The W M And B W Lloyd Charity

Quick Stats

• Annual Income: £148,515 (2024)
• Annual Expenditure: £164,818 (2024)
• Decision Time: Maximum 4 weeks (circumstances dependent)
• Geographic Focus: Old Borough of Darwen, Lancashire and satellite villages
• Application Method: Rolling basis with application forms

Contact Details

Email: hello@thelloydtrust.co.uk

Phone: 01254 771367

Address:

For the attention of the trustees

W.M. and B.W. Lloyd Charity

Gorse Barn, Rock Lane, Tockholes

Darwen, Lancashire BB3 0LX

Website: https://thelloydtrust.co.uk/

Registered Charity Number: 503384

Overview

Established in 1974 by siblings William and Betty Lloyd, who benefited from investments in the cotton trade, the W M and B W Lloyd Charity is an endowed trust distributing income in the Old Borough of Darwen in Lancashire. The Trust began with a small but significant gift from the founders and later received substantial legacies from their estates. Over the years, it has absorbed several local charities including the Darwen War Memorial Sick Poor Fund, Peter Pan Fund, Darwen Disabled Fund, Hillside Garage Trust, John Frederick Leach Trust, and Hilda Clarke Memorial Fund. The charity also received legacies from former trustee Ernes Aspin and Tom and Jean Richards. With annual income of approximately £148,515, the Trust maintains a strict interpretation of its Trust Deed, focusing primarily on benefiting Darwen and its citizens, rarely donating outside the old borough and never to national charities. The charity is managed by 4 trustees and 8 local independent advisors drawn from different areas of the community.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The charity operates three application streams:

• Individual Grants: For residents of Darwen or those educated in Darwen schools
• Organisation Funding: For charitable organisations benefiting Darwen residents (grants to organisations are usually restricted to hospices and hospitals, though organisations helping Darwen residents can benefit even if located outside the town)
• Emergency Funding: Limited allocation for relief of financial hardship (requires third-party endorsement)

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through online application forms available on the charity's website.

Priority Areas

The charity supports a broad range of causes benefiting Darwen residents:

• Education and training
• Advancement of health and saving lives
• Support for people with disabilities
• Prevention and relief of poverty
• Religious activities
• Arts, culture, heritage and science
• Amateur sport
• Environment, conservation and heritage

Beneficiary groups include children and young people, elderly people, people with disabilities, and other charities or voluntary bodies.

Key Objectives (as stated in Trust Deed):

• Advancement of education
• Advancement of medical science
• Improvement of public amenities
• Helping the disabled and elderly

What They Don't Fund

• National charities (the Trust maintains a very localized approach)
• Projects or individuals outside the old borough of Darwen (unless they directly benefit Darwen residents)
• Emergency funding applications without third-party endorsement

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Governance and Leadership

The charity is managed by 4 trustees and 8 local independent advisors drawn from different areas of the wider Darwen community. No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity, demonstrating a purely voluntary governance structure committed to maximizing grant distribution.

Applications when received are considered by the trustees and their advisors collectively, ensuring diverse community perspectives inform funding decisions.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The charity accepts applications through three separate application forms available on their website (thelloydtrust.co.uk):

1. Individual Application Form - for residents or those educated in Darwen
2. Organisation Funding Application Form - for charitable organisations
3. Emergency Funding Application Form - for financial hardship relief (note: only a small proportion of funding is allocated to this category)

Emergency Funding Requirements:

• All applications must be endorsed by a third party
• Applications without endorsement will not be considered
• All questions must be completed “honestly and as fully as possible”
• The charity treats all emergency applications as “strictly confidential”
• Requires comprehensive financial information including household composition, income sources, expenses, and existing debts

Decision Timeline

Decisions usually take a maximum of four weeks but can depend on the circumstances. The trustees and advisors may request further information and potentially arrange an interview or visit to the project before making a decision.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy or waiting periods were documented in publicly available information. Applicants should contact the charity directly for guidance on reapplication after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Given the charity's strict geographical focus and community-oriented approach, successful applications likely demonstrate:

• Clear connection to Darwen: Applicants must be residents of the old borough of Darwen (as constituted in 1974) and its satellite villages, or have been educated in Darwen schools. For organisations, demonstrate how the project directly benefits Darwen residents.

• Alignment with Trust objectives: The charity's founding mission focuses on advancement of education, advancement of medical science, improvement of public amenities, and helping the disabled and elderly. Projects clearly aligned with these objectives are prioritized.

• Local focus: The Trust maintains “a very localized approach, rarely donating outside the old borough of Darwen and never to national charities.” Applications should emphasize local impact and community benefit.

• Honesty and completeness: Application guidance explicitly requests that all questions be completed “honestly and as fully as possible,” particularly for emergency funding applications requiring comprehensive financial disclosure.

• For emergency funding: Third-party endorsement is mandatory. Applications should include detailed financial information and clearly explain the specific need and intended use of funds.

• For organisations: While grants to organisations are “usually restricted to hospices and hospitals,” organisations helping Darwen residents can benefit even if located outside the town, suggesting flexibility for demonstrable community benefit.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic restriction is absolute: Only apply if you are a resident of the old borough of Darwen (as constituted in 1974) and its satellite villages, or were educated in Darwen schools. The Trust Deed strictly restricts giving to this area.

• Fast decision process: With a maximum four-week decision timeline, this is a relatively quick-turnaround funder compared to many charitable trusts, though be prepared for potential requests for additional information or site visits.

• Community-led governance: The 4 trustees and 8 local advisors drawn from the community collectively review applications, so demonstrating local knowledge and community support strengthens applications.

• Absorbed multiple local charities: The Trust's history of absorbing local funds (Darwen War Memorial Sick Poor Fund, Peter Pan Fund, Darwen Disabled Fund, etc.) demonstrates commitment to consolidating and efficiently distributing local charitable resources.

• Emergency funding is limited: Only a small proportion of funding goes to financial hardship relief, and these applications require third-party endorsement and comprehensive financial disclosure.

• Organisational grants favor health: While the charity supports diverse causes, grants to organisations are “usually restricted to hospices and hospitals,” suggesting health-related organisations may have higher success rates.

• No national charities: The Trust maintains an exclusively local focus and never funds national charities, so emphasize grassroots, community-level impact.

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=503384&subid=0
• The W.M. and B.W. Lloyd Charity official website: https://thelloydtrust.co.uk/
• The W.M. and B.W. Lloyd Charity - About Us: https://thelloydtrust.co.uk/about-us/
• The W.M. and B.W. Lloyd Charity - History: https://thelloydtrust.co.uk/history/
• The W.M. and B.W. Lloyd Charity - Emergency Funding Application: https://thelloydtrust.co.uk/applications/emergency-funding-application-form/
• Charity Choice Directory: https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/the-w-m-and-b-w-lloyd-charity-130048
• Quote: “Decisions usually take a maximum of four weeks but it can depend on the circumstances” - from charity's History page
• Quote: “Applications when received are considered by the Trustees and their advisors” - from charity's History page