The Utley Family Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 1157399

Annual Expenditure: £1.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,196,026 (charitable expenditure, year ending March 2024)
  • Total Endowment: £25 million (established 2014)
  • Total Grants Distributed: Over £10 million to date
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (strategic/invitation-based funding)
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - multi-year strategic programmes
  • Geographic Focus: UK and International
  • Application Status: Does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Postal Address:

Larkins Farm

199 Nine Ashes Road

Ingatestone

Chelmsford

CM4 0JY

Phone: 01277 821338

Website: https://utleyfoundation.org.uk

For Existing Grantees: Peyton@utleyfoundation.org.uk

Charity Number: 1157399

Note: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests due to limited staff capacity.

Overview

The Utley Family Charitable Trust, operating as The Utley Foundation, was established in 2014 by Neil and Nicky Utley with a £25 million endowment. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed over £10 million in grants and leveraged an additional £3.5 million from other funding sources through shared investment approaches. The Foundation employs 3 staff members and is overseen by 4 trustees who receive no remuneration. The Foundation practices “campaigning philanthropy,” aiming to “do more than cheques” by combining strategic grant-making with policy development, service delivery, awareness raising, and coalition building. Their approach is described as “Agile, Impactful, Nimble, Disruptive, Unexpected, Change maker.” Initially focused on children, education, and health, the Foundation has evolved into five core funding areas, with Music for Dementia as its flagship programme. In 2024, the Foundation reported charitable expenditure of £1,196,026.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. Music for Dementia (£7 million invested)

  • Foundation's flagship programme
  • Funds grassroots organisations working directly with people living with dementia
  • Created m4dradio.com - an award-winning, free, 24-hour online radio service
  • Established the Power of Music Fund (kickstarted with £1 million) which has awarded grants to over 200 organisations supporting 12,000+ people
  • Power of Music Fund grants: £1,000 or £2,000 per year for three years
  • Supports choirs, singing groups, music therapy, and dementia cafés

2. Veterans (£1.5 million committed)

  • Strategic grant-making programme started in 2024
  • Focuses on mental health support for serving personnel and their families
  • Investment in community-level support systems for vulnerable veterans
  • Particular interest in Special Forces veterans

3. Children (£1.6 million awarded)

  • Disability services
  • Child health initiatives
  • Creative arts and music programmes
  • Play schemes
  • Scholarship programmes for disadvantaged children and young people
  • Leon Schiteanu Memorial Programme (established 2024) - supporting those affected by child bereavement

4. International & Refugees (over £750,000 distributed)

  • Support for organisations working internationally
  • Support for refugee organisations in the UK
  • Range from large international organisations to small grassroots groups

5. Miscellaneous Grants (over £500,000)

  • Small donations to various causes
  • Local community events
  • Memorial donations
  • Sports challenges

Priority Areas

  • Music-based interventions for dementia care and prevention
  • Policy change and system-level transformation in dementia care
  • Mental health support for military personnel and veterans
  • Transition support for service personnel leaving military service
  • Children and young people's development and resilience
  • Child bereavement support
  • International humanitarian causes
  • Refugee support

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, indicating they work through strategic partnerships and invitation-based funding rather than open grant programmes.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Neil Utley - Founder and Chair of Trustees (appointed 2014)

After a successful career in banking and insurance, Neil established the Foundation to channel his energy and resources toward causes important to his family. He has ensured the Foundation is a pioneering financier in music and dementia care and has great respect for armed forces veterans, particularly those in Special Forces.

Nicky Utley - Co-Founder and Trustee (appointed 2014)

Nicky's grandfather lived with dementia, which influenced the Foundation's focus. She stated: "That's why I love being part of the amazing movement of people and organisations that work tirelessly and creatively to bring the power of music to all those living with dementia."

Raja Balasuriya - Trustee (appointed 2014)

Melvyn Sims - Trustee (appointed 2014)

Leadership Philosophy

The trustees wanted the Foundation to “do more than cheques” and be a catalyst for system change. Neil Utley noted that when he and his wife set up the Foundation, “using music to help people with difficulties was a key corner stone” for them.

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Important: The Utley Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funding. Their small staff team of 3 does not have capacity to process unsolicited applications.

The Foundation operates through:

  • Strategic partnerships
  • Invitation-based funding
  • Proactive identification of organisations aligned with their priorities
  • Shared investment funds (such as the Power of Music Fund)

For organisations working in aligned areas, building relationships through sector networks and demonstrating impact in one of their priority areas may increase visibility to the Foundation.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The Foundation operates on a strategic basis rather than fixed application rounds.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to invitation-only funding model.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable as the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Given the Foundation's invitation-only model, the following factors appear to influence their funding decisions:

Alignment with Strategic Goals:

  • The Foundation seeks organisations that align with their “campaigning philanthropy” approach
  • They value partners who can contribute to system-level change, not just service delivery
  • Policy development, awareness raising, and coalition building are valued alongside direct service

Innovation and Impact:

  • The Foundation has supported ground-breaking projects like m4dradio.com
  • They established the world's first high-level Commission on Dementia and Music (2017)
  • The Music for Dementia Commission report was launched at the House of Lords in January 2018
  • They seek catalytic projects that can leverage additional funding

Scale Flexibility:

  • The Foundation funds both large organisations and small grassroots groups
  • They have shown willingness to make small grants (£1,000) and major multi-year commitments (£1.5 million programmes)
  • They value “hyper local organisations” delivering community-based services

Evidence and Outcomes:

  • The Foundation supported research showing music helped increase dementia care effectiveness from accidental discovery to 70% of family carers using music
  • They value measurable outcomes and demonstrable impact

Partnership Approach:

  • The Foundation has successfully partnered with organisations like the International Longevity Centre, National Academy for Social Prescribing, and Music for Dementia
  • They seek collaborative relationships rather than transactional funding arrangements

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Do not submit unsolicited applications - The Foundation explicitly states they do not accept unsolicited funding requests and lack capacity to review them
  • Focus on system change - The Foundation seeks to be a “catalyst for system change” through “campaigning philanthropy,” not just traditional grant-making
  • Build sector visibility - Work through networks in music/dementia, veterans' mental health, children's services, or refugee support to potentially come to the Foundation's attention
  • Demonstrate innovation - The Foundation has supported ground-breaking projects like m4dradio.com and the world's first Commission on Dementia and Music
  • Think beyond the cheque - Projects combining service delivery with policy development, awareness raising, or coalition building align with their approach
  • Leverage potential matters - The Foundation values projects that can attract matched or additional funding, as demonstrated by the Power of Music Fund
  • Scale is flexible - The Foundation has funded both large strategic programmes (£1.5m) and small grassroots initiatives (£1,000), so impact matters more than organisation size

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