The Pharsalia Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Registered Charity Number: 1120402
• Annual Giving: £102,028 (2024/25)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Variable - from local community grants to £3.5 million endowment
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Oxford region, with national and international reach

Contact Details

Address: The Ham, Ickleton Road, Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12 9JA

Telephone: 01235 426524 (alternative: 01367 870962)

Website: No public website identified

Note: Contact by telephone for grant inquiries - no online application portal available

Overview

The Pharsalia Charitable Trust was registered with the Charity Commission on 1 August 2007 (charity number 1120402). The trust is governed by three trustees and operates as a discretionary grantmaking trust, established by the Blackwell family of Oxford. The trust honours the legacy of Richard Blackwell, whose international bookselling and publishing business originated from Blackwell's University bookshop in Broad Street, Oxford. With annual expenditure of £102,028 in 2024/25 and income of £64,266, the trust draws from existing capital to support its grantmaking activities. The trust has made significant contributions to medical research and education, most notably a £3.5 million endowment to the University of Oxford. The trust operates with broad discretionary powers, applying income “for or towards such charitable purposes as the trustees shall from time to time in their absolute discretion decide.”

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate formal grant programmes with fixed amounts or application cycles. Instead, it makes discretionary grants across its priority areas. Known grants include:

• Major endowments: £3.5 million to University of Oxford for the Richard Blackwell Pharsalia Trust Professorship of Colorectal Surgery
• Local community support: Grants to Age UK Oxfordshire and other local charities (amounts not publicly disclosed)
• Educational support: Support for Quest for Learning, an Oxfordshire charity helping primary-age children with literacy and maths

Priority Areas

Local (Oxford region):

• Healthcare organizations
• Relief of suffering and hardship
• Help for the disadvantaged
• Community support services

National:

• Medical research
• Higher education
• Medical health/sickness organisations

International:

• Relief of disasters

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are publicly documented. However, the trust's discretionary nature and focus on the Oxford region, healthcare, and education suggest they prioritize these areas over others.

Ready to write a winning application for The Pharsalia Charitable Trust?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Join the Launch List

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Nigel Stirling Blackwell - Chair

Senior Trustee and son of Richard Blackwell. Nigel described his father as “a man of virtue and principle, generous and self-effacing.” His father's faith and beliefs were shaped by wartime service in the Royal Navy, where he saw action and hardship and was decorated for bravery. The Blackwell family has a long history of philanthropy in Oxford, dating back to Benjamin Henry Blackwell who founded Blackwell's bookshop in 1879.

Nigel Patrick Peter Roots - Trustee

Appointed 6 June 2020

Trudy Denise Sainsbury - Trustee

All three trustees serve without remuneration or benefits from the charity, in line with the trust's governance structure.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Pharsalia Charitable Trust operates as a discretionary trust where trustees identify and select beneficiaries based on their own knowledge and priorities. The trust deed allows trustees “to apply the income or any part or parts of the same for or towards such charitable purposes as the trustees shall from time to time in their absolute discretion decide.”

There is no online application portal, application guidelines, or formal submission process for prospective grantees.

Organizations interested in being considered for support may contact the trust by telephone at the numbers provided, though there is no guarantee that unsolicited approaches will be considered.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at trustees' discretion rather than through scheduled funding rounds.

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed due to the discretionary nature of the trust.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the absence of a formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the trust's discretionary nature and lack of public application process, success factors are based on observed grantmaking patterns:

Geographic alignment: The trust shows strong preference for Oxford region organizations, particularly those based in or serving Oxfordshire communities. Age UK Oxfordshire and Quest for Learning are examples of local beneficiaries.

Healthcare and medical research focus: The trust's largest known grant (£3.5 million) went to establish a professorship in colorectal surgery at Oxford University. This demonstrates significant interest in advancing medical science and education, particularly in areas related to healthcare.

Connection to Blackwell family values: The trust honours Richard Blackwell's legacy, which included support for Oxford University, education, literacy, and community service. Richard Blackwell's lifelong support of the University included replacing the two missing Muses on the Clarendon Building in 1974.

Supporting the disadvantaged: The trust's stated objectives emphasize helping disadvantaged populations and relief of suffering. Organizations working with vulnerable communities align with these values.

Educational impact: Support for Quest for Learning demonstrates interest in educational interventions that help children overcome disadvantage.

Established organizational credibility: The trust appears to support well-established charities rather than new or experimental initiatives.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The Pharsalia Charitable Trust operates entirely at trustees' discretion without a public application process - unsolicited approaches are unlikely to succeed
• Strong Oxford/Oxfordshire connection is essential - the trust prioritizes its local region
• Healthcare, medical research, and education are core interests, particularly projects advancing medical science
• The trust has capacity for both major endowments (£3.5 million to Oxford University) and smaller community grants
• Trustees value established organizations with proven track records over startup initiatives
• The Blackwell family legacy centres on education, literacy, healthcare, and supporting disadvantaged communities
• No formal timelines, success rates, or grant ranges are publicly available due to discretionary operation
• Organizations should focus on building relationships within Oxford's charitable sector rather than formal applications

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Garfield Weston Foundation
• BBC Children in Need
• The Swire Charitable Trust
• Milton Keynes Community Foundation Limited
• THE CHILDWICK TRUST
• P F Charitable Trust
• The Will Charitable Trust
• DORIS FIELD CHARITABLE TRUST
• Woodroffe Benton Foundation
• Anson Charitable Trust
• Richer Sounds Foundation
• THE AMMCO TRUST
• GET OUT
• THE LANGTREE TRUST
• HENRY SMITH
• THE LITTLE THINGS

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, “THE PHARSALIA CHARITABLE TRUST - 1120402,” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1120402&subid=0
• University of Oxford Development Office, “Richard Blackwell Pharsalia Professorship,” https://governance.admin.ox.ac.uk/legislation/richard-blackwell-pharsalia-trust-professor-of-colorectal-surgery
• Charity Choice, “The Pharsalia Charitable Trust,” https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/the-pharsalia-charitable-trust-40393
• Age UK Oxfordshire, “Our supporters,” https://www.ageuk.org.uk/oxfordshire/get-involved/our-supporters/
• Oxford Alumni, “NEW MEDICAL CHAIR ANNOUNCED,” https://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/quad/article/new-medical-chair-announced