The Pilling Trust Fund

Charity Number: 241812

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £195,348 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: £9,000 - £30,000 (based on known awards)
  • Geographic Focus: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland
  • Established: 1965

Contact Details

Address: c/o Beever & Struthers, Central Buildings, Richmond Terrace, Blackburn, BB1 7AP

Email: charlotte.kay@beeverstruthers.co.uk (primary contact)

will.campbell@beeverstruthers.co.uk (alternative contact)

Phone: 01254 686600

Charity Number: 241812

Overview

The Pilling Trust Fund was established in June 1965 to support the Church of England's musical tradition and Christian education. With total income of £376,148 and grant expenditure of £195,348 in the financial year ending April 2024, the Trust focuses exclusively on Anglican churches seeking to achieve and maintain high standards of church music. The Trust is administered by Beever & Struthers chartered accountants in Blackburn, Lancashire, and governed by a board of seven volunteer trustees. The Trust has a particular interest in churches that maintain an active choral tradition and operates across all four nations of the United Kingdom.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Church Music and Organ Grants

The Trust provides grants specifically for major repair, replacement, or maintenance of pipe organs in Anglican churches. Known grant awards range from approximately £9,000 to £30,000, though the Trust describes these as “small grants” suggesting they may be positioned as supplementary funding rather than primary support.

Priority Areas

  • Church Organs: Major repair or replacement of pipe organs in Anglican churches
  • Musical Standards: Projects that support achieving and maintaining high standards of church music
  • Choral Tradition: Particular interest in organs used to support traditional Anglican worship with choral traditions
  • Christian Education: Advancement of education aligned with Church of England values

What They Don't Fund

  • Non-Anglican churches or other denominations
  • Churches without Faculty approval or necessary permissions
  • Projects without a signed contract with an organ builder
  • Applications submitted before over half the required funding has been secured
  • General church running costs unrelated to music
  • Projects outside the United Kingdom
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Governance and Leadership

The Pilling Trust Fund is governed by seven volunteer trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The Trust has no employees with benefits over £60,000 and operates without trading subsidiaries.

Known Trustees:

  • Rev Peter Howell-Jones (appointed 2015): Also serves as trustee for Blackburn Diocesan Board of Finance Limited, The Peel Foundation Scholarship Fund, and Blackburn Cathedral Trust
  • John Martin Sutcliffe: Serves as President of the Trust

The Trust is professionally administered through Beever & Struthers chartered accountants in Blackburn.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Pilling Trust Fund does not have a widely publicized public application process. Contact should be initiated directly with the Trust administrators at Beever & Struthers using the contact details provided above.

Critical Pre-Application Requirements:

Applicants should NOT approach the fund until ALL of the following conditions are met:

  1. Faculty approval or other necessary ecclesiastical permission has been obtained
  2. A contract has been signed with the organ builder
  3. Over half the money required has already been given or pledged

This requirement for 50%+ prior fundraising indicates that the Trust positions itself as a supplementary funder rather than a lead funder for organ projects.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly available. Prospective applicants should contact the Trust directly to inquire about current processing times and trustee meeting schedules.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Information about reapplication policies is not publicly available. Unsuccessful applicants should contact the Trust directly to inquire about reapplication procedures.

Application Success Factors

Critical Requirements

  1. Faculty First: Do not approach the Trust until you have obtained Faculty approval or other necessary permissions. This is an absolute requirement stated by the Trust.
  1. Half Funded Rule: The Trust explicitly requires that over 50% of the total project cost must already be secured before application. This suggests they view their role as helping projects over the finish line rather than providing seed funding.
  1. Contract in Place: A signed contract with the organ builder is required before application, indicating the project must be at an advanced stage of planning and commitment.

What the Trust Values

  • Traditional Anglican Worship: The Trust has particular interest in organs used to support traditional Anglican worship, especially where there is an active choral tradition.
  • High Musical Standards: The Trust's stated purpose emphasizes “achieving and maintaining a high standard of church music,” suggesting that applications should demonstrate commitment to musical excellence.
  • Pipe Organs: The Trust specifically focuses on pipe organs rather than digital or electronic alternatives.

Known Grant Recipients

While specific grant recipient lists are not publicly available, documented examples include:

  • Selby Abbey: Received £30,000 toward organ restoration
  • St. Nicholas' Church, Blundellsands: Received approximately £9,000 for organ restoration

These examples suggest the Trust supports both major cathedral-scale projects and parish church organ work.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Don't apply too early: The Trust has clear pre-conditions that must be met before application. Ensure you have Faculty approval, a signed contract, and over 50% of funding secured before making contact.
  • Position as final-stage funding: Given the requirement for majority funding to be in place, frame your application as seeking support to complete a well-advanced project rather than requesting seed or primary funding.
  • Emphasize choral tradition: If your church maintains an active choral tradition, emphasize this prominently as it is specifically mentioned as an area of interest.
  • Focus on musical excellence: Align your application with the Trust's stated purpose of achieving and maintaining “high standards of church music.”
  • Be Anglican: This Trust exclusively supports Church of England churches, so ensure your eligibility is clear.
  • Expect small grants: The Trust describes its awards as “small grants,” so manage expectations about grant size and be prepared to secure multiple funding sources.
  • Make direct contact: With no formal online application portal, building a relationship with the administrators at Beever & Struthers may be important for understanding current priorities and processes.

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