THE ALBERT HUNT TRUST

Revenue grants up to £40,000 are available to registered charities based and working in the UK in the areas of hospice care, learning disability, mental health, the promotion of health and wellbeing, and homelessness. The Trust has announced that it is to wind down its grant-making over the next 5 years and will close in 2029.
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o Application deadline: none – applications may be made at any time by application form. Please note, however, that the Trust has announced it will cease its grant-making by its 50th anniversary in 2029.
o Funder: The Albert Hunt Trust (founded 1979. The Trust converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2018. Charity number 277318. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 5 April 2023: £7,241,600 (2022: £1,455,500)).
o Who can apply: registered charities based and working in the UK.
o Key words: Hospice Care, Learning Disability, Mental Health, Health and Wellbeing, Homelessness, United Kingdom.
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The Albert Hunt Trust is winding down its grant-making activities with a view to closing the Trust in 2029, its 50th anniversary. A statement on the trust’s website reads:

“The Albert Hunt Trust was established on 12 January 1979 and has distributed grants totalling more than £40m to date.

“When the Trust was originally set up the founders were clear in their intention to support a broad range of causes, including hospice care, winter night shelters for the homeless, and individuals facing social deprivation.

“Over the ensuing years the Trustees have pursued this approach and continued to support charities with similar aims and objectives to those organisations originally funded by the founding trustees.

“Furthermore, a steadfast commitment to provide unrestricted core funding has been at the forefront of the provision of grants with little or no reporting required, thus entrusting the organisations supported to continue to deliver their objectives.

“With the unprecedented recent effects on society, through the pandemic and current cost of living crisis, there is a stark increase in the dependence being placed upon civil society as a source of intervention.

“This has consequently caused the Trustees to question ‘why does the Trust exist?’ and ‘why does the Trust need to exist forever?’.

“With the acknowledgement that there is much immediate need for financial support the Trustees have decided to act now by concentrating on the spending of the Trust’s remaining resources within a specific timeframe seeing The Albert Hunt Trust mark its 50th anniversary in January 2029 by closing.

“Breda McGuire, the chair of Trustees said ‘’By adopting a spend down strategy this will focus the trustees to utilise the resources of the Trust in a targeted way to achieve the Trust’s objectives at a time of unparalleled need.’

“The Trustees will continue with their current grant making strategy in the short term whilst developing a strategy for the phased final distribution.”

The Albert Hunt Trust aims to promote and enhance the physical and mental welfare of individuals or groups of individuals through grant making. Grants are available to registered charities based and working in the United Kingdom, particularly in the areas of:

o Hospice care.
o Learning disability.
o Mental health.
o The promotion of health and wellbeing, and
o Support for the homeless.

The following grants are available, with no requirement for matched funding:

1. Core funding support for UK hospices (this is the Trust’s main priority area for grant-making) grants are typically between £20,000 and £40,000 (previously £10,000 – £20,000).

2. Core funding support for UK charities working with people who are homeless: grants are typically between £5,000 and £10,000. Charities applying under this category should have an annual income of under £500,000.

3. The promotion of health and wellbeing: grants are typically between £1,000 and £5,000. Charities applying under this category should have an annual income of under £250,000.

During the year ended 5 April 2023, the Trust awarded 1,030 grants totalling £7,241,600 (2022: 1,250 grants totalling £1,455,500)).

Please note that the Trust is only providing revenue funding at this time. Capital projects cannot therefore be supported. As mentioned above, matched funding is not required for any of the above grant categories.

A listing of all grant recipients is provided on pages 35-57 of the Trust’s annual accounts.

Funding is not available for:

o Animal welfare.
o Arts and heritage.
o Charities working overseas.
o Community interest companies.
o Conservation and environment.
o Medical research.
o National Health Service (NHS) charities.
o Organisations in the health and wellbeing sector with income levels above £250,000.
o Overseas travel, including expeditions.
o Sport, or
o The promotion of religion.

Further information, guidance and an application form is available on the Trust’s website.

Applications may be made at any time and are reviewed each month by the Trust.