The Post Office Remembrance Fellowship Cio

Charity Number: 1188146

Annual Expenditure: £0.6M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £630,947 (FY ending July 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: £35,000 - £50,000+ (based on disclosed grants)
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide
  • Application Process: Invitation only / no public application process

Contact Details

Email: info@porf.co.uk

Website: www.porf.co.uk

Address: Unit 12, Basepoint, Oakfield Close, Tewkesbury Business Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL20 8SD

To enquire about eligibility for a grant, organizations should email info@porf.co.uk.

Overview

The Post Office Remembrance Fellowship (PORF) was established in 2020 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, following the sale of the final three convalescent hotels previously operated by the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance between 2019 and 2021. The proceeds from these sales enabled PORF to become a significant grant-making charity. With annual expenditure of £630,947 (FY 2024), PORF operates as a living memorial to the 12,830 General Post Office (GPO) men and women who died in World War One and World War Two. The charity's registered object is “to promote good citizenship amongst the public by commemorating those members of the Post Office who gave their lives in the World Wars by way of making grants, donations and awards for this purpose.” Managed by nine trustees with no paid employees, PORF makes strategic grants to charities with links to the GPO, focusing on learning, remembrance, heritage, and compassion.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

PORF operates as a strategic grant-maker without formal grant programs or public application processes. The charity proactively identifies organizations aligned with its mission of commemorating GPO war dead and supporting postal sector welfare.

Priority Areas

Heritage and Remembrance Organizations

  • Museums and heritage sites with postal/telecommunications connections (Bletchley Park, The National Museum of Computing, The Postal Museum)
  • War remembrance institutions (Commonwealth War Graves Foundation, National Memorial Arboretum)
  • Projects specifically commemorating GPO employees who died in the World Wars

Welfare Organizations

  • Charities supporting current and former postal workers and their families
  • Organizations serving successor organizations to the GPO
  • Postal sector benevolent funds (Postal Family Fund, Rowland Hill Fund, BT Benevolent Fund)

Remembrance Projects

  • Heritage trails and digital remembrance initiatives
  • Research into individual stories of GPO war dead
  • Educational programs about GPO contributions to World Wars

What They Don't Fund

PORF explicitly states: “We regret that we are unable to make grants to individuals.”

Based on their strategic focus, they are unlikely to fund:

  • Organizations without connections to the postal/telecommunications sector
  • Projects unrelated to World War remembrance or GPO heritage
  • General charitable causes outside their narrow mission
  • Individual applicants
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Alan Bealby - Chair

Spent over 30 years with British Telecom in New Technology Introduction, Operations and Customer Service. Previously chaired the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance.

Jenny Cole - Vice Chair

Worked for the Post Office for over 30 years, qualifying as an Accountant (ACCA) through the company's Finance Development scheme. Held senior roles including Head of Audit for Post Office Counters and Director of Finance for Royal Mail London District.

David Brown - Trustee

Chartered Accountant and Treasurer for The Workman Trust Charity.

Martyn Bunn - Trustee

Over 45 years with Royal Mail in operations, administration, and personnel. Involved with Communication Managers Association.

Tom Daffurn - Trustee

Over 30 years with Trusthouse Forte group as Divisional Managing Director. Board member since 1995, previously served as hotel advisor until hotel sales in 2021.

Ernie Dudley - Trustee

Joined the Post Office as a telegram boy in 1954. Active in the Communication Workers Union and trustee of PO Pension Scheme.

Simon Kelly - Trustee

Company Secretary for the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance for nearly 20 years. Participates annually in Cenotaph parade.

Paul Mason - Trustee

Started at Post Office Telecommunications in 1976, became Sales Director for Public Sector. Joined PORF Board in 2006.

Debbie Terry - Trustee

Over 30 years at BT in human resources. Managed BT Benevolent Fund and chairs Civil Service Insurance Society Charity Fund.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

PORF does not have a public application process. The charity operates as a strategic grant-maker where trustees proactively identify and select grant recipients based on their alignment with PORF's mission.

Organizations interested in PORF funding should email info@porf.co.uk to enquire about eligibility, but there are no application forms, published guidelines, deadlines, or guaranteed consideration for unsolicited enquiries.

How Grants Are Typically Awarded

PORF awards grants through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships. The board includes individuals with decades of experience in the postal/telecommunications sector and connections to related heritage and welfare organizations, which informs their grant-making decisions.

Getting on Their Radar

Connections to Postal/Telecommunications Heritage

PORF has supported organizations that preserve and promote GPO history, including The Postal Museum (recipient of the Books of Remembrance in 2018), Bletchley Park (where PORF funded the Fellowship Auditorium), and The National Museum of Computing (major building restoration funding in 2024).

War Remembrance Focus

The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation received a grant to develop three projects creating heritage trails, researching GPO employee narratives, and building a digital portal. The National Memorial Arboretum received support for the redesign of the GPO Memorial Garden, completed in June 2024.

Postal Sector Welfare Connections

PORF maintains close relationships with postal sector welfare charities. The BT Benevolent Fund received £50,000, while the Postal Family Fund received £35,000. Several PORF trustees have direct connections to these organizations - Debbie Terry managed the BT Benevolent Fund, and trustees have served on boards of related postal charities.

Board Connections

Organizations seeking to understand PORF's priorities might research the backgrounds of its trustees, many of whom spent careers in the postal/telecommunications sector and participate in remembrance activities such as the annual Cenotaph parade.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As a strategic grant-maker, PORF does not operate on fixed cycles or published timelines.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since PORF operates through invitation and trustee discretion rather than open applications, traditional success factors do not apply. However, the pattern of PORF's grant-making reveals clear organizational preferences:

Direct Connection to GPO War Dead

All major grants support projects specifically commemorating the 12,830 GPO employees killed in World Wars I and II. The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation's grant focuses on “providing a living memorial to the men and women of the General Post Office (GPO) who died in the two World Wars.”

Tangible Heritage Outcomes

PORF favors projects creating permanent memorials or preserving historic buildings. Examples include the redesigned GPO Memorial Garden at the National Memorial Arboretum, the PORF Auditorium at Bletchley Park, and The National Museum of Computing's Block H restoration.

Educational and Research Components

The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation grant funds three projects: heritage trails, narrative research about GPO employees, and a digital portal for sharing stories - all educational initiatives.

Established Credibility

Grant recipients are well-established institutions (Bletchley Park, The Postal Museum, National Memorial Arboretum) or long-standing postal sector charities (Postal Family Fund, Rowland Hill Fund, BT Benevolent Fund).

Alignment with Trustee Expertise

The board includes individuals with deep postal/telecommunications sector experience and connections to war remembrance activities. Projects that resonate with trustees' professional backgrounds and personal commitments appear more likely to receive support.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - PORF operates through trustee discretion and invitation only, making it unsuitable for most grant writers seeking open funding opportunities
  • Mission is extremely narrow - Only organizations commemorating GPO war dead or supporting postal sector welfare align with PORF's charitable objects
  • Email enquiries are possible - Organizations believing they meet PORF's criteria can contact info@porf.co.uk to enquire about eligibility
  • Grants are substantial - Disclosed grants range from £35,000 to £50,000+, suggesting PORF makes significant investments in aligned projects
  • Trustee connections matter - The board's deep postal/telecommunications roots and remembrance commitments shape funding decisions
  • Heritage and welfare are dual priorities - PORF supports both remembrance/heritage institutions and welfare organizations serving postal workers
  • Permanent legacy projects favored - Major grants support lasting physical memorials, building restorations, and digital heritage resources rather than temporary programs

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