Wakefield And Tetley Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £200,000+ (2024)
• Total Reserves: £11.6 million (2021)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not specified (trustees meet quarterly)
• Grant Range: £500 - £50,000
• Geographic Focus: Tower Hamlets, Southwark, and City of London only

Contact Details

Website: www.wakefieldtrust.org.uk

Email: enquiries@wakefieldtrust.org.uk

Phone: 07926 927861

Address: Marshall House, 66 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1YT

Application Portal: wtt.flexigrant.com

Pre-application Support: The Trust encourages informal conversations before applying. Contact them via the website's Contact Us page with your email or telephone number for guidance.

Overview

The Wakefield and Tetley Trust was formed in January 2008 through the merger of two long-established charities dating from the 1930s - The Charity of Charlotte Tetley and Wakefield Trust - which have been serving local communities for over 90 years. The Trust is an independent charitable trust with total reserves of £11.6 million (2021), most held in properties let on long leases to commercial tenants. In 2024, the Trust provided over £200,000 in grant funding.

The Trust exists to help inhabitants of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, and the City of London who are in need through age, financial hardship, or sickness, and to support the charitable activities of the parish of All Hallows by the Tower and Toc H. As a small grant-maker, it aims to support high-quality charitable work that will improve the lives of people and communities experiencing disadvantage, with a particular focus on marginalised groups whose challenges have been made worse by the cost of living crisis.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Small Grants Programme: £500 - £5,000

• For registered charities and constituted community groups
• Organizations with annual turnover under £500,000
• Particularly encourages applications from grassroots organizations
• Current Status: Closed until further notice (update expected September 2025)

Main Grants Programme: Up to £50,000

• For larger projects and multi-year funding
• Examples include £50,000 extended social welfare advice pilot
• Current Status: Applications invited periodically - check website for updates

Fast Track Grants: Smaller amounts (approximately £4,000-£5,000)

• For urgent or time-sensitive needs
• Quicker decision-making process

Priority Areas

The Trust supports work with individuals and communities who are marginalised or disadvantaged because they have difficulty accessing resources, face discrimination, or experience poorer social, economic, and health outcomes.

Priority Groups (non-exhaustive):

• Carers
• Disabled people
• Children with additional needs and disabilities
• People from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities
• Refugees
• People with no recourse to public funds
• People in manual or insecure work
• Families affected by domestic violence and abuse
• People experiencing poor mental health
• People living alone who may be isolated

Types of Funding Available:

• Core costs (including staff salaries, rent, and general running costs)
• Time-limited project costs
• Service adaptations to reach vulnerable people
• Additional costs to meet needs of marginalised communities

What They Don't Fund

• Activities that do not directly benefit people who live or work in Tower Hamlets, Southwark, or the City of London
• Health trusts, health authorities, hospices, medical equipment, or medical research
• Newly established organizations (must provide annual accounts for previous financial year)
• Organizations with annual income over £500,000

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Governance and Leadership

The Trust has eight trustees who meet four times a year. There are two sub-committees: the Grants Committee considers funding policy and awards grants, while the Finance and General Purposes Committee oversees assets, income, and regular management activity. The Clerks manage the work of the Trust on behalf of the Trustees.

Current Trustees and Leadership

Paddy Kelly - Chair

Partner at Laytons ETL, legal and tax advisors.

Tim McNally - Chair of Finance & General Purposes Sub-Committee

CEO of a technology consultancy.

Clare Murphy - Chair of Grants Sub-Committee

30 years of experience as a community development worker with youth and community projects, with extensive knowledge of the diverse communities, groups, organizations, and bodies in Tower Hamlets.

Other Trustees:

• Peter Delaney - Former Archdeacon of London
• Mohima Kamaly - Professional Play Manager with expertise in child protection and fundraising
• Stuart Morganstein - Stepped down as Chair of the Trust in 2021
• Dawn Plimmer - Head of Practice at Collaborate, helping public services collaborate to tackle complex social challenges
• Margery Infield - Philanthropy Manager at XTX Markets

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the Trust's online Flexigrant portal at wtt.flexigrant.com when grant rounds are open.

Current Status: The Trust currently has no grants available to apply for at this time. The Small Grants programme closed in 2024/early 2025 with an update expected in September 2025. Check the website regularly for announcements about when applications will reopen.

Application Process When Open:

1. Review the Grants Guidance document (downloadable from website) containing all pre-application eligibility information
2. Contact the Trust for an informal conversation if unsure about eligibility
3. Submit application through the Flexigrant online portal
4. Await review by the Grants Committee

Decision Timeline

Trustees meet four times per year to make grant decisions. The specific timeline from application to decision is not publicly stated but depends on which quarterly meeting cycle applications fall into. Progress reports are required at times agreed in offer letters, and for grants running one year or more, an interim report is normally required before releasing the final part of the grant.

