The William Delafield Charitable Trust

Charity Number: 328022

Annual Expenditure: £0.8M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Approximately £780,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly specified
  • Grant Range: £500 - amount varies (specific upper limit not published)
  • Geographic Focus: Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and bordering areas

Contact Details

Address: Royds Withy King, Godstow Court, Minns Business Park, 5 West Way, Oxford OX2 0JB

Phone: 01865 268664

Email: tom.gilman@roydswithyking.com

Contact: Tom Gilman (Trustee and Private Client Solicitor at RWK Goodman)

Overview

The William Delafield Charitable Trust was established in 1988 and operates as a focused grant-making trust supporting heritage preservation in the South Midlands region. With total expenditure of approximately £780,000 annually (2023 figures), the trust concentrates its efforts on two specific areas: the restoration of records or archives of historical societies and bodies, and the restoration of historic churches. The trust operates with a clearly defined geographic remit, restricting grants to organizations within or bordering Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire that are of known interest to the trustees. This intimate knowledge-based approach means the trust takes a personal interest in the projects it supports. The trust is administered by Royds Withy King (now RWK Goodman) solicitors in Oxford and operates with three trustees who bring expertise in legal and heritage matters.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The trust operates through a single, focused grant program with applications considered on merit. Grants have ranged from £500 (for museum acquisitions) to larger amounts for substantial restoration projects. The trust does not publish fixed grant tiers or maximum amounts, with each application assessed individually based on need and merit.

Priority Areas

Archives and Records Restoration:

  • Historical society archives and collections
  • Document preservation and conservation
  • Record digitization and cataloguing projects
  • Museum acquisitions of historical documents

Historic Church Restoration:

  • Church building repairs and restoration
  • Chancel restoration projects
  • Conservation of historic church features
  • Structural preservation work

Geographic Priority: Projects must be located within or bordering Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, or Oxfordshire and be of known interest to the trustees.

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects outside the defined geographic area (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and immediate borders)
  • General charitable causes unrelated to heritage and archives
  • Organizations or projects unknown to the trustees
  • Ongoing operational costs
  • Projects not focused on preservation or restoration
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Governance and Leadership

The trust operates with three trustees who receive payments or benefits for services to the charity, indicating professional administration through the associated law firm.

Trustees include:

  • Mr Richard Frederick Bagot Gilman
  • Mr Christopher John Gee
  • Miss Bianca Kamala Silva
  • Mr Thomas Edward Gilman

Contact: Tom Gilman serves as the primary contact and is recognized at RWK Goodman as “astute and approachable,” “capable and diplomatic” and a “Leader in his field” who handles trust and estate matters.

The trust has no employees with benefits over £60,000 and operates efficiently through its professional trustees.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The trust does not appear to have a formal online application portal or published application guidelines. Based on the trust's structure, prospective applicants should:

  1. Make initial contact via email to tom.gilman@roydswithyking.com or by phone (01865 268664)
  2. Prepare a detailed proposal outlining the heritage preservation project
  3. Ensure the project falls within the geographic area (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire or borders)
  4. Demonstrate how the project aligns with the trust's focus on archives/records or church restoration

The trust operates on a discretionary basis, with grants typically made to organizations “of known interest to the Trustees,” suggesting that building a relationship or connection with the trustees may be beneficial.

Decision Timeline

The trust does not publish specific decision timelines or meeting schedules. The Charity Commission records show annual accounts filed for the year ending 31 March, suggesting an annual review cycle, though applications may be considered at other times throughout the year.

Success Rates

Success rates and application statistics are not publicly available. The focused nature of the trust and its requirement that recipients be “of known interest to the Trustees” suggests a selective approach with potentially limited numbers of grants made annually.

Reapplication Policy

No information is publicly available regarding reapplication policies or waiting periods for unsuccessful applicants.

Application Success Factors

Geographic Connection is Essential: The trust explicitly restricts funding to organizations within or bordering Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, or Oxfordshire. Applications from outside this area are unlikely to succeed.

Known Interest to Trustees: The trust specifies that recipients are “usually restricted to bodies...of known interest to the Trustees.” This suggests that:

  • Establishing prior contact or connection may be beneficial
  • Projects with clear local significance or trustee connections are favored
  • The trust may proactively identify and support projects rather than responding to open applications

Clear Heritage Value: Successfully funded projects demonstrate:

  • The William Delafield Charitable Trust supported St Mary's Church, Bletsoe for chancel restoration
  • The trust provided £500 to Cowper and Newton Museum for acquiring an autograph letter by poet William Cowper
  • Support given to Anna Plowden Trust for conservation training
  • York Consortium for Conservation and Craftsmanship received bursary support

Focused Scope: The trust has very specific priorities (archives/records or church restoration), so applications must clearly fit within these categories rather than broader heritage or cultural projects.

Professional Presentation: Given the legal administration through a respected law firm, applications should be professionally prepared with clear budgets, timelines, and outcomes.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic eligibility is non-negotiable: Only apply if your organization operates within or directly borders Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, or Oxfordshire
  • Build trustee awareness: Given the “known interest to Trustees” criterion, establishing contact and demonstrating local heritage significance before applying may improve chances
  • Be specific about restoration needs: Focus applications on concrete restoration or preservation work rather than broader heritage programming
  • Contact before applying: With no published application guidelines, initial contact with Tom Gilman is recommended to understand current priorities and process
  • Small to medium projects welcomed: Evidence suggests grants from £500 upwards, indicating the trust supports both modest and substantial projects
  • Churches and archives are equal priorities: Both categories receive funding, so don't assume one is preferred over the other
  • Professional administration suggests formal proposals: Prepare thorough applications with budgets, timelines, and clear preservation outcomes

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