The Wands Charitable Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £370,000 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (trustee discretion)
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: UK (assumed based on registration)
• Total Assets: £625,508 (as of April 2024)
• Total Income: £221,097 (2024)

Contact Details

Phone: 0207 399 0138

Registered Address: Available via UK Charity Commission register (Charity Number: 1159851)

Website: None publicly available

Email: None publicly available

Note: The trust does not maintain a public-facing website or application portal. Contact should be made via the phone number provided.

Overview

THE WANDS CHARITABLE TRUST was established in December 2014 by Susan Jane Orchard (the Settlor) as a private grant-making charitable trust. With assets of £625,508 and annual income of £221,097 as of April 2024, the trust made discretionary grants totaling £370,000 during the 2023-24 financial year (compared to £nil in the previous year). The trust operates with an intentionally broad charitable remit, providing funds “towards furthering such wholly charitable purposes as the trustees in their absolute discretion think fit.” The charity does not actively fundraise and instead focuses on careful stewardship of its existing resources and ad hoc contributions to carry out the charitable work desired by the Settlor. The trust holds at least two trustee meetings annually and has delegated day-to-day investment management to Rathbone Investment Management under a balanced investment strategy with medium risk levels.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates a single discretionary grant program with no fixed parameters or publicly advertised funding streams. All grants are awarded at the absolute discretion of the three trustees.

• Discretionary Grants: Amount varies (£370,000 distributed in total during 2024)
• Application Method: No public application process - grants awarded through trustee discretion

Priority Areas

The trust maintains intentionally broad charitable objectives, allowing trustees complete discretion to support any wholly charitable purposes. No specific priority areas, geographic restrictions, or beneficiary types are publicly documented. The trust's governing documents provide maximum flexibility for trustees to direct funding based on the Settlor's charitable intentions and trustees' assessment of charitable need.

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are publicly documented. However, given the trust's small size and discretionary nature, it likely cannot support:

• Very large grant requests beyond available resources
• Multi-year funding commitments that would exhaust reserves
• Organizations or causes outside the trustees' areas of interest (undisclosed)

Ready to write a winning application for The Wands Charitable Trust?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save 10+ hours and increase your success rate.

Get Free Beta Access

Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by three trustees who were appointed by the Settlor for an indefinite period. The identity of current trustees is available on the Charity Commission register but not prominently published in public communications.

Key Governance Features:

• No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity
• The charity has no employees
• The charity has no trading subsidiaries
• Trustees meet at least twice annually to review grant-making and investment performance
• Investment management has been delegated to Rathbone Investment Management under a formal Investment Policy Statement

Investment Approach:

According to the Trustee Act 2000, the trustees have established a formal Investment Policy Statement with Rathbone Investment Management, setting an investment strategy of “balanced objectives with a prevailing medium level of risk.” This approach enables the trust to preserve capital while generating income for grant-making.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

THE WANDS CHARITABLE TRUST operates as a private charitable trust where grants are awarded entirely at the discretion of the trustees. The trust does not actively fundraise, maintain a website, accept unsolicited applications, or operate an open grants program. All grant-making decisions are made by the three trustees during their regular meetings (held at least twice annually).

The trust focuses on carrying out the charitable work desired by the Settlor, Susan Jane Orchard, through careful stewardship of existing resources and ad hoc contributions. Grant recipients are identified through the trustees' own networks, research, and charitable priorities rather than through competitive application processes.

For organizations seeking funding: Given the absence of a public application process, prospective grant recipients cannot submit formal applications. Any approach would need to be made through personal connections to the trustees or through a brief introductory letter sent to the registered address, though there is no indication that unsolicited correspondence is welcomed or reviewed.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the trust does not operate scheduled funding rounds. Grant decisions are made at trustee discretion during regular trustee meetings held at least twice annually.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to the absence of a public application process. The trust made £370,000 in discretionary grants during 2024 compared to £nil in 2023, indicating variable grant-making activity based on trustee decisions and available resources.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organizations cannot apply or reapply as there is no application process.

Application Success Factors

Since THE WANDS CHARITABLE TRUST does not accept applications, there are no application success factors to consider. Organizations cannot influence funding decisions through proposal quality, relationship building, or alignment strategies.

What we know about their grant-making approach:

• The trust operates with complete discretionary authority - trustees have absolute discretion to determine which charitable purposes to support
• The trust made no grants in 2023 but distributed £370,000 in 2024, indicating variable grant-making patterns based on investment performance, charitable opportunities identified by trustees, and alignment with the Settlor's intentions
• The trust does not actively fundraise and focuses on stewarding existing resources
• Grant recipients are not publicly disclosed, making it impossible to identify patterns in funding decisions or beneficiary characteristics

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This trust does not accept unsolicited applications - do not invest time in preparing proposals
• Fully Discretionary Grant-Making: All funding decisions are made at absolute trustee discretion without reference to published criteria
• Small Trust with Limited Resources: With assets of £625,508 and annual giving of £370,000, this is a small trust that cannot support large grant requests
• Variable Grant-Making Activity: The trust made no grants in 2023 but £370,000 in 2024, indicating unpredictable funding patterns
• Private Trust Focus: The trust exists to carry out the Settlor's charitable intentions rather than to respond to sector needs or organizational applications
• No Transparency on Recipients: Grant beneficiaries are not publicly disclosed, making it impossible to identify alignment opportunities
• Alternative Funders Recommended: Grant writers should focus efforts on trusts and foundations with open, competitive application processes rather than attempting to access this private trust

References

• UK Charity Commission Register of Charities - THE WANDS CHARITABLE TRUST (Charity Number 1159851)

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5056104

Accessed: December 8, 2025

• THE WANDS CHARITABLE TRUST - Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts for year ended 5 April 2024

Available via UK Charity Commission register

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5056104

Accessed: December 8, 2025

• UK Charity Commission financial data for THE WANDS CHARITABLE TRUST

Financial year ending April 5, 2024

Accessed: December 8, 2025