The W E Dunn Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £256,657 (2024/25)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified - trustees have absolute discretion
• Geographic Focus: West Midlands (Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall)

Contact Details

Address: 30 Bentley Heath Cottages, Tilehouse Green Lane, Knowle, Solihull B93 9EL

Phone: 01564 773407

Email: wedunn@tiscali.co.uk

No website available

Overview

The W E Dunn Trust is a long-established charitable trust founded in 1964 and based in Solihull, West Midlands. Operating under the working name “WED Charitable Trust,” the trust has been making grants for over 60 years to charitable institutions and individuals across the West Midlands region. With annual expenditure of approximately £256,657 (financial year ending March 2025) and income of around £238,132, the trust maintains a modest but active grant-making programme. The trust is governed by four trustees who exercise absolute discretion in their grant-making decisions, supporting a wide range of charitable causes from arts and education to health and poverty relief. The trustees receive no remuneration for their service, and the charity operates without any paid employees or trading subsidiaries.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The W E Dunn Trust operates a single discretionary grant programme with no published grant amounts or specific funding streams. The trustees make decisions on a case-by-case basis for both organisations and individuals.

Priority Areas

The trust has demonstrated willingness to support a broad spectrum of charitable activities including:

• Arts, Culture, Heritage and Science
• Disability Support - Services for people with disabilities
• Education and Training - Educational initiatives and training programmes
• Health - Advancement of health or saving lives
• Accommodation and Housing - Housing support projects
• Economic and Community Development - Employment and community initiatives
• Poverty Relief - Prevention or relief of poverty
• Amateur Sport - Sports activities and facilities
• General Charitable Purposes

Beneficiary Groups: The trust supports children and young people, elderly people, people with disabilities, other charities or voluntary bodies, and the general public.

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are published. Given the trustees' absolute discretion and the trust's broad charitable objects, funding decisions appear to be made on individual merit rather than prescribed exclusions.

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by four trustees with gender-balanced representation. The governance structure includes:

• David John Corney - Chair
• Rachel Janet Hardy - Trustee (appointed 2014)
• Two additional trustees (names not publicly disclosed in available sources)

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trust has no employees with total benefits exceeding £60,000, reflecting its lean operational structure.

The charity maintains proper financial controls and risk management policies and reports to the Charity Commission on time.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process or published application guidelines. The Charity Commission records state that “The Trustees make grants for the benefit of such charitable institutions or individuals as they in their absolute discretion decide.”

Given the lack of a formal application process, grants are likely awarded through:

• Trustee discretion and knowledge of local charitable needs
• Pre-existing relationships with trustees
• Invitation by the trustees
• Direct approach to trustees via the contact details provided

Organisations interested in seeking support should contact the trust directly using the contact details above (phone: 01564 773407 or email: wedunn@tiscali.co.uk) to inquire about potential funding opportunities.

Decision Timeline

No public information is available regarding decision-making timelines.

Success Rates

No data on application numbers or success rates is publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

No published reapplication policy is available. Applicants would need to inquire directly with the trustees.

Application Success Factors

Due to the limited public information available about the trust's grant-making practices, specific success factors are difficult to determine. However, based on the trust's characteristics, the following considerations may be relevant:

Geographic Focus: The trust has a clear West Midlands focus, particularly in Birmingham, Solihull, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, and Walsall. Projects based in or serving these areas are the trust's geographic priority.

Broad Charitable Scope: The trust's willingness to support both organisations and individuals across multiple charitable categories suggests they value diverse approaches to addressing charitable needs rather than narrow specialisation.

Local Connection: Given the trust's 60+ year history in the region and the trustees' discretionary approach, local knowledge and connection to the West Midlands community may be important factors.

Financial Stewardship: The trust operates with modest resources and no paid staff, suggesting they may value efficient, well-managed projects that demonstrate good stewardship of charitable funds.

Flexibility: The absence of rigid funding criteria suggests the trustees prefer to assess each case on its individual merit, considering factors such as need, impact, and alignment with charitable purposes.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process - This trust operates primarily through trustee discretion rather than open applications. Contact the trustees directly to explore funding possibilities.

• West Midlands focus - Your project must serve communities in Birmingham, Solihull, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, or Walsall.

• Broad charitable remit - The trust supports a wide range of causes from arts to poverty relief, suggesting they are open to diverse charitable approaches.

• Modest size - With annual expenditure around £256,000, expect smaller rather than major grants. The trust likely supports numerous beneficiaries rather than making large individual awards.

• Relationship-based - Without formal application procedures, building a relationship with trustees through direct contact may be the most effective approach.

• Both organisations and individuals - The trust supports both charitable organisations and individuals in need, which is relatively unusual and suggests flexibility in their approach.

• Long-standing local presence - 60+ years of operation suggests deep roots in the West Midlands community and potentially strong local knowledge among trustees.

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities - THE W E DUNN TRUST (Charity No. 219418). Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=219418&subid=0

• Charity Commission - Governance Information for THE W E DUNN TRUST. Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/219418/governance

• Giving is Great - Charity Factsheet for THE W E DUNN TRUST. Available at: https://givingisgreat.org/database/charity-factsheet/?regNo=219418