Worcester Municipal Charities (cio)

Quick Stats

• Annual Income: £1,431,303 (2024)
• Annual Expenditure: £1,600,448 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Monthly trustee meetings
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: City of Worcester and surrounding parishes (Powick, Bransford, Rushwick, and Ancient Parish of Leigh)

Contact Details

Address: Kateryn Heywood House, Berkeley Court, The Foregate, Worcester WR1 3QG

Phone: 01905 317117

Email: admin@wmcharities.org.uk

Website: www.wmcharities.org.uk

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00am-1:00pm and 2:00pm-5:00pm

Overview

Worcester Municipal Charities (CIO) is a historic charity established in 1559 when benefactors started leaving money in trust to help the city's poor. The charity was reconstituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2017 (charity number 1166931), when it received transferred funds from the Worcester Consolidated Municipal Charity. Today, the charity owns more than 120 commercial properties and almshouses, using its rental income to provide grants to individuals in need and support organisations that assist vulnerable Worcester residents. With an annual income of over £1.4 million and an endowment fund generating significant investment income, the charity maintains three core areas of work: relief of need and hardship, provision of affordable social housing, and promotion of education for those in financial difficulty.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Individual Grants for Relief in Need

• Provides essential household items and services not covered by statutory provision
• Focuses on white goods, carpets, and other household essentials
• Monthly application deadlines at 12 noon
• Applications reviewed at monthly trustee meetings
• Requires support worker assistance (Citizens Advice Adviser, Housing Officer, Health Visitor, or Social Worker)
• Application method: Fillable PDF form submitted via email (handwritten forms not accepted)

Grants to Organisations

• Supports organisations delivering services to reduce need, hardship, or distress among Worcester City beneficiaries
• Known recipients include Citizens Advice, Maggs Day Centre for the homeless, Armchair Furniture Recycling, and Worcester Community Trust
• Application process: Contact charity directly for organisational grant applications

Educational Grants

• Available to individuals and organisations demonstrating financial hardship
• Evidence required that need cannot be met from Local Authority or other statutory sources
• Geographic eligibility: City of Worcester and Parishes of Powick, Bransford, Rushwick, and Ancient Parish of Leigh

Priority Areas

• Relief of persons experiencing need, hardship, or distress in Worcester City
• Essential items and services not provided by the state
• Affordable social housing provision (over 120 properties managed)
• Educational support for those in financial need
• Support for homelessness and vulnerable populations
• Assistance with white goods, carpets, and household essentials

What They Don't Fund

• Fee-paying institutions
• Travel abroad
• Awards beyond first degree level
• Applications from outside geographic catchment area
• Handwritten application forms (must use fillable PDF)

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Governance and Leadership

The charity is governed by a board of 17 trustees, which exceeds the Charity Commission's recommended maximum of 12. The long-serving Chair, Paul Yorke Griffith MBE, has been a trustee since 1984 (41 years of service). The charity employs 5 staff members, and no trustees receive remuneration.

Key Trustees:

• Paul Yorke Griffith MBE - Chair (appointed 1984)
• Roger Edward Berry - Trustee (appointed 1987)
• Margaret Jones - Trustee (appointed 1996)
• Sue Osborne - Trustee (appointed 2003)
• Paul Denham JP - Trustee (appointed 2005)
• Plus 12 additional trustees appointed between 2007-2025

Leadership Perspective:

Paul Yorke Griffith MBE, Chair, speaking about funding challenges: “We own the property in Shaw Street and it was a blow when the Probation Service moved out in 2019 as we lost £150,000 per year in rent. We were unable to let such a large office, so we faced selling it for very little or developing it at great expense.”

On cash flow challenges: "Funding everything up front was a pinch point for us. At the same time we had an unexpected repair bill of £100,000 for dry rot in another property and this left us feeling vulnerable. Unity's timely offer of support helped dig us out of a deep but temporary cash flow hole."

On housing provision during the pandemic: "Last year, the Government called for homeless people to be brought indoors during the Pandemic. 70 individuals moved into Worcester's Fownes Hotel and St Paul's Hostel."

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Individual Grants:

1. Applicants must work with a support worker (Citizens Advice Adviser, Housing Officer, Health Visitor, or Social Worker)
2. Support worker completes fillable PDF application form using Adobe Acrobat Reader
3. Submit completed form via email to admin@wmcharities.org.uk
4. Handwritten forms are not accepted

Before Applying - Recommended Steps:

1. Check if family or friends can help
2. Apply to Worcester City Council's Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme
3. Platform Housing tenants should try the Platform Wellbeing Fund first
4. If these options fail, then apply to Worcester Municipal Charities

Organisational Grants:

Contact the charity directly via phone (01905 317117) or email (admin@wmcharities.org.uk) during office hours

Decision Timeline

• Monthly application deadlines at 12 noon on specified dates
• Applications considered at monthly trustee meetings following deadlines
• Typical timeframe: Applications submitted by deadline are reviewed at the next monthly trustee meeting

Success Rates

Success rate data is not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policy is not publicly specified. Contact the charity directly for guidance on reapplication after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Key Requirements:

• Must demonstrate financial need and geographic eligibility (Worcester City or specified parishes)
• For individual grants: Must have support worker assistance - applications cannot be made directly by individuals
• Applications should demonstrate that statutory sources have been exhausted
• Use the correct application format (fillable PDF, not handwritten)

Collaborative Approach:

The charity works closely with other local organisations including Citizens Advice, Maggs Day Centre, Armchair Furniture Recycling, and Worcester Community Trust. Demonstrating connections with these partner organisations may strengthen applications.

Financial Context:

The charity's 2024 financial position shows expenditure (£1,600,448) exceeding income (£1,431,303), suggesting they are drawing on reserves to meet demand. This financial context indicates active deployment of resources to meet community needs.

Housing Focus:

Recent major project: The charity transformed an old Probation office in Shaw Street into 25 flats for homeless people, using its own reserves, £1 million from Homes England, and a £500,000 loan from Unity Trust Bank. This demonstrates commitment to innovative housing solutions.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic specificity is critical: Eligibility is strictly limited to City of Worcester and four specific parishes - applications from outside this area will not succeed
• Partnership approach required for individuals: Individual applicants cannot apply directly; they must work through designated support workers, making relationships with these intermediaries essential
• Exhaust statutory sources first: The charity explicitly expects applicants to have tried other sources (Local Authority, Worcester City Council schemes) before applying
• Monthly decision cycle: Plan applications around monthly deadlines and trustee meeting schedules for predictable timeline
• Focus on essentials: Priority given to basic household items (white goods, carpets) and essential services not covered by state provision
• Long-term leadership: 41-year tenure of Chair suggests stability and consistency in approach, but also potential for established ways of working
• Active grant-maker: Despite financial challenges, the charity continues to spend significantly (£1.6m annually) and takes on major housing projects, indicating genuine commitment to mission

References

• Worcester Municipal Charities official website: www.wmcharities.org.uk
• Charity Commission Register of Charities, Worcester Municipal Charities (CIO), Charity Number 1166931: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5069000
• Worcester Municipal Charities, Individual Grants page: https://www.wmcharities.org.uk/individual.html
• Unity Trust Bank case study, “Worcester Municipal Charities | Housing for Homeless Funding”: https://www.unity.co.uk/stories/worcester-municipal-charities/
• Charity Commission financial data for year ending 31 December 2024
• Paul Yorke Griffith MBE quotes from Unity Trust Bank case study and housing development announcements