DOWAGER COUNTESS ELEANOR PEEL TRUST

The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust has one of the more unusual Charity Commission entries we've come across so far. It states:

“The Trust deed provides that the income of the Trust Fund
should be paid or applied for such charitable purposes as the Trustees should think fit. The Trustees have particular regard for medical charities, charities for old people and those who have fallen on evil days through no fault of their own.”

The Trust's aim is to support projects in the following areas:

• Charities in connection with older people - old age, homes,
and carers.
• Charities for people fallen upon hard times - disabled, hospices, ex-services, natural or man-made disasters, mental health and homelessness.
• Medical care charities - care specifically aimed at benefiting older people, to include Alzheimer's, Macular Disease, Prostate Cancer, and Parkinson's Disease.

Grant awards during the financial year ending 5 April 2014 varied between £300 and £300,000. The vast majority of awards were under £10,000. During the financial year the Trust allocated £804,448 in grants, an increase from £641,674 the previous year.

Although there is no geographical limitation on applications, requests from charities in the preferred locations of Lancashire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside tend to receive priority over applications from other parts of the country.

The Trustees place a strong focus on small to medium-sized charities where grants will make a difference. Applications from large well-funded charities (with income in excess of £2.5 million per annum) will normally be rejected, unless the project is a capital project.

The Trustees’ preference is to support capital projects or project driven applications and not running costs or general operating expenses, although the Trustees are flexible to take account of the needs of smaller charities which operate in the Trust's preferred locations.

For charities in this category consideration will be given to supporting revenue projects and running costs in addition to capital projects.

Registered charities in the United Kingdom are eligible to apply.

Application forms are available to complete online at the Trust's website.

The next application deadline is Wednesday 30 September 2015.

Contact details for the Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust are:

Sarah Keywood
The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust
Trowers & Hamlins LLP
3 Bunhill Row
London EC1Y 8YZ
Email: secretary@peeltrust.com

(Source: GRIN)