Western Counties And South Wales Evangelization Trust

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Not publicly disclosed
• Success Rate: Not available
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
• Geographic Focus: Wales and South West England (East Sussex to Cornwall, London to Birmingham and Swansea)

Contact Details

Address: Western Counties Trust, 122 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH

Phone: 01225 436679

Email: admin@wctrust.org.uk

Website: Not available

Overview

Established in 1904, the Western Counties and South Wales Evangelization Trust is recognized by the Charity Commission as an 'open brethren' property-holding trust. With substantial reserves of approximately £4.17 million as of recent reporting, the Trust serves two primary functions: acting as trustee for approximately 140 chapel properties across Wales and Southwest England, and making grants to Christian evangelists and Bible teachers or their families. In 2023, the charity reported total income of £708,587 and charitable expenditure of £371,860. The Trust's stated purpose is “for the spreading of the gospel and the edification of Christians and these two objects shall be the primary purpose of the Trust.” The organization operates with no charges for its property trusteeship services and maintains the spiritual independence of local churches.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Trust makes grants specifically to:

• Christian evangelists
• Bible teachers
• Families of evangelists and Bible teachers

Grant amounts are not publicly disclosed. The Trust also uses funds from property disposals to purchase or improve land and buildings for gospel purposes, with priority given to fellowships with limited resources within the trust network.

Priority Areas

• Support for Christian evangelists engaged in gospel work
• Support for Bible teachers in 'open brethren' assemblies
• Financial assistance to families of evangelists and Bible teachers
• Property acquisition and improvement for chapels and gospel halls, particularly for fellowships lacking resources
• Assistance to weak fellowships lacking resources in genuine and deserving cases

What They Don't Fund

The Trust operates specifically within the 'open brethren' Christian movement. Based on their stated purposes and governance structure:

• Organizations outside the 'open brethren' fellowship tradition
• Activities not aligned with gospel spreading and Christian edification
• General charitable purposes unrelated to Christian evangelical work

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Governance and Leadership

The Trust is governed by 12-15 trustees at any time, all of whom must be in fellowship with an 'open brethren' assembly. Trustees are professionals with expertise in law, accounting, engineering, and other relevant fields, and live across southern England and South Wales.

Former Leadership:

• Brian Knowles served as Chairman until his passing (approximately 2019). He was noted for carrying out the majority of the work for the Trust into his 80s.

Current Trustees:

Available records indicate G J Davies and P J Symons serve as trustees, though a complete current trustee list is available from the Charity Commission.

One or more trustees receive payments or benefits from the charity for providing services. The charity receives administrative support and office rental from Stewards Company Limited (charity 234558) as of August 2021.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This Trust does not have a public application process. Grants are made to Christian evangelists and Bible teachers or their families, but there is no publicly available application form or formal application procedure.

The Trust operates within the 'open brethren' network and appears to identify beneficiaries through trustees' knowledge of workers within this fellowship. Based on the operational model of similar 'open brethren' support organizations, grants likely are awarded through:

• Trustee discretion and knowledge of workers in the field
• Recommendations from local assembly elders
• Pre-existing relationships within the 'open brethren' network

For inquiries about potential support, contact the Trust directly at admin@wctrust.org.uk or call 01225 436679.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed.

Success Rates

Not available - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to the absence of a formal application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the Trust's operational model within the 'open brethren' network, the following factors are important for potential beneficiaries:

• Fellowship Alignment: Beneficiaries must be in fellowship with 'open brethren' assemblies, as all trustees must be from this tradition and the Trust was established specifically to serve this movement
• Type of Ministry: Focus is specifically on Christian evangelists and Bible teachers, not general Christian ministry
• Geographic Connection: Properties and ministries within Wales and Southwest England (from East Sussex to Cornwall, London to Birmingham and Swansea) align with the Trust's historic geographic focus
• Genuine Need: The Precious Seed article notes that “whenever possible” the Trust assists “genuine and deserving cases” when a fellowship becomes weak and lacks resources
• Local Assembly Relationships: The Trust's property management model emphasizes following local church leaders' wishes, suggesting strong local assembly endorsement would be important

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process exists - this Trust operates through trustee discretion and relationships within the 'open brethren' network rather than open grant applications
• Fellowship requirement - Support is provided specifically to individuals within the 'open brethren' tradition; this is not an ecumenical or general Christian funding source
• Dual mission - The Trust serves both as a property trustee for chapels and as a grant maker for individual workers; these functions are interconnected
• Relationship-based - Direct contact with the Trust (admin@wctrust.org.uk or 01225 436679) is necessary to explore potential support
• Geographic focus - While not an absolute requirement, the Trust's historic focus on Wales and Southwest England may influence funding decisions
• No service charges - The Trust operates with a principle of making “no charge for its services” in its property management, suggesting a service-oriented rather than transaction-oriented approach
• Substantial reserves - With over £4 million in unrestricted reserves, the Trust has significant capacity to support its charitable purposes over the long term

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• THE ALMOND TRUST
• Fieldsdene Trust
• The Deo Gloria Trust
• Stobart Newlands Charitable Trust
• Forest Hill Charitable Trust
• The Oxford Good Stewards Trust
• The Caledon Trust
• Hinchley Charitable Trust
• The Four Winds Trust
• The Grace Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities. (2024). “Western Counties and South Wales Evangelization Trust - 234557.” Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/234557
• Find that Charity. (2024). “GB-CHC-234557 | Western Counties and South Wales Evangelization Trust.” Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://findthatcharity.uk/orgid/GB-CHC-234557
• Precious Seed. “Western Counties and South Wales Evangelisation Trust.” Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://www.preciousseed.org/articles/western-counties-and-south-wales-evangelisation-trust/
• Church Growth Trust. (2019). “Working with Western Counties - December 2019.” Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://churchgrowth.org.uk/working-with-western-counties-december-2019/
• Charity Commission financial data for year ended 31 December 2023