The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

Charity Number: 313952

Annual Expenditure: £0.9M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: Approximately £900,000 (based on ~150 Fellowships at average £6,000)
  • Success Rate: Approximately 10% (118 awards from ~1,200 applications)
  • Decision Time: 3-4 months (applications November, longlist December, shortlist February, final decisions post-interview)
  • Grant Range: £4,000 - £8,000+ per Fellowship (individually calculated)
  • Geographic Focus: UK-wide (for UK citizens; travel worldwide)

Contact Details

Website: www.churchillfellowship.org

Email: trustsec@churchillfellowship.org

Phone: 020 7799 1660

Pre-application support: Email anytime, book a call with the team, or attend Application Surgeries for guidance on developing applications.

Overview

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, operating as The Churchill Fellowship, was founded on 1 February 1965, the day after Winston Churchill's funeral, to perpetuate and honour his memory. The charity awards up to 150 travelling Fellowships annually, providing funding averaging over £6,000 per Fellow to travel anywhere in the world for 4-8 weeks, researching their chosen topic among global leaders in their field. With approximately £900,000 in annual giving and nearly 6,000 Fellowships awarded since inception, the organization prioritizes those with limited opportunities for overseas learning and those unlikely to receive funding elsewhere. In May 2024, His Majesty King Charles III accepted Royal Patronage of the charity. In 2019, Queen Elizabeth II granted Fellows the right to use the post-nominal letters “CF” (Churchill Fellow), recognizing the prestige of the award. The Fellowship operates as a community of practical changemakers working on issues facing UK society.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Main Churchill Fellowship Programme

  • Amount: Individually calculated based on project needs; average over £6,000 per Fellow
  • Purpose: Fully covers overseas or online research for up to 2 months including travel, accommodation, food, insurance, visas, vaccinations
  • Number: Up to 150 Fellowships awarded annually
  • Application method: Annual cycle with online application portal; applications open September, deadline November

Activate Fund (for existing Churchill Fellows only)

  • Amount: £10,000 - £30,000
  • Purpose: One-off grants to implement Fellowship findings and turn research into action

Post-Research Grants (for existing Churchill Fellows only)

  • Amount: Up to £500
  • Purpose: Support Fellows in testing, implementing and disseminating findings

Priority Areas

The Fellowship operates under eight universal themes covering every aspect of modern life:

  1. Arts and culture - Bringing bold, inclusive artistic experiences into public spaces
  2. Community and citizenship - Migration integration, community cohesion
  3. Economy and enterprise - Fairer, more inclusive local economies
  4. Education and skills - Supporting learners, addressing resource gaps
  5. Environment and resources - Community-owned renewable energy projects
  6. Health and wellbeing - Robotic aids in healthcare, medical crisis support, care delivery
  7. Governance and public provision
  8. Science and technology

2025 Priority Programmes (three-year cycles, up to 10 Fellowships per programme annually):

  • Building a society that cares (reimagining care delivery)
  • Building prosperous and resilient economies (areas experiencing long-term disadvantage)
  • Making space for the arts (creative public spaces)

Recent funded projects include: empowering boys to understand emotions, supporting disabled people in leadership, breaking employment barriers for neurodivergent people, community-owned renewable energy, robotic healthcare aids, and medical student crisis support training.

What They Don't Fund

  • Individual-only benefit: Projects that only benefit the individual with no potential for wider public benefit
  • Travel to restricted areas: Countries or regions where the FCDO advises against all or all but essential travel
  • Companions' costs: Only covers Fellow's own expenses (though personal assistant costs covered if required)
  • Repeat Fellowships: Existing Churchill Fellows cannot reapply for another main Fellowship
  • Academic research grants: Fellowships are for practical research into real-world issues, not purely academic study
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees and Board

The Board of Trustees sets strategic direction and oversees delivery, management, and finances. The Board comprises leading figures from many sectors, including Churchill Fellows.

Chair: The Hon. Jeremy Soames (grandson of Sir Winston Churchill; concluding tenure December 2025 after nine years)

Chair Designate: Mark Damazer CBE (taking up position 1 January 2026)

Trustees include:

  • Marina Brounger - Care sector professional, former barrister, great-granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill
  • Bharatti Crack - Diversity and inclusion expert
  • Maria Harrison - Churchill Fellow, Executive Director of Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain
  • Lucy Parker - Churchill Fellow, Chair of the Advisory Council
  • Susan (investment consultant with 42 years' experience)

Leadership Team

Chief Executive: Julia Weston (since 2015; previously Fellowship Director; 20+ years in UK and international charities)

Leadership Quotes

Julia Weston on the Fellowship's mission: “Fellows value the sense of belonging to a community of practical changemakers, who work on every issue facing society. The Churchill Fellowship is a community of inspiring individuals exchanging ideas and making connections with the rest of the world.”

On the 2024 cohort: “We are delighted to welcome our new cohort of Churchill Fellows for 2024 from across the UK and to see first-hand their extraordinary passion and dedication to their respective areas of work. Through the Churchill Fellowship we aim to inspire and empower these exceptional individuals to become catalysts for positive change.”

On the diversity of Fellows: "These Fellows have undertaken exceptional work as individuals but, more than that, they have developed into a network around a shared passion... from craneflies to transportation systems to modern slavery eradication, it's just extraordinary."

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Online application portal via www.churchillfellowship.org

Application cycle: Annual fixed deadline

  • Applications open: 2 September 2025
  • Application deadline: Midday on 4 November 2025
  • Projects start from: 1 August 2026

Application requirements:

  • Must demonstrate why overseas learning is essential (what can be gained from chosen countries that can't be gained in the UK)
  • Outline of organizations/people you hope to approach (early contacts not essential at application stage)
  • Explanation of why you're the right person (lived and/or learned experience)
  • Clear vision of intended change and potential beneficiaries
  • Public benefit to UK community or sector

Programme selection: Don't overthink which programme fits best; choose 'Open' if unsure. The Fellowship will move applications to a better-fit programme if needed.

Support available: Email trustsec@churchillfellowship.org anytime, book a call with the team, or attend Application Surgeries for guidance.

Decision Timeline

  • Application deadline: Midday, 4 November
  • Longlist notification: December (800 applications longlisted from ~1,200 total)
  • Shortlist notification: February (179 candidates shortlisted for interview)
  • Interviews: Conducted after shortlisting
  • Final decisions: By email to shortlisted candidates following interviews
  • Public announcement: After confidential notifications

Total timeline: Approximately 3-4 months from application to final decision

Success Rates

  • Applications received: Over 1,200 (most recent cycle)
  • Longlisted: 800 applications
  • Shortlisted for interview: 179 candidates
  • Fellowships awarded: 118 (most recent cycle); up to 150 annually
  • Success rate: Approximately 10% overall; 66% of those interviewed receive awards

Reapplication Policy

Unlimited reapplications: You may reapply as many times as you like. Many successful Fellows were successful on a later attempt.

Feedback provided: Applicants receive the main reason their application was not successful, though detailed feedback cannot be provided due to application volume.

Advice for reapplying: Take time to reflect on feedback and review “Who and What We Fund” guidance. Many Fellows succeeded on their second or third attempt after strengthening their projects.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Funder

Be specific and memorable: "Make it easy for a panel to remember you: 'this application is the one about...'"

Demonstrate international learning necessity: "It's important to think through why it's important for your project to learn from overseas and what you can gain from your chosen countries that you can't from the UK. Overseas learning is at the heart of a Fellowship, whether online or in person."

Show long-term vision: "While they don't expect you to know exactly what impact your learning will have, they want to understand the change you want to make and see your long-term vision. Think ahead about what might change as a result and who could benefit."

Explain your qualifications: "You'll need to explain why you're the right person to carry out a Fellowship, including the lived and/or learned experience that would make you an effective Churchill Fellow."

Start early: "Don't wait until the last minute - start your application early to give yourself plenty of time."

Don't overthink programme selection: "Don't overthink which programme is the best fit for your idea - make your best judgment or choose 'Open', and if they think your idea stands a better chance in another programme, they'll move it."

Who They're Looking For

The Fellowship prioritizes:

  • People with “passion and potential to make a real difference to their community or professional sector”
  • Those “who have had limited opportunities to develop their thinking and acquire new knowledge from overseas”
  • Those “less likely to receive funding from another source”
  • Assessment is on “future possibilities not past achievements”

Successful Project Characteristics

Recent successful Fellowships explored:

  • Empowering boys to understand, express and regulate emotions
  • Supporting disabled people to take up leadership positions
  • Breaking employment barriers for neurodivergent people
  • Community-owned renewable energy projects
  • Robotic aids in healthcare
  • Medical student preparation for supporting people in crisis
  • Migration integration programmes

Language and Terminology

The Fellowship uses terminology emphasizing:

  • “Practical changemakers”
  • “Community” and “network”
  • “Public benefit”
  • “Learning from overseas”
  • “Disseminating knowledge”
  • “Catalysts for positive change”
  • “Inspiring individuals”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Focus on public benefit, not personal gain: Projects must demonstrate clear benefit to a UK community or sector. Individual development alone is insufficient; show how you'll share learning and create wider impact.
  1. Justify international learning: Articulate specifically what can only be learned overseas and why the UK lacks these examples. This is the heart of a Churchill Fellowship application.
  1. Prioritize access and equity: The Fellowship actively seeks applicants with limited previous international opportunities and those unlikely to secure alternative funding. Highlight if this applies to you.
  1. Emphasize passion and potential over credentials: No qualifications required; assessment focuses on “future possibilities not past achievements.” Show your commitment and vision for change.
  1. Be specific and memorable: With 1,200+ applications, panels need to remember yours. Create a clear, distinctive project description that stands out.
  1. Leverage support resources: Use Application Surgeries, book calls with staff, and seek guidance. The Fellowship actively wants to help applicants succeed.
  1. Don't be discouraged by rejection: With a 10% success rate and many Fellows succeeding on second or third attempts, reapplication is common and encouraged. Use feedback to strengthen your proposal.

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