel of trustees to registered charities selected based on the founder's charitable priorities and personal connections.

Grants appear to be awarded through:

  • Invitation and patronage relationships - organizations with which Theo Paphitis or his retail businesses have established connections
  • Trustee-identified causes - the panel identifies charities aligned with the trust's objectives
  • Personal connections - causes in areas where Theo Paphitis has lived or has personal experience (e.g., dyslexia, East Manchester)
  • Partnership fundraising - annual events like the Charity Clay Shoot where beneficiary charities are pre-selected

Organizations can make contact via charitabletrust@tprg.com, though there is no guarantee of funding consideration.

Getting on Their Radar

The trust has demonstrated support for organizations through these specific approaches:

Personal/geographic connections: Theo Paphitis pledged to become a Founder Patron of HideOut Youth Zone specifically because it was located in Gorton, East Manchester, where he grew up as a child. Organizations with connections to areas or causes personally meaningful to Theo Paphitis may resonate with the trust.

Business community networks: The trust engages with UK business leaders through events like the annual Charity Clay Shoot at prestigious venues, attended by "over a hundred guests from some of the UK's leading brands." Organizations connected to business networks, particularly retail sector networks where Theo Paphitis is prominent, may have better visibility.

Demonstrable struggle to secure funding: The trust explicitly states it “typically assists smaller UK charities that have difficulty in gaining funds from other organisations.” Organizations that can demonstrate they fall into this category and serve the trust's priority areas (particularly children's causes) align with stated preferences.

Partnership opportunities: The trust collaborates with established charities on specific initiatives (e.g., Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity for the Dyslexia Bursary). Organizations with proposals for partnership programs addressing dyslexia, children's healthcare, or youth services may find opportunities.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly specified. Decisions appear to be made on a discretionary basis by the trustee panel as opportunities arise and relationships develop.

Success Rates

Not available - no public application process with measurable success rates.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only nature of the trust.

Application Success Factors

Since there is no formal application process, success depends on alignment with the trust's approach and priorities:

Focus on smaller, under-resourced charities: The trust explicitly states it “typically assists smaller UK charities that have difficulty in gaining funds from other organisations.” Organizations should be able to demonstrate they struggle to access traditional funding sources.

Children's causes are paramount: The trust distributes funds "to causes close to his heart, especially children's charities." Recent beneficiaries include Starlight Children's Foundation (hospital play services), children's hospices and palliative care providers, and HideOut Youth Zone (youth services). Children's healthcare, wellbeing, and end-of-life care receive particular attention.

Personal resonance matters: Theo Paphitis's dyslexia led to the Dyslexia Bursary; his childhood in East Manchester led to HideOut Youth Zone patronage. Organizations addressing issues or serving communities with personal significance to the founder have demonstrated success.

Range of beneficiaries: While children's causes dominate, "recipients range from charities helping children to hospices providing children's palliative care" and extend to elderly care, disability support, poverty relief, education, sport, and care in the community. The trust's registered purposes are broad.

No expectation of formal applications: Contact can be made via charitabletrust@tprg.com, but organizations should understand the trust operates through discretionary grantmaking rather than competitive applications. Relationship-building and alignment with stated priorities are key.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process - This is a discretionary trust operating through trustee selection and invitation; formal grant applications are not accepted
  • Children's causes strongly preferred - Especially children's healthcare, hospices/palliative care, youth services, and dyslexia support
  • Target smaller charities - The trust explicitly seeks to help organizations “that have difficulty in gaining funds from other organisations”
  • Personal connections matter - Causes linked to Theo Paphitis's life experiences (East Manchester, dyslexia) or business networks have succeeded
  • Relationship-based funding - Support often comes through patronage relationships, partnerships, and multi-year commitments rather than one-off grants
  • Total giving is modest - With annual expenditure around £195,000, this is not a major grant-maker but can provide meaningful support to smaller charities
  • Contact email available - While no application process exists, charitabletrust@tprg.com is provided for those wishing to make contact

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