The Primary Club

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £325,000+ (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Approximately 8 weeks
• Grant Range: Up to £25,000 (typically £4,000 average)
• Geographic Focus: UK-wide (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland)

Contact Details

Website: www.primaryclub.org

Email: honsec@primaryclub.org

Phone: 0300 131 2244

Address: P.O. Box 12121, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 2ZF

Registered Charity Number: 285285

Honorary Secretary: Nicole Pollock (honsec@primaryclub.org) - for grant enquiries

Overview

The Primary Club was founded in 1955 at Beckenham Cricket Club, Kent, by four cricket enthusiasts: Ralph Lilly, Keith Patterson, Norman Patterson, and Mike Sheeres. Originally created to support F R Brown's Fund for Blind Cricketers, the charity has evolved from a modest beginning (raising just £45 in its first nine years) to becoming the major supporter of visually impaired sports in the UK. The organization gained significant momentum in 1973 when BBC's Test Match Special team began promoting it. Now with over 3,000 regular contributing members, The Primary Club has raised over £5 million since inception.

Membership is open to anyone who has ever been dismissed first ball in any form of cricket (known as a “golden duck”). The charity is run entirely by unpaid volunteers and operates with minimal administrative costs. In 2023, supplemented by major legacies, the charity awarded grants exceeding £325,000. For the year ending 31 March 2024, the charity had total income of £154,015 and total expenditure of £337,647, reflecting their strategic use of legacy funds to support grassroots visual impairment sports.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Main Fund (Ongoing)

• Amount: Typically up to £10,000
• Average grant: £4,000
• Application method: Rolling basis via email application
• Funded by: Member donations

Murray Fund (Special Initiative)

• Amount: Up to £25,000
• Purpose: More substantial funding for relevant new projects
• Source: Legacy from the late Ethel Murray
• Focus: Larger-scale projects requiring significant capital investment

James Fund (Previously offered - £75,000 total allocation in 2023)

• Amount: £10,000 - £25,000 per project
• Purpose: Innovative, collaborative projects
• Source: Legacy from the late Kenneth G James
• Note: Application cycle basis - check website for current availability

In 2022/23, The Primary Club made grants to 43 clubs and organisations with an average grant of just under £4,000.

Priority Areas

The Primary Club prioritizes:

• Grassroots and start-up activities for blind and partially sighted individuals
• Running costs and equipment purchases rather than capital assets
• Cricket - remains the core focus as the major supporter of the UK's VI cricket club network
• Other VI sports including:
• Futsal
• Goalball
• Golf
• Skiing
• Swimming
• Sailing
• Tandem cycling
• Braille chess
• Baseball
• Showdown
• Scuba diving
• VI surfing sessions

The Trustees prefer to fund the whole cost of a project, even where this is spread across two or more years, rather than providing partial funding.

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the guidance indicates:

• Projects that would significantly increase recipient's long-term asset base (preference for equipment and running costs instead)
• Projects not directly related to sporting or recreational needs of blind and partially sighted individuals
• Organizations or projects outside the UK

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Governance and Leadership

Patron

Stuart Broad CBE - England cricket legend who became Patron in June 2024, succeeding Derek Underwood MBE who served from 1997 until his death in April 2024. Broad retired at the end of the 2023 Ashes after becoming only the fifth bowler to take 600 Test wickets.

Stuart Broad says: “The Primary Club has a long and distinguished history of supporting grassroots cricket and many other sports for those with a visual impairment. Making cricket – and all sport – accessible to everyone is something I feel strongly about and I am proud and delighted to support this wonderful charity.”

Leadership Team

Tim Kelleher - Chair

Former maritime law solicitor who practiced in the City for 40 years, retiring in 2020. Chairs the trustees.

Nicole Pollock - Honorary Secretary

Qualified as a Chartered Accountant, retrained as a teacher and recently retired from a senior career in a prestigious prep school. She married into a cricket-loving family and has attended numerous matches since her cricket-tour honeymoon to South America in 1987. Nicole is looking forward to supporting the Primary Club's ambitions to promote and grow its membership to continue enhancing sports and recreational activity for the blind and visually impaired.

Ross Midgley - Honorary Treasurer

Chartered accountant who held senior positions in two large professional firms and is a former village cricket player.

