The Walker Trust (charity Of Charles Clement Walker)

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 215479
• Annual Income: £150,304 (year ending 31 March 2025)
• Annual Expenditure: £212,519 (year ending 31 March 2025)
• Grant Range: Up to £2,000 for individuals (organisational grants vary)
• Geographic Focus: Shropshire, England
• Application Review: Three times per year (January, July, October)
• Number of Trustees: 6

Contact Details

Clerk to the Trust: Mr Edward Hewitt

Address: 2 Breidden Way, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury, SY3 0LN

Telephone: 01743 873866

Email: edward.hewitt@btinternet.com

Application Forms: Available by written request from the Clerk

Overview

The Charity of Charles Clement Walker, commonly known as The Walker Trust, was established from the will of industrialist and civil engineer Charles Clement Walker, proved at Shrewsbury on 8 May 1897. Walker, who died at Lilleshall Old Hall on 4 February 1897 at age 75, left an estate of £129,712 (over £12 million in today's values) to establish a charitable trust serving Shropshire. The charity was formally constituted under a scheme of the High Court of Justice dated 14 May 1956, and was registered with the Charity Commission in 1964.

The trust makes grants in two principal areas: education and training, and health and disability. Grants are awarded to both individuals and organisations throughout Shropshire. With an annual expenditure exceeding £212,000, the trust provides vital support to Shropshire residents pursuing further and higher education, particularly in medical and veterinary fields, as well as funding health and disability projects that benefit the local community. The trust maintains a traditional approach, with applications made via paper forms and decisions taken by trustees at quarterly meetings.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Individual Education Grants

• Amount: Rarely exceeds £2,000 per grant
• Focus: Further and higher education, especially medical and veterinary students
• Eligibility: Where no local authority grant is available
• Scope: Courses may be undertaken within or outside Shropshire

Organisational Grants - Education and Training

• Amount: Not specified (contact trust for details)
• Requirement: Projects must operate and provide benefit within Shropshire
• Scope: Education and training initiatives for Shropshire residents

Organisational Grants - Health and Disability

• Amount: Not specified (contact trust for details)
• Focus: Health services, disability support, medical initiatives
• Requirement: Must benefit Shropshire residents and operate within the area

Priority Areas

Education and Training

• Further education courses
• Higher education, particularly medical and veterinary studies
• Training programs for Shropshire residents
• Educational initiatives not covered by statutory funding
• Skills development and vocational training

Health and Disability

• Health service provision and enhancement
• Disability support services
• Medical aid and equipment
• Convalescent care and recovery support
• Institutions supporting health and wellbeing

Historical Purposes (from founding documents)

The original 1897 will and 1956 scheme outlined purposes including:

• Establishment or maintenance of hospitals, infirmaries, and convalescent homes
• Provision of medical or surgical aid or appliances
• Maintenance and education of orphans
• Educational means not provided by taxation

What They Don't Fund

Based on available information:

• Higher education students who already receive help with tuition fees and student loans (individual grants)
• Projects operating outside of Shropshire
• Projects that do not provide benefit to Shropshire residents
• Applications from individuals or organisations outside the area of benefit

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Governance and Leadership

Structure: The trust is governed by 6 trustees who meet quarterly to review grant applications and oversee the charity's operations.

Clerk to the Trust: Mr Edward Hewitt serves as the administrative contact and manages the application process.

Remuneration: No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The trust operates entirely on a voluntary governance basis.

Decision-Making: Trustees meet quarterly, but procedures exist to give approvals between meeting dates if necessary, suggesting some flexibility for urgent cases.

Reporting: The charity's reporting status is up to date with the Charity Commission, demonstrating good governance and compliance.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications must be made on a paper form available from the Clerk to the Walker Trust. There is no online application system.

To Request an Application Form:

• Write to: Mr Edward Hewitt, Clerk to the Walker Trust, 2 Breidden Way, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury, SY3 0LN
• Or telephone: 01743 873866
• Or email: edward.hewitt@btinternet.com

Submission:

Applications must be submitted in writing to the Clerk at the address above.

Decision Timeline

Review Meetings: Applications are considered in the months of:

• January
• July
• October

Application Deadline: Applications must reach the Clerk at least one month before the grant is required.