Success Rates

Success rate data is not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Organizations that have previously received funding from the Trust must have submitted their required progress report before they are eligible to apply again. This is a mandatory eligibility requirement.

Application Success Factors

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, organizations must:

• Be a registered charity or community group with a constitution or set of rules
• Have an organizational bank or building society account where two or more named people must authorize payments
• Provide annual accounts for the previous financial year (no newly established organizations)
• Have income under £500,000 in the most recent financial year
• Have a sound track record of charitable work in Tower Hamlets, Southwark, or the City of London
• Deliver over 70% of existing work in these boroughs if applying for core costs
• Have submitted a progress report if previously funded by the Trust

What the Trust Values

Geographic Connection: Activities must directly benefit people who live or work in Tower Hamlets, Southwark, and the City of London. The Trust emphasizes local community impact.

Support for Marginalised Communities: The Trust particularly values work with disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Clare Murphy, Chair of the Grants Sub-Committee, brings 30 years of experience in community development, indicating the Trust's understanding of grassroots work.

Organizational Sustainability: The Trust recognizes that organizations working with marginalised communities may be under financial stress and will fund core costs including salaries and running costs - a significant advantage for smaller organizations.

Financial Accountability: The Trust requires accurate and comprehensive financial records of spending associated with the funding, submitted with progress reports at the end of each agreed reporting period.

Transparency and Communication: Organizations must inform the Trust of any material change to the project/proposal or organization that affects the use of the grant, with changes needing approval.

Examples of Recently Funded Projects

• £50,000 (one year) - East End Citizens Advice: Extended social welfare advice pilot in Mulberry School for Girls, Manorfield and Marner schools in Tower Hamlets, providing social welfare advice direct to families
• £20,000 - Support for marginalised women in Tower Hamlets
• £5,000 - Ability Bow: Core costs for disability gym (2021)
• £4,610 - Ocean Women's Association: Core costs and re-launch of women's coffee mornings at Stepney City Farm for local elderly and vulnerable Bangladeshi women
• £3,500 - Free to be Kids: Thrive Outside Project for Southwark children to attend residential breaks, supporting children facing difficulties to experience nature and the outdoors
• £3,000 - Getting isolated older men together through social connection experiences, places, and outings
• £2,500 - Thai Boxing Fighters Academy: Boxing gloves for children and safety equipment and registration fees for adults to participate in tournaments

Monitoring and Relationship Management

The Trust may ask to visit organizations to see the work funded during the life of the funding. Funded organizations are also asked to share photos and videos of the work supported, with proper permissions and credit details. This indicates the Trust values direct engagement and understanding of funded projects.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic restriction is absolute: Only apply if beneficiaries live or work in Tower Hamlets, Southwark, or the City of London. This is a strict eligibility requirement.
• Core costs welcome: Unlike many funders, the Trust explicitly welcomes applications for core costs including salaries and running costs, particularly for organizations working with marginalised communities under financial stress.
• Grassroots focus: The Trust particularly encourages applications from grassroots organizations with income under £500,000 - smaller local organizations are well-positioned to apply.
• Pre-application contact encouraged: The Trust offers informal conversations before applications open - use this opportunity to discuss fit and get guidance.
• Previous funding requires reporting: If you've been funded before, ensure all progress reports are submitted before applying again - this is a hard eligibility requirement.
• Applications currently closed: Monitor the website closely for reopening announcements, particularly for the Small Grants programme expected update in September 2025.
• Demonstrate local knowledge: With trustees like Clare Murphy who have 30 years of local community development experience, applications should demonstrate deep understanding of local communities and their needs.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Tower Hill Trust
• ELFT CHARITY
• The Peter Minet Trust
• ST ANDREW HOLBORN AND STAFFORD'S CHARITY
• THE HAMPSTEAD WELLS AND CAMPDEN TRUST
• The Charterhouse Charitable Trust
• Newcomen Collett Educational Foundation
• CRIPPLEGATE FOUNDATION
• JOHN LYON'S CHARITY
• FOWLER SMITH AND JONES TRUST

References

• Wakefield and Tetley Trust official website: https://wakefieldtrust.org.uk/
• Wakefield and Tetley Trust “Apply for a grant” page: https://wakefieldtrust.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/
• Wakefield and Tetley Trust “Who we help” page: https://wakefieldtrust.org.uk/who-we-help/
• Wakefield and Tetley Trust “About us” page: https://wakefieldtrust.org.uk/about-us/
• UK Charity Commission Register, Charity Number 1121779: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1121779
• Wakefield & Tetley Trust Recruitment Pack 2022: https://trustees-unlimited.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/WTT-Recruitment-Pack-2-YE22.pdf
• Flexigrant Application Portal: https://wtt.flexigrant.com/