The Regatta Foundation

Charity Number: 1112912

Annual Expenditure: £0.4M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £385,383 (2024 expenditure)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Not publicly available
  • Geographic Focus: UK and international
  • Registered Charity Number: 1112912

Contact Details

Address: Risol House, Mercury Way, Dumplington, Urmston, Manchester, M41 7RR

Phone: 01617491329

Website: No dedicated website; information available through Regatta Group corporate site

Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The Regatta Foundation was established in 2007 by Regatta owners Keith and Joanne Black as a means of giving back to society through supporting charities and projects in the UK and around the world. Registered as a trust on 3 February 2006 (charity number 1112912), the foundation's stated mission is "enabling disadvantaged young children from the Manchester area to enjoy 'the great outdoors'." For the financial year ending 5 April 2024, the foundation had total income of £41,454 and total expenditure of £385,383, demonstrating significant grant-making activity funded primarily through the resources of the Black family business. The foundation has supported a wide range of initiatives, from environmental conservation partnerships to healthcare innovation programmes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

The Regatta Foundation does not operate specific named grant programmes but instead provides discretionary funding across several broad areas. Recent partnerships and grants have included:

  • Conservation Collective Partnership: Multi-year partnership supporting grassroots environmental projects through local foundations including Ionian Environment Foundation, Highlands & Islands Environment Foundation, and Mallorca Preservation Foundation
  • Healthcare: Supporting Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust's Innovation Lab (start-up collaboration programme)
  • Community Support: Partnering with Cash for Kids to help disadvantaged children across the UK
  • Education: Supporting Savar Primary School in Bangladesh, which educates 262 students aged 4-14, including 58 students with learning or physical disabilities

Priority Areas

Based on documented grant-making activity, the foundation prioritises:

Children and Young People

  • Enabling disadvantaged children from Manchester to access outdoor experiences
  • Educational projects and school support (including ongoing support for Savar Primary School in Bangladesh)
  • Healthcare innovation for children and young people

Environmental Conservation

  • Biodiversity protection and ecosystem regeneration
  • Supporting organisations such as Galapagos Conservation Trust
  • Queen's Green Canopy (platinum supporter)
  • Partnership with Conservation Collective and its network of local environment foundations

Health and Wellbeing

  • Alzheimer's Society (lead sponsor for flagship trekking event)
  • CoppaFeel! (breast cancer awareness charity)

Community Development

  • Supporting like-minded organisations within their surrounding community
  • Youth development initiatives

What They Don't Fund

No explicit exclusions are publicly documented, but the foundation's activities suggest they focus on established charities and specific partnership opportunities rather than general grant-making.

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Governance and Leadership

Founders: Keith and Joanne Black (siblings) are the owners of Regatta Group and established the foundation in 2007.

Trustees: The foundation has 3 trustees who receive no remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. Specific trustee names are not publicly available on the Charity Commission register.

Leadership Philosophy: Keith and Joanne Black use the resources of their family business to fund like-minded organisations and projects within their surrounding community. As Jade Brudenell, Executive Director of the Conservation Collective, noted about the partnership: “Partnerships like this can turbocharge the work of local heroes dedicated to protecting and restoring the natural environment.”

How to Apply to The Regatta Foundation

How to Apply

The Regatta Foundation does not have a public application process. Grant-making appears to be conducted through trustee discretion, with funding directed to:

  • Organisations with pre-existing relationships with the foundation or Regatta Group
  • Strategic partnerships identified by the trustees (e.g., Conservation Collective)
  • Charities aligned with the founders' personal interests

There is no public application portal, published guidelines, or open deadlines for unsolicited proposals.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. Decisions appear to be made at trustee discretion throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since the Regatta Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organisations seeking support should consider:

Alignment with Core Mission

  • Projects enabling disadvantaged children (particularly from Manchester) to access outdoor experiences
  • Environmental conservation initiatives, especially those protecting biodiverse ecosystems
  • Health and disability charities
  • Community development projects

Strategic Partnership Potential

  • The foundation favours substantial, multi-year partnerships with organisations that can deliver impact at scale (e.g., Conservation Collective partnership supporting multiple local foundations)
  • Projects that align with the Regatta Group's business interests in outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship

Connection to Regatta Group

  • Organisations may have better chances if they have existing relationships with Regatta Group brands (Regatta Great Outdoors, Craghoppers, Dare2b)

Geographic Focus

  • While the foundation supports international projects, there is particular emphasis on Manchester and the surrounding community
  • Projects must align with the foundation's charitable objectives

Track Record and Impact

  • The foundation's documented grants suggest preference for established charities with proven impact (e.g., Alzheimer's Society, Conservation Collective)
  • Grassroots environmental projects with measurable conservation outcomes

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this is not a funder to approach with cold proposals
  • The foundation operates primarily through trustee-directed giving and strategic partnerships selected by Keith and Joanne Black
  • Environmental conservation and disadvantaged children accessing the outdoors are the two clearest funding priorities
  • The foundation makes significant grants (£385,383 expenditure in 2024 despite only £41,454 income, indicating capital drawdown)
  • Multi-year partnerships appear more common than one-off grants (e.g., ongoing Conservation Collective relationship)
  • Manchester-area projects for disadvantaged children may receive particular attention given the stated mission
  • Organisations with connections to Regatta Group business interests may find more receptivity

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