Practical Timeline:

• For January review: Submit by early December
• For July review: Submit by early June
• For October review: Submit by early September

Notification: Methods and timescales for notification are not specified in public materials, but applicants should expect to hear within a reasonable period following the relevant review meeting.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, with annual expenditure of over £212,000 and income of approximately £150,000, the trust is actively making grants and drawing on reserves to support applicants.

Reapplication Policy

The trust's reapplication policy is not specified in public materials. Unsuccessful applicants should contact the Clerk for guidance on whether and when to reapply.

Application Success Factors

Geographic Connection is Essential

The trust has a strict geographic focus on Shropshire. Both individual applicants and organisations must demonstrate a clear connection to Shropshire. For individuals, this means being a Shropshire resident. For organisations, projects must operate within and provide benefit to the Shropshire area, even if the organisation itself might deliver some training outside the county.

Clear Evidence of Need

For individual education grants, applicants should demonstrate that no local authority grant is available for their course of study. The trust was established to fill gaps in statutory provision, so showing that mainstream funding sources have been exhausted or are not applicable will strengthen applications.

Medical and Veterinary Students are Priority

The trust has a specific interest in supporting medical and veterinary students, reflecting the founder's original charitable purposes around health provision. Students in these fields should highlight this in applications.

Local Benefit Must be Evident

For organisational grants, trustees will want to see clear evidence of how the project will benefit Shropshire residents. Applications should articulate the local need, the community to be served, and the outcomes for Shropshire people.

Traditional Application Format

The trust operates through paper applications and personal review by trustees. Applications should be thorough, well-documented, and professionally presented in traditional format. This is not a quick online grant portal - give time for postal communication and form completion.

Timing is Critical

With only three review periods per year and a requirement to submit at least one month before funds are needed, planning ahead is essential. Last-minute applications cannot be accommodated. If you need funds by September for a course starting in autumn, you should be applying by early June for the July review.

Modest Expectations for Individual Grants

The trust states that individual grants rarely exceed £2,000. Applicants should budget accordingly and may need to combine this grant with other funding sources for expensive courses.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Plan ahead: With only three decision-making meetings per year (January, July, October) and a requirement to submit one month before funds are needed, timing is crucial to application success.

• Shropshire connection is non-negotiable: The trust exclusively supports Shropshire residents and projects benefiting the Shropshire area. Establish this connection clearly in any application.

• Medical and veterinary students are particularly welcome: These fields align with the founder's original vision and appear to be priority areas for individual education grants.

• Traditional process requires patience: This is a paper-based, trustee-reviewed grant-making process. Allow time for postal correspondence, form completion, and quarterly review cycles.

• Individual grants are modest: With individual grants rarely exceeding £2,000, applicants should view this as gap funding or contribution funding rather than comprehensive course support.

• Gap funding is the focus: The trust was established to provide support where statutory funding does not reach. Applications should demonstrate that mainstream funding sources have been exhausted or are not available.

• Contact the Clerk for guidance: Mr Edward Hewitt is the first point of contact for application forms, eligibility queries, and process questions. Don't hesitate to make initial contact to ensure your application is appropriate before investing time in completion.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Chippenham Borough Lands Charity
• The Rowlands Trust
• THE EVESON TRUST
• Consolidated Charity of Burton upon Trent
• The David Snowdon Trust
• The William Price Charitable Trust
• The Jack Brunton Charitable Trust
• THE JONES 1986 CHARITABLE TRUST
• The Marjory Boddy Charitable Trust
• Sebright's Educational Foundation

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, Charity of Charles Clement Walker (Commonly Known As The Walker Trust), Charity Number 215479. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=215479 (Accessed 19 March 2026)

• Shropshire Together Community Directory, The Walker Trust. https://directory.shropshire.gov.uk/service/12e95977-9cdc-4e72-8b17-804ce2ada716/the-walker-trust/ (Accessed 19 March 2026)

• Turn2us Grants Search, The Walker Trust. https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/grant/the-walker-trust-15925 (Accessed 19 March 2026)

• Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, Charles Clement Walker. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Charles_Clement_Walker (Accessed 19 March 2026)

• Shropshire Council Community Directory, Walker Trust. http://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/shropshire/cd/view.page?record=xVbK-GyLq1Q (Accessed 19 March 2026)

• UniGrants, The Walker Trust. http://unigrants.co.uk/grant/the-walker-trust/ (Accessed 19 March 2026)