The Shelford Feast

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £20,000 (recent distribution)
• Total Raised to Date: Over £400,000 since 1994
• Grant Range: Estimated £200 - £3,000 per organisation
• Number of Awards: Typically 30-40 organisations annually
• Geographic Focus: Great Shelford and surrounding parishes, South Cambridgeshire
• Application Deadline: September 30th annually

Contact Details

Website: www.shelfordfestival.org (redirects from www.shelfordfeast.co.uk)

Email: grants@shelfordfeast.co.uk (for grant applications)

General email: info@shelfordfeast.co.uk

Phone: 01223 842191

Overview

The Shelford Feast is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) established in 1994, reviving a medieval tradition that last occurred in 1938. Registered charity number 1190275, the organisation operates through an annual week-long festival and feast held each July in Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire. Since its revival in 1994, the Feast has raised over £400,000 for local good causes. The charity is run entirely by volunteers with 4 trustees and 80 volunteers - no trustees receive any remuneration. In 2024, the organisation had a total income of £176,021 and expenditure of £169,009, distributing approximately £20,000 in grants to local causes. The Feast particularly emphasises supporting young people, the elderly, and those in need within the Great Shelford community and surrounding parishes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

Annual Grant Round

• Amount Available: Varies by year (£20,000 in recent distribution; £30,000 in previous years)
• Individual Awards: Estimated £200 - £3,000 per organisation
• Application Method: Email application form by September 30th deadline
• Distribution: Typically 30-40 local organisations receive funding annually

Priority Areas

The Shelford Feast prioritises grants for:

• Youth organisations and projects: Particularly emphasised in their criteria
• Support for the elderly: Explicitly mentioned as a priority group
• Support for those in need: Including vulnerable populations
• Community organisations: Serving Great Shelford and surrounding parishes
• Projects with significant local impact: Where funding will make the most difference
• Organisations with no alternative funding: Financial need is a key criterion

Past beneficiaries include: Shelford Primary School, Arthur Rank Hospice, Shelford Playscape, Shelford Mobile Warden Scheme, and many other local good causes

What They Don't Fund

• Organisations outside Great Shelford and surrounding parishes
• National charities without strong local connection
• Organisations that are not charities or non-profit entities
• Projects where alternative funding is readily available

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Governance and Leadership

The Shelford Feast is governed by 4 trustees who serve on a voluntary basis. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The organisation operates with 80 volunteers who organise the week-long festival and feast each July. The charity has no paid employees earning over £60,000 and no trading subsidiaries.

The organisation's charitable purposes are “to organise an annual festival and feast in the village of Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, to raise money for charitable purposes for the benefit of the community of Great Shelford and surrounding parishes, primarily but not exclusively by the provision of grants.”

How to Apply to The Shelford Feast

How to Apply

1. Download the Grant Application Form: Available in PDF or Word format from www.shelfordfestival.org/grant-applications/
2. Complete the Application: Fill in details about your organisation and proposed use of funds
3. Submit by Email: Send completed form to grants@shelfordfeast.co.uk
4. Application Deadline: September 30th annually

The application process is straightforward and accessible to local charities and non-profit organisations.

Decision Timeline

• Application Deadline: September 30th
• Announcement: Grants are advertised locally and on the website in Autumn (typically October/November)
• Total Timeline: Approximately 1-2 months from deadline to announcement

Success Rates

The Feast typically distributes grants to 30-40 organisations annually, suggesting a reasonably high success rate for eligible local organisations. The Feast appears to distribute grants widely rather than concentrating large amounts on a few organisations.

Reapplication Policy

Organisations can apply annually. There is no explicit restriction on reapplication, and past beneficiaries such as Shelford Primary School and Arthur Rank Hospice have received grants, suggesting that successful applicants can apply again in subsequent years.

Application Success Factors

Demonstrate Local Connection: The Shelford Feast explicitly focuses on Great Shelford and surrounding parishes. Applications must clearly demonstrate how the organisation serves this local community.

Show Financial Need: The criteria specifically state “financial need, especially where there is no alternative funding.” Applications should explain why this funding is essential and what alternatives have been explored.

Focus on Priority Groups: The Feast emphasises “helping particularly the young, the old or the needy.” Applications that serve these groups should highlight this clearly.

Maximise Impact: The criteria include “where a contribution would make most significant impact.” Explain how even a relatively modest grant will create meaningful change for beneficiaries.

Contribute to the Feast: A unique criterion is “where there is a contribution to The Feast by the organisation or its supporters.” Organisations can strengthen applications by:

• Having volunteers help at the July festival
• Contributing cakes or other items for sale
• Supporting the event in other ways
• The Feast explicitly encourages beneficiary participation in the event

Be Specific About Use of Funds: Clear, concrete plans for how grant funds will be used demonstrate readiness and increase confidence in the application.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Participate in the Feast: This is explicitly part of the criteria - have your organisation's supporters volunteer, bake cakes, or contribute to the July festival to strengthen your application
• Emphasise local impact: Focus on how your work benefits Great Shelford and surrounding parishes specifically
• Target youth, elderly, or vulnerable populations: These are the stated priority groups
• Apply annually: With 30-40 organisations typically funded, success rates appear reasonable for eligible local causes
• Demonstrate financial need: Show that this grant would make a significant difference and that alternative funding is limited
• Keep amounts realistic: Individual grants appear to range from hundreds to low thousands of pounds based on the distribution pattern
• Meet the September 30th deadline: This is a fixed annual deadline with decisions made in Autumn

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Huntingdon Freemen's Trust
• The Cole Charitable Trust
• Cambridgeshire Community Foundation
• The Connolly Foundation (uk) Limited
• The Whittlesey Charity
• Needham's Foundation
• Rotary Club Of Cambridge Trust Fund
• Rand's Educational Foundation
• The Geoffrey Watling Charity
• The Evelyn Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Shelford Feast, Charity Number 1190275, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5162957/charity-overview
• The Shelford Festival and Feast website: www.shelfordfestival.org
• Grant Applications page: www.shelfordfestival.org/grant-applications/ (Referenced in search results, December 2024)
• Beneficiaries page: www.shelfordfeast.co.uk/beneficiaries/ (Referenced in search results, December 2024)
• Cambridge Independent: "Jason Donovan tops the bill at Shelford Festival & Feast 2025"
• The Shelford Festival and Feast: “The Feast” history page, www.shelfordfestival.org/the-feast/ (Referenced in search results, December 2024)
• Historical information noting the Feast's revival in 1994 after last being held in 1938, with over £400,000 raised since revival