THE HEDLEY FOUNDATION LIMITED
One-off grants of up to £5,000 (but averaging £2,500) are available to smaller UK registered charities working with the elderly, people with a mental or physical disability, those who are terminally ill, young people and social welfare projects, including those that benefit carers, the homeless and ex-offenders.
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o Application deadline: WEDNESDAY 4th JUNE 2025 for the Foundation’s meeting on Wednesday 16th July 2025. One further application deadline for 2025 is provided towards the end of the main text below.
o Funder: The Hedley Foundation Limited (founded 1971. Charity No: 262933. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 31 March 2024: £798,750 (2023: £745,205; 2022: £610,051; 2021: £179,092)).
o Who can apply: small to medium sized UK registered charities.
o Key Words: Elderly. Mental Health, Physically Disabled, Children and Young People, Carers and Older People, Hospices, Homeless, Ex-Offenders, United Kingdom.
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The Hedley Foundation Limited aims to improve the quality of life of people in the United Kingdom, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It works to achieve this by making grants to small and medium sized UK registered charities working to benefit the following:
o Elderly people and those who are terminally ill – projects to help elderly people to maintain independence, as well as projects to support those in the closing stages of life, in hospices or hospitals.
o Mentally and/or physically disabled – projects to support and improve the quality of life of people of all ages with physical and mental disabilities, sensory impairment and learning difficulties.
o Young people – projects which raise the aspirations or help realise the full potential of disadvantaged young people. Typically, grants are given to support young people into education, training or sustainable employment. Providing an opportunity to broaden horizons through sport and adventurous activities may form part of this category, and
o Otherwise disadvantaged people and their carers – projects to support carers and social welfare projects that might support the homeless, the employability opportunities for offenders and ex-offenders and the opportunity to reduce re-offending. A major theme for support, presently, is to help keep young people out of the Criminal Justice System.
The Foundation awards grants to those charities that are able to demonstrate quantifiable outcomes to beneficiaries. It tends not to give money to very large scale or national charities or to support bids for salaries, buildings or IT.
Typically, grants are for between £3,000 to £5,000, with no matched funding requirement. Grants are augmented by the occasional higher award granted for charities where a greater impact can be demonstrated. Most grants are one-off payments, but multi-year grants may be selectively awarded and in such cases are subject to an annual review.
During the year ended 31st March 2024, the Foundation awarded grants to 326 charities totalling £798,750 (2023: 278 charities totalling £745,205; 2022: 173 charities totalling £610,051).
The Trustees meets 4 times per year to review grant applications. The next application deadline is Wednesday 4th June 2025 for the Foundation’s meeting on Wednesday 16th July 2025.
The following application deadline is Wednesday 27th August for the Foundation’s meeting on Wednesday 8th October 2025.
Further information, guidance and a downloadable application form is available on the Foundation’s website.