Thomas Pocklington Trust
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Trust funds work that improves outcomes for blind and partially sighted people across the UK, and its current priority is educational transitions, so a project helping them move through education towards further study, training, employment or meaningful participation in society is the best fit.
- Most of its grants fall between £5,000 and £75,000, with a median of £10,000, so a modest request near that figure sits well within its usual range, though the largest grant in the annual report was £115,000 and the £75,000 maximum applies to a single Educational Transitions application.
- Start with the Expression of Interest, which runs from 9 am on Monday 30 June to 12 noon on Friday 11 July, because only shortlisted applicants are then asked for a full proposal and detailed budget.
- Proposals need clear, measurable benefits, input from the lived experience of blind and partially sighted people, and evidence of impact and sound governance, while partnerships are encouraged but not required and past applicants are welcome to reapply.
- Do not apply if your organisation has less than 12 months of audited accounts, is not registered in the United Kingdom, or wants funding for grants to individuals, statutory or core services already funded by public bodies, retrospective work, recoverable VAT, or activities promoting political or religious beliefs.
Overview
Thomas Pocklington Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1113729).
Thomas Pocklington Trust was founded when Thomas Pocklington, a jeweller turned property developer, left his considerable fortune to a charity. It exists to relieve need caused by sight loss and related conditions, mainly through support services and information, and to research the prevention, alleviation and cure of sight loss. In the year covered by its annual report it supported 42 organisations with grants and donations totalling £0.7m. Its current funding round focuses on work and research that support educational transitions.
What they fund
Priority Areas
Thomas Pocklington Trust makes grants for projects that support positive outcomes for blind and partially sighted people across the UK. Its stated priority is educational transitions: helping blind and partially sighted people navigate education and move towards further study, training, employment or meaningful participation in society. It welcomes practical work and research, with proposals expected to show measurable impact and be shaped by the lived experience of blind and partially sighted people. The organisations it identifies as applicants include charities, non-profits and social enterprises, universities and research institutions, training providers, employment-focused organisations and bodies outside the sight-loss sector with relevant expertise. Its assessment emphasizes person-centred benefit, innovation, a clear plan, delivery capacity and collaboration.
Themes
- Educational transitions
Geographic Focus
UK.
What they don't fund
- Educational Transitions only:
- Statutory responsibilities or core services already funded by public bodies
- Activities promoting political or religious beliefs
- Recoverable VAT
- Retrospective funding (for activities that have already taken place before September 2025)
- Grants to individuals
- Organisations that do not have a minimum of 12 months of audited annual accounts
- Organisations not registered in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How to apply
Applicants first submit an Expression of Interest; shortlisted applicants are invited to submit a full proposal and detailed budget as the second stage.
Deadlines: Applications must be submitted before the closing point of each application window.
Application windows:
- Educational Transitions: The EOI portal opens at 9 am on Monday 30 June and closes at 12 noon on Friday 11 July.
What to send:
- Educational Transitions: A full proposal and detailed budget are required from shortlisted applicants.
Applying again: Educational Transitions: Applicants who have previously applied or received funding are welcome to apply again. Resubmissions in future funding rounds are welcome.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Proposals should demonstrate clear, measurable benefits for blind and partially sighted people.
- Proposals should be informed and shaped by the lived experience of blind and partially sighted people.
- The Trust encourages bold, innovative approaches that address barriers and improve provision.
- Applicants should show a strong record of impact, governance and collaborative working.
- Partnerships are strongly encouraged, though they are not required.
- Funded organisations are required to report on their progress and impact.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 34 grants in year to 31 March 2025 by size
Median £10,000 (year to 31 March 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- Visionary£115,000year to 31 March 2025
- Wales Council of the Blind£90,000year to 31 March 2025
- Sight Support West of England£80,000year to 31 March 2025
- Metro Blind Sports£75,000year to 31 March 2025
- Sight Scotland£33,000year to 31 March 2025
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust£29,000year to 31 March 2025
- My sight Nottinghamshire£20,000year to 31 March 2025
- Sense Northern Ireland£20,000year to 31 March 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 1 line covering other, unnamed recipients (£47,000).
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 March 2021 | £5,217,000 | £6,513,000 | £1,905,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2021 |
| year to 31 March 2022 | £5,231,000 | £6,494,000 | £1,924,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2022 |
| year to 31 March 2023 | £5,824,000 | £6,881,000 | £1,756,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2023 |
| year to 31 March 2024 | £6,239,000 | £6,644,000 | £720,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2024 |
| year to 31 March 2025 | £6,605,000 | £7,676,000 | £745,000 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2021; year to 31 March 2022; year to 31 March 2023; year to 31 March 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- pocklington.org.uk
- pocklington.org.uk/partner-with-us · read on 31 October 2026
- pocklington.org.uk/partner-with-us/our-grant-programmes · read on 31 October 2026
- pocklington.org.uk/about-us · read on 31 October 2026
- pocklington.org.uk/contact-and-complaints · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 March 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to Thomas Pocklington Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 020 8995 0880source
- grants@pocklington.org.uksource
- info@pocklington.org.uksource
- employment@pocklington.org.uksource
- jen.sweeney@pocklington.org.uksource
- internships@pocklington.org.uksource
- educationadvice@pocklington.org.uksource
- volunteering@pocklington.org.uksource
- communications.team@pocklington.org.uksource
- pocklington.org.uk
- Contact form
- Apply online
Applying to Thomas Pocklington Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- 020 8995 0880source
- grants@pocklington.org.uksource
- info@pocklington.org.uksource
- employment@pocklington.org.uksource
- jen.sweeney@pocklington.org.uksource
- internships@pocklington.org.uksource
- educationadvice@pocklington.org.uksource
- volunteering@pocklington.org.uksource
- communications.team@pocklington.org.uksource
- pocklington.org.uk
- Contact form
- Apply online