The Whinfell Charitable Fund
Charity Number: 267333
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Quick Stats
- Annual Giving: £187,552 (2024/25)
- Total Income: £394,528 (2024/25)
- Success Rate: Not publicly available
- Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
- Grant Range: Not publicly specified
- Geographic Focus: England and Ireland
- Application Method: No public application process
Contact Details
Address: 35 Westgate, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England HD1 1PA
Phone: 01484 423691
Email: Not publicly available
Website: None
Overview
The Whinfell Charitable Fund is a private grant-making trust established in 1974 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity Number 267333). Also known as the P Leigh-Bramwell Trust 'E', the fund operates with total income of £394,528 and annual grant expenditure of £187,552 (financial year ending January 2025). The trust operates under trustee discretion, providing funds for charitable institutions or objects as the trustees see fit. With just two trustees and no employees, this is a lean, privately managed foundation focusing on the advancement of religion, education, support for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and other legally charitable causes. The fund has maintained a consistent approach to grant-making for over 50 years, operating primarily across England and Ireland.
Funding Priorities
Grant Programs
The Whinfell Charitable Fund does not operate formal grant programs with specified amounts or cycles. Instead, grants are awarded at the trustees' discretion on an ongoing basis.
Priority Areas
According to the charity's registered purposes:
- Advancement of Religion: Support for religious organizations and institutions
- Advancement of Education: Educational charities and initiatives
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): Specifically named as a beneficiary
- General Charitable Purposes: Any other legally charitable institutions or objects at the trustees' discretion
Known Grant Recipients
Past beneficiaries include:
- World Horse Welfare
- Sisters of Charity of St Paul the Apostle
- The Stapledon Memorial Trust
- The Edge Ministries
- The Congregation of La Sainte Union des Sacres Coeurs
What They Don't Fund
No specific exclusions are publicly documented, though funding decisions rest entirely with trustee discretion.
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Governance and Leadership
Trustees
The fund is managed by two trustees:
Katherine Anne Leigh Duff
- Appointed: 29 January 2020
- Role: Trustee
- No other registered trusteeships on public record
Sarah Elizabeth Clifford Bowles
- Appointed: 29 January 2020
- Role: Trustee
- No other registered trusteeships on public record
Both trustees serve without remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The small trustee board suggests a close-knit, private foundation with streamlined decision-making.
Application Process and Timeline
How to Apply
This funder does not have a public application process.
The Whinfell Charitable Fund operates on a trustee-discretionary basis, meaning grants are awarded to charitable institutions or objects as the trustees think fit. There is no online portal, application form, or published application guidelines. Organizations are not invited to submit unsolicited applications.
Grants appear to be awarded based on trustee knowledge and discretion, likely through existing relationships, trustee connections to particular causes, or approaches identified by the trustees themselves.
Decision Timeline
Not publicly disclosed. As a private trust operating at trustee discretion, decision timelines are not formalized or published.
Success Rates
Not publicly available. The charity is below the reporting threshold that would require detailed disclosure of the number of applications received or grants awarded.
Reapplication Policy
Not applicable, as there is no formal application process.
Application Success Factors
Given the absence of a public application process, the following observations may be relevant:
Trustee Discretion is Paramount: The trust deed explicitly states that trustees provide funds “for such charitable institutions or objects as the trustees think fit.” This gives the trustees complete authority over grant decisions.
Alignment with Stated Purposes: Organizations working in religion, education, or supporting the RNLI align with the fund's explicitly stated charitable purposes and may be more likely to be considered if they come to the trustees' attention.
Diverse Portfolio: Past grants to organizations ranging from animal welfare (World Horse Welfare) to religious congregations (Sisters of Charity of St Paul the Apostle) to educational trusts (The Stapledon Memorial Trust) suggest the trustees take a broad view of charitable purposes.
Small, Private Operation: With just two trustees and no staff, this is not a foundation seeking to expand its grant portfolio through open applications. It operates as a private family foundation with selective grant-making.
No Public Reporting Requirements: The charity's income level means it is not required to file detailed Part B annual returns, resulting in limited public information about grant-making patterns, amounts, or decision criteria.
Key Takeaways for Grant Writers
- No public application process exists - this is a private, trustee-discretionary fund not open to unsolicited applications
- Trustee connections matter - grants appear to be made through relationships and trustees' own knowledge of the charitable sector
- Broad charitable remit with specific focus on religion, education, and the RNLI, but with flexibility for “any other legally charitable institutions”
- Small, stable operation - registered since 1974 with consistent approach and small governance structure
- Limited transparency - below reporting thresholds that would require disclosure of detailed grant-making information
- Do not waste time on speculative approaches - focus efforts on funders with open application processes unless you have a direct connection to the trustees
- Consider alternative Yorkshire-based funders with public application processes for better chances of success
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References
- Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Whinfell Charitable Fund - Charity Overview (267333). Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/267333/charity-overview (Accessed: 28 December 2025)
- Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Whinfell Charitable Fund - Trustees (267333). Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/267333/trustees (Accessed: 28 December 2025)
- Charity Commission Register of Charities: The Whinfell Charitable Fund - Contact Information (267333). Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/267333/contact-information (Accessed: 28 December 2025)
- Find that Charity: The Whinfell Charitable Fund (GB-CHC-267333). Available at: https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-267333 (Accessed: 28 December 2025)
- Fundraiso: The Whinfell Charitable Fund. Available at: https://www.fundraiso.com/en/organisations/the-whinfell-charitable-fund (Accessed: 28 December 2025)