United Utilities Trust Fund

Charity Number: 1108296

Annual Expenditure: £3.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £3.0 million (charitable activities, year ending March 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Varies (applicants notified of expected wait time upon receipt)
  • Grant Range: Individual grants: varies by need | Organisational grants: up to £40,000
  • Geographic Focus: North West England (United Utilities service area - 7 million population, 2.8 million households)

Contact Details

Website: www.uutf.org.uk

Phone: 0300 790 6172 (Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm)

Email:

  • General enquiries: contact@uutf.org.uk
  • Organisational grants: communitygrants@aurigaservices.co.uk

Address: United Utilities Trust Fund, FREEPOST RUHG-UXLC-ZYCE, 18 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, B2 5QJ

Overview

United Utilities Trust Fund is an independent grant-making trust established in April 2005, committed to helping people out of poverty and debt through donations from United Utilities Water Limited. With an annual charitable expenditure of approximately £3 million (year ending March 2024), the Trust primarily focuses on relieving individuals who cannot meet the cost of water and sewerage charges from United Utilities. The Trust serves approximately 14,000 square kilometres across North West England, covering around 7 million people and 2.8 million households. In addition to individual grants, the Trust designates a limited amount of funding annually to support organisations delivering money advice and financial literacy services. The Trust demonstrates strong impact with £3.06 generated in social return for every £1 invested, and evidence shows 70% of customers helped continue to pay their bills 12 months later, with over 13,000 customers directly supported annually.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Individual/Family Grants (Primary Focus)

  • Grants to clear water/sewerage arrears owed to United Utilities
  • In certain cases, one essential household item (white goods, beds)
  • Application method: Online portal or telephone application (rolling basis)
  • Eligibility: Must be a United Utilities customer unable to pay charges due to hardship

Organisational Grant Programme (Limited Availability)

  • Grant amount: Up to £40,000 over one-year term
  • Two-stage competitive application process
  • Focus: Money advice and financial literacy projects
  • Application method: Sporadic funding rounds announced via website
  • Note: Currently no open funding rounds; announcements made when available

Small Grants for Organisations

  • Grant amount: Up to £1,500
  • For money advice and financial literacy projects
  • Application details announced when available

Priority Areas

The Trust particularly encourages organisational applications from:

  • Grassroots community groups providing money and debt advice alongside other community services
  • Organisations developing online content and digital outreach services around debt and financial literacy
  • Registered charities, voluntary organisations, not-for-profit organisations, or public benefit entities
  • Projects that encourage financial stability and promote competent money management

What They Don't Fund

For Individual Applicants:

  • Household bills such as gas/electricity
  • Rent arrears
  • Court fines
  • Catalogue debts, credit cards, personal loans, or other forms of borrowing
  • Bills already paid or items already purchased
  • Bankruptcy fees through standard application (special form required)
  • Applicants who don't receive water/sewerage services from United Utilities

For Organisational Applicants:

  • Projects outside the United Utilities service area (North West England)
  • Projects unrelated to money advice or financial literacy
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees: The Trust is governed by 10 unpaid trustees drawn from the North West England region. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Grant Management: Day-to-day grant management is delegated to Auriga Services Ltd.

Financial Health: The Trust demonstrates strong financial management with income of £3,505,593 and expenditure of £3,510,166 for the year ending 31 March 2024.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Individual Grants:

  • Online application form via www.uutf.org.uk
  • Telephone application: 0300 790 6172
  • Offline application form available
  • Note: Bankruptcy applications require a separate form obtained by phone or email

Organisational Grants:

  • Two-stage application process
  • Stage One: Complete outline application with organisational details and project summary
  • Stage Two: Organisations with most merit invited to submit full application
  • Contact communitygrants@aurigaservices.co.uk for enquiries
  • Applications only accepted when funding rounds are open (announced via website)

Decision Timeline

Individual Grants:

  • Trust acknowledges receipt and provides reference number
  • Applicants informed of expected wait time upon receipt
  • Specific timeframe not publicly stated
  • Telephone contact may occur during assessment
  • Written notification of decision provided

Organisational Grants:

  • Timeline not publicly specified
  • Two-stage process suggests longer timeframe than individual grants

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly available. The Trust notes that “not everyone who applies for help will receive a grant,” and in some cases, applicants are advised to obtain help from independent free money advice agencies first.

Reapplication Policy

Individual Grants:

  • Unsuccessful applicants may reapply after 6 months
  • Successful applicants may reapply after 2 years if financial situation has deteriorated further

Organisational Grants:

  • Reapplication policy not publicly specified

Application Success Factors

For Individual Applicants:

  • Must be a United Utilities customer with water/sewerage debt
  • Demonstrate genuine hardship and inability to pay
  • Be prepared for telephone assessment call
  • Be open to referral to money advice agencies as alternative or additional support

For Organisational Applicants:

  • Strong focus on money advice and financial literacy outcomes
  • Demonstrate ability to serve United Utilities customer base
  • Grassroots community connections valued
  • Digital/online delivery capabilities encouraged
  • Clear project outcomes related to financial stability and competent money management
  • Projects assessed on merit during competitive Stage One review
  • Only strongest Stage One applications progress to Stage Two

Strategic Alignment:

  • The Trust's mission centres on poverty relief and debt reduction
  • Sustainable outcomes valued (70% of helped customers still paying bills 12 months later)
  • Focus on giving people “a fresh start and manageable budget for the future”
  • Social return on investment important (Trust achieves £3.06 return per £1 invested)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Limited Scope: This is primarily an individual hardship fund, not a typical grant-making foundation. Organisational grants are a small, limited programme with sporadic funding rounds.
  • Geographic Restriction: Strict limitation to United Utilities service area in North West England—applications outside this area will not be considered.
  • Narrow Focus: Organisational grants exclusively fund money advice and financial literacy work—no exceptions.
  • Competitive Process: Two-stage application means you need a compelling Stage One application to progress; only projects “with the most merit” proceed.
  • Monitor Opportunities: No current open funding rounds; you must regularly check the website for announcements of new opportunities.
  • Strong Outcomes Required: The Trust values measurable impact and sustainability—be prepared to demonstrate how your project will create lasting change in financial capability.
  • Digital Delivery Encouraged: Online content and digital outreach services are specifically mentioned as priority areas.

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