The charity operates with 12 trustees and 3 volunteers. No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity - all work is entirely voluntary.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted via email to the Honorary Secretary at honsec@primaryclub.org

Required documents:

1. Completed “Application for Funding” form (available on website)
2. Review “Guidance Notes for Main Fund” before applying

Application should include:

• Detailed project description
• Number of blind and VI people expected to benefit
• Comprehensive budget and cash flow forecast
• Proposed project 'milestones' with dates to enable Trustees to monitor progress
• Details of collaborative partners (if applicable)

For larger grants (Murray Fund/James Fund):

• Applications for more substantial funding are particularly encouraged
• Projects should be innovative and enable support in new ways
• Collaborative projects that help wider community participation are preferred

Decision Timeline

Main Fund: Rolling basis - typically 8 weeks from application to decision

Special Funds (James Fund - when available):

• Application deadline: October/November
• Notification: By mid-January (approximately 8 weeks)

Recent cycle: Applications for 2024/25 had a deadline of 15 November 2024 with notification expected by 15 January 2025.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. In 2022/23, the charity made grants to 43 organisations. The charity is run by volunteers who carefully consider all applications against their stated priorities of grassroots and start-up activities for the blind and partially sighted.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policy for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly stated. Contact the Honorary Secretary for guidance on reapplication if your initial application is unsuccessful.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with core mission: The Primary Club has very clear eligibility criteria - all projects must relate clearly to the sporting and/or recreational needs of individuals who are blind and partially sighted. Applications outside this remit will not be successful.

Grassroots and start-up focus: The Trustees have explicitly stated they "generally prefer to support 'grass roots' and 'start up' activities." Established programs seeking incremental funding may be less competitive than new initiatives getting off the ground.

Equipment and running costs preferred: The charity prefers to support "running costs or the purchase of equipment, as distinct from items which will significantly increase the recipient's long-term asset base." Focus applications on operational needs and equipment purchases rather than capital projects.

Whole project funding approach: The Trustees prefer to fund the whole cost of a project, even where spread across multiple years. Applications should present a complete picture of project needs rather than seeking partial funding from multiple sources.

Clear beneficiary numbers and outcomes: Applications should specify the number of blind and VI people expected to benefit and include measurable project milestones with dates.

Innovation and collaboration: Particularly for larger grants, projects that are innovative, collaborative, and enable support in new ways or help wider community participation are more attractive.

Cricket heritage: While the charity has broadened to support many VI sports, its heart remains in cricket. Cricket-related projects align strongly with the charity's history and membership base.

Recent example of funded project: In 2025, the Primary Club funded VI surfing sessions through Surfing England, making surfing accessible for those who are visually impaired or blind - demonstrating their willingness to support diverse sports beyond traditional offerings.

Promotional participation: Successful recipients should be prepared to participate in the charity's promotional activities about the project, helping to demonstrate impact to members and attract future donations.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Start early and be specific: Contact the Honorary Secretary before applying if you have questions. Clearly articulate how many blind and VI people will benefit and provide detailed budgets with project milestones.

• Emphasize grassroots impact: Position your project as a grassroots or start-up initiative rather than an established program expansion. The trustees explicitly prefer supporting new activities getting off the ground.

• Request whole project costs: Rather than asking for partial funding, present a complete project that the Primary Club can fully fund (potentially across multiple years). This aligns with their stated preference.

• Focus on equipment and running costs: Frame your budget around equipment purchases and operational costs rather than capital improvements or asset acquisition.

• Consider the Murray Fund for larger projects: If you need substantial funding (£10,000-£25,000), explicitly reference the Murray Fund in your application and ensure your project represents a significant new initiative.

• Highlight innovation and collaboration: For larger grants, emphasize how your project is innovative, collaborative, or enables participation in new ways. Demonstrate wider community benefit.

• Leverage the cricket connection: If your project has any cricket component, highlight this given the charity's history and membership base. However, don't shy away from other VI sports - they're actively expanding support across diverse activities.

• Be prepared for outcome reporting: Plan to share success stories and participate in promotional activities. The charity operates on member donations and needs compelling stories to share with contributors about impact achieved.

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

• Awards for All
• The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund
• Two Ridings Community Foundation
• The One Foundation
• THE SHEARS FOUNDATION
• P H Holt Foundation
• Trust for London
• The Green Hall Foundation
• CLA Charitable Trust
• The Four Winds Trust
• Woodroffe Benton Foundation
• The National Foundation for Youth Music
• National Lottery
• THE KINGSTON NURSING ASSOCIATION

References

1. The Primary Club Official Website - www.primaryclub.org
2. UK Charity Commission Register - Charity Number 285285, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=285285
3. The Primary Club - About Us, https://www.primaryclub.org/about-us/
4. The Primary Club - Apply for Funding, https://www.primaryclub.org/funding/
5. The Primary Club - History, https://www.primaryclub.org/history/
6. Stuart Broad announcement, https://www.primaryclub.org/2024/06/stuart-broad-to-be-new-patron-of-the-primary-club/
7. The James Fund announcement, https://www.primaryclub.org/2023/08/the-james-fund/
8. Community 360 - Grants for Sporting and Recreational Projects for Blind and Partially Sighted People, https://www.community360.org.uk/blog/grants-for-sporting-and-recreational-projects-for-blind-and-partially-sighted-people/
9. LoveAdmin - 10 UK sports grants you can apply for in 2025, https://loveadmin.com/generating-income/10-sports-funding-grants-clubs-can-apply-for/
10. Blind Cricket England & Wales - The Primary Club, https://bcew.co.uk/hall-of-fame/the-primary-club/