York Civic Trust

Registered charity 229336 · since 1964yorkcivictrust.co.uk·York·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

£15,940

Annual giving, year to 31 January 2024

From the Charity Commission register

year to 31 January 2025 grants not yet published.

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Your work fits best if it conserves or interprets York's heritage, landscapes or public realm, and for the Our Place scheme the project must be co-developed and delivered with residents of Acomb and Westfield.
Under Our Place, grants range from £250 to £3,000, and the Charity Commission register shows £15,940 in grants to institutions for the latest year with grants, though nothing for the newest year, so a modest request is the realistic fit.
Applications use a short form, available online or in hard copy, and are open for a four-week window, so check its website for current dates; if you need more than £3,000, speak to its Heritage Engagement Officer early.
Under Our Place, do not seek funds to acquire land, buildings or heritage items, and individual residents and unincorporated groups cannot apply directly, though they can partner with an incorporated organisation or a registered CIC, CIO or sole trader.
How competitive the scheme is goes unstated, so it is worth a conversation before you commit time to a full proposal.

Overview

York Civic Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 229336).

York Civic Trust is a charity that exists to protect, celebrate and shape the heritage of York. Its purposes include promoting high standards of planning and architecture, educating the public about the area, and securing the preservation, protection, development and improvement of features of historic or public interest. Its programmes include the City Enhancement fund, which gives grants towards maintaining the appearance of the public realm in the City of York, and the Darrell Buttery Endowment, which funds grants for the Trust's purposes or towards Fairfax House or its collection.

What they fund

Priority Areas

York Civic Trust makes grants in support of its objects, including grants towards maintaining the appearance of York’s public realm. Its Our Place community grants support conservation and enhancement of heritage assets and semi-natural infrastructure, and activities that increase awareness, understanding and appreciation of heritage, landscapes and local history, including diverse heritage under-represented in existing narratives. Proposals must be co-developed and delivered with residents in Acomb and Westfield. The scheme identifies existing incorporated organisations and freelance practitioners registered as a CIC, CIO or sole trader as applicants; it also encourages individual residents and unincorporated groups with suitable proposals to build partnerships with an organisation or practitioner meeting the criteria. Its assessment criteria emphasise community leadership and participation, public benefit and accessibility, sustainability and long-term impact, deliverability, value for money, collaboration and partnerships.

Themes

Built heritage
Semi-natural heritage
Heritage awareness
Under-represented heritage
Public realm maintenance

Geographic Focus

York and its surroundings; Westfield and Acomb area.

What they don't fund

Our Place: Acomb and Westfield Community Grants Scheme only: acquire land, buildings or heritage items; Individual residents and unincorporated groups

How to apply

For the Our Place scheme, applicants use a short application form available online or in hard copy; the scheme information and criteria are available on the Trust website and in print from its offices.

Deadlines: Applications are open for a four-week period.

Who can apply:

Our Place Acomb and Westfield Community Grants Scheme
- Applications will only be considered from existing incorporated organisations and freelance practitioners registered as a CIC, CIO etc or as a Sole Trader.
- Proposals must have been co-developed and be delivered with residents in the Westfield and Acomb area.

What to send:

Our Place Acomb and Westfield Community Grants Scheme: A short application form.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

Proposals should demonstrate community leadership and participation.
Proposals should contribute to York’s heritage or natural environment.
Proposals should provide public benefit and accessibility.
Proposals should demonstrate sustainability and long-term impact.
Proposals should show deliverability and value for money.
Proposals should demonstrate collaboration and partnerships.
Applicants seeking sums over £3,000 are advised to speak to the Heritage Engagement Officer early.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

York

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to York Civic Trust.

The Sylvia & Colin Shepherd Charitable TrustRollingGave £548k Patricia, Donald, Christine & Patrick Shepherd FoundationNo public process The Ken & Lynne Morrison Charitable TrustRollingGave £634k Trust Property Administered in Connection with the Company of the Merchant Adventurers of the City of YorkNo public processGave £1,000 The Woodsmith FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £1.2M The Feoffees of St Michael's SpurriergateFixed deadlinesGave £79,870 The Charles & Elsie Sykes TrustFixed deadlinesGave £966k The Micklegate Ecclesiastical TrustRollingGave £179k Carstairs Countryside TrustNo public process The Catherine Cookson Charitable TrustRollingGave £918k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 January 2021	£355,228	£400,048	—	Accounts for year to 31 January 2021
year to 31 January 2022	£369,047	£376,233	—	Accounts for year to 31 January 2022
year to 31 January 2023	£464,295	£487,407	—	Accounts for year to 31 January 2023
year to 31 January 2024	£754,276	£567,831	£15,940	Accounts for year to 31 January 2024
year to 31 January 2025	£500,305	£694,116	—	Accounts for year to 31 January 2025

Grants paid, year to 31 January 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).

— No grants figure for that year.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.