Wheelwrights' Charity

Charity Number: 288173

Annual Expenditure: £0.1M

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Quick Stats

Annual Giving: Approximately £88,000 (charitable expenditure)
Success Rate: Not publicly available
Decision Time: 3-6 months (quarterly trustee meetings)
Grant Range: £100 - £40,000
Geographic Focus: UK-wide

Contact Details

Website: www.wheelwrights.org

Phone: 020 8673 4820

Email:

General enquiries: charity@wheelwrights.org
Clerk: clerk@wheelwrights.org

Address: 1a, 1-3 Oldridge Road, London SW12 8PQ

Overview

The Wheelwrights' Charity was established in 1983 by the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights, one of the City of London's historic livery companies. With total funds of £815,259 (as of 2024), the charity distributes approximately £88,000 annually in grants. The charity's mission centres on improving wheeled mobility for disabled people, particularly children and young people, supporting access to Paralympic and wheelchair sports, and preserving the ancient craft of wheelwrighting through apprenticeship support. The charity has a partnership with the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA). The charity takes a relationship-focused approach, working closely with partner organisations like WheelPower to identify beneficiaries and forge lasting connections rather than simply providing one-off funding.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

General Fund - Supporting organisational grants for disability mobility and access

Typical range: £3,000 - £15,000 for major projects
Examples: Specialised wheelchairs for sports clubs, accessibility equipment

Craft Fund - Supporting wheelwright apprenticeships

Typical range: £1,000 - £2,000 per apprentice annually
Covers: Training costs, tools, assessment fees, travel expenses

WheelPower Partnership Fund (since April 2017)

Individual equipment grants: £100 - £1,000
Eligibility: Individuals with spinal cord injury within past 5 years (UK residents)
Covers: Sports wheelchairs, archery/cycling equipment, competition fees

Priority Areas

Mobility for disabled people (£49,378 in 2024) - specialised wheelchairs, accessibility equipment, wheelchair-accessible facilities
Access to sport and recreation for disabled people - wheelchair sports, adapted activities, Paralympic training programmes
Educational and recreational activities - special needs theatre, music education for visually impaired, swimming lessons
Wheelwrighting craft education - apprenticeship schemes, heritage craft training
Support for disabled ex-service personnel - projects benefiting disabled veterans

What They Don't Fund

The charity explicitly prefers specific projects with which they can be identified, NOT day-to-day running costs. They focus on tangible outcomes and measurable impact, favouring equipment purchases, capital projects, and defined programmes over general operational support.

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Governance and Leadership

The charity has 6 trustees, all members of the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights. Current Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Stefan Hay (also Upper Warden of the Company), who will become CEO of AMDEA in August 2025 and is currently Chairman of the Royal Society of St. George. The charity operates under the governance structure of the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights.

How to Apply to Wheelwrights' Charity

How to Apply

The Wheelwrights' Charity does not have a formal public application process or online portal. The charity operates through:

Direct identification of organisations they would like to support
Responding to unsolicited requests from charities

To seek funding:

Contact via email at charity@wheelwrights.org or clerk@wheelwrights.org
Clearly articulate project alignment with priorities (mobility for disabled people, wheelchair sports, educational access)
Emphasise specific project outcomes rather than general running costs
Demonstrate tangible, measurable impact

For individuals with spinal cord injuries: Apply through the WheelPower partnership at www.wheelpower.org.uk/wheelwrights

Decision Timeline

Trustees meet quarterly to consider grants. Typical decision timeline is 3-6 months from initial contact, depending on meeting calendar.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. The charity works with a focused portfolio of beneficiaries rather than processing large volumes of speculative applications.

Reapplication Policy

No specific policy published. Grant lists show some organisations receive multi-year funding, suggesting successful partnerships can lead to ongoing support.

Application Success Factors

Organisations are more likely to succeed if they:

Align with core mission focus: The trustees' report states “The principal focus of our grant making policy is mobility and access for disabled people”
Demonstrate specific, tangible outcomes: Prefer "specific projects with which the Wheelwrights' Charity can be identified, rather than funding day to day running costs"
Show measurable impact: Track and report on specific outcomes
Build relationships: Charity emphasises forging closer relationships with beneficiaries
Target priority beneficiaries: Children, young people, and ex-service personnel are specifically mentioned in charity objects
Connect to wheelwrighting heritage: Projects relating to wheeled mobility or tyre industry may have added appeal
Demonstrate financial need: WheelPower states preference “to help individuals in the final stages of meeting their funding target”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application form exists - make direct contact via email to introduce your organisation and project
Focus on specific projects, not operating costs - the charity wants to fund tangible outcomes they can be identified with
Mobility for disabled people is the top priority - the majority of annual grant funding goes to this area
Partnership approach is valued - organisations often receive multi-year support; charity seeks relationships not just transactions
Measurable impact is important - be prepared to demonstrate and report on specific outcomes
Grant sizes vary enormously - from £100 individual equipment grants to £40,000 capital projects
Decision-making is quarterly - factor in potential 3-6 month waiting time for decisions