The Roger And Ingrid Pilkington Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £285,993 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales
• Charity Number: 1038361

Contact Details

Registered Address:

C/O Brabners Chaffe Street

Horton House, Exchange Flags

Liverpool, L2 3YL

Phone: 0151 600 3000 (Brabners law firm)

Website: No public website

Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The Roger and Ingrid Pilkington Charitable Trust was established in 1994 following a settlement deed. The trust was founded by Roger Windle Pilkington (1915-2003), a British writer and biologist from the prominent Pilkington glass-manufacturing family of St Helens, and his second wife Ingrid Maria (née Geijer) of Sweden. Roger was the son of a director of Pilkington Brothers Ltd and brother of life peer Harry Pilkington. The trust operates as a private grant-making foundation with an endowment that generates approximately £108,000 in annual income. In 2024, the trust distributed £285,993 in grants, and in 2023 distributed £654,302, demonstrating significant grant-making activity. The trust focuses on education and training, particularly supporting children and young people in England and Wales. The trust is administered through Brabners law firm in Liverpool and operates without paid staff, with all three trustees serving on a voluntary basis.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust does not operate publicly advertised grant programs. Instead, it makes strategic grants to selected organizations and institutions, primarily in the following areas:

• Performing Arts Education: Supporting drama schools and theatre training institutions
• Higher Education: Funding scholarships and bursaries at universities and specialist institutions
• Research Awards: Supporting academic research, particularly in humanities and history

Priority Areas

Based on identified grant recipients, the trust prioritizes:

• Drama and Theatre Education: Long-standing support for The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama through scholarships and bursaries for both undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Academic Research: Funding Rome Awards at the British School at Rome for research in history, contemporary art, and cultural studies (typically 3-month research periods in Italy)
• Education and Training: General support for educational initiatives benefiting children and young people across England and Wales
• Financial Hardship: Particular interest in supporting students facing financial barriers to accessing education

What They Don't Fund

The trust does not:

• Accept unsolicited applications from organizations
• Make grants through open public application processes
• Fund organizations outside England and Wales
• Support non-educational causes

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by three trustees who serve on a voluntary basis without remuneration:

• Miss Rosamund Horwood-Smart QC - Trustee (senior barrister with experience in public inquiries)
• Mr R Bernays - Trustee
• Sir Ivor Anthony Roberts KCMG, MA - Trustee (distinguished diplomat and former British Ambassador)

Additional Trustee:

• Dame Hilary Boulding - Appointed as trustee in 2018

The trust is administered through Brabners law firm in Liverpool, which provides legal and administrative support. The trustees meet to review the trust's activities and make grant decisions at their discretion. No trustees receive any payments or benefits from the charity, ensuring all resources are directed toward charitable purposes.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process. Grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to organizations and institutions with which they have established relationships. The trust typically identifies beneficiaries through:

• Pre-existing relationships with educational institutions
• Direct approaches to institutions aligned with the founders' interests
• Trustee knowledge of organizations working in their priority areas

Organizations cannot apply to this trust through an open application process. Grant decisions are made by the trustees based on their strategic priorities and knowledge of institutions that align with the trust's educational mission.

Application Success Factors

Since this trust operates through trustee discretion rather than public applications, the following factors characterize their grant-making approach:

Established Relationships: The trust demonstrates long-term commitment to organizations it supports. The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama has received support “for a number of years,” indicating the trust values ongoing partnerships rather than one-off grants.

Educational Excellence: Recipients are prestigious institutions with strong reputations in their fields—The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is a world-leading conservatoire, and the British School at Rome is a renowned research institution.

Alignment with Founders' Interests: The pattern of grants reflects Roger Pilkington's intellectual interests as a writer and biologist with connections to the arts, humanities, and education. The support for theatre education and historical research aligns with these themes.

Student-Centered Support: Where specific grant purposes are documented, there is emphasis on directly helping students overcome financial barriers and access educational opportunities, particularly those affected by hardship.

Geographic Focus: While the trust can operate throughout England and Wales, its known beneficiaries include both London-based institutions (Royal Central School of Speech and Drama) and international institutions (British School at Rome), suggesting a focus on institutional excellence over geographic distribution.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: This trust cannot be approached through standard grant applications—they select their beneficiaries through trustee discretion
• Relationship-driven: The trust supports institutions with which trustees have established relationships or knowledge
• Long-term partnerships: Evidence suggests the trust prefers ongoing relationships with organizations rather than one-off grants
• High-caliber institutions: Known beneficiaries are prestigious and well-established in their fields, suggesting the trust seeks organizations with proven track records
• Education focus: All identified grants relate to education, training, or research, particularly benefiting students and early-career researchers
• Substantial grant-making: With annual expenditure of £286,000-£654,000, the trust makes significant grants despite having no public application process
• Private family trust: The trust reflects the personal interests and values of its founders from the Pilkington family, with a particular emphasis on arts, humanities, and educational access

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Backstage Trust
• THE ARNOLD BURTON 1998 CHARITABLE TRUST
• Thriplow Charitable Trust
• The Dischma Charitable Trust
• The Albert Dawson Educational Trust
• The Scotshill Trust
• THE ROBERT GAVRON CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Behrens Foundation
• The Ofenheim Charitable Trust
• ODIN CHARITABLE TRUST

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: “The Roger and Ingrid Pilkington Charitable Trust (1038361),” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/1038361
• The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama: “The Roger and Ingrid Pilkington Trust Bursaries,” https://www.cssd.ac.uk/fees-funding/scholarships-bursaries-awards/roger-and-ingrid-pilkington-trust-bursaries
• Cambridge Core, Papers of the British School at Rome: “Rome Award supported by the Roger and Ingrid Pilkington Charitable Trust” (multiple articles), https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/papers-of-the-british-school-at-rome
• Wikipedia: “Roger Pilkington (writer),” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Pilkington_(writer)
• Giving is Great: “The Roger and Ingrid Pilkington Charitable Trust - Charity Factsheet,” https://givingisgreat.org/database/charity-factsheet/?regNo=1038361