The Rowney Trust
Charity Number: 1115435
Stay updated on changes from The Rowney Trust and other funders
Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.
Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: £215,671 (FYE April 2024)
- Total Income: £263,154 (FYE April 2024)
- Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
- Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
- Geographic Focus: England and Wales (with apparent focus on Bedfordshire)
Contact Details
Address: Southill Park, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 9LL
Phone: 01462 813209
Charity Number: 1115435
Note: The trust does not maintain a public website or email contact for grant applications.
Overview
The Rowney Trust was registered as a charity on 19 July 2006 and operates throughout England and Wales. With annual expenditure of approximately £215,671 (as of April 2024), the trust makes charitable grants for general charitable purposes as determined by the trustees' discretion. The trust is chaired by Charles Edward Samuel Whitbread, a member of the historic Whitbread family with longstanding connections to Southill Park in Bedfordshire. The trust operates with a highly selective approach to grant-making, primarily supporting organizations with which the trustees have existing personal relationships. The trust does not typically accept unsolicited applications from organizations unknown to the trustees.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
The Rowney Trust operates under a broad charitable remit: “for such general charitable purpose or purposes as the trustees shall from time to time in their absolute discretion determine.” This gives the trustees considerable flexibility in their grant-making decisions.
Priority Areas
The trust has supported:
- Community infrastructure projects (such as the Southill Play Area improvements in 2023)
- General charitable purposes within England and Wales
- Appears to have a particular focus on Bedfordshire-based causes
What They Don't Fund
The trust does not typically fund organizations with which the trustees are not already personally acquainted.
Ready to write a winning application for The Rowney Trust?
Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.
Governance and Leadership
Trustees (3 total):
- Charles Edward Samuel Whitbread (Chair)
- Jane Elizabeth Whitbread
- Samuel David Whitbread
Charles Edward Samuel Whitbread also serves as trustee or chair of several other charitable organizations including The Wixamtree Trust, Southill Almshouse Charity, Gilchrist Educational Trust, The Friends of Elstow Abbey, Wild Life Foundation, and the Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust.
No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
This funder does not have a public application process.
The Rowney Trust “makes charitable grants, but does not often make grants to charities with which the trustees are not already acquainted personally.” This means the trust operates on an invitation-only or relationship-based model, with grants typically awarded to organizations already known to the trustees through their personal networks and connections.
Unsolicited applications from organizations unknown to the trustees are unlikely to be successful.
Getting on Their Radar
The trust's connection to the Southill Park estate and the Whitbread family's longstanding presence in Bedfordshire suggests that local organizations in this area with established community presence may have better prospects of coming to the trustees' attention through shared community connections.
The trustees are also involved with other charitable organizations in Bedfordshire, including The Wixamtree Trust (which focuses on supporting organizations based in Bedfordshire), Southill Almshouse Charity, and the Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust. Organizations working in similar spheres or with overlapping missions may encounter the trustees through these networks.
Application Success Factors
Given the trust's relationship-based approach to grant-making, success factors are distinct from trusts with public application processes:
- Personal Connection: The primary factor appears to be existing personal acquaintance between the organization and the trustees
- Geographic Proximity: Local Bedfordshire organizations appear more likely to be within the trustees' sphere of knowledge
- Aligned Networks: Organizations connected to other charitable work in which the trustees are involved may have greater visibility
- Community Reputation: Strong local reputation and established track record likely important given relationship-based model
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- No Public Application Process: The Rowney Trust does not accept unsolicited applications; grants are made to organizations personally known to trustees
- Relationship-Based Model: Personal acquaintance with trustees is the primary pathway to funding
- Bedfordshire Focus: While registered to operate throughout England and Wales, the trust appears to have particular interest in Bedfordshire causes
- Moderate Grant Budget: With annual expenditure of approximately £215,000, this is a modest-sized trust
- Trustee Network: All three trustees are members of the Whitbread family, with connections to other Bedfordshire-based charitable trusts
- Discretionary Approach: Broad charitable remit gives trustees complete flexibility in funding decisions
- Alternative Routes: Organizations seeking support might consider The Wixamtree Trust or Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust, where the same trustees serve and which may have more accessible application processes
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours