The Three Ells Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £155,573 (2024)
• Annual Income: £41,086 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Decision Time: Not applicable
• Grant Range: Variable - includes individual family support and multi-year funding commitments
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Dorset and surrounding areas (Southampton, South England)

Contact Details

Website: http://three-ells-trust.com

Email: dln@three-ells-trust.com

Phone: 01305 821553

Address: 5 Three Yards Close, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1JN

Charity Number: 1084237

Overview

The Three Ells Trust was founded in 2000 by David and Helen Naerger following the loss of their 16-year-old son Lewis to an osteosarcoma (primary bone tumour). The charity makes a difference to the lives of children and their families who have cancer or other life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. After founder David Naerger passed away from renal cell carcinoma, their son Lloyd became a trustee and continues the work alongside his mother Helen and brother Liam. The charity has four trustees and operates with a clear focus on pediatric cancer care, palliative care, and research into bone cancer. With an annual expenditure of £155,573 (2024), the trust makes grants to both organizations and individuals, provides services, and sponsors research.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Three Ells Trust operates through trustee discretion rather than open grant programs. Their funding includes:

• Multi-year Institutional Funding: Major commitments such as fully funding a Paediatric Palliative Care nurse position at Dorset County Hospital (2011-2021)
• Hospital Equipment Grants: Recreational and educational equipment for hospitals including Kingfisher Ward (Dorset County Hospital) and Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Southampton General Hospital
• Family Support Grants: Direct assistance to families for travel and accommodation costs related to treatment
• Research Funding: Grants to bone cancer research organizations
• Individual Grants: Support for children and families facing cancer and life-limiting illnesses

Priority Areas

• Pediatric Cancer Care: Particularly teenage cancer support and bone cancer (reflecting their founding story)
• Palliative Care: Supporting children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses
• Non-clinical Support: Equipment, recreational facilities, and quality-of-life improvements for young patients
• Family Financial Support: Travel, accommodation, and other costs associated with treatment
• Medical Research: Specifically into primary bone tumours, prosthetics, physiotherapy, and orthopaedic surgery
• Healthcare Staffing: Funding specialized nursing positions in pediatric palliative care

What They Don't Fund

The charity's focus is exclusively on children with cancer and life-limiting illnesses. While not explicitly stated, their narrow focus suggests they likely do not fund:

• Adult healthcare initiatives
• General health conditions unrelated to cancer or life-limiting illnesses
• Projects outside their geographic area of operation (Dorset and South England)
• General charitable causes unrelated to their specific mission

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Governance and Leadership

Current Trustees (4 total):

• Helen Naerger - Co-founder and trustee
• Lloyd Naerger - Trustee (joined September 2014, became trustee shortly after his father's passing)

The trust also receives support from Liam Naerger (Lloyd's brother).

Former Leadership:

• David Naerger - Co-founder (deceased, passed away from renal cell carcinoma)

The charity is deeply personal to the Naerger family, with decision-making reflecting their lived experience of losing a son to bone cancer. All trustees serve without remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Three Ells Trust does not have a public application process. Grant decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees based on their strategic partnerships and knowledge of needs in their area of focus.

Their grant-making approach is characterized by:

• Long-term strategic partnerships with specific healthcare organizations (e.g., Teenage Cancer Trust at Southampton, Kingfisher Ward at Dorset County Hospital)
• Trustee-identified needs in pediatric cancer and palliative care
• Direct relationships with hospitals and research institutions
• Responsive support to families known to them through their healthcare partnerships

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the trust's documented activities, organizations and families may come to their attention through:

• Healthcare Partnership Networks: The trust works closely with the Teenage Cancer Trust at Southampton General Hospital and Kingfisher Ward at Dorset County Hospital. Being part of these networks may provide visibility.
• Community Nursing Teams: The trust liaises with Community Children's Nursing teams to identify funding needs and posts that support children facing healthcare challenges.
• Local Healthcare Providers in Dorset: Organizations providing pediatric cancer care or palliative care services in Dorset may wish to contact the trustees directly via email (dln@three-ells-trust.com) or phone (01305 821553) to introduce their work.
• Bone Cancer Research Community: The trust has funded the Bone Cancer Research Trust and Skeletal Cancer Action Trust at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Stanmore, indicating engagement with the bone cancer research community.

Families requiring support should speak with their healthcare providers at partner hospitals, as the trust appears to work through these institutional relationships to identify individual needs.

Application Success Factors

Since the Three Ells Trust operates through trustee discretion rather than competitive applications, the key to receiving support appears to be alignment with the trustees' deeply personal mission:

• Connection to Pediatric Cancer: The trust's founding story—losing 16-year-old Lewis to bone cancer—drives their priorities. Organizations and initiatives supporting teenage cancer patients are particularly well-aligned.
• Focus on Non-clinical Support: The trust consistently emphasizes the “often overlooked” aspects of care, such as travel costs, accommodation, recreational equipment, and quality of life improvements. Projects addressing these gaps align with their values.
• Long-term Impact: The trust's ten-year funding of the Paediatric Palliative Care nurse position (2011-2021) demonstrates willingness to make sustained commitments rather than one-off grants.
• Geographic Connection: Based in Portland, Dorset, with strong ties to Dorset County Hospital and Southampton General Hospital, the trust focuses on their local region and where Dorset children receive treatment.
• Reducing Isolation: The trust has specifically mentioned their interest in reducing patient isolation, suggesting projects that connect young patients or reduce the isolating effects of treatment would resonate.
• Community Engagement: The trust values community support, holding annual fundraising events such as Boxing Day matches with Portland United Football Club.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Not Publicly Open: This trust does not accept unsolicited applications. They identify needs through their established healthcare partnerships and trustee discretion.
• Personal Mission: The Naerger family's experience losing their son Lewis drives deeply personal grant-making focused on pediatric cancer, particularly bone cancer and teenage cancer support.
• Strategic Partnerships: They make long-term commitments to specific institutions (Dorset County Hospital, Southampton General Hospital, Teenage Cancer Trust) rather than spreading funding widely.
• Beyond Medical Treatment: The trust specifically targets the “often overlooked” aspects—travel costs, accommodation, recreational equipment, reducing isolation—not direct medical care.
• Local Focus: Primarily supports Dorset-based services and institutions where Dorset children receive treatment (like Southampton).
• Family and Individual Support: Unlike many institutional funders, they provide direct support to individual families for costs like travel and accommodation.
• Relationship-Based: For organizations seeking support, building relationships through shared healthcare networks and direct contact with trustees (particularly Helen Naerger) is the pathway, not a formal application.

References

• The Three Ells Trust Official Website: http://three-ells-trust.com
• Charity Commission Register of Charities: “THE THREE ELLS TRUST - 1084237” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/3975840
• Help and Kindness Directory: “Three Ells Trust” https://www.helpandkindness.co.uk/service/1986/Three-Ells-Trust
• OpenCharities: “THE THREE ELLS TRUST :: OpenCharities” http://opencharities.org/charities/1084237