THE WEAVER’S COMPANY BENEVOLENT FUND
Grants, generally for up to £15,000, are available for smaller UK registered charities working with young disadvantaged people, particularly young offenders, prisoners, ex-prisoners and young people at risk of becoming involved in criminal activity in the UK.
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o Application deadline: THURSDAY 13th MARCH 2025 for the Company’s June 2025 meeting. Two further application deadlines in 2025 are provided in the main text below.
o Funder: The Weaver’s Company Benevolent Fund (founded 1973. Charity number 266189. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 31 December 2023: £554,934 (2022: £511,027; 2021: £448,712; 2020: £370,381)).
o Who can apply: smaller UK registered charities with an annual income of under £100,000 if working locally, or under £250,000 if working nationally. Community Interest Companies and organisations in the process of applying for charitable status are also eligible to apply.
o Key words: Young Offenders. Young Ex-Offenders, Disadvantaged Children and Young People Aged up to 30, United Kingdom.
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The Weaver’s Company Benevolent Fund provides funding for smaller UK registered charities working with young offenders, prisoners and ex-prisoners, and young disadvantaged people, especially those at risk of criminal involvement within the UK.
Grants are available for:
1. Helping disadvantaged young people – the object of the fund is to support projects working with disadvantaged young people to ensure that they are given every possible chance to realise their potential and to participate fully in society. Young people are normally defined as being aged from 5 to 30 years, and
2. Supporting offenders and ex-offenders, particularly those under 30 years of age – many offenders and ex-offenders suffer from a variety of difficult and complex problems and they are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. Funding is available for work that addresses the social and economic problems faced by this group and their families. Projects should provide beneficiaries with support, life skills, training and a way back into education, training and/or employment, so that they may reintegrate into and make a positive contribution to society.
Priority is given to smaller organisations which offer bespoke and direct services. Local organisations such as those working in a village, estate or small town should normally have an income of less than £100,000. Those working across the UK should normally have an income of not more than £250,000.
The following grants are available:
1. The Small Grants Programme has a cap of £5,000.
2. The Main Grants Programme is uncapped, although are advised to research typical grant sizes previously made through the Company’s Charity Commission Annual Reports. In the past, grants have tended to be one-off awards for up to £15,000, although in exceptional circumstances grants up to 3 years may be awarded.
Please note that there is a matched funding requirement for the Fund. Applicants will be required to show that they have sought and secured funding from other sources to support their application.
A list of all grants awarded during the year can be found in the appendixes to the Fund’s annual accounts. Main Grants and Small Grants awards are listed on pages 11-14.
Further information, guidance and an application form is available on the Company’s website (scroll down the page to the section headed ‘Applying for a Grant‘).
The next application deadlines are:
o Thursday 13th March 2025 for the Company’s June 2025 meeting.
o Thursday 3rd July 2025 for the Company’s October 2025 meeting, and
o Thursday 13th November 2025 for the Company’s February 2026 meeting.
The next application deadline is therefore on Thursday 13th March 2025.
Contact details for the Company are:
Mr James Gaselee
Clerk to the Trustees
The Weaver’s Company
Saddlers’ House
Gutter Lane
London
EC2V 6BR
Tel: 020 7606 1155
Email: charity@weavers.org.uk