Upside Trust

Quick Stats

• Registered: 30 December 2020
• Charity Number: 1192938
• Annual Giving: £369,285 (2023-24)
• Income: £2.27 million (2021, initial endowment)
• Grant Range: Information not publicly available
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales
• Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: 14 Butley Lanes, Prestbury, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4HU

Email: jim.heron@ntlworld.com

Phone: 07941099303

Charity Commission: Register Entry

Overview

Upside Trust is a small, private grant-making trust registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 30 December 2020. The trust received an initial endowment of £2.27 million in 2021 and has been steadily increasing its grant-making activity, with expenditure of £64,140 in 2021, rising to £369,285 in 2023-24. The trust operates quietly without a website or public-facing presence, making grants at the discretion of its three trustees. Based in Macclesfield, Cheshire, the trust focuses on education advancement and relief of those in need, particularly through skills development and employability support. With its modest scale and private nature, Upside Trust appears to identify and support organizations through the trustees' own networks and knowledge rather than through open applications.

Funding Priorities

Charitable Objects

The trust has two primary charitable purposes:

1. The Advancement of Education

• Providing support by way of grant funding to organisations which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities
• Enabling individuals to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals
• Relieving unemployment

Priority Areas

Based on the charitable objects, the trust focuses on:

• Education and Skills Development: Supporting educational initiatives and organizations that build capabilities
• Employability and Training: Organizations helping people develop work-related skills and overcome barriers to employment
• Social Inclusion: Programs that help individuals become active, responsible members of society
• Capacity Building: Organizations that develop the skills and capabilities of disadvantaged individuals

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are documented, though the trust's focus is clearly on education, skills development, and employment-related support rather than other charitable causes.

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Governance and Leadership

The trust is governed by three trustees, all appointed on 21 December 2020:

• John David Berry - Chair
• James Robert Macnab Heron - Trustee (contact email: jim.heron@ntlworld.com)
• Simon Farr - Trustee

None of the trustees have other recorded trusteeships on the Charity Commission register, suggesting this may be their primary charitable involvement. The trustees receive no remuneration or benefits for their roles. The trust has no employees.

How to Apply to Upside Trust

How to Apply

This trust does not have a public application process.

Upside Trust operates as a private grant-making trust where funding decisions are made at the discretion of the three trustees. There is no:

• Public website
• Application guidelines or forms
• Open funding rounds or deadlines
• Published criteria or application instructions

The trust appears to identify and support organizations through the trustees' own networks, knowledge of the sector, and discretionary decision-making rather than responding to unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Given the private nature of this trust, there are no documented application success factors. The trust makes grants to organizations that align with its charitable objects of education advancement and relief of those in need through skills development and employability support.

Organizations working in these areas and based in or serving communities in England and Wales (particularly potentially the Northwest/Cheshire region given the trust's location) may be within the trust's scope, but without a public application process, getting funding would require either:

• Being identified by the trustees through their own research and networks
• Having an existing relationship with one or more of the trustees
• Being invited to apply

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Private Operation: This is a small, private trust without a public application process - unsolicited applications are unlikely to be successful
• Growing Grant-Maker: Despite its private nature, the trust is genuine and active, with expenditure growing from £64,000 to £369,000 over three years
• Clear Focus: Education, skills development, employability, and relief of unemployment are the trust's core interests
• Geographic Base: Located in Macclesfield, Cheshire, though able to fund across England and Wales
• Modest Scale: With annual expenditure under £400,000, this is a small trust making targeted grants rather than large-scale funding
• Trustee Discretion: All funding decisions rest with the three trustees who have been in place since the trust's founding
• Limited Information: The lack of public documentation, website, or published guidelines reflects the trust's private, discretionary approach

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Sue Hammerson Charitable Trust
• The Storz Charitable Trust
• Montier Charitable Trust
• The John Freeman Charitable Trust
• Aquila Family Charitable Trust
• The Weldon Uk Charitable Trust
• Brian And Jill Moss Charitable Trust
• Investream Charitable Trust
• The Guyll-leng Charitable Trust
• The Doughty Charity Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities - Upside Trust Charity Overview. Registration number 1192938. Accessed 9 December 2024. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regId=1192938
• Charity Commission - Upside Trust Financial History. Accessed 9 December 2024. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5173704/financial-history
• Charity Commission - Upside Trust Governing Document. Accessed 9 December 2024. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5173704/governing-document
• Charity Commission - Upside Trust Trustees. Accessed 9 December 2024. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5173704/trustees
• Companies House - Upside Trust Company Overview. Company number CE024476. Accessed 9 December 2024. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/CE